Ali's farewell...a thing of beauty to see.

[Blueconn]

If you have connectivity today, at home or out and about, now is the hour to plan for watching Ali's funeral. Services at 2 EDT. Am told (by my #@%^&*! Yankee-fan brother...who usually knows) that ESPN is lead network. Yarders can find ESPN with their eyes closed...and up pops Sue, DT, Maya, or the Trinity. But it's already being streamed live on multiple iPad sites.

And it's the most beautiful public American funeral I may have ever seen...and yes, I was glued to CBS in November '63. Prediction: as GOAT in tv history it joins Kennedy, Diana, and Pope John.

This is a public American funeral for all time. A staple in the lives of millions of boomers is leaving. Funny how sometimes when a moment like this comes, we don't see dark clouds. Instead the sun gets brilliant. Right now.

PS- Only he and Jackie Gleason (a Pygmy compared to the Champ) can now openly be referred to using either "great" or "the greatest" without the possibility of explanatory follow-up !

 

[jennyo70]

Wow, my fare City has shown up for The Greatest. I know that he would be pleased with his send off. Thousands of people lining the streets along the processional route (it went all over the city, so the streets were lined in all areas of town where the motorcade drove by).
Unfortunately, I am at work today, may be one of the only businesses in Louisville working today, so it seems from all the coverage, photographs and social media posts.
One of many beautiful pictures I have seen today, but this might be my favorite of the day so far:

 

[Blueconn]

Wow, my fare City has shown up for The Greatest. I know that he would be pleased with his send off. Thousands of people lining the streets along the processional route (it went all over the city, so the streets were lined in all areas of town where the motorcade drove by).
Unfortunately, I am at work today, may be one of the only businesses in Louisville working today, so it seems from all the coverage, photographs and social media posts.
One of many beautiful pictures I have seen today, but this might be my favorite of the day so far:

Hi Jenny. I'm Kansas City, and your fare city with its beautiful people. Great coverage on Wave 3. You know the local kids with cameras and blonde hair and cute dresses with microphones ? Their so polite when talking to 75 year old black people in Louisville- who new the Clay family. Smiles and history for the kids who are watching. Tell us more about today in your fare city ...

 

[JordyG]

I'm not the first to note this, but the term "The Greatest" seems too discrete a term to describe Ali. It just doesn't seem to encompass all that this man was and is, all the facets this man had. He just wasn't The Greatest. He was The Only. Louisville should be proud. The work isn't over, but Louisville and this country has come a long way from that restaurant that refused to serve their gold medalist.

 

[j66kicker]

Over 100,000 out on the streets, public memorial delayed til at least 3 PM now

 

[Blueconn]

I'm not the first to note this, but the term "The Greatest" seems too discrete a term to describe Ali. It just doesn't seem to encompass all that this man was and is, all the facets this man had. He just wasn't The Greatest. He was The Only. Louisville should be proud. The work isn't over, but Louisville and this country has come a long way from that restaurant that refused to serve their gold medalist.

I hear you Jordy. But a mark of his greatness is what he did en camera with language. He expanded the uses of great and greatest...literally what the Oxford English Dictionary team in England is all about tracking. I bet OED has it already. "The Greatest" is code-speak in the time of Liston-Patterson, Ed Sullivan, Uncle Walter, LBJ, Vietnam Nam, Don Dunphy & Gillette, ... But also Space Missions in grade school, Mickey Mantle & Willie Mays, Dylan and the Beatles, the Dean of Sports live from the Field House in Storrs, Connecticut, brothers and sisters at UConn discussing race & war and kicking away so many bad notions that dogged America...and a brilliant young boxer ? The Louisville Lip ?

Suddenly kids (me, 11 in '63) saw and heard somebody that was fresh (in all good senses) ...

 

[bags27]

I hid under the blankets, so my folks wouldn't know I was still up, listening to the first Clay-Liston fight on my crystal radio (no kidding!). Went nuts when Clay won: had been following him (Ring Magazine) long before the Olympics and thought he was a god.

When the Supreme Court supported him 8-0 I was overwhelmed; I couldn't believe he could get justice in this country. Of course, we now know that the vote was a compromise on a technicality and not a unanimous decision on the merits. But at the time, it was the equivalent of Obama being elected president: something one never thought possible in one's lifetime.

Who hasn't been mentioned as a predecessor to Ali is Louis Armstrong. Also spectacularly talented and beloved around the world.

 

[ScarlettB]

I'm not the first to note this, but the term "The Greatest" seems too discrete a term to describe Ali. It just doesn't seem to encompass all that this man was and is, all the facets this man had. He just wasn't The Greatest. He was The Only. Louisville should be proud. The work isn't over, but Louisville and this country has come a long way from that restaurant that refused to serve their gold medalist.

You are so right. Calling Ali "The Greatest" just does"t seem to be tribute enough, but it is the name he gave himself. He was such a brave man. He faced life's challenges head on and never backed down. He defined a generation and his legacy will endure. RIP.