R.I.P. Muhammad Ali....Truly the Greatest....

Unless you live in a cave-you probably know by now that the world is a little bit less cool place after the death of Muhammad Ali. Ali was as much a part of the '60's and '70's as our revered musclecars and he changed the world for the better for a lot of people, both black and white, which is why I felt compelled to comment. He was born in 1942 and his birth name was Cassius Marcellus Clay. He won a gold medal at the Olympics in 1960 at age 18 and then turned pro. In 1964, he upset Sonny Liston-a fearsome champion-and became heavyweight champion of the world. Shortly after he converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. If I wasn't a stupid kid when I was a teenager-I could be a millionaire now. A friend of my mother's had gotten me his autograph before the Liston fight. I had it framed and hung on my bedroom wall for years. It was signed "Cassius Clay." How much would that be worth now? Sadly I lost it in 1977 when my family moved from California to Nevada. Anyhow-Ali was a gifted athlete 6'3" and 210 lbs, he had the speed of a Welterweight. He could dodge an opponent's punches without even putting his hands up and make them look like a fool. And when he threw combinations-violence has never looked so good. He was undefeated in 29 fights. Then, in 1967-he was drafted and refused induction into the Army on religious grounds. He was stripped of his title and not liscenced to box anywhere in the United States. This was pure racism. Quakers and Amish didn't have to go to war when they claimed it was against their religion. But they were white. And denying him his liveliehood? If a Quaker truck driver protested being drafted, would they have pulled his driver's liscence? Bruce Springsteen ran off to Canada to avoid going to Viet Nam and Gerald Ford pardoned him in 1975. By 1985, he was screaming "Born in the USA" at Republican rallies. Asshole. What did Ali get? He lost three years of his career from 1967-1970 while the supreme court jerked off with his case. Everyone knows the age of 25-28 is a boxers absolute prime. He's still young and physically gifted; but he has experience and toughness too. We will never know how great Ali might have been. The fact that he went three years without fighting or income, and waited for the Supreme Court's decision showed what a great American he was, and that he believed in the American Justice system. Think about this. He could have easily fled to Canada or Europe. European fight promoters doubtless would have paid him millions to fight in London, Rome, Berlin, etc and risk his title. Roman Polanski made movies in Europe for years after fleeing the U.S. to avoid child-molestation charges. He didn't. He waited and won. Ironically-he had some of his most legendary fights when he was over 30 and past his prime. Going 12 rounds with Ken Norton with a broken jaw. Upsetting George Foreman to regain the title in Zaire. The "Thrilla in Manila" with Frazier. The comeback against Earnie Shavers. Winning the title an unprecedented an unequalled since third time in 1978 against Leon Spinks. He retired from boxing in 1981 but continued to be in the public eye. In the '90's he lit the Olympic Torch. In the 2000's after September 11th he railed against the terrorists and said on national TV-"You know me as a famous boxer." Islam is a religion of peace." "These people do not represent 99.99% of the people who practice Islam." "If I wasn't Ill with Parkinson's disease, I would fight these people personally as hard as I fought anybody in the ring." He negotiated the release of Hostages from Islam extremists. Till the end he visited children's hospitals and performed magic tricks for them. Sylvester Stallone says he wrote "Rocky" after watching his fight with Chuck Wepner in 1975. If you saw the movie-who hasn't?- "Apollo Creed"-played brilliantly by Carl Weathers-was a thinly disguised Ali. Joe Frazier-Ali's ring nemesis-had a cameo in the film-taunting Creed-at the Rocky fight-saying "Stop Ducking me." Weathers responded-"You next,Joe,You next Joe!"  Stallone and Ali both always said Ali got a big kick out of that.  Anyhow-like him or not-you have to admit-he had a big influence on a whole generation of people. Mastermind