What Happened with the Olympics?

Alright, I'm not really sure what happened in the world here. I know there's all sorts of issues with the Olympic torch relay thing this year including protestors attempting to extinguish the torch. The crazy thing is, if it wasn't for all these issue and problems, I honestly probably wouldn't have even know the Olympics were coming up.

I remember when I was younger in Maryland, it was like a huge deal, I could tell you what events were going to be shown when, and list off some of the big name athletes competeting. My childhood is sprinkled with memories of The Dream Team, Downhill Skiing Kerri Strung, the inclusion of snowboarding and the big Dan vs. Dave rivalry. And even before my time I remember hearing the stories of the Miracle Ice. but now... all of that has gone away, I guess I'm curious if this is just me or if more people are seemingly disconnected from the Olympics/Olympic Fever?