I don't know if y'all are as bummed as I am about the London Olympics coming to a close, but I'm taking it pretty hard.

After nearly a month of watching NBC's melodramatic hyper-coverage of these superhumans and their physical exploits, it feels like this chapter of our lives has come to a swift close. It's the cruelest breakup because we knew it had to end the whole time. We would only have this bright, shining moment in the London sun.

Did we watch enough and catch all the best moments? Did the Olympics know how much it meant to us? Will we ever find an Olympics as good as this one?

Helping to ease the pain of this passing was the mixed bag of bizarre British performers past and present who sang or played (or lip synched) in Sunday's closing ceremony. It was thankfully less Shakespearean than Danny Boyle's opening ceremony, but it was no less dramatic or cathartic for those of us facing impending singledom.

Take That, The Pet Shop Boys, Jessie J and (thank goodness!) New Direction were all there to remind us that we are just obsessive American pop culture snobs who swallow up this over-romanticized hullabaloo with reckless abandon, just like our forefathers and foremothers.

It's in our nature to love the story of an underdog rising above all odds to claim victory, and we saw that all over these games. But we also love to watch an untouchable demi-god come in and trample all the rest of the puny humans below. These same tropes came to light again in the closing ceremonies themselves, with our musical superheroes getting back up and trying again to show us they still got it.

George Michael, Annie Lennox, The Who and the damn Spice Girls got themselves together enough to get up on that giant stage and let you know that they're still alive and happy to accept your money and praise. It may be a little slower, a little duller — like, say, a London Michael Phelps instead of a Beijing Michael Phelps — but you remember why you still cheer for them.

It was odd that we didn't see Muse play the song that was chosen as the official theme of the Olympics. Kate Bush was also chopped in the editing, leaving more room for a now-musical Russell Brand to sing a song from Willy Wonka. Those strange choices in the NBC editing room were really noticeable this year, as it seems we got far more volleyball and rowing than the events we want to see more of, such as Olympic trampoline.

Oh, and then the Pet Shop Boys played synthesizers while wearing silly pointed hats and capes. Some fashion models showed up to walk the runway. And an elderly Fatboy Slim was DJing from inside a translucent, light-up octopus for a while. So... y'know, that happened, too.

But it is the legendary performances that remind us what the Olympics is all about. Those accomplished athletes that continue accomplishing unheard of records, like Usain Bolt, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, and, yeah, Michael Phelps. They make us remember that there is something larger than life happening here.

In that same way, Freddie Mercury got the honor he always deserved, leading the packed stadium in a posthumous call-and-response before everyone sang "We Will Rock You." And John Lennon's giant head got reconstructed in the stadium while children showed off choreographed sign language skills to "Imagine." Clearly, the pantheon of British singers continues to affect the whole world.

Helping to ease the passing of this month-long affair with the London Olympics, we got a taste of the passion and excitement that Rio de Janiero is going to bring to the 2016 games. It won't be the same — mostly because Kate Middleton won't be there — but I think that somehow, we'll muddle through until we see all those polo players wearing their silly hats once more.

It sure doesn't hurt that we've got figure skater Johnny Weir wearing his glittery Vera Wang outfits to look forward to in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Maybe we can love again after all.

The Most Interesting Olympian in the World does not keep a secret girlfriend — who he promptly leaves behind to party with the guys. The Most Interesting Olympian in the World does not act like a petulant diva for years, almost tearing apart a team and an entire program, only to turn around and wax poetic about teamwork to Bob Costas with gold in hand.

No, The Most Interesting Olympian in the World just dominates. Every time. On the globe's grandest stage. Whenever it truly counts.

Usain Bolt only wins gold — in the most spectacular ways possible. He proves it for the third time in Saturday's 4x100 relay, turning a dead heat with the American team into another Bolt runaway in his 100 meters, the last 100 meters of these Games.

Bolt's Games.

​He didn't just blow away the other would-be fastest men in the world in these London Olympics. He lapped Michael Phelps, who couldn't capture everyone's attention the way he had in Beijing. He ran circles around Hope Solo, the U.S. Women's Soccer goalie who confuses being beautiful and talented with being charismatic — and dominant.

Bolt is the athlete of the XXX Olympiad, and whoever took silver isn't even close.

