An Eternally Faltering Flame

One of the stranger sights of this sporting year occurred in New Delhi on the sixth stop of the Olympic torch's world tour. The eternal flame's five-week trip was meant to ignite worldwide sporting passion. India awarded the event appropriate pomp: television networks ran blanket coverage and main roads in the Indian capital were closed off, causing world-record traffic jams. But once the relay started, a look at the torchbearers revealed a surprise. Aside from a handful of lesser Olympians, India had chosen Bollywood stars and cricketers as the guardians of sports' supreme icon. The crowds were huge, and understandably so:...