What is it about getting a group of elite athletes from different countries together to fight it out for medals that makes compelling viewing?
Although the hype leading up to the Commonwealth Games was low-key compared to what we experience with the Olympics, the event itself has provided just as many highs, lows, surprises and dramas.
In fact, it seems to be more about the athletic performances than the ''dressing on the side'' that often accompanies the Olympics, and that is refreshing.
Marathon runners and weightlifters alike have me fixed to the sofa and fixated on the screen as athletes of all shapes, sizes, shades and skills give their all in a bid to get bragging rights.
It is the raw emotion, the in-the-moment unity of mind, body and soul in such a public way that makes events like this so intriguing.
New Zealand has done well in Glasgow but in ways we weren't expecting.
We're not doing so well in the team sports but there are many dark horses coming through the ranks, dressed appropriately in black, whose names were not that well known until Glasgow gave them a chance to shine.
We all expected the New Zealand men's sevens team to win gold as it had done in previous Commonwealth Games, but South Africa put a stop to that winning streak and gave Gordon Tietjens, DJ Forbes and their team a wake-up call all invincible teams need at some stage.
On a positive note, this loss (which still resulted in a silver medal) was a minor glitch in the sevens story and will give them added motivation and focus as they get back on the road to Rio.
The Silver Ferns have also caused netball followers heart palpitations with a close call against Malawi in their opening game and injuries to most of the shooters, leaving the shortest person in the team (Liana Leota) the responsibility of putting points on the board - which she did for three-quarters of the game against St Lucia with a 73% success rate.
Leota is a stalwart in black stepping up as she did when her team needed her, especially after having a three-year break from the team to focus on her family.
Like Leota, Waimarama Taumaunu doesn't seem fazed, so maybe we should have faith and just sit back and enjoy watching this team give us something to jump up and down about.
The cycling disciplines have been impressive, and golden girls Sophie Pascoe and Lauren Boyle didn't disappoint.
Pascoe's emotions overflowed in the pool and on the podium as she acknowledged the significance of her first Commonwealth Games event in a team of athletes with and without disabilities.
Pascoe's reaction and the joy on the faces of many of the athletes in achieving a personal best or medal reminded us of how important this is to them.
Even though research suggests these Games don't really achieve any long-lasting benefits for the host or participating nations, the feelgood factor is still palpable as I'm jumping up and down willing the athletes to give that extra bit of effort that might be the difference between fourth and a medal.
New Zealand's history as a nation is very much tied to the Commonwealth, and the furore surrounding royal visits, weddings and babies, combined with the strong sense of satisfaction we get when we beat our colonial cousin Australia and ''mother'' England in any sport, suggests we haven't quite cut those Commonwealth strings yet.
And who would want to, when we watch two teenage boys punching the air in victory during a mountain biking event, see Pascoe fill the pool with tears of joy, and watch our fellow countrymen and women achieve personal milestones many of us can only dream of achieving?
Although the Commonwealth Games are not as flashy as the Olympics, there is less distraction which allows the gaze to focus on the athletes and their achievements.
The Glasgow Games are evidence we don't need razzle-dazzle to get the heart racing and the blood pumping for athletes and spectators alike.
