The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris are over and no one is happier than me.

From the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony, no amount of coverage on NBC kept me interested in following the sporting events from Paris, France.

The parody of the Last Supper, featuring drag queens, a transgender model, a naked singer dressed as the Greek god of wine Dionysus, and a child sitting together at a long dining table, was an insult to me. I grew up in the church and didn’t know the Last Supper like that. Several churches of all denominations were upset and should have been furious.

A replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting of Jesus Christ and his apostles sharing a final meal before his crucifixion has been ruined. No apology can make up for that. It will take several moments of begging for forgiveness for the world to get over this. Count me in the group demanding a sincere apology.

Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and singer and talk show host Kelly Clarkson were out of place in the inaugural ceremony coverage alongside NBC commentator Mike Tirico. When NBC isn’t busy meddling in the U.S. presidential election, the company unfairly puts people in uncomfortable positions to boost ratings.

Manning belongs behind an announcer’s booth for NFL coverage. Clarkson is a singer who needs to talk more about her illness in order to have a successful career as a singer and talk show host.

And I don’t even want to get started on the sporting aspects. It’s no surprise that America won the most medals – gold, silver and bronze. Our country should win gold medals in men’s basketball, women’s basketball and women’s football.

Between working on the Gridiron section of the Selma Times-Journal and Selma’s fiscal year 2025 budget, I may have watched a few of the Olympics.

Instead, I was put off by the opening ceremonies and sporting competitions. Maybe one day I’ll be interested in the Olympic Games.

James Jones is the managing editor of the Selma Times-Journal. Reach him at [email protected].