Sir David? Britons laugh at Greek Olympic mistake

ATHENS, Greece – It could be described as a mistake of Olympic proportions.

As Greek officials handed over the Olympic flame to London 2012 organizers on Thursday, an announcer introduced British officials to the crowd in Athens. They included Princess Anne, London Olympics organizing chief Sebastian Coe, London mayor Boris Johnson and "Sir David Beckham."

That drew hearty laughs from the Brits, who knew that the former captain of the English national soccer team is not a knight.

The crowd in Athens didn't care. There was dead silence when the president of Greece was announced, a splattering of applause for Coe, and a roar of cheers for Beckham.