Some black men made that choice, I'm still ok with any black man who refused to fight for a country that treated him like shit.
THE GREATEST IS GONE!!
- Thread starter HICATFAN
- Start date
I'll be interested to see what The Rock has to say about Ali.
If I had to pick one guy that reminds me of Ali nowadays it would be Dwayne The Rock Johnson. They have a lot in common as athletic entertainers. Rock can talk trash naturally like Ali. He also shares the "off the charts " charisma. Uncanny how they similar they are\were as entertainers.
. Its always felt like a continuation of Ali's showmanship by watching professional wrestling all these years imo. Every professional wrestler that has been successful has emulated in some way alittle Muhammad Ali.
Muhammad Ali was the ring announcer for the very first WrestleMania .
Charisma and the ability to talk on a mic are the two keys to wrestling stardom to this very day. Muhammad Ali was the one that laid the template down. Wrestlers picked up on it. Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Hulk Hogan.....they all emulated Ali. They still all do imo. Most dont know a boxer showed the way to sports entertainment success. The WWE owes it all to him.
If I had to pick one guy that reminds me of Ali nowadays it would be Dwayne The Rock Johnson. They have a lot in common as athletic entertainers. Rock can talk trash naturally like Ali. He also shares the "off the charts " charisma. Uncanny how they similar they are\were as entertainers.
. Its always felt like a continuation of Ali's showmanship by watching professional wrestling all these years imo. Every professional wrestler that has been successful has emulated in some way alittle Muhammad Ali.
Muhammad Ali was the ring announcer for the very first WrestleMania .
Charisma and the ability to talk on a mic are the two keys to wrestling stardom to this very day. Muhammad Ali was the one that laid the template down. Wrestlers picked up on it. Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Hulk Hogan.....they all emulated Ali. They still all do imo. Most dont know a boxer showed the way to sports entertainment success. The WWE owes it all to him.
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He was my idol as a kid, much like Jim Rice and Jack Givens. I met the other two. Never met Ali. Now I never will, and it makes me sad. He's probably the one famous person that if I ever did meet him would probably have me in tears just to be in his presence. That's how much in awe I am of him. He was The Greatest in so much more than boxing and sport.
And then someone on Facebook called him a draft dodger this morning, and I responded that while I respect every man and woman who has ever taken up arms in this country, I also respect Ali for choosing to refuse to fight in a very questionable conflict. Imagine a world in which Ali goes to Vietnam and comes home in a box. How much less of a world would this be? I don't care to think of it, personally. God bless him for taking that stand and touching over a billion lives and helping to start the conversation in the U.S. to end that questionable war.
And then someone on Facebook called him a draft dodger this morning, and I responded that while I respect every man and woman who has ever taken up arms in this country, I also respect Ali for choosing to refuse to fight in a very questionable conflict. Imagine a world in which Ali goes to Vietnam and comes home in a box. How much less of a world would this be? I don't care to think of it, personally. God bless him for taking that stand and touching over a billion lives and helping to start the conversation in the U.S. to end that questionable war.
The greatest of all time. When he fought, the whole world took notice, and at a time when boxing was worth watching.
Anyone worried about him dodging the draft really should try to remember what this country was then. Then realize most of them wouldn't want their children fighting most of our wars today and realize how awful they are.
He was selected, intentionally BTW, and immediately told he could fight a few fights to rally the troops the train for a professional fight and be sent home and never touch a weapon.
He was being used because of the racial tension at the time and they hoped he could rally thousands of blacks to be ok to go to war for country they weren't even allowed to be in public establishments in several cities/states.
He wouldn't go for it and had several million dollars to earn in foreign countries and the US took his passport and jailed him.
Takes a lot of balls to stand up for what you believe in.
He was selected, intentionally BTW, and immediately told he could fight a few fights to rally the troops the train for a professional fight and be sent home and never touch a weapon.
He was being used because of the racial tension at the time and they hoped he could rally thousands of blacks to be ok to go to war for country they weren't even allowed to be in public establishments in several cities/states.
He wouldn't go for it and had several million dollars to earn in foreign countries and the US took his passport and jailed him.
Takes a lot of balls to stand up for what you believe in.
Throw the first stone since you are perfect moron. He served time and did not run to Canada. By the way, I am a veteran of war and retired and applaud his stance. I may not agree with it but, he stood his ground and was punished for it. As far as wifes go, crap happens.
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These Donald Trump, George W Bush, Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich supporters who are calling him a draft dodger are hilarious.
First I support Trump and I'm not calling him a draft dodger. As a matter of fact I'm pretty sure Trump would not have involved us in Vietnam, which would have saved his damn prime boxing years.
People really are confusing fact/fiction based on TV, sad really! Clinton would have no doubt had every popular American ever killed off to keep some shred of power though I'm sure.
People really are confusing fact/fiction based on TV, sad really! Clinton would have no doubt had every popular American ever killed off to keep some shred of power though I'm sure.
Donald Trump dodged the draft on five separate occasions and avoided military service at every opportunity.
While the Vietnam War that would claim the lives of some 58,000 of his countrymen raged, Trump received a series of deferments so that he could attend college at Fordham University and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Then, after graduation, he received his fifth free pass, a fishy medical exemption that declared him ineligible for combat.
