And I am still not sure whether they can deliver.
Having just witnessed a fortnight of the most uplifting sport from Beijing, followed by events at Headingley, the Oval and Trent Bridge, can what happens in Barcelona and Zagreb match it?
The Olympics uncovered unlikely heroes, gold medalists in abundance and too many personal best efforts to list here.
The swimmers, cyclists, rowers and sailors all had time to speak to the media, many within seconds of leaving the pool, track, lake or sea.
Once the Games had finished, Kevin Pietersen's cricket team took centre stage with their 10-wicket demolition of South Africa a real highlight.
Pietersen is so confident that the rest of the players now believe they are as good as any side in the world
And even the relatively unknown Samit Patel bagged a five wicket haul at the Oval and was rendered almost speechless by the feat.
All of a sudden the summer sport was back in the nation's consciousness.
So what of the footballers?
Well, Fabio Capello's side fought out a 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic, a draw that came courtesy of an injury time goal by Joe Cole - a man not even guaranteed a place in the starting line up when the manager has a fully fit squad.
Wayne Rooney has that guarantee, so does Frank Lampard.
But neither has impressed me in a white shirt for many a long year.
Rooney gets so frustrated at a lack of service that he invariably ends up out wide or close to the halfway line looking for the ball.
Lampard it seems can only play in a blue shirt, never having been close to starring for the national side.
No sport will ever knock football off the back pages of the national Press, or remove it from the prime time slots on television.
Even the failure to pick Michael Owen caused a mass debate over the rights and wrongs of the formerly lethal frontman's credentials.
I just wish that those who do play the game at the very highest level looked like they were giving their all.
The inclusion of Jimmy Bullard gives me some hope, at least, on that score.
Fulham's former Wigan Athletic midfielder never gives anything less than 100 per cent.
Should he ever get onto the field, he will provide a nice alternative to David Beckham at free kicks.

JOEY Barton received fearful stick from the crowd at the Emirates Stadium when he returned to action for Newcastle against Arsenal on Saturday.
Barton was recently released early from a jail sentence following a conviction for assault and affray and later this week faces an FA disciplinary hearing into his assault of Ousmane Dabo.
So what on earth was Kevin Keegan doing playing him?
Perhaps the Magpies boss wanted to deflect potential criticism about the threadbare nature of his Newcastle squad.