RIP the greatest of all time there will never be another Muhammad Ali we have lost a true, true great and he is without doubt the biggest celebrity death of the year which is something considering the deaths we have had this year.
The word "legend" is applied to almost anyone these days but he is one of the few worthy of that title. He achieved so much in and out of the ring. He said he was The Greatest and proved it.
About ten minutes ago on Radio4 there was someone paying tribute to this magnificent man. His words of real love for MA made me cry. It was George Foreman.
Muhammed Ali's name will go down in history.
May he forever rest in peace.
The word "legend" is applied to almost anyone these days but he is one of the few worthy of that title. He achieved so much in and out of the ring. He said he was The Greatest and proved it.
RIP
He was a very charismatic person and a very successful boxer but what did he achieve outside the ring?
I think we are in another avalanche of hyperbole over the next week or so.
He was a very charismatic person and a very successful boxer but what did he achieve outside the ring?
I think we are in another avalanche of hyperbole over the next week or so.
''Even if you consider feats of athleticism to be trifling in the grand scheme of things, there is a chance you still find Ali compelling. Because, with Ali, athletic feats were only a part of the whole.
Ali created the mould for the modern athlete and promptly broke it. No athlete has been so great in so many different ways since.''
He was a very charismatic person and a very successful boxer but what did he achieve outside the ring?
I think we are in another avalanche of hyperbole over the next week or so.
I agree. He was a talented boxer but being brutally honest, what's so great about hitting another human with your fists? Er.. nothing. Boxing is overrated. Brutal sport given a sheen of respectability but underneath, still brutal. I don't consider him the greatest. RIP for another person gone from Earth, though.
The great man hasn't looked well at in recent years. Seemed like a matter of time and its pretty astonishing how long he has lasted, considering how ill he has been. To be honest I found his last couple of appearances upsetting, he just looked like he was being kept alive by a strand. These last couple of years cant have been very comfortable so at least he is at peace now. He has fought long enough. He wasn't perfect but that is far outweighed by what he meant and still means to people around the world. They don't come much bigger than Muhammad Ali, one of the great figures of our time.
He was a very charismatic person and a very successful boxer but what did he achieve outside the ring?
I think we are in another avalanche of hyperbole over the next week or so.
Notoriety mostly. He refused to go to war in Vietnam. He might have had nothing against 'those 'Cong's' but today it is around the same as saying he had nothing against ISIS.
He was a great boxer but after seeing that infamous rant of his on the Parky show in '81 I saw a side to him that was not at all in line with the 'humanitarian' role he's being credited with right now. He espoused Islamic domination, trashed white culture and white people, viciously attacked Parky over a hypothetical question regarding what kind of clothing Parky would allow his wife Mary to wear on a beach - for some reason that particular part of the interview (about Parky's wife) has been edited out of the clips of this interview on You Tube.
My late dad had been a long time boxing fan and admired Ali but that night we watched that interview in '81 Dad said Ali had some dangerous ideas that would not be tolerated from a white man. He was right too.
No doubt though that Ali was a significant sportsman during his time. Joe Louis however would have cleaned the floor with him. And even Ali called him The Greatest.
I agree. He was a talented boxer but being brutally honest, what's so great about hitting another human with your fists? Er.. nothing. Boxing is overrated. Brutal sport given a sheen of respectability but underneath, still brutal. I don't consider him the greatest. RIP for another person gone from Earth, though.
Its difficult to debate with people that hate boxing, their mind is pretty much made up. To box you have to be supremely brave, to do what Ali did is nothing short of incredible. He was written off against the fearsome George Foreman but he won against all the odds.
To have no idea what that meant to people? I feel sorry for you to be quite frank. Ali showed the world that anything is possible if you put your mind to it, he was hero worshiped by the African people where the fight took place, he had entire nations lauding his accomplishments.
He spoke for a race, maybe not in the most articulate way but he had good intentions. The possibilities after retirement were endless regarding the influence he could have had, but tragically he was muted by his illness. He was much more than just a boxer, and could have been more. This is not even breaking the ice.
