Quote Originally Posted by TitoFan View Post
To me it matters not whether he was an activist against the Vietnam war before he was drafted or not. Or whether he used his platform as a way of protesting or not.
Well that's fine if it doesn't matter to you, but when discussing someone's actions and debating whether or not they constitute "heroic", you need to look at whether they were acting altruistically or egoistically.

Christopher Reeve donations to fund spinal cord and paralysis research went up considerably after he himself was paralysed. Do you look at him as a hero for donating so much of his time and resources to the cause? Or do you feel that his generosity was predictable, given his new vested interest in finding a cure for paralysis?

We can all have our definition of hero, but I would suggest than when a man refuses to stand up for a cause and help others until he himself becomes a victim and NEEDS to stand up for the cause... he is not heroic, but merely acting in a predictable way to protect his own self interest.

I think there's enough good about Ali where we don't have to twist shit around and try to give him credit for things he never did. He was the greatest HW of all time, he overcame a ton of adversity in the ring and proved he had a true warrior's heart. He was a great personality, he was smart, and he inspired millions around the world. But he could also be an asshole just like anyone else. He demonstrated very clearly that he could be a tremendous asshole.