Over the course of four decades in the business, Dick Ebersol has helped create Saturday Night Live with Lorne Michaels, brought the Olympics to NBC, and stolen John Madden away from ABC. Currently a senior adviser and former chairman of NBC Sports, Ebersol managed of all the sports programming you see on NBC and its many sister networks. His wife is actress Susan Saint James.

Raised in Connecticut, Ebersol began his career in sports when he took a leave of absence from Yale to work as one of the first Olympic researchers for ABC Sports. However, he found his way to NBC when he was named the director of weekend late night programming in 1974, which wasn't really a heavy-hitting time slot until he and Lorne Michaels developed Saturday Night Live, and, well...you know what happened there. He created his own production company No Sleep Productions and even integrated some sports into the late-night scene, such as Saturday Night's Main Event and Later with Bob Costas. Ebersol was promoted to president of NBC Sports in 1989 and chairman in 1998. During his tenure, he orchestrated a slew of acquisitions and renewals, and in 1995-6, the World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and Summer Olympics were broadcast on the same network for the first and only time. With some of the highest rated broadcasts of all time under his belt, Ebersol intended to retire in 2011 but still maintains a senior adviser role with NBC Sports.

Tragedy struck Ebersol's family when he and two of his sons were involved in a plane crash on his private jet. Ebersol's youngest son, Teddy, and the jet's captain were killed while Ebersol, his eldest son Charlie, and the jet's first officer were seriously injured. A field along the Charles River in Boston was dedicated to Teddy Ebersol in 2006. [Image via Getty]