Olympic Opening Ceremony celebrates good things about Brazil

For all the bad publicity Rio de Janeiro has endured the past few — what? — days, months, years, this night belonged to this city and this country.

The Zika virus, the withdrawal of big-name athletes, the security concerns, the crime, the contaminated water, the economic woes, the Russian doping scandal all were forgotten — if only for a few hours — on a comfortable winter night that opened the XXI Olympiad.

The Opening Ceremony on Friday night showed the best of Rio and Brazil. Or tried to anyway.

Protests earlier in the day 10 miles away at the Copacabana Palace served as a reminder of the uneasiness in this city, which spent billions it doesn’t have to host the Games.

But Friday night, Brazil did what it does best.

“Brazil knows how to party,” NBA player and Team USA member Carmelo Anthony said in quotes distributed by the Olympic News Service.

The creators teased the show by saying in its media guide, “We are planning a big party, celebrating the inventiveness of a country made up of millions of creative people.”

Brazil invited 3 billion people watching around the world to join in its four-hour party that promised to stretch into the morning with a massive after-party in the streets.

Brazilian star musicians Anitta, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil headlined the show, with Tom Brady’s wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, making a guest appearance, strutting down the “runway.”

It was an hour into the show that we were reminded why we are here — for the 11,288 athletes. NBC did not get its way in the order of the Parade of Nations. Estados Unidos’ 555 athlete delegation went 70th among the 207 countries instead of near the back as the United States of America had the International Olympic Committee used English in setting the order.

Team USA, led by torchbearer Michael Phelps, stood out even more than usual with their Ralph Lauren sportswear and Phelps’ USA backlight.

Enough big names participated in the almost two-hour-long march-in — including Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose, Tony Parker and Caroline Wozniacki — that Jordan Speith, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, the Bryan brothers, LeBron James and Steph Curry weren’t missed.

The Games will go on without them.

“The Olympics is totally different [than grand slams], because you are really playing for your country,” Serena Williams said this week when asked why one of tennis’ all-time greats is here. “When I held my first gold medal, it was a feeling I never expected. I had a chance to enjoy my gold medal more than my other trophies.”

Thirty-three athletes who call Texas home will compete in these Games over the next 16 days. Many more who adopted the Lone Star State as home will join them, too.

That gives our state more athletes than at least 54 countries, including the refugee team, which was honored with a standing ovation as its 10 athletes entered just before the host country.

Brazil’s contingent of 465 athletes ranks second to the U.S., and their entry was greeted by a roar from the crowd of 78,000 in the iconic Maracana Stadium. Only Pele was missing from Brazil’s celebration.

Health problems prevented the 75-year-old soccer legend from lighting the torch. He wished he was here, Pele said in a tweet. He missed quite a show.

For all the fear of something terrible happening at the Opening Ceremony — and that at least crossed the minds of organizers based on a repeated pre-event public address announcement about knowing where the nearest exit is in case of emergency — this night proved an elixir.

It was a celebration — a celebration of the city and the country, a celebration of the Olympics, a celebration of the athletes.

Let the Games begin.

This story was originally published August 5, 2016 at 9:41 PM with the headline "Olympic Opening Ceremony celebrates good things about Brazil."