Yes boxing is brutal but there is beauty in it somewhere if you are willing to see it, for Ali it allowed him to be great, it allowed him to display the skill and bravery he had with other brave gladiators. I can understand people thinking he died ill because of boxing but you will see Ali regretted nothing, right to the end.
He was a very charismatic person and a very successful boxer but what did he achieve outside the ring?
I think we are in another avalanche of hyperbole over the next week or so.
I was born in 1960 and - to my shame - probably spent the first 10 years of my life thinking black people were in some way second class citizens. I was a kid and just learnt my views from others. When I was old enough to really listen to Ali in the early 70s I realised that black people could be just as intelligent, articulate, funny, courageous, and outspoken as white people. For me it was a huge light bulb moment. I don't think I'm a one off - that's what he achieved for many people outside of the ring.
Notoriety mostly. He refused to go to war in Vietnam. He might have had nothing against 'those 'Cong's' but today it is around the same as saying he had nothing against ISIS.
He was a great boxer but after seeing that infamous rant of his on the Parky show in '81 I saw a side to him that was not at all in line with the 'humanitarian' role he's being credited with right now. He espoused Islamic domination, trashed white culture and white people, viciously attacked Parky over a hypothetical question regarding what kind of clothing Parky would allow his wife Mary to wear on a beach - for some reason that particular part of the interview (about Parky's wife) has been edited out of the clips of this interview on You Tube.
My late dad had been a long time boxing fan and admired Ali but that night we watched that interview in '81 Dad said Ali had some dangerous ideas that would not be tolerated from a white man. He was right too.
No doubt though that Ali was a significant sportsman during his time. Joe Louis however would have cleaned the floor with him. And even Ali called him The Greatest.
I wouldn't liken it to fighting ISIS one bit lol but that's a different subject. The thing is Ali took a stance and that was a very brave thing to do. He gave up the heavyweight championship and risked possible prison time in favour of sticking to his religious beliefs. he was even told it would be a token gesture "going to war" and he would just be putting on a show for morale but he stuck to his priciples. It was all corrupt and he was later vindicated when all said and done. What the government did to him was pretty disgusting when you do a bit of research. They drafted him well above the normal age anyway and picked on him simply because he was a big public figure who became a Muslim. They stripped him of his title and a way of making a living for not being a yes man. whether you think he should have gone or not, what they did was wrong.
Ali wasn't perfect, he was easily lead by the Muslin community and fell in line with some of their racial ideas. Malcolm X wanted Ali to leave with him just before he was assassinated but they got their claws into Ali. He was just saying what he was taught, some of it made sense and you could see where he was coming from with the segregation stuff but a lot of it was dated to say the least. He did say that a lot of his views changed in recent times but he was a product of his time. You look back at some of those interviews and will be horrified by what he says but that was the climate, a lot of black people felt persecuted by the white community. He would say white people are devils but had white friends, his trainer was white. So I don't think he was racist at all, but just parroting what his mentors taught.
Ali would have boxed rings round flat footed Louis
Notoriety mostly. He refused to go to war in Vietnam. He might have had nothing against 'those 'Cong's' but today it is around the same as saying he had nothing against ISIS.
He was a great boxer but after seeing that infamous rant of his on the Parky show in '81 I saw a side to him that was not at all in line with the 'humanitarian' role he's being credited with right now. He espoused Islamic domination, trashed white culture and white people, viciously attacked Parky over a hypothetical question regarding what kind of clothing Parky would allow his wife Mary to wear on a beach - for some reason that particular part of the interview (about Parky's wife) has been edited out of the clips of this interview on You Tube.
My late dad had been a long time boxing fan and admired Ali but that night we watched that interview in '81 Dad said Ali had some dangerous ideas that would not be tolerated from a white man. He was right too.
No doubt though that Ali was a significant sportsman during his time. Joe Louis however would have cleaned the floor with him. And even Ali called him The Greatest.
Bib why should he have enlisted when he was considered an inferior being in his own country due to the colour of his skin.. to claim he was racist is laughable. He grew up under segregation ffs.
