OT: RIP ALI

[raf46]

Boxing Legend is gone. Rest in Peace Champ.

RIP Champ. don't forget, he did not leave the country, but stayed and fought his case to the US Supreme court, where he won in a decision.

 

[CL82]

Here's a story that I had forgotten:

Ali saves jumper

 

[Tommyboy]

Loved the ESPN piece narrated by Jeremy Schaap. RIP ALI.



"Hes Young, Hes handsome....", "THEY KNOW IT!".

Love that. Just so unbelievably charismatic.

 

[Kitaman]

A few of Ali's famous quotes:

"I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I'm so mean I make medicine sick."

"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them — a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill."

"Friendship … is not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything."

 

[Kitaman]

Although he refused to fight in the war and many Americans vilified him for his decision (and some still do) he was an American and only an American. Paid his taxes, loved his Country and certainly gave back. This 1996 moment to me was redemption and forgiveness and to a certain extent apologetic.

Our Nation's tribute:

 

[Chin Diesel]

Ali as a conscientious objector gave up more than almost anyone during the War.

Even if you disagree with his choice, he owned it and owned the consequences.

Nevermind athletes, think of the politicians, media personalities and others from that era, that dodged the draft or got waivers. None of them sacrificed as much personally as Ali. And then he lived his life accordingly for the next 50 years.

His speed as a heavyweight is still unmatched and he could take a punch.

 

[80shusky]

RIP Champ. A transcendent figure if there ever was one. Larger than life and one of the great personalities of all time. You were the greatest Champ, because there will never be another like you.

 

[temery]

Larger than life or Huge ego? A very thin line.

Not at all a thin line. He was clearly both.

I didn't like him when I was a kid, but he clearly was awesome.

Muhammad Ali dodges 21 punches in 10s in the corner! --g amazing!

 

[Deepster]

It's hard to say "never"....but I'd find it hard pressed to think we will ever see the confluence of....

• State of the Union - The civil rights movement and the Vietnam War all in play
• The impact of the players involved outside the ring (Ali, Malcom X, MLK) and inside the ring (Liston, Frazier, Foreman, et al)
• The skill of one individual like Ali's in his sport
• Ali's ability to take a sport where you punch other guys in the head....and turn it into such a longstanding and impactful social platform. For decades.

He really was the perfect storm.

 

[Kitaman]

This is a basketball forum so I end my posting with this basketball related post, (who else could command this respect from other sports' athletes, including another country?):

 

[UCweCONN]

Around maybe 1990, Ali was making a public appearance for his cologne at our local mall and I wanted to meet him and get his autograph. I guess being a teenager, I underestimated the popularity he still had because when I got there, the line was to the back of the store and I knew even if I got in line I'd never get to him before it closed. I went up and got close so I could at least see him. I'll never forget, he looked over at me and waved and gave me a little grin. He was suffering from Parkinson's but when he looked at me I saw the spark in his eye. He was a real people person and I hated to see the physical condition he was in but his brain was still sharp as a tack. Many say that his time out of boxing in the 60s for opposing the draft is what caused him to keep fighting past his prime. The Spinks fight was a shame but the Holmes fight was tragic. Holmes idolized Ali and hated to have to beat him up but Ali was clinging to his legend. It had to have hurt Ali to take a beating from his long-time sparring partner. Rest in peace, Ali, the greatest of all time.

 

[gtcam]

Loved Cassius Clay Questioned Ali
Was he a great Boxer? Perhaps the greatest
Was he a Huge ego? Perhaps the biggest
One of the few you could love, laugh with but also dislike certain qualities and in the end you couldn't hate the guy
The Ali Frazier fights were among the top sporting events of all time
RIP

 

[uconnfan68]

Fearless, the man was *ing fearless. Got to shake his hand back in '08 and it was the only time I've ever felt like I was in the presence on greatness, feels like one of the last great men on this earth just left us.

He was the only person I ever asked for the privilege of shaking his hand.

 

[noeynox]

Before my time, but truly the Greatest.

