Alex Karras was an American football player, professional wrestler, and actor. He was a four-time Pro Bowl player with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), where he played from 1958 to 1962 and 1964 to 1970. As an actor, Karras is noted for his role as Mongo in the 1974 comedy film Blazing Saddles, and for starring in the ABC sitcom Webster (1983–1989) alongside his wife Susan Clark, as the title character's adoptive father. He was also featured prominently in Victor Victoria, starring Julie Andrews and James Garner. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed The Commerce Comet and The Mick, was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees as a center fielder and first baseman, from 1951 through 1968. Mantle was one of the best players and sluggers, and is regarded by many as the greatest switch hitter in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

Usually, the Olympics are a time when all the world's problems cease to exist for a short while. But after winning the gold and bronze medals for the 200 meter-dash, John Carlos and Tommie Smith used their time on the podium to address an issue that would not go away: the racial injustices blacks were facing in America. With a simple black power salute, Carlos and Smith were immediately suspended from the U.S. Olympic team and received death threats once they returned home. Years later they're regarded as American heros. Progression is a beautiful thing.