There is always a moment for an Olympic host city, after the flame has been doused and the circus has left town, when the people whose lives it disrupted return to the tedium of their everyday existence and ask the question: Was it worth it?
The people of Brazil woke up Monday and likely felt much better about the Games than they might have otherwise: their country won gold in the only event that truly mattered to them, soccer. And the dramatic manner in which the game's biggest star, Neymar, won the gold was reminiscent of Sidney Crosby's overtime winner at the Winter Games in Vancouver that gave Canada the top medal in the only sport that truly mattered to it.
So the penetrating feeling of pride that washed over Brazil on the weekend will linger, as it did in Canada six years ago. But eventually it fades, as it always does, and for Brazilians in particular, the joy that imbues the nation today may dissipate sooner than you think.
They are about to get stuck with the tab for the party they just threw and many will look around and wonder: Who is going to pay for it? The accounting that goes into the Olympics is always suspect; the bill is always larger than they said it was going to be, the billions in future revenue the host city is said to expect from the exposure it received impossible to honestly calculate. And, in this case, there is the question of the nature of that exposure.
While the much-hyped Zika threat never materialized, crime did. People were mugged – but not Ryan Lochte. People were shot, and killed, including one 51-year-old woman who attempted to run away from three men robbing her. The Games exposed the deep, deep social problems that exist here. While no one died swimming or sailing in the putrid, sewage filled waters of Guanabara Bay, endless stories about the potential health hazards it posed to athletes did nothing good for Rio's brand.
Daily shots of half-empty competition venues made the world wonder: Why did Brazil even bother vying for the Games if there was going to be so little interest in them? The venues were miles apart, making treks to them hours-long affairs for spectators. There was a shortage of volunteers. And the ones there were often were not well briefed, sending people in wrong directions constantly.
And when the pools started turning green, it led many to conclude Games' organizers were in over their heads.
And yet, to focus solely on problems that were, in some instances, beyond the control of Olympic organizers here seems unfair. Brazil managed to pull off these Olympics amid unfathomable political and economic upheaval and societal unrest. The timing, in many respects, couldn't have been worse.
There were always going to be unique challenges in Rio; the International Olympic Committee knew this from the outset. Whether they expected quite as many is doubtful. South America is a continent where the culture and customs are different than in North America or Europe. Here in Brazil, people move to their own unique rhythm; it is a pace that is much less frantic and disciplined than in more developed countries. It is not necessarily the most suitable disposition to have when attempting to stage something as complex and deadline driven as the Olympic Games.
It will probably be some time before the Olympics return to this continent. In the immediate future, only rich, affluent cities and nations need apply.
Yet while these Games were a disappointment on many levels, they were also a stunning success in the one place that mattered most: the field of play. The world witnessed two of the greatest talents the Summer Games have ever seen – sprinter Usain Bolt and swimmer Michael Phelps – wrap up their iconic careers. Canada, meantime, had a special Olympics as well, matching its best output ever in a non-boycott year.
For the 99 per cent of the world that only experience the Games through their televisions, the Olympics likely looked spectacular. Rio is truly one of the most visually stunning cities you will ever visit.
It would be wrong to look at the many problems that plagued these Games and smear an entire people at the same time. What you don't get to experience watching the Olympics on TV is mingling with the people who call this place home. And Brazilians, I can say, are as warm and kind a people as you'll ever meet. They manage to smile through some fairly grim day-to-day circumstances, ones many of us can't even begin to imagine.
Were the Olympics worth it for them? All you can do is hope so.
Follow me on Twitter: