The World Cup has never staged games in a rain forest, much less in the middle of the Amazon.
That took the pressure off Beijing, which staged Games that have been judged as excellent — the word "technically" slips into play a lot.
When it emerged in November as the only viable host for the Cup of Nations, it was clear that Malabo, the capital, and Bata, the largest city, both of which staged games in 2012, would be selected as venues.
Miller takes us through the 2002 season, running back and forth between actual footage of the A's and staged stuff, much of which looks better than staged games usually do in movies.
The Romans realized the political value of the Greek festivals, however, and Emperor Augustus staged games for Greek athletes in a temporary wooden stadium erected near the Circus Maximus in Rome and instituted major new athletic festivals in Italy and in Greece.
PRESEASON GAMES SET FOR TOKYO: The Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors will play preseason games on Oct. 13 and 14 at the Tokyo Dome, marking the sixth time since 1990 that the N.B.A. has staged games in Japan.
