Anyone who has a TV could see that the attendance at the Athens Olympics has been spotty at best. Scalpers have been practically giving tickets away.

The stands may be empty, but that doesn't mean the venues and the Olympic village are. There is a greater number of participants than ever before and even more security personnel: The ratio is seven guards for every athlete. And then there's the media.

It was announced during the first week that the 2004 Summer Games had already broken even, which, considering the lousy ticket sales, meant that revenue from television and other media rights was very high. From the Japanese perspective, NHK alone sent more than 200 employees to Athens, and each of the commercial networks was represented. Effectively, the Athens Olympics has been one big TV studio, which means it mattered little where they actually took place. And bear in mind that the vast majority of people who enjoyed the Games were of the type who could watch them on high-definition TVs in air-conditioned comfort drinking the beer of their choice. Poorer countries couldn't afford coverage: In Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, only badminton was broadcast.