The problem with the Olympics is that it's become, or perhaps it has always been, more than just a sporting event. The country's sports people wins some medals and suddenly there is "a new atmosphere in Britain", er.. who says? We've been bombarded with so much non-stop propaganda from the media for the last 2 weeks that you'd be completely forgiven if you actually think there must be "a belief in the nation again".
"That it will only go to the dogs if that is where we choose to take it."
Who is "we"? If you mean ordinary people, then they have practically no say in the matter. If you mean the country as a whole, then the political, financial and corporate elite who are in control are not going to change the policies of more than the last 30 years just because of some sporting contest. In fact they will continue what they are doing because of it. Whether it'll go to the dogs depends on your political view though.
Sport in general doesn't interest me but I do like a couple of specific sports. I did watch a minority sport (not cycling) that otherwise is never shown on TV. And as there weren't any British players in it, I didn't have to put up with all the obligatory jingoistic commentary crap. Well I actually only caught a few minutes of it on actual TV, most of it was through the website catch-up page. That's another another thing about the Olympics, it is very difficult to watch one specific sport or event, even if they broadcast it. You would need to be at the telly all day flipping channels. At least now all the coverage is online.
What I loathe about the Olympics is all the stuff that goes on in addition to actual sport: endless propaganda about the Olympic "spirit", the torch, opening and closing ceremonies, constant flag waving, medal ceremonies and anthems, all the background stories about how everything is great and wonderful, the self appointed IOC who go from city to city sucking up billions of public money, LOCOG which is a private company spending billion of public money, "legacy" and "inspiring a generation" bollox to justify £10 plus billion of public money being transferred into private hands.
The volunteering stuff is not to save money, there's so much sloshing around they wouldn't know what to do with it, it's so that they can use it for propaganda and claim there's some sort of community spirit, that the games is for all and inclusive.
The thing about sport is that someone has to win. So how can the games be anything other than a success? Sports people arrive at a venue, winner wins, everyone claps, all leave and go home, and that's it. That's how other sports events are run.