Most of us will be captivated and mesmerized by the Super Bowl this weekend. It truly has become an event that borders — or can be easily recognized — as an American holiday.

However, Friday we began another timeless and priceless event with the opening of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The parade of nations is a lengthy but must-see event.

The Olympics have lost some of their gloss from the past, but they still present the allure of the unknown and the underdog, as unexpected athletes or teams usually step into the spotlight.

Speedskating gold medalist Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank De Luca will be the team USA flag bearers.

Let’s be honest, here, though. Does anyone recognize or know either of them?

That’s the main issue with the USA team. Aside from skier Lindsay Vonn, team USA has an identity problem. There isn’t an already known athlete with superstar status like Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt in the preliminary mix.

The Olympics haven’t hit home for most of us like they did back in the 1960s, ’70s, ’80, ’90s and into the early part of the 2000s. Part of that can be attributed to streaming services and the plethora of highlights from endless channels and the absence of the “must-see” events back in the day with live broadcasts or tape delayed ones. “The Miracle on Ice” was on tape delay.

There’s also the International Olympic Committee scandals of bribery, doping and corruption that have clouded its usual wholesome image.

With the burgeoning schedules of MLB, the NFL, the NBA and the NHL, the Olympics haven’t kept the “other” sport status like they once held. We were all once enamored with Jean Claude-Killy, Peggy Fleming, Eric Heiden, and Suzy “Suzy ChapStick” Chaffee.

Most of the preliminary sports talk I have heard around the Olympics has dealt with the reminiscing of the USA’s 1980 hockey upset that still holds an open and high-profile chapter among this country’s Olympic annals.

A USA vs. Canada men’s hockey final can certainly rekindle those 46-year-old memories, and Canada will be the favorite. The USA women’s team is the current favorite to win the gold, and its members can become media darlings.

As the Games progress, there will be standouts who will emerge and names that will stay with us for a while.

These Olympics may also help lower the temperature of the conflicts in the country and abroad. One major issue that could affect the Games is further movement in the America-Iran conflict. Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete under the AIN (Individual Neutral Athletes) name due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

The upcoming games can help restore the Olympics to its once proud and respected state. We may have a few new, rising athletic stars to represent the country.

In the Games’ defense, there tends to be a drop off after the Super Bowl, and the Olympics may fill that void for a couple of weeks.

Even if it has lost some of its luster, the Olympics are worth a watch.

You never know what you’ll see or what can happen.

Email Jeff Moeller at tneditor@tnonline.com