AlohaCat
Right or wrong many people worship athletes , if not for his ability to fight then Ali is a loud mouthed asshole . I don't have a problem with anything he's done but I also don't put him unjustly on a pedestal for being good at his sport . Entertainers get more credit and blame than they deserve .
GWB was in uniform. Wherher or not he was actually there remains a question. Clinton was in England with no intention of serving
Of course it wasn't. Lot of glossing over and sloppiness in all this celebration. It's what happens when famous people die, so no worries.
I heard Dave Kindred (HOF sportswriter from Louisville) on the radio earlier today. He said "doesn't everyone by now agree that the Vietnam War was a mistake? So Ali comes out on the right side of that one."
Stupid and lazy thinking. If Ali had said "I would gladly have fought in WWI or WWII, because those were justifiable wars. But I cannot fight in Vietnam as I think it's an unjust war." Then Dave would have a point. But of course that's no what he said or thought. He said his conscience wouldn't allow him to fight, because of the teachings of his religion (a religion which taught that white people are Devils, by the way, no one seems much interested in that). So, he wouldn't have fought against Hitler, either. Which would've been interesting - all these people celebrating Ali for "standing up for what he believed in", what would they have said if he'd have refused service in World War II? Because, obviously, he would have.....
I don't understand the caption to that video. It says "Ali attacks anti-white Parkinson." What it is is a full throated and spirited endorsement by Ali of segregation. Whites should stay with whites, blacks with blacks, Chinese with Chinese. You need to hide this - you're going to disillusion those who have put Ali on some sort of social justice pedestal.
Wait until they find out he endorsed Ronald Reagan. Heads will explode.....
Yeah just like GWB was in uniform when he declared from the air craft carrier that the war in Iraq was OVER... LOL...
But remember Bill said he didn't inhale.....
AlohaCat
The thin is, who cares! Seriously that's the problem with using racism as a barometer of hate or social injustice.
Are we so weak anymore that the slightest difference of opinion or idea and someone is useless?
Get over yourselfs and know you can in general not like groups of people if that's your thing, but at least be mindful and respectful.
Not arguing a few of your points but takes a lot of balls when you received the letter from DoD saying "Greetings" you have been selected and you report to duty also. Many of us did.
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Ali was a complex individual, like most of us. I have very mixed feelings about him. I haven't researched this lately. I'm basing it on past readings and memories from when I was a kid. That being said, Islam in America was at war during the 60's. Malcolm X, who I believe was an advisor to Ali at one time, was basically at war with the Nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammad. Ali joined the Nation of Islam and often thanked Elijah Muhammad after he fought. The Nation of Islam taught separatism and that white people were the devil. It was also suspected that they were behind the murder of Malcolm X. That side of Ali is pretty deplorable. However, he also did other admirable things. It's hard to say who the real Ali was. Perhaps with age, he changed his thinking on certain aspects of his beliefs. Who really knows.
you thin skin float wavers need to watch Watch "the trials of Muhammad Ali"on Netflix. Then your heads will explode like Michael Ironside scanning that one dude
Not arguing a few of your points but takes a lot of balls when you received the letter from DoD saying "Greetings" you have been selected and you report to duty also. Many of us did.
And I salute that because I'd like to think I'd do the same. However I wouldn't nor did you get offered to just go along and be a sideshow to rally the troops!
Kind of changes the ballgame some. Sure it gives comfort to the idea of actually going but it shows how much BS it was at the time too!
The whole draft thing to me was always a stance to me showing that government doesn't know best and we don't have to listen to them just bc they say so. He showed we can be bigger than the government if we think something is wrong.
You can give me crap about this, but anybody under 40 (and probably 45) has no memory of Ali as a boxer or personality and should cool it with the "he's touched me" tributes. He's not much different than Babe Ruth to me. The greatest in his sport? Yes. A transformational athlete? Of course. But someone who did all his real work before I was born.
Oh, and Bryant Gumbel is such a douche. He always plays up the race angle with everything. Does he not realize that everybody younger than 40 thinks of him only as a nerd?
Oh, and Bryant Gumbel is such a douche. He always plays up the race angle with everything. Does he not realize that everybody younger than 40 thinks of him only as a nerd?
Watched a small segment of the tribute to Ali yesterday. I saw Billy Crystal's speech as well as clinton's. I don't know that I've agreed with much of what clinton has said over the years, but his comments about Ali essentially not giving in to the "victim" mentality that so many people seem to embrace hit a home run with me. IMO, the greatest tribute to the man was that he made the decision to make something of himself and did it. Yeah, he griped about racism, etc... but he didn't wallow in it or allow it to be an excuse. He worked hard and became successful. In that way, he was a model for not only "his people", a term that was used yesterday, but for all of us.
My uncle served several tours in Vietnam and to this day thinks Ali is a POS. I will just remember him as a great fighter who did a lot of good for people but he had his flaws like all of us do.
I can see that point^. But your uncle was white. As another poster said, how would you feel if your country treated you like shit and then said now go possibly die for all of us dropping N bombs on you. I understand why he said touch off.
I mean if I were drafted to go to a war like Iraq or something like that I would have to take a long hard look at it. No way I'm walking straight into the desert blindly because my government decided they want some natural resources or whatever.
I mean if I were drafted to go to a war like Iraq or something like that I would have to take a long hard look at it. No way I'm walking straight into the desert blindly because my government decided they want some natural resources or whatever.
