August 3, 1996
Carl Lewis steals the show
By STEVE SIMMONS -- Team Sun
ATLANTA -- Will he or won't he?
It is the single most asked question of the Olympic Games.
With just two days to go in the marathon of sporting events that is the Games, the focus is not on the world-record runs of Michael Johnson or Donovan Bailey, but instead on the singular pursuits of Carl Lewis, in search of a 10th gold medal.
This is a story of ego and greed, but more than that, this is a story of corporate interests, network exploitation, political involvement and media manipulation.
American coach Erv Hunt keeps insisting that Lewis will not run in the 4x100-metre relay tonight at the Olympic Stadium.
But Lewis was at the relay practice Thursday. He wasn't invited. He just showed up.
When he was invited to come to relay practice after the U.S. track and field trials, he didn't show up. But that's only part of this story.
While Lewis says he wants to run the relay and Hunt insists it won't happen, there is pressure from all directions.
In the middle of it is NBC, the television network that has kept this alive with daily debate.
NBC, of course, has a vested interest. The more it talks about Lewis and the controversy, the more it promotes the event. Suddenly, the relay team is an issue -- a complex, twisted issue.
In the semi-finals last night, the U.S. team of Dennis Mitchell, Jon Drummond, Mike Montgomery and Tim Harden ran an impressive 37.96 seconds. But it is highly unlikely that will be the American team tonight.
The team was supposed to be made up of Mitchell, Drummond, Mike Marsh and Leroy Burrell, but then complications set in. Marsh wanted to run the 200 metres and stepped away from the relay team. And apparently, Burrell has suffered an Achilles tendon injury.
He says he is hurt. His wife says he isn't. Burrell happens to be sponsored by Nike. Nike also sponsors Lewis. There is some speculation here that Nike will compensate Burrell for allowing Lewis to run in the relay.
Nike, of course, could benefit greatly from Lewis winning a 10th gold medal. The company could base a world-wide campaign around the man with the most gold medals in history.
But then word came last night that Marsh would rejoin the relay team. And this is where the math gets complicated. There is Mitchell. There is Drummond. There is Burrell, maybe healthy, maybe not. There are the youngsters, Harden and Montgomery, who ran well yesterday. There is Marsh.
And where is Lewis?
"It is important to maintain all our options,'' said Charlie Greene, the American sprint coach.
When asked if one of those options included Lewis, Greene said, "That's an executive decision.''
Greene didn't say who the executive was.
Just how all this will affect the U.S. team, with or without Lewis, won't be known until tonight. But the distractions are everywhere.
Jeff Williams, who finished fourth at the U.S. trials in the 100 metres and thinks he should be on the team, is upset.
"It's selfish,'' Williams said of Lewis' quest.
"It's like he's saying, `I was great in the past, so give me what I want now.' ''
WILL BE A SURPRISE
Harden and Montgomery are unsure of their status.
"No one is telling me anything,'' said Harden. "I'm going to find out just like you. Maybe I have to put my TV set on.''
And all Drummond would say is, "I can tell you for certain, there's going to be a surprise.''
This is all about agendas. Lewis has one. The U.S. Olympic team has one. The world track body, the IAAF, wants Lewis in the race for exposure around the globe. The IOC wants Lewis, too, figuring it will take some of the attention away from the messy Games of Atlanta. Nike will benefit. NBC will benefit.
So will Lewis run the anchor leg of the relay tonight? The betting here is that he won't, but for many of the parties involved, the mission has been accomplished anyway.
The story has become a hot topic in newspapers, on radio stations, on television and even on the Internet. The purpose has been served.
This will be the most watched relay race in history. Lewis will be trackside, as an alternate. He may run. He may not. He certainly will be visible for any and all cameras.
"This is about America,'' said Greene. "This is big stuff.''
