I AM THE GREATEST
Muhammad Ali embodies pride and enthusiasm. He is an icon both in the ring, and out. From his Light Heavyweight Gold-medal in the 1960 Olympic games, and the first match with Sonny Liston, to his “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong…they never called me nigger”, statement he is truly the people’s champion.
As a pugilist he fought more for his rights and the rights of his people than against any ranked opponent, however he is recognized as one of the best, if not the greatest boxer of “all-time”. Muhammad Ali wore adidas when he trained and boxed, and in 2004 the company with the 3-stripes honored him in a 60-second campaign, that was one for the ages.
Their are are few commercials on my resume and I, wish that I could have thought of or worked on this one. It both embraces the past, and showcases the future (Laila Ali, Beckham, McGrady, etc.) with an Impossible is Nothing message. Having Ali, as the pitchman, impossible is as much nothing, as it is non existent.
Peace, AXG
DMac, I don’t have time or really care to dig it up right now, but Ali was antagonized by Louis and Patterson first and retaliated. Since nobody could match verbal blows with Ali, it always looked one-sided. But the reality was different. I really don’t feel like belaboring this point anymore, but I just want to set the record straight which you are distorting as one-sided.
Are you suggesting that an equally skilled Ali who was born in say, France or Argentina would not have had their country behind them? Other countries have historically had a much less of a problem setting up a fight with black boxers. Going back, I would argue that if ANY black boxer was born abroad, then they would be better off. Black boxers ONLY flourished because it was an international sport. Same with other ethnicities…
If Tommy Burns isn’t Canadian (and the fight isn’t in Australia), then Jack Johnson probably never gets a shot at the title. He then is forced to fight abroad for many years where he was treated better than in America. Senegal’s Battling Siki gets a light heavy title shot in the 1920s because a Frenchman (carpentier) gives it to him. Meanwhile Harry Wills never gets a shot becausee Dempsey does not fight any black opponents… Was Wills also lucky to be American? …The only reason Louis gets one is because he followed a 10 step sub-human process and was pimped by Jimmy Braddock for 10% of his career paycheck just to get a title shot (Mr. Cinderella Man my ass). If boxing wasn’t international, the course of history would change. Bottom line: From the 1960′s on down Johnson, Wills, Louis, and Ali would have been personally better off being born abroad assuming their skills were the same… not to mention Sam Langford, Sam Mcvey, and Joe Jeanette… shit, we can take this concept back 100 other years to Tom Molineaux…
This is not to suggest that racism wasn’t rampant abroad, but moreso that in America you had less chance to even get a title shot. All that is to say that Ali would have sold out arenas no matter where he was born… and he would have also had his prime three years back… and there is a lot of evidence that the switching of the draft criteria, but a specific act to nail Ali… part of a long tradition…
sorry LP, I do get weak every now and then… we all have flaws… otherwise i cosign your post
MODI, Joe Louis didn’t say anything about Ali until he pulled that disrespectful shit on Floyd Patterson. The man was an asshole.
If Ali was French, you would not know who he was today, because he would have been sheltered overseas and kept from top competition, that is the nature of European boxing, until recently with a few exceptions, those being Prince Hamed and Amir Kahn. As for Wils, he was screwed because he was black, not because he was American.
Louis paid Braddock money for a shot, yeah, so what that is the business. The fact is this, a boxer always made more money fighting in the US than anywhere else in the world, until recently, talking modern boxing as well. Being an American superstar in boxing was like being the QB of a NFL championship team today, you have press coverage, prestige and money.
You failed in your post. You did nothing put show examples of how race held people back, not nationality. Try again next time.
The banner of The Starting Five is a picture of Muhammad Ali. Why bother to visit the site, knowing that the people here appreciate The Champ?
Food for thought.
Mizzo,
How long will I be banned for calling Davidmac a bunch of really derogatory racial epithets? I just need to know because I wanna go out in a blaze of glory if its gonna be a really long time….but I feel I must do this…the rest of you can take the high road. I have no problem going down to the gutter where that spook is.
Oh snap…sorry…that “spook” slipped out.
Miranda, Mizzo, AG, MODI and Temple just ignore that uncle tom fool davidmac. He makes Larry Elder and Armstrong Williams look like Malcolm X. Every time that fool calls out this website yet he spends all day on this very same website posting comments.
Davidmc takes self hate to a new extreme.
Well, Miranda, I’ve already renamed him The Jolly Nigger Bank and I’m still here. But Dave The Jolly Nigger is funny to me. I could never take anyone like him seriously. He makes me laugh. He’s also a bore, however, and he’s quite literally insane. I mean it. He belongs in an asylum. He should be studied by experts.
And I do grow tired of him turning every post into his own little neocon sho good nigger me so horny for capm boss charade.
He’s banned at SOMM, I think (at least he was at one time…), and I respect that. His drivel is banal and stale, not to mention racist, sexist, elitist, xenophobic, ignorant, ahistorical, linear, contradictory, etc etc.
So by all means, Miranda, have at it. After all, I shouldn’t be the only one calling him names.
Yep Origin, he really is self hating – which is a shame because that means its unanimous.
LP,
ROFLMAO……cool!!
Miranda…do you sistagirl.
I didn’t see nuthin’
Poet you crack me up bruh. I needed that laugh.
I banned the cat once and caught hell from a couple of you (cough Okori cough).
I just want to have a civil discussion on whatever is posted with my people..that’s it.
I never said anything about banning DavidMac at least as much as I can remember. But of course….. Senility setting in at 26.
but at this point Mizz if you want to ban D-Mac you’ve got me backing your play.
David Mac I assume you’re writing us from Iraq being you’re such a patriot and all, right?
Why would I be writing you from Iraq CoCo? If my nation was in the position where they were enacting conscription I would be there if my number was called. Obviously volunteering is providing sufficient resources at this time. After Oct. I should be over there though, but as a contractor, doing my part and spreading the beauty of capitalism across the globe.
blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah