For Immediate Release
July 29, 1999
EXCLUSIVE HBO SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
FISTS OF FREEDOM: THE STORY OF THE '68 SUMMER GAMES
EXPLORES ONE OF THE CENTURY'S MOST POWERFUL MOMENTS IN SPORT
IN NEW SPECIAL DEBUTING AUG. 12 ON HBO

The 1960s was one of the most volatile and turbulent decades in American history. And in the world of sports, no event would transcend the playing fields like that of the 1968 Summer Games.

Examining one of the most memorable moments in sport this century - the dramatic "Black Power" demonstration of American sprinters Temmie Smith and John Carlos on the victory stand at the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City -- FISTS OF FREEDOM: THE STORY OF THE '68 SUMMER GAMES makes, its debut THURSDAY, AUG. 12, 1999 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT). Archival footage, vintage photos and revealing, interviews with Smith, Lee Evans, Ralph Boston, Bob Beamon, Bi!! Toomey, Bob Seagren, George, Foreman and Harry Edwards highlight the exclusive HBO Sports documentary, the latest edition of HBO's, Peabody Award-winning series "Sports of the 20th Century".

The black-gloved, fist-held-high, black-power salute by U.S. Olympic Team members Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the victory stand at Mexico City is one of the most provocative sports moments of the century. The one-hour documentary explores the forces that combined to produce this indelible image.

"For everyone who experienced the '8Os, with all its turbulence and change, as well as for younger people who want to grasp what occurred, this film documents a true turning point of the 20th century," says Ross Greenburg, senior vice president and executive producer, HBO Sports. "Tommie Smith and John Carlos are American heroes, but that wasn't the case when they were banished from Mexico City. FISTS OF FREEDOM examines what led to this unprecedented moment and focuses on the many subplots that were unfolding in and around Mexico City during this revolutionary time.

"Prior to the Mexico City Games, African-American activist Professor Harry Edwards had proposed a boycott of the U.S. Olympic team to change the perception that the black athlete's job was to shut up and play the game. Though the boycott did not happen, the American athletes arrived in Mexico City amidst a storm of political and social unrest -- and under the suspicious eye of IOC president Avery Brundage.

FISTS OF FREEDOM features HBO's acclaimed combination of rare footage, archival photos and revealing interviews. Figures interviewed for the program include 1968 U.S. Olympic athletes Smith, Lee Evans, Ralph Boston, Bob Beamon, Bill Toomey, Bob Seagren and George Foreman, as well as Harry Edwards and Bud Greenspan.

Contact: Ray Stallone (212) 512-1987 www.hbo.com