Also Vietnam war was as much a farce as the Iraq war was 40 plus years later ie completely illegal.
I wouldn't liken it to fighting ISIS one bit lol but that's a different subject. The thing is Ali took a stance and that was a very brave thing to do. He gave up the heavyweight championship and risked possible prison time in favour of sticking to his religious beliefs. he was even told it would be a token gesture "going to war" and he would just be putting on a show for morale but he stuck to his priciples. It was all corrupt and he was later vindicated when all said and done. What the government did to him was pretty disgusting when you do a bit of research. They drafted him well above the normal age anyway and picked on him simply because he was a big public figure who became a Muslim. They stripped him of his title and a way of making a living for not being a yes man. whether you think he should have gone or not, what they did was wrong.
Ali wasn't perfect, he was easily lead by the Muslin community and fell in line with some of their racial ideas. Malcolm X wanted Ali to leave with him just before he was assassinated but they got their claws into Ali. He was just saying what he was taught, some of it made sense and you could see where he was coming from with the segregation stuff but a lot of it was dated to say the least. He did say that a lot of his views changed in recent times but he was a product of his time. You look back at some of those interviews and will be horrified by what he says but that was the climate, a lot of black people felt persecuted by the white community. He would say white people are devils but had white friends, his trainer was white. So I don't think he was racist at all, but just parroting what his mentors taught.
Ali would have boxed rings round flat footed Louis
Sounds fairly racist to me, although fairly atypical of the times. If it was reversed and he'd been a white man stating that 'black/indian people are devils' he would have been vilified.
Making blanket negative statements about any race is racist irrespective of the colour of the skin of the person making them.
Sounds fairly racist to me, although fairly atypical of the times. If it was reversed and he'd been a white man stating that 'black/indian people are devils' he would have been vilified.
Making blanket negative statements about any race is racist irrespective of the colour of the skin of the person making them.
Not really applicable to black people who lived under segregation imo..
Obviously racism in all forms is abhorrent but for people who lived under a system of appalling racial segregation I can see why those would dislike white society as a whole..
Mohammad was obviously regretful about making sweeping statements about white people but I do not hold it against him given what he lived under.
Even when he won the Olympic medal the diner in his town told him "we don't serve n*****s ** >:(
Obviously racism in all forms is abhorrent but for people who lived under a system of appalling racial segregation I can see why those would dislike white society as a whole..
Mohammad was obviously regretful about making sweeping statements about white people but I do not hold it against him given what he lived under.
Even when he won the Olympic medal the diner in his town told him "we don't serve n*****s ** >:(
Comments
RIP
Muhammed Ali's name will go down in history.
May he forever rest in peace.
What an incredible man - so much charisma, humour, talent and dignity.
RIP
RIP to Muhammad Ali, one of the few truly worthy being called a legend.
Yes I think this is the point.
His image was branded in the consciousness of virtually everyone on the planet, he made a noise everywhere.
Amazing character, amazing achievements. A force of nature.
RIP Muhammad Ali.
He was a very charismatic person and a very successful boxer but what did he achieve outside the ring?
I think we are in another avalanche of hyperbole over the next week or so.
''Even if you consider feats of athleticism to be trifling in the grand scheme of things, there is a chance you still find Ali compelling. Because, with Ali, athletic feats were only a part of the whole.
Ali created the mould for the modern athlete and promptly broke it. No athlete has been so great in so many different ways since.''
You can find the answer to your question in this article.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/21373731
Yep...it was Joe Louis actually.
I agree. He was a talented boxer but being brutally honest, what's so great about hitting another human with your fists? Er.. nothing. Boxing is overrated. Brutal sport given a sheen of respectability but underneath, still brutal. I don't consider him the greatest. RIP for another person gone from Earth, though.
Notoriety mostly. He refused to go to war in Vietnam. He might have had nothing against 'those 'Cong's' but today it is around the same as saying he had nothing against ISIS.