 

[Devland]

This was true. I was one of them. Foreman had hit Frazier so hard he lifted Joe off the canvas on the knockout punch. Nobody did that to Frazier. I was in my car and the station (a music station no less as sports talk didn't yet exist) gave updates at the end of each round. I was nervous between each update. When the final update said he won, I believe I actually shed a tear of joy.

Frazier in some ways prepared Ali for the Foreman fight. Ali adapted to Frazier aggressive come at you style by clutching and grabbing. Ali knew he could not just stand toe to toe with these guys. Frazier on the other hand would keep coming coming no matter what. This is what got him destroyed against Foreman. Ali knew his own weaknesses an did whatever was necessary to prevent them from getting exploited.

 

[80shusky]

Here's an Ali demolition posted on Twitter today. Domination.

 

[tzznandrew]

Here's an Ali demolition posted on Twitter today. Domination.

Oy. Poor Cleveland Williams, a good puncher who came into this fight after a year of recovery from a gunshot wound. Dude had a rough life, too, since he died in a hit and run in 1999.

Ali absolutely destroyed him here.

 

[storrsroars]

Oy. Poor Cleveland Williams, a good puncher who came into this fight after a year of recovery from a gunshot wound. Dude had a rough life, too, since he died in a hit and run in 1999.

Ali absolutely destroyed him here.

Was watching some old footage of Cosell and Ali going through some of his early fights. Cosell asked Ali a couple of times if he was hitting Williams with gut punches because that's where the bullet wound was. Ali replied that because Williams was tall, the guy was easier to hit.

Have to love Cosell for that. While he and Ali were friendly, it never stopped Cosell from asking pointed questions.

 

[aceboon]

HBO's piece that they showed at the conclusion of the Vargas/Salido fight last night, tremendous.

 

[mauconnfan]

Clay/Ali is not only a great guy but thinking and remembering him brings back great memories with my hero, my dad. He would get me next to him and explain the fight as it was going on, showing me the nuances of the game while showing me why Ali was so great. His favorites were originally Marciano and Louis, but amazingly enough he somehow came to love Ali despite the original perception of him being an arrogant loudmouth. He respected how great he was so therefore I did too.

great man, well both were

 

[Dogdeacon]

Clay/Ali is not only a great guy but thinking and remembering him brings back great memories with my hero, my dad. He would get me next to him and explain the fight as it was going on, showing me the nuances of the game while showing me why Ali was so great. His favorites were originally Marciano and Louis, but amazingly enough he somehow came to love Ali despite the original perception of him being an arrogant loudmouth. He respected how great he was so therefore I did too.

great man, well both were

Mau - I've got a very similar confluence of memories linking Ali and my dad. Sometime in the late eighties Dad was in Florida and saw a listing on a building for Angelo Dundee Enterprises, curious he knocked on the door and within a few minutes found himself sitting opposite Angelo Dundee himself reminiscing about Ali. A month later I received a 8 x 10 picture in the mail, personally signed to me, best wishes Muhammad Ali.
Hope they are shadow-boxing each other somewhere.

 

[prankster]

 

[Scoe]

 

[David 76]

I don't think Ali had a huge ego. He had his shtick for boxing to psych out his opponents. He he a loud voice bout racial injustice, his religion and Viet Nam but I see that as being courageous and ahead of his time.

 

[Devland]

I found this interesting. The is also a short 2 part interview with Joe Frazier.
Muhammad Ali's Success Would Have Been Impossible Without Joe Frazier

While these days Ali is seemingly always portrayed as the “old-school” boxer who also made a tremendous social impact, it was Frazier, in my opinion, who truly exemplified old-school values. Despite being tormented publicly by Ali, Frazier never countered and was a great friend to his nemesis. Frazier gave Ali money to survive after Ali was stripped of his title and barred from boxing for refusing to serve in the Army at the height of the Vietnam War.


Frazier was a friend when no one else would give Ali squat, and advocated for his reinstatement. In return, Ali tormented Frazier by calling him an “Uncle Tom” in the run-up to their first fight in 1971 –about the worse thing one black man can call another black man. For their last fight, “the Thrilla in Manila”, Ali was guaranteed $4.5 million and Frazier $2 million. Ali’s pre-fight marketing included calling Frazier a gorilla.