Is Muhammad Ali an American Hero?

[Mars_ax]

There's not any doubt that Ali was one of boxing's greatest HW champions, one of the most recognized/idolized people in the world, and made an impact on society, but is he an American hero?

[rjj tszyu]

I cannot really comment as I am not American but he is certainly a universal hero!

[marbleheadmaui]

He's certainly one of mine. Not for being a boxing immortal but for showing how civil disobedience is properly done. I disagreed with his action refusing to step forward and enter the service and being associated with slugs like the Black Muslims doesn't speak well of him. But he didn't run to Canada and he didn't sit there and say "woe is me." Instead he accepted his punishment as the cost of sticking to his principles. Ali acted like a man does.

Heros needn't be perfect.

[Mars_ax]

He's certainly one of mine. Not for being a boxing immortal but for showing how civil disobedience is properly done. I disagreed with his action refusing to step forward and enter the service and being associated with slugs like the Black Muslims doesn't speak well of him. But he didn't run to Canada and he didn't sit there and say "woe is me." Instead he accepted his punishment as the cost of sticking to his principles. Ali acted like a man does.

Heros needn't be perfect.

Good points, nobody is perfect, especially when we're young. Being the HW champion at the age of 22 must be an intoxicating experience. One thing you can say about Ali, like him or not, he did stick to his principals and he was a man. (anyone who doesn't believe this needs to watch "the thrilla")

There's never been anyone quite like Ali in or out of the ring, so yeah, i'd say he was an American hero.

[Dark Lord Al]

Cassius Clay was a top boxer who took bad advice from some questionable people.
He is no hero of mine , but I am not American.

[Mark TKO]

someone could come up with a list of a thousand reasons why Ali shouldn't be a hero to anyone

but it wouldn't matter he would continue to be so



so in answer to your question - yes

[Shamrock]

He's my idol. Although I found some of the remarks he made about Smokin Joe needlessly offensive and not always tounge in cheek.

He stood by his principles and risked losing everything (whether you agree for what he was standing up for or not is irrelevant) - very few people do that who have far less to lose.

The problem with giving someone hero status is that you expect them to be perfect and the simple fact is we are all human and none of us are perfect.

I'm English so can't really answer the original question but yep in my eyes the guy is a legend and a hero.

[El Kabong]

I don't knock Ali's skill or his impact on the sport and certainly he is a hero to some Americans....I am not one of them. I do not mind people seeing him as a hero, I mean he certainly seemed to stand against the war in Vietnam and being as big of an icon as he was at the time and with the rise of the "counter culture" hitting at the same time I think that has a lot to do with why people think so highly of him. For example, when (former news anchor, now host of HBO's Real Sports) Bryant Gumbel talked about the result of Ali-Frazier I he said "You got the feeling like the bad guys won"...now I for one take offense to that because Joe Frazier wasn't white, he wasn't pro-War, he wasn't "the anti-Ali" in anything other than his fighting style. But the cult of personality that is/was Ali branded Joe Frazier as some sort of collaborator with the status quo because he didn't talk trash, he didn't get involved in politics...and that's a shame for Joe because he basically shared the same view of the war with Ali but he just had a different personality is all...same with Foreman.

Joe Louis is an American hero to me...he served his country honorably, he opened doors for African-Americans to excell and acheive in areas they had previously been unable to participate in for example he got African-Americans onto the PGA tour, he worked towards getting the Armed Forces desegregated, and he won one of the most important fights of the last century.

What eats at me is that when the Counter Culture hit the trail blazers of the past (especially Joe Louis and Jesse Owens) were not trusted, they were not respected, and they were all but shunned by the very people they aimed to help clear a path for just because they had EARNED the respect of the average American of the previous generation. I just wish things hadn't happened that way...and after Louis' death I'm sure Ali felt the same way, I just think it's a shame that those two great champions couldn't have shared a greater bond.

