For me this is the saddest passing reported on PE since I've been a member. P.B.U.H
For me this is the saddest passing reported on PE since I've been a member. P.B.U.H
Let's put it this way - as long as other people's religious beliefs don't affect me negatively, I don't judge them. It's like judging someone's favorite food or something.Originally Posted by rcarlberg
Oh, for some of us it does.
What a year it's been so far. To me it's all coincidence, I don't believe 2016 is any different than any other year.
For people in my (our) age bracket this is to be expected. Many of the people important to us were 10-20 years older than us. The earlier departures start now. While it is as its always been , that doesn't make it any less sad.
What made Ali special was that he was the face of boxing, all of boxing, regardless of weight class, at a time when boxing giants roamed the earth. Ali, Foreman, Frazier and to a lesser extent Norton; anyone of these guys could have dominated the heavyweight division by themselves and they competed against one another. Ali outlasted his contemporaries (Foreman's comeback in the '90s not withstanding) even if he didn't end his career gracefully. He won matches he probably shouldn't have, basically getting by on popularity. He barely got by opponents Ken Norton, Ernie Shavers and Jimmy Young (some would contend Ali was gifted those fights) and then came Leon Spinks. Ali looked like a black version of Elvis Presley's last days in that fight. Around this same time I was learning, by happenstance, that my Dad was given a bleak outlook by our family doctor, that he should give up his trade (truck driver) and take it easy, find a different type of work, blah, blah, blah... all the things a working man supporting a family doesn't want to hear. It was the first time I'd ever considered my dad to be a vulnerable person. Days later, I watched a tired old Ali get manhandled in the ring, nearly getting knocked out. I remember everyone at school being gleeful about it, even sardonic. Not me.
Months later a rematch was announced. My dad went on trucking, though a pall seemed to hang over him. August of that same year, months after Ali's defeat, came the one year anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley (living within 2 hours of Memphis, this was a big deal). Icons can fall, icons can die and so could dads. Less than two weeks before the rematch of Ali/Spinks, my dad had a debilitating heart attack. Paramedics managed to save his life, but he'd spend nearly three weeks in the hospital. My family gathered around the TV and watched the fight (remember championship boxing on prime time TV?). I don't know if anyone else in my family correlated the fight on TV to my dad's fight in ICU, I'm not sure if I did either at the time, but I know we hung on every minute and every punch. My mother even cried when Ali won. Icons can fall, but icons can get back up, even fight back. And so can dads. My dad lived another 11 years. He wasn't a fan of Muhammad Ali at all.
Compact Disk brought high fidelity to the masses and audiophiles will never forgive it for that
Well that'd be true if their favorite food was imaginary.
A true American icon and legend. RIP to the greatest of all time. Ali!
The older I get, the better I was.
The more you unpack this mans life, the more you see that boxing was simply the vehicle that brought him to us. More than just a life.
The older I get, the better I was.
Yerp.
A great man, a great fighter. Brilliant mind. Funny as hell. One of a kind. RIP to The Greatest!
Insisting on referring to Ali as "Cassius Clay" is the hallmark of the two-bit hillbilly racist.
Also what was a teenage girl doing in his hotel room, if it wasn't to get raped in the first place - nice!
The music was hot, but my baby was not.
^^
please, I promised I wouldn't post anything anymore on this thread, so stop your attack, as I can't defend myself
and if you read my post right about Tyson, you'd not be extracting that bit the way you did.
Last edited by Trane; 06-07-2016 at 04:55 AM.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
hhhmmmm.......pot calling the kettle black.
I see what you did there.
My father covered for a newspaper a couple of fights of "Clay's" back in the early 60's.
He still remembers it well.
RIP
He speaks some great truths here. My favorite racist of all time.
Still alive and well...
The African-American separatist movement was strong at the time (I'm guessing around 1973) but it mostly dissipated when they got a good look at Liberia.
The Mob vs Islam... Fantastic read, although it's mainly about Sonny, it delves into Ali's character and personality during those days a great deal. Pretty heavy.image.jpg
Still alive and well...
They didn't have to go that far. They saw the ghettos made for them in NY, Chicago and LA, USA.
The older I get, the better I was.
Drugs, apathy, attitudes and alcohol are what make ghettos. I have seen shit neighborhoods miraculously transformed into beautiful homes and gardens when drugs, apathy, and alcohol are removed from the hood. Not talking exclusively about black neighborhoods either. Here where I live, I watch it happen often. White folks.
Muhammed Ali was a positive influence on his people. A proud guy who refused to succumb to self pity and stereotype and became admired and loved by both blacks and whites because of it. He kept his chin up and no one could sock it.
Sonny and Hurricane were used by the mob, Ali was having none of that.
Last edited by Nijinsky Hind; 06-07-2016 at 05:45 PM.
Still alive and well...
Right is right. Thats pride in your people and heritage. Frowned upon greatly in todays climate. He is truly my favorite outspoken racist. " We don't hate you, we just love us". I Have to respect it.
Still alive and well...
An influx of capital helps too. You know, like opening up a bank or lending institution in that neighborhood. It ain't magic & fairy dust. But for a financial institution to see a reason to come in, they have to see a safe neighborhood with potential. They need a reason to think that they're not going to lose their asses.
RIP
Ali...one-of-a-kind !!!
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