July 2, 1996
As the Olympics returned to the U.S., attention turned to the question of “Why Atlanta?” It had none of the glitz of L.A., the hustle of New York, nor the history of Chicago. TIME’s cover story focused on the anytown aspect of ATL:
“The city seems a Whereizit that is both Southern and Northern, global and provincial, black run and white dominated–a liberal conservative small town done up in a three-piece suit. The two phrases most closely associated with Atlanta are, after all, ‘I have a dream’ and ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.'”
But Atlanta was poised to launch itself into one of the world-class cities in the U.S., thanks to its welcoming business culture and self-proclaimed city of racial harmony. And sprinter Michael Johnson was featured as the Southerner poised to bring the Atlanta Games to glory. Running the very at-odds 200-meter and 400-meter races, TIME asserted that officials were banking so heavily on Johnson that they even adjusted the race calendar to fit his schedule:
“Olympic and international track officials had to rearrange the schedule to accommodate Johnson, but the payoff for both him and them could be immense: acclaim as the next Jesse Owens, the rebirth of track and, oh, yes, gazillions of dollars.”