For it's Bolt and then everyone else.

It's not so much that Phelps wasn't quite as spectacular in these games — he did still completely expose so-called rival Ryan Lochte as the reality TV-level "star" that Lochte himself is now scheming to become. Phelps was still great. But he came across as almost bored and burdened by the London Olympics, by his place in the sports world.

He "hid" his girlfriend until it was convenient for him, treating her like some sort of media pawn rather than a person. He talked endlessly about his need to get away and live a normal life — as if he hasn't benefited greatly from his time in the spotlight.

Then there's Bolt. He's as known and dissected around the world as Phelps, he's as hounded by international fame. Yet the Jamaican superstar embraces it, turns it into part of his act.

Few athletes in history grab the stage quite like Bolt. It's not just about the Lightning poses that are threatening to give Tebowing a run for its money. It's not just about the clowning with that ridiculous Olympic mascot. It's not just about fueling the legend talk that other athletes would run away from.

No, it's about having fun with sports.

Remember that?

That's what beats at the heart of all of Bolt's showmanship and dramatics . . . fun. It's why the loudest athlete in the Olympics is also the easiest to root for — and far more interesting than all the American stars driving another medal count romp.

Bolt gets that big-time sports depend on an audience. It means little if you're running in an empty stadium. So Bolt makes sure everyone in a packed palace of a venue has a good time.

He's the one modern athlete who is capable of dancing the line that Muhammad Ali ruled for years: Bolt manages to be both the cockiest athlete in the Olympics and one of the most lovable.

It's hard not to leave a Usain Bolt race with a smile on your face. Whether you're watching it live in London, online for the real-time simulcast or as part of NBC's endlessly taped-delayed primetime show.

"I've done what I came here to do," Bolt says in the press conference after his third gold in three events.

What the 25-year-old Bolt's done is thrill the world with his unprecedented powerful speed. His almost cartoon-figure-like pull away from the fastest 100-meter field in history grabbed the Olympics by the throat and Bolt didn't let go until there was little left to decide in London besides how much Mike Krzyzewski tears up in his final Olympic press conference.

How fascinating is Bolt? How much has he utterly dominated these Summer Games?

Even IOC President Jacques Rogge cannot help but comment on Bolt, with the 70-year-old despot insisting that the runner is not a legend yet, that he must do more. Hey, Rogge's not stupid.

He knows he needs Bolt for Rio in 2016. That's how big of a superstar Bolt is. He makes any Olympics more compelling.

You have to be as old as Rogge or Costas to not appreciate Bolt. How can you not get a kick out of a guy who tries to run away with the official Olympic baton after the 4x100, drawing a scolding from the uptight race officials? Bolt is so over the top, his bragging is more performance art than offensive.

Yet there's Costas chiding in his best schoolmarm tone, "As great as Bolt is, it's hard to have a higher opinion of him than he does of himself" as NBC leaves the track and field venue for the last time.

Lighten up, Bob. No one gets more overblown than NBC itself. And Usain Bolt's made your overwrought, two-week TV show.

Bringing The Show

Bolt manages to talk big and preen without venturing into Reggie Jackson territory. Even when he's firing back at Rogge or making silly, angry statements about not respecting the University of Houston's own Carl Lewis, Bolt still comes across like he's having fun.

Contrast that with U.S. Women's Soccer star Hope Solo, who always seems to be bothered by something. After playing well in the Gold Medal Match against Japan (having been gifted a berth in the final by some horrendous calls against Canada in the semis), Solo still feels the need to tell Costas that this is the first time she's felt like she's been on a true team.

Really?

Is that because Solo destroyed other teams by whining about being replaced in goal? Or that she become so involved in a Twitter fight with Brandi Chastain, one of the women who made Solo's level of crossover stardom possible, that she kept the focus off the actual on-field play?

Solo so desperately wants to be an edgy star, yet she still often seems lost in fame. Michael Phelps sometimes seems to be wrestling with fame, happiest when he's tuning out the world and listening to the music blaring over his expensive headphones.

Usain Bolt has no such issues. There may be no one in the world more comfortable in his own skin.

Everyone wants to be The Most Interesting Olympian in the World. But only one superhuman is equipped to handle it.

There's Usain Bolt streaking across the London night, leaving everyone else behind.

