THE 1987 PAN AMERICAN GAMES : MEET THE PRESS : Carl Lewis Takes a Great Leap Forward in an Effort to Repair His Public Image

The new Carl Lewis met the press here Thursday, and the press was his.

On the surface, Lewis’ news conference at the Pan American Games was intended to give reporters a chance to question the 1984 Olympic star about his attempt at breaking the world record in the long jump Sunday. But this meeting of longtime adversaries turned out to be much more than track and field chit-chat.

This was a Carl Lewis intent on mending fences, on winning friends and influencing people. His emphasis was on burying hatchets, letting bygones be bygones, kissing and making up. Lewis, speaking in a large room filled to capacity with reporters from scores of countries in what was perhaps his highest-profile meeting with the press since the ’84 Los Angeles Games, spoke of being more mature now. And his coach, Tom Tellez, went out of his way to stress that Carl “wasn’t bitter.”

The new Carl Lewis said: “We’re all older now. It’s a whole new ballgame. Since ‘84, and all that happened then, I’ve changed. I’m more mature, I’m a little more confident in myself, I’m happier.

“I also understand better that everyone has their lives to live and their jobs to do. I don’t believe that anybody is out to get anybody else. I understand that better now.

“In ’84 in L.A., I tried to achieve in track and others tried to achieve in writing stories. Those things are our jobs.”

What a difference 1,095 days make. Three years ago, in the aftermath of Lewis’ grand appearance at the Olympics, where he duplicated Jesse Owens’ remarkable 1936 feat by winning four gold medals--in the 100 and 200 meters, the 400 relay and the long jump--the thrill of victory disintegrated into the agony of bad press.

Among some of the things that turned Lewis’ name to mud in the media were:

--The statement by his manager, Joe Douglas, that after what Lewis had achieved at the Olympics, he would be “bigger than Michael Jackson.”

--The statement by Lewis, after he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, that he didn’t know much about pro football, but if he did play, he would “probably be All-Pro right away.” --Lewis’ practice during the Olympics of sending a tape to the press of his thoughts after each of his first three gold medals, rather than showing up to answer questions in person. --Lewis’ failure to show up for a couple of meets that the U.S. relay team had planned to use as practice for the Olympics, prompting public criticism from his teammates.

--Lewis’ long-jumping just once in the Olympics--enough to win the gold--and passing on the rest of his chances, thereby drawing criticism for not trying for a world record and not giving the fans their money’s worth.

All that besides his well-publicized dispute with Nike. The shoe company that had sponsored him severed relations with him in the wake of his deteriorating post-Olympic image. Now he has a new contract with a Japanese shoe company, Mizuno. And he’s working on acquiring a new glow. “I have lots of great memories from ‘84,” Lewis said. “If I never achieve one more thing in track, it will still be great.”

But it was obvious Thursday that he desired to achieve at least one thing off the track, the repair of his public image.

“The ’84 Games defined me a lot,” Lewis said. “What some people wrote about me did not. The L.A. Games, at that time, that was who I was. I’m probably different now. People wrote a lot of things about me, but I don’t remember lashing out at anybody.”

Tellez, also getting caught up in the image repairing, said, “I don’t think I could have accomplished in ’84 what Carl did, under all that pressure.

“I’d also be the first to admit there were some mistakes made. Heck, I put Carl and Joe Douglas together when I put Carl into the Santa Monica Track Club. And how could Joe have been ready for all this? He was an English teacher, not a professional at handling this sort of thing.

“Joe just wasn’t ready for everything. And Carl wasn’t ready for everything. They made mistakes.

“If I had been at the press conferences during the Olympics in L.A., lots of things would have turned out differently.”

A side effect of Thursday’s coming-out party of the new Carl Lewis was a badly needed boost for the Pan Am Games. The events here are sadly lacking in big names and big events, and Carl Lewis telling the press that he will be going all out in the long jump Sunday will certainly fill a little of that void.

The world record in the long jump is 29 feet 2 1/2 inches, by Bob Beamon at altitude in the Mexico Olympics in 1968. It is the oldest record on the books. Lewis’ best is 28-10, but he got off a jump in the 30-foot range in 1982 in the U.S. Sports Festival here that was not allowed when it was ruled that he had fouled.

“There were no spike marks on the plasticene (takeoff area) but a judge said I had fouled, so that was that,” Lewis said.

The 28-10, his best mark, was also achieved here, during the TAC meet in 1983. The night of his 30-footer, he also got off his second-best mark, 28-9. So it is easy to see why Lewis has decided that the track at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, site of Pan Am Games competition, is a good place to go after Beamon’s mark again.

He will also run in the 400-meter relay, but will not compete in the 100 or 200.

“I want to focus on the long jump,” Lewis said. “That’s how you get your best performances.”

There is also the additional intrigue of Lewis’ long jump streak. He has won the event the last 50 times he has entered it.

After competing here this weekend, Lewis will go to Europe, compete in a meet in West Berlin and then go on to the World Championships in Rome.

And after that, more training and tuneups for the ’88 Olympics in Seoul. Not to mention, apparently, more positive image building.

“I even expect to stay in track and field after Seoul,” Lewis said. “I want to give it a couple of years after that, and then make a decision (on the ’92 Olympics).”

So it appears that the press will, for at least a few more years, have Carl Lewis to kick around. The question after Thursday’s event here, however: Will it want to?