NO PAYNE, NO GAMES

THE CHARISMATIC LEADER WHO WON THE OLYMPICS FOR HIS CITY IS POISED ON THE EDGE OF THE PROMISED LAND

Billy Payne's first great burst of inspiration arrived on the morning of Feb. 8, 1987. He was addressing his church congregation during the dedication of a sanctuary whose fund-raising committee he had chaired, and as he gazed out at the smiling faces of his friends, he experienced a rush of emotion at the pleasure and pride they all felt at the spirit of sacrifice that produced this noble moment. "Boy, that was a great feeling," he recalls telling his wife Martha later that day. "We gotta think of something else that will bring people together in that kind of joyous celebration."

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