Ueberroth Believes Gripers Will Curtail

Atlantans who have groused about the Olympics will come around as the summer nears, said Peter Ueberroth, who saw the same phenomenon when he ran the 1984 Los Angeles games.

“Somewhere along the line, the pride factor will kick back in as it did (in 1984),” he said. “It happens suddenly. You can feel it physically. The games take on a life of their own, its own mystique.”

Ueberroth recalled polls showing residents planned to leave Los Angeles during the ‘84 Olympics.

“I’ve never met one of those people,” Ueberroth joked. “I’ve now met the 3 million people who’ve attended the 90,000-seat opening ceremony.”

Despite Atlantans’ worries of traffic tie-ups and overcrowding during the hottest summer months, Ueberroth said residents will have the time of their lives during the games.

Although the Atlanta games will be twice the size with triple the budget, Ueberroth said the 1996 Olympics will likely bear out many similarities with ‘84.

People in Los Angeles complained about the ticketing system beforehand, but an enormous demand at the gate boosted sales to 83 percent of the 6.9 million tickets.

And, like Atlanta, there were worries in Los Angeles about the shortage of volunteers.

“But about seven weeks before the games, it starts to catch on,” Ueberroth said.