Alex Karras

I was going to review “Looper” and actually thought it was not a bad movie. However, rather than saying I would not go out of my way to see it, I instead pay tribute to Alex Karras, the actor, who died at age 77.

Praise to his beloved wife, actress Susan Clark who stuck with Karras during his horrible illness. I think they fell in love on screen during the filming of the television “biopic” “Babe” about the great Babe Didrikson Zaharias and I sensed then and know now, it was real, true, “stick it out” love.

Karras played the wrestler George Zaharias and Alex was both a college and professional wrestler. In Blazing Saddles, Karras famously punches a horse, says in a gruff voice Mongo (his character) is “straight” and admits Cleavon Little, as the sheriff, did what no other man had, “beat Mongo.” He truly added to the hilarious Mel Brooks classic. Karras and Clark played the parents of Webster (played by Emmanuel Lewis) a little boy they adopted in the hit television show, “Webster.”

I have been too bitter lately but I have to say it. The great Jerry Kramer, the Green Bay Packers’ guard, called Alex Karras the toughest foe he faced. Neither Karras nor Kramer is in the Football Hall of Fame. Maybe writers resent their “K” starting names. I say these two greats not being in the Football Hall of Fame is “K”razy. My mistake is nowhere near as egregious as their mistake in not voting either player into the ”Hall.”