I’ve been watching the Olympics on and off at work. Part of why I asked people if they were watching is because I can’t remember, even as a child, watching this much Olympics coverage this early in the 2 weeks. I realize it’s because I’m here at ESPN.com, but I loved the Olympics as a child and watched them as much as I could.

The reason I was thinking about this is because I noticed yesterday and today that the stands look absolutely deserted on TV. You can look at some of the major sports, like soccer or basketball, and you’ll see good crowds. Even then, though, you’ll find empty seats in a lot of places. The lesser events, like beach volleyball or shooting? The stands are empty.

A story written 2 weeks ago said 3 million (of 5.3 million) tickets remained unsold at that time. Rough stuff. CNN has a story posted today saying that more than half of the tickets have finally been sold. While terrorism is a concern for folks, it seems like there are also other problems plaguing turnout. To be honest, though, how would anyone know anything about the facilities/entertainment situation before getting there. I’m guessing that international tourists would’ve booked their tickets long before they would’ve been able to read reports of this type of problem.

So, it seems that the athletes aren’t the only ones afraid of terrorism, which is disappointing. I know that if I had the money, I would go. It’s still the Olympics and it’s still the only place in the world where you’ll see the world’s best athletes in action. I also believe that there are enough security forces, both Greek and international, that it should be a safe Games.

This isn’t to criticize people who changed their plans. People have to assess the risks for themselves and do what they’re comfortable with. I give less leeway to the NBA stars that wimped out, though, since they’re being protected by the Greek Navy, NATO, the EU, the CIA, FBI, and a variety of international security from England, France, Spain, Israel, and USA Basketball. Oh, and they’re on board the Queen Mary 2. I know they still have to travel to the arena and practice facilities, but with that much security, they’re probably safer than they would be at any old NBA game here at home.