It's OK to sit forward and stare. And just smile.

After seeing countless Olympians biting down on their hard-earned gold medals for photographers this week, I did some research into the possibility of finding actual edible Olympic medals.

Of course, the Internet will never let you down, and there are in fact plenty of recipes for edible Olympic treats. But, whoa, wait a Red Hot minute. There are so many other bizarre candy secrets just lurking on the web waiting to be discovered.

Seeking out bizarre and disgusting foods is a hobby of mine that I would not advise to others. I find myself compelled by my findings that often prove equal parts amazing and repulsive. It’s a perilous journey, fraught with disapproving girlfriends and upset stomachs, but its reward lies in being able to provide knowledge of our discoveries to others.

With that said, I give you some of the world’s most disgusting candies:

Harry Potter Cockroach Clusters

Who could forget the obscure reference to cockroach clusters in Harry Potter and thePrisoner of Azkaban? A crunchy candy shell with a delightful gummy body and surprisingly realistic looking wings.

It's just how you never imagined cockroaches tasting. Unfortunately this treat has been discontinued. What a shame.

Genghis Khan Caramels

After conquering most of Eurasia and founding the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan died with but one wish unfilled: A caramel candy named after him. Nearly 800 years later, his dream has come true.

Unfortunately for Genghis Khan, all the good flavors were already taken by other famous conquerors, so he got stuck with Lamb Curry flavoring. Yep, Gengis Khan Caramels are a savory, sweet candy with a pronounced curry flavor.

Chocka Ca-Ca

It's not that this candy tastes particularly gross; I just find the packaging and presentation abhorrent. I mean, baby poop chocolate . . . in a diaper wrapper?

Come on, candy manufacturers.

Zit Popper Candy

One of the great things about candy is its ability to instantly recall childhood memories. These don’t take you that far back, but who doesn’t want to remember the days when your hormones started raging and your face began breaking out?

What better way to relive those awkward years than eating zit-shaped gummy candies with a gooey pus-like filling?

Dubbel Zout

Every time I sit down to savor a nice stick of black licorice, I like to have it heavily salted beforehand. Luckily, the Dutch have developed a lovely “double salt” licorice drop called Dubbel Zout.

For when you can’t decide between savory and bitter.

Jane Jane Tasty Tuna Tidbits

Believe it or not, tuna IS the main ingredient for these "tasty" Tibits, and its joined by fellow newcomer flavor: soy sauce.

The upside? This candy is, according to its website, “good for the brain development for everyone."

Formula Pee

It's pee-colored and tastes like lemonade!

Yaki Kaki Drops

The combination of unusual meat and sweet flavors remains a uniquely Asian trend. Need to get your oyster on the go? Yaki Kaki Drops allow you to enjoy this classic seaside flavor in a conveniently transportable hard candy form.

Hopefully, we'll get some more Olympic-inspired candy in place of these meat- and puberty-inspired "treats."

If for some reason you feel inspired to join me in mapping out our planet's most exotic food oddities, start online or in your own backyard. You never know what you might be able to find in the aisles at your favorite supermarket.

My rule is: If it sounds unusual, it's probably worth trying. Once.

There's been a lot of hoopla around the U.S. men's basketball team at this Olympics — with University of Texas' Kevin Durant among a roster of one of the best basketball teams ever assembled — but so far, there's been precious little drama associated with the Dream Team 2.0 as it alley-oops its way to the medal rounds of the tournament.

If you want a combination of incredible talent, high energy and a flair for the dramatic in an American team at the Olympics, you've got one chance remaining to see them. They're the U.S. National Women's Soccer Team (or USWNT, for short), and they face a rematch of sorts Thursday afternoon in the gold medal game vs. Japan.

Last year, at the FIFA Women's World Cup, the Americans lost to Japan in the finals after a dramatic run that included one of the all-time great games in U.S. soccer history — men's or women's. That game, a penalty shoot-out win over Brazil in the quarterfinals, included the indelible moment when Abby Wambach scored the tying goal with roughly a minute remaining in a two-hour match that sent fans through a spectrum of human emotions.

Thursday's game (viewable at Houston's usual slate of soccer-friendly bars, as well as on the NBC Sports Network and on NBC's online feed) starts at 1:45 p.m. and will be played in front of what's expected to be the largest crowd to ever watch a women's Olympic soccer match.

