No, I don't mean the loutish soccer fans singing from the packed rafters before taking to the streets to smash and grab from shops to upgrade their TV sets, stereos and the like.
It was bad enough the opening ceremony finished on an anti-climax when five nobodies lit the cauldron in the main arena.
Yes, the youthful faces symbolised Olympians of the future but it was still not the same as having someone in the mould of Muhammad Ali or Pele leaving an indelible impression.
The closing ceremony simply came across as a glorious musical extravaganza, hot on the heels of the opening ceremony that promised lots but delivered little.
Apart from the rash of geriatric singers and pop artists from several generations, one cannot be blamed for thinking the British are culturally bankrupt.
I don't watch them but I would have settled for even a glimpse of Coronation Street or Eastenders to break the drone of singers who didn't sound too appetising in an expansive open-air venue.
Ironically, when a stream of blue light filled the stadium a commentator made a reference to it as "blue skies".
Spot on to a Games that made people all over the world, apart from in cities such as Wellington and Auckland, appreciate their summers aren't so bad after all.
But I digress.
Where was the culture?
Whatever happened to the threesome of Robin Hood, Little John and Maid Marian to spice up things, albeit the utopian vision referred to as Merry England.
How about even a sprinkling of contemporary urban myths and facets of cryptozoology such as the Beast of Bodmin Moor.
The famous Arthurian legends may not have originated in England but variants of these tales are linked with pockets of the Motherland, such as Glastonbury and Tintagel.
The organisers did flirt with tradition, though.
I caught a glimpse of Morris dancers prancing about with bells and sticks, albeit fleetingly.
To chronologically embrace medieval chapters of literature could have added another dimension.
Writer Geoffrey Chaucer comes to mind.
The Elizabethan era is often described as the golden age of English literature with myriad great poets. William Shakespeare's works spawned scripts that to this day dictate theatre etiquette.
What does it serve to have the Queen (using a body double) jump out of a plane with James Bond?
My other beef is with "Team Great Britain".
Why England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales combined?
They compete in just about every other code as autonomous nations.
Well, England struggles as a soccer team and we now know they are no better as a composite one, either.
On the cultural front, some lateral thinking could have led to some spectacular Frankenstein and Dracula visuals, also having Celtic connections.
Throw in the Welsh dragon and Scottish kilts and the world's athletic ambassadors would have something to write home about.
Not surprisingly the Northern Irish have reservations about "Team GB", arguing it creates a perception they are not part of the British trinity and, understandably, want the Olympic team renamed "Team UK".
I'm still none the wiser on what the logic is behind the amalgamation of "Home Nations".
Does that mean we can have a "Team Pacific Islanders" or "Team Africa" or "Team Indo-China" to help the Third World countries muster more gold?
