Bids for the 1996 Summer Olympics "political instability, potential security problems, air pollution, traffic congestion and the fact that it would have to spend about $3 billion to improve its infrastructure of airports, roads, rail lines and other amenities". Allegations were quick to emerge in the Greek and Australian media that Atlanta had won the Games due to a conspiracy organized by global beverage company Coca-Cola, a longtime sponsor of the Olympic Games headquartered in Atlanta. An Athenian daily newspaper declared the "Olympic flame will not be lit with oil, but with Coca-Cola", while the Athens bid chair said that the city would never again bid
Coca-Cola Enterprises Coca-Cola Enterprises Coca-Cola Enterprises was a marketer, producer, and distributor of Coca-Cola products. It was formerly the anchor bottler for Western Europe and most of North America. Coca-Cola Enterprises' products included Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta, Capri-Sun, Dr Pepper, Chaudfontaine, Schweppes, Monster and Relentless. The Coca-Cola Company decided to consolidate the many independent bottling groups in the Coca-Cola System. Previously, independent businesses in remote geographic areas bottled Coca-Cola products and distributed the merchandise to stores. In 1980, Coca-Cola acquired the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York for $215 million. In 1982, Coca-Cola acquired the Associated Coca-Cola Bottling Company