The issue of host country residents not getting access to Olympic Games tickets and then seeing lots of empty seats in the stadium during the events is really a vexing issue!  Last night there were rows and rows of seats occupied by British Armed Forces - and I commented on that to my wife - to watch the gymnastics program.  Today I read in the Reuter's feed that those troops were actually security personnel (remember the scandal about the contractor who was unable to meet the security requirements the week before the start of the Games?) put in those seats to hide that fact that they were unoccupied!  Lots of empty seats doesn't look good on TV...

So how can this happen?  Seb Coe, the face of the London Organizing Committee, says it is the sponsors who causing the problem; or is it the National Olympic Committee's alotments not finding their way to their guests; or.... 

Certainly it is an embarassing problem, but it is one that usually gets sorted after the first several days of competition are done.  At that point, with the 'qualifying' events narrowing down the field, the special guest spectators start showing up.  Truly a shame when one realizes that medals are awarded virtually the first day of the Games.

Here is the story I quoted above:http://news.yahoo.com/london-organisers-investigating-empty-seats-000514483--spt.html?_esi=1