One night,people tried to climb the walls of the venue to get in. There’s an unconfirmed story that Microsoft founderBill Gates — the richest man in the world at the time — was turned away because he didn’t have a ticket.

Channel 7 commentatorHamish McLachlan,who was 25 at the time and MC at the venue,recalls his voicemail being full each night with desperate people wanting to get in.

One night,his friend on the door,Tom Seymour,phoned him.

“There are three guys here sayingEvander Holyfield is parked in a car around the corner and wants to come in,” Seymour said.

“Is it really him?” McLachlan replied.

“How will I know?” asked Seymour,who wasn’t a boxing fan.

“Check for the scars on his ears!”

Recalls McLachlan:“Evander was there for the next few nights,in the green room,without fail. That was the scene:Evander Holyfield in one corner,Prince Albert of Monaco in the other,Jai Taurima crowd-surfing,whileVanessa Amorosi was singing … The only time that everyone stopped and the place was completely silent was whenCathy Freeman competed in the 400m on the Monday night. The worst moment was the day after the closing ceremony. I checked my voicemail and there were no messages. You suddenly realised the party was over.”

What was reassuring for many of the bedraggled athletes who staggered out the front door and into the early morning sunlight before making the long trek back to the athletes’ village at Olympic Park was that there were no cameras allowed into the venue.

And nobody had to worry about mobile phones because there were no cameras in them. What primitive times they were.

While the Sydney Olympics were relatively free in terms of off-field scandals,we learned of one this week that highlighted the iron-fist with whichDon Talbot ruled a successful Australian swim team.

Talbot decreed that no swimmer could touch a drop of alcohol until the last competitor had finished — although they could attend other events.

When swimmersAnna Windsor andMelanie Dodd fronted athlete services,they were mistakenly given tickets to the marquee of one of the wine sponsors,and quickly made up for all those hours starting at the black line at the bottom of the pool.

When they returned to the village a little worse for wear,Talbot wanted them booted off the team.

Cool heads prevailed but they were forced to sleep on the floor of the rooms belonging to members of Australia’s women’s water polo team for the remainder of the Games.

You crashed wherever you could during the XXVII Olympiad.

It was an incredible time to be alive,to be a Sydneysider. So many moments,so many memories,so many that none of us can remember.

Birth of a legend

If you didn’t see theCathy Freeman doco on the ABC on Sunday night,do yourself a favour and watch it because it is spine-tingling stuff.

It captures the pressure on poor Cathy’s slender shoulders heading into the 400m final. For some reason,I felt more nervous watching the doco than I did 20 years ago — and I knew the result.

The race will also be remembered forBruce McAvaney’s perfect call …

Cathy lifting. Goes up to Graham. Takes the lead. Looks a winner. Draws away from Graham and Merry … This is a famous victory. A magnificent performance. What a legend. What a champion.

Ever the perfectionist,McAvaney still believes he botched the call,even if almost every Australian bursts into tears of joy when they hear a replay.

“He thinks he got it the wrong way around,” McLachlan reveals. “Champion first,then a legend.”

Nobody but Bruce would consider such a thing,but his self-criticism resonated with Victorian racecallerGreg Miles,who was thinking of McAvaney when he called Makybe Diva winning her third Melbourne Cup.

“A champion becomes a legend,” Miles said as the mighty mare crossed the line at Flemington in 2005.

Irony of the Tigers

The bitter irony of the Wests Tigers wanting to turn Storm wingerJosh Addo-Carr into a fullback shouldn’t be lost on Tigers fans when the two sides meet on Saturday.

In 2016,the Tigers had little interest in Addo-Carr,banishing him to NSW Cup because he “wasn’t good under the high ball”.

It perplexed those who had recruited him for his blinding speed and elusive footwork. If Addo-Carr couldn’t catch,why not teach him? After all,isn’t that what coaching is all about?

It didn’t take long for the Storm’s gun recruiters to snap him up — without much resistance from the Tigers — and send him to the warm,cosy bosom ofCraig Bellamy.

Addo-Carr won a comp and earned NSW and Australian jerseys. He also became solid under the high ball.

For the past five years,the Storm’s outside backs have worked with former Brisbane Lions goal sneak and Richmond assistant coachCraig McRae on their catching.

Addo-Carr has been the beneficiary of those sessions and now the Tigers are seriously thinking about signing him as a fullback,on $800,000 a year,after letting him walk out the door only four years earlier.

Amazeballs.

It’s not that straightforward,though. The Storm will only release Addo-Carr from the final year of his contract if they get Tigers wingerDavidNofoaluma in return.

THE QUOTE

“What message did you get?” — US Open women’s championNaomi Osaka when asked what message she wanted to share by wearing masks bearing names of Black victims of racial injustice and police brutality.

THUMBS UP

ARLC chairmanPeter V’landys has done a wonderful job in trying times for rugby league,but whenever he decides to go he needs to ensureKatie Page,the founder of the women in league round which will be held this weekend,is his replacement.

THUMBS DOWN

True to form,Cowboys grubJosh McGuire was sinbinned then suspended for a match after spraying refereeGrant Atkins with various rude words in the loss to the Storm. Of course,the Dragons are interested in signing him.

It’s a big weekend for …Harry Grant,who comes up againstCameron Smith in the ultimate Grasshopper-versus-Master clash when the Tigers meet Melbourne on Saturday night.

It’s an even bigger weekend for …GWS,who need to beat St Kilda on Friday night then need Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs so they can sneak into the AFL finals. Good luck with all that.

Twitter:@awebster1975