The olympics are over.

Gone are the overdrawn opening and closing ceremonies with washed-up musicians and artsy concepts that really don't work...Gone are the five stations of coverage on my cable service...Gone are moronic complaints by a few of my friends who didn't want to see any media during the day because they wanted the winner of the men's trampoline to be a surprise (DRAMA!!!).

I liked watching the US basketball team play...because it's real basketball and there was more emotion and effort in many of those games than most NBA playoff games. I enjoyed watching some of the gymnastic events because they're typically doing something that seems to be impossible without some sort of gravity-defying device.  I loved seeing David Boudia win the gold on the 10m platform because it's always good to see the Chinese lose when they're favored...and even better when it's at the hands of one of the best Purdue athletes of all time.  I also liked watching women's beach volleyball...because of the strategy.

But the talent wasn't only on the psuedo sandy beaches of downtown London.  Here are the athletes that grabbed my attention and didn't let go:

Lauren Perdue (no relation) won the gold in the 4x200 Freestyle relay...and rejected Bron Bron's advances early in the olympics.  From what the rumors tell me, she might be the only olympian that had the will to say "no" while in the olympic village. She gets the BS bronze.

Not much wrong with Leryn Franco...other than she really didn't compete in the women's javelin; but she was there...and that alone earned her a BS silver medal.

Female olympic sprinters were generally a pretty brawny bunch...not my type.  But, the US' Allyson Felix brought up the average.  I always appreciate really good teeth...and she's got plenty of those.  But her training not only brought her gold on the track, but here at BS as well.

Those who finished just off the podium:

McKayla Maroney.  She would have medaled had I not had to watch her pout after winning the silver.

British heptathalete gold medalist was hyped as one of the host country's best chances of winning gold...she not only won, but she was super-clutch in doing so.

Granted, I didn't get to see a ton of events...but I actually saw these ladies competing, and they stood out.  Feel free to add your favorites in the comments below...

The best news about the olympics being over is that their ending signals that football is nearly here. T-minus a little over 18 days until our Boilers host Danny Hope's last employer.