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Sporting News, The, July 31, 1995 by Michael Knisley

Less than a year to go until the Opening Ceremonies. And for maybe the first time since it won the bid, Atlanta might be able to breathe a tad easier about its ability to finance the 1996 Summer Olympics. No, the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) won't be rolling in the kind of dough Los Angeles was after the 1984 Games, which created a $220-million surplus. But it appears as if ACOG President and CEO Billy Payne's constant assurances - "On time, on budget" - may have some basis in reality.

The biggest reason for this long-awaited optimism is the crush of ticket orders that began arriving in Atlanta three months ago. The demand has been greater than officials even dared hope - so great that some of the pressure on the corporate fund-raisers has eased.

Now, ACOG has a different sort of problem. Now, ACOG has to be guarded about how much money it has raised, rather than how much it hasn't.

"This is one of those funny things that you've got to be careful about," says Richard Pound, the International Olympic Committee's liaison to ACOG. "If you look Eke you're fat and happy, then a lot of people suddenly want to get paid for everything they do. If the city of Atlanta puts extra policemen on during the Games, they want ACOG to pay for that, and all that sort of stuff. So you've got to talk like you're just going to make it, and then see what happens.

"I would say that's the mode Atlanta is in at the moment They're still tense, but they're reasonably confident they're going to make it. Now, if they start showing a surplus, then everybody has a pretty good idea of how to spend their surplus."

The budget to stage the Games is $1.58 billion. ACOG apparently will meet it in slightly different fashion than it had planned when it won the bid in September of 1990. The surplus in ticket sales will compensate for shortcomings elsewhere, such as second-level ($10-to-$20 million) corporate sponsorships and the sale of Olympic coins.

When push comes to shove, it appears ACOG will have the flexibility to maneuver through whatever adjustments are needed between now and next July. For instance, the decision still could be made to leave the arm rests off the seats in still-under-construction Olympic Stadium, which would save a few bucks without causing a massive disruption to the fans' enjoyment of the Games.

Wait 'til next year

At track and field's national championships in Sacramento in June, Leroy Burrell, the world record holder in the 100 meters (9.85 seconds), finished at 10.31, which wasn't good enough to qualify for the World Championships in Sweden next month. His Santa Monica Track Club teammate Mike Marsh won the race in a slow 10.23 seconds. Burrell was devastated, saying, "Now I have to re-evaluate and decide what I'm going to do for the rest of the season, because it's quite possible that I might go on home and rest for the rest of the year. It might not be necessary for me to run anymore, because I didn't do what I needed to do here."

A week later, Burrell's coach, Tom Tellez, said that reaction was just post-race depression. Tellez said he had talked Burrell out of taking the rest of the season off.

Then, earlier this month, Burrell said again he is finished for the 1995 outdoor season. This time, he said it was the foot injury, an inflamed plantar tendon in his left foot, that will keep him sidelined, rather than despair over his failure to qualify for the World Championships. It's the second consecutive year the foot has ended his summer season prematurely. Atlanta may be looking like a longshot for the world's fastest human.

Circling the rings

Ollan Cassell, the executive director of USA Track and Field, says the United States will make a strong bid to play host to the 1999 World Championships. The most likely host cities at this point are Palo Alto (Stanford University) and Seattle. ... Good idea from the muckity-mucks who run figure skating. Starting this winter, five of the top international competitions will be unified into a $1.25-million Grand Prix series that will culminate with a Grand Prix final in Paris in February, 1996. Skate America in Detroit this fall is one of the events. ... Another horse disease rears its ugly head. This time, it's vesicular stomalitis, and it's serious enough that the equestrian events at the Olympic Festival this week in Colorado were canceled. Atlanta officials are worried an international epidemic of piroplasmosis may affect the '96 Olympic program. ... USA Volleyball has lost the services of setter Dan Greenbaum from the national men's team. Greenbaum, a veteran of the '92 Olympic team, was playing behind newcomer Lloy Ball. His resignation from Team USA will allow him to pursue a career in four-man beach volleyball.