[Houseboy]

I can't see how they possibly could. People keep talking about the "Olympic legacy" and frankly I fail to see how any sporting occasion could possibly change the world, so to speak. The Olympics were a success on just about every level I agree (even though I have never really taken too much interest in the past as it's far to general for me - give me the world cup and football in general any day) and therefore it is something that, as a nation, we should be justifiably proud, but what are people expecting will happen because of it?
I heard people talking on t.v. about the thousands of volunteers who helped to make it a success (and indeed they did) and couldn't we encourage more volunteering in our society because of it. The answer to that is, I think, an unequivocal no! People, in the main I think, volunteered for the Olympics because of the status of the games and the desire to "be involved" with it. Ask these self-same people to go back to their own communities and volunteer to sweep the streets or clean up the environment generally and I think you would get a swift "no". Because there is no glamour in it!!
The Olympics was a success and our athletes (I refuse to use the term "team GB" as it is an awful Americanism that we could better do without) did exceptionally well, but that is where it ends.
There is no legacy (except possibly that if you invest heavily enough in sport something will come out of the other end of the pipe).