"Ali hate"..... what's the point??

[Bill Paxtom]

My whole thing was that I thought he got way too much credit for dodging the draft. I think there are plenty of things he did that could give him the "hero" moniker, especially his in-ring stuff and his humanitarian work outside the ring.

He was an amazing guy, it's just that one thing that bugs me about his legacy.

I don't think we're on opposite sides here. I've never considered him to be a hero for anything regarding his decision to dodge the draft. I do think, however, that it took guts for standing up to the establishment in that way, especially considering how much he stood to lose. It would've been easier for him to just go along with it, especially knowing (like HATER Bill said) that he wasn't going to be put in the front lines or anything like that.

But forget all that, for a moment. Think about the focus his actions put on the racial issues in America during those times. Think about all those blacks that said "Damn... he's right. Why should we go fight the Vietcong? They never called us niggers." Think about the whites that must've thought "Hmm.... maybe he's got a point there. We're asking them to put their lives on the line, but here in America we treat them like shit."

Bottom line is... many of us are glad he made the decision he made. And it cost him, too. Three prime years of his professional career. Think how much more he could've added to his professional legacy.

Tito-Fan,

You're 'brown-nosing' when you don't have to.

It's not very becoming sir.

You're taking Cassius Clay's views from 1966/1967 {Age; 25}. This from a guy who
was evaluated as having 'borderline mental retardation'.

Now that is 'Fucking' scary.