Are the Olympics that important?

[Dutch_guy]

Your right Al, I haven't watch the Olympics since a kid. Now that they have "curdling" (sp?) and got rid of baseball, I'll watch even less...
I just do not understand the need to host one of these things...

well curling certainly didn't make the Olympics more exiting , but it didn't stop me watching the olympics though.
I just watch the swimming and the running / sprinting parts.

I can imagine that being the center of attention for the duration of the Olympics would be very good for that country / city.
lot's of tourist and lot's of media attention.