Bodog Beat

Police watch Olympic rings formed in the sky by fireworks during the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing. (AP Images)

Although many Americans won't be able to see it until tonight, 2.3 billion have already tuned into the live four-hour-long opening ceremonies for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the early buzz on the Net is that the sight was nothing short of masterful.

The New York Times live blogger raved, "To light the cauldron, Li was lifted to the top of the stadium on a guidewire and appeared the run along the top edge of the stadium, a spectacular visual effect as he circled the roof holding the torch. Pictures the torch relay he was concluding filled the panels as he passed. It was arguably the most spectacular way to light a cauldron – ranking near the archer that lit the flame in Barcelona in ‘92 – and held the crowd in thrall. Next, the sky filled with a magnificent display of fireworks and the effect was complete."

MSNBC says, "Prepare to be astonished. By any standard, the Opening Ceremony in Beijing will surpass any start to any Games in history. The most expensive opening ever was four years ago in Athens, when the Greeks spent a reported $30 million on their torch-lighting rite. The Chinese have surpassed them by a factor of 10. With an estimated $300 million budget, a seemingly never-ending cast of 15,000, and a fireworks display that's rumored to be the biggest in history, the Bird's Nest will redefine Olympic spectacle."

NBC is making out like bandits for their 2,900 hours of has live Olympic coverage, selling more than $1 billion in advertising. Get the NBC Olympics schedule in order to make the right picks when you bet on the Olympics in the Bodog Sportsbook.