It'll be hard to match the drama of Monday's semifinal match against Canada, in which the USWNT won in arguably the most dramatic fashion possible. They went down 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 on three goals by Canadian captain Christine Sinclair, getting level each time, first on two remarkable Megan Rapinoe goals, and then on a penalty kick from Abby Wambach following a controversial pair of foul calls.

With about 30 seconds left in extra time, with penalty kicks looming to decide who would go to the gold medal game and who would go to the bronze medal game, Alex Morgan headed the winning goal into the sliver of space between the crossbar and Canadian goalie Erin McLeod's outstretched fingers.

If you're unfamiliar with the other Dream Team, here are some reasons to love the USWNT.

Hope Solo

The American goalkeeper has had an incredible tournament. With the exception of the Canada game and the 4-2 opening match against France, she's kept the other three U.S. opponents scoreless and maintained a remarkable goal-free stretch of 368 minutes over five games. The only thing she's lacked is diplomacy.

She Twitter-slapped NBC commentator and USWNT legend Brandi Chastain for criticizing the defending of a USWNT teammate during a broadcast, which is reminiscent of the time she publicly questioned her coach's decision to leave her out of the 2007 Women's World Cup semifinals. Solo was tested by Sinclair throughout the Canada game, and her frustration following the second and third goals was a dramatic departure from her usual in-control demeanor.

But if the game does come down to penalty kicks, there's no one USWNT fans would rather have in front of the net.

Goal-scoring acumen

Wambach and Morgan have typically been the women most likely to score for the USWNT with decidedly different styles. Whereas Morgan is quick and opportunistic, using her speed and instincts to get in great position, Wambach (who's averaged nearly a goal a game in almost 200 USWNT matches) is often the tallest, strongest player on the field, equally adept with her head and her feet.

Rapinoe has had a foot in nearly every American goal this tournament, scoring from long range and assisting teammates with ridiculously on-target passes. Sydney Leroux is thriving in her role as end-of-game substitute, bringing energy, chaos and another attacking option for the team.

Terrific thirty-somethings

Captain Christie Rampone (37), Heather Mitts (34), Amy LePielbet (30) and Shannon Boxx (35) are stalwarts in the USWNT defense, with the leadership qualities and steadiness you'd want immediately in front of a goalie like Solo. And the senior players aren't just in the back: Wambach is 32 and midfielder Carli Lloyd turns 30 later this month.

Four women on the team have more international game experience than Landon Donovan, the most senior of the active U.S. men's players.

Moxie

This team has so much of it. Solo talked candidly to ESPN The Magazine about the 2008 USWNT's gold medal win in Beijing — to a TODAY Show blog writer's horror — recalling, "When we were done partying, we got out of our nice dresses, got back into our stadium coats and at 7 a.m. with no sleep, went on the TODAY show drunk."

Wambach was sucker-punched in the face during the team's second group play game against Colombia, kept her emotions to a low boil, and scored a goal on a play where she was knocked down. Then, after the game, she tweeted a photo of her black eye with the hashtag "#reversesmokeeye."

In an act of courage that transcends playing on the field, Rapinoe came out in an OUT magazine feature just before the Olympics, and is arguably considered the most valuable player of this tournament.

They're Americans, after all

The men's team wasn't able to qualify, and while other American teams are still in the medal hunt, there's just the right balance of we're-the-best confidence and willful suspense in the USWNT mix. The men's and women's soccer games are more similar to one another than men's and women's basketball, though some are chauvinistically critical of the women's game as being somehow less than the men's.

Pay that no mind. The USWNT is worth watching. And come Thursday night, they very well might have reason to party again.

A tearful Marlen Esparza won the first Olympics boxing medal by a U.S. woman Wednesday while losing her semifinal boxing match to Ren Cancan of China, 10-8.

The Pasadena native, who said the fight would be her last, had been the first American female boxer to qualify for the Games as women's boxing made its long awaited debut in London.

Esparza, who recently turned 23, won the final two rounds of the flyweight division match handily, but it wasn't enough to close the gap as Ren, who is a three-time world champion, had built up a big lead in the first three rounds.

"I can't be angry about getting any medal at all but [bronze] wasn't my goal."