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troutman · 09-19-2010, 09:51 PM

Minister of Sports - MUHAMMAD ALI:

I did not like Muhammad Ali when I was a child in the 1970s. He was arrogant. I usually like underdogs. It was later that I grew to admire his remarkable career and life. It has been said that he was the most famous man on the planet in the 1970s. The Rumble In The Jungle might be the single greatest moments in sports. I recommend Norman Mailer's book The Fight. I shed a tear when he lit the torch at the Olympics. Who didn't?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; January 17, 1942) is a former Americanboxer and three-time World Heavyweight Champion, who is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight championship boxers of all time. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.[1] After turning professional, he went on to become the first boxer to win the lineal heavyweight championship three times.

Originally known as Cassius Clay, Ali changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964, subsequently converting to SunniIslam in 1975 and more recently to Sufism.[2] In 1967, Ali refused to be inducted into the U.S. military based on his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War. He was arrested and found guilty on draft evasion charges, stripped of his boxing title, and his boxing license was suspended. He was not imprisoned, but did not fight again for nearly four years while his appeal worked its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was successful.

Nicknamed "The Greatest", Ali was involved in several historic boxing matches. Notable among these are three with rival Joe Frazier and one with George Foreman, whom he beat by knockout to win the world heavyweight title for the second time. He suffered only five losses (four decisions and one TKO by retirement from the bout) with no draws in his career, while amassing 56 wins (37 knockouts and 19 decisions).[3] Ali was well known for his unorthodox fighting style, which he described as "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee", and employing techniques such as the rope-a-dope.[4] He was also known for his pre-match hype, where he would "trash talk" opponents on television and in person some time before the match, often with rhymes. These personality quips and idioms, along with an unorthodox fighting technique, made him a cultural icon. In later life, Ali developed Parkinson's disease. In 1999, Ali was crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated and "Sports Personality of the Century" by the BBC.[5]

Some have said Ali invented rap:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/etick...y?page=alirap1

The actual archive footage of Ali talking is amazingly watchable and mildly shocking, even if you've seen most of it before. Ali is arguably the greatest boxer of the 20th century, but he also might be one of the most charismatic conversationalists ever 1 (which — all things considered — is a far more rarified achievement).

09-19-2010, 09:51 PM	#90
troutman Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Crowsnest Pass Exp:	Minister of Sports - MUHAMMAD ALI: I did not like Muhammad Ali when I was a child in the 1970s. He was arrogant. I usually like underdogs. It was later that I grew to admire his remarkable career and life. It has been said that he was the most famous man on the planet in the 1970s. The Rumble In The Jungle might be the single greatest moments in sports. I recommend Norman Mailer's book The Fight. I shed a tear when he lit the torch at the Olympics. Who didn't? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; January 17, 1942) is a former Americanboxer and three-time World Heavyweight Champion, who is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight championship boxers of all time. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.[1] After turning professional, he went on to become the first boxer to win the lineal heavyweight championship three times. Originally known as Cassius Clay, Ali changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964, subsequently converting to SunniIslam in 1975 and more recently to Sufism.[2] In 1967, Ali refused to be inducted into the U.S. military based on his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War. He was arrested and found guilty on draft evasion charges, stripped of his boxing title, and his boxing license was suspended. He was not imprisoned, but did not fight again for nearly four years while his appeal worked its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was successful. Nicknamed "The Greatest", Ali was involved in several historic boxing matches. Notable among these are three with rival Joe Frazier and one with George Foreman, whom he beat by knockout to win the world heavyweight title for the second time. He suffered only five losses (four decisions and one TKO by retirement from the bout) with no draws in his career, while amassing 56 wins (37 knockouts and 19 decisions).[3] Ali was well known for his unorthodox fighting style, which he described as "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee", and employing techniques such as the rope-a-dope.[4] He was also known for his pre-match hype, where he would "trash talk" opponents on television and in person some time before the match, often with rhymes. These personality quips and idioms, along with an unorthodox fighting technique, made him a cultural icon. In later life, Ali developed Parkinson's disease. In 1999, Ali was crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated and "Sports Personality of the Century" by the BBC.[5] YouTube Video Some have said Ali invented rap: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/etick...y?page=alirap1 The actual archive footage of Ali talking is amazingly watchable and mildly shocking, even if you've seen most of it before. Ali is arguably the greatest boxer of the 20th century, but he also might be one of the most charismatic conversationalists ever 1 (which — all things considered — is a far more rarified achievement). YouTube Video YouTube Video Last edited by troutman; 09-19-2010 at 10:08 PM.