An Olympic Ideal Gets Burned

Greek grumbles inflame a coast-to-coast run for charity

It seemed a splendid idea. To the glory that was Greece, the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee (L.A.O.O.C.) wanted to bring a touch of American grandeur. The Olympic flame was to be relayed from east to west in a scenic 19,000-kilometer zigzag across all 50 states, the longest torch run in modern Olympic history. Sections of the route would be "sold" at $3,000 a kilometer to sponsors who contribute to charity. Doing it the American way, the Olympic flame would arrive from Greece electronically. AT&T, which...

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