He was a great boxer but after seeing that infamous rant of his on the Parky show in '81 I saw a side to him that was not at all in line with the 'humanitarian' role he's being credited with right now. He espoused Islamic domination, trashed white culture and white people, viciously attacked Parky over a hypothetical question regarding what kind of clothing Parky would allow his wife Mary to wear on a beach - for some reason that particular part of the interview (about Parky's wife) has been edited out of the clips of this interview on You Tube.
My late dad had been a long time boxing fan and admired Ali but that night we watched that interview in '81 Dad said Ali had some dangerous ideas that would not be tolerated from a white man. He was right too.
No doubt though that Ali was a significant sportsman during his time. Joe Louis however would have cleaned the floor with him. And even Ali called him The Greatest.
Its difficult to debate with people that hate boxing, their mind is pretty much made up. To box you have to be supremely brave, to do what Ali did is nothing short of incredible. He was written off against the fearsome George Foreman but he won against all the odds.
To have no idea what that meant to people? I feel sorry for you to be quite frank. Ali showed the world that anything is possible if you put your mind to it, he was hero worshiped by the African people where the fight took place, he had entire nations lauding his accomplishments.
He spoke for a race, maybe not in the most articulate way but he had good intentions. The possibilities after retirement were endless regarding the influence he could have had, but tragically he was muted by his illness. He was much more than just a boxer, and could have been more. This is not even breaking the ice.
Yes boxing is brutal but there is beauty in it somewhere if you are willing to see it, for Ali it allowed him to be great, it allowed him to display the skill and bravery he had with other brave gladiators. I can understand people thinking he died ill because of boxing but you will see Ali regretted nothing, right to the end.
I was born in 1960 and - to my shame - probably spent the first 10 years of my life thinking black people were in some way second class citizens. I was a kid and just learnt my views from others. When I was old enough to really listen to Ali in the early 70s I realised that black people could be just as intelligent, articulate, funny, courageous, and outspoken as white people. For me it was a huge light bulb moment. I don't think I'm a one off - that's what he achieved for many people outside of the ring.
I wouldn't liken it to fighting ISIS one bit lol but that's a different subject. The thing is Ali took a stance and that was a very brave thing to do. He gave up the heavyweight championship and risked possible prison time in favour of sticking to his religious beliefs. he was even told it would be a token gesture "going to war" and he would just be putting on a show for morale but he stuck to his priciples. It was all corrupt and he was later vindicated when all said and done. What the government did to him was pretty disgusting when you do a bit of research. They drafted him well above the normal age anyway and picked on him simply because he was a big public figure who became a Muslim. They stripped him of his title and a way of making a living for not being a yes man. whether you think he should have gone or not, what they did was wrong.
Ali wasn't perfect, he was easily lead by the Muslin community and fell in line with some of their racial ideas. Malcolm X wanted Ali to leave with him just before he was assassinated but they got their claws into Ali. He was just saying what he was taught, some of it made sense and you could see where he was coming from with the segregation stuff but a lot of it was dated to say the least. He did say that a lot of his views changed in recent times but he was a product of his time. You look back at some of those interviews and will be horrified by what he says but that was the climate, a lot of black people felt persecuted by the white community. He would say white people are devils but had white friends, his trainer was white. So I don't think he was racist at all, but just parroting what his mentors taught.
Ali would have boxed rings round flat footed Louis
Bib why should he have enlisted when he was considered an inferior being in his own country due to the colour of his skin.. to claim he was racist is laughable. He grew up under segregation ffs.
Also Vietnam war was as much a farce as the Iraq war was 40 plus years later ie completely illegal.
Sounds fairly racist to me, although fairly atypical of the times. If it was reversed and he'd been a white man stating that 'black/indian people are devils' he would have been vilified.
Making blanket negative statements about any race is racist irrespective of the colour of the skin of the person making them.
Not really applicable to black people who lived under segregation imo..
Perhaps you're right to be fair.
Obviously racism in all forms is abhorrent but for people who lived under a system of appalling racial segregation I can see why those would dislike white society as a whole..
Mohammad was obviously regretful about making sweeping statements about white people but I do not hold it against him given what he lived under.
Even when he won the Olympic medal the diner in his town told him "we don't serve n*****s ** >:(
In hindsight you're absolutely right.