Sport: Run for the Money

As the house lights dim in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Miler Marty Liquori, acting as M.C. and resplendent in his $250 tuxedo, will direct the crowd's attention to a spotlighted sprinter crouching in the blocks. "He is co-holder of the world 100-meter record, and has run the fastest 200 meters in history," Liquori will spiel. The runner tenses for an introductory dash down the board track. "Let's have a big welcome for—JOHN CARLOS!"

Thus, with a smell of the circus, professional track—a slickly packaged, hyped-up version of the oldest athletic show on...