[marbleheadmaui]

I don't knock Ali's skill or his impact on the sport and certainly he is a hero to some Americans....I am not one of them. I do not mind people seeing him as a hero, I mean he certainly seemed to stand against the war in Vietnam and being as big of an icon as he was at the time and with the rise of the "counter culture" hitting at the same time I think that has a lot to do with why people think so highly of him. For example, when (former news anchor, now host of HBO's Real Sports) Bryant Gumbel talked about the result of Ali-Frazier I he said "You got the feeling like the bad guys won"...now I for one take offense to that because Joe Frazier wasn't white, he wasn't pro-War, he wasn't "the anti-Ali" in anything other than his fighting style. But the cult of personality that is/was Ali branded Joe Frazier as some sort of collaborator with the status quo because he didn't talk trash, he didn't get involved in politics...and that's a shame for Joe because he basically shared the same view of the war with Ali but he just had a different personality is all...same with Foreman.

Joe Louis is an American hero to me...he served his country honorably, he opened doors for African-Americans to excell and acheive in areas they had previously been unable to participate in for example he got African-Americans onto the PGA tour, he worked towards getting the Armed Forces desegregated, and he won one of the most important fights of the last century.

What eats at me is that when the Counter Culture hit the trail blazers of the past (especially Joe Louis and Jesse Owens) were not trusted, they were not respected, and they were all but shunned by the very people they aimed to help clear a path for just because they had EARNED the respect of the average American of the previous generation. I just wish things hadn't happened that way...and after Louis' death I'm sure Ali felt the same way, I just think it's a shame that those two great champions couldn't have shared a greater bond.

This is a GREAT answer. Joe Louis is as big a hero as Ali was in my book.

[fan johnny]

Depends on what American's you are talking to.

For most Americans, he was a heroic sports figure. For the repressed "Black Islamic" people he was inspiring, because he was a voice. As a Parkinson's survivor, he moves on with his life which is an inspiration to those who want to throw in the towel. As a symbol of American integrity and values, you'll get some debate but the majority will say he was an true Ambassador just the same.

In case you are still wondering the answer is Yes! he is an American Hero, but not to all Americans.

[VictorCharlie]

There are parts of both Ali's personal and professional life that I think of as heroic. The man is definitely an Icon. I don't think of him personally as one of my heroes but I can understand why others would.

[Violent Demise]

I don't knock Ali's skill or his impact on the sport and certainly he is a hero to some Americans....I am not one of them. I do not mind people seeing him as a hero, I mean he certainly seemed to stand against the war in Vietnam and being as big of an icon as he was at the time and with the rise of the "counter culture" hitting at the same time I think that has a lot to do with why people think so highly of him. For example, when (former news anchor, now host of HBO's Real Sports) Bryant Gumbel talked about the result of Ali-Frazier I he said "You got the feeling like the bad guys won"...now I for one take offense to that because Joe Frazier wasn't white, he wasn't pro-War, he wasn't "the anti-Ali" in anything other than his fighting style. But the cult of personality that is/was Ali branded Joe Frazier as some sort of collaborator with the status quo because he didn't talk trash, he didn't get involved in politics...and that's a shame for Joe because he basically shared the same view of the war with Ali but he just had a different personality is all...same with Foreman.

Joe Louis is an American hero to me...he served his country honorably, he opened doors for African-Americans to excell and acheive in areas they had previously been unable to participate in for example he got African-Americans onto the PGA tour, he worked towards getting the Armed Forces desegregated, and he won one of the most important fights of the last century.

What eats at me is that when the Counter Culture hit the trail blazers of the past (especially Joe Louis and Jesse Owens) were not trusted, they were not respected, and they were all but shunned by the very people they aimed to help clear a path for just because they had EARNED the respect of the average American of the previous generation. I just wish things hadn't happened that way...and after Louis' death I'm sure Ali felt the same way, I just think it's a shame that those two great champions couldn't have shared a greater bond.

This is a GREAT answer. Joe Louis is as big a hero as Ali was in my book.

Louis is a bigger hero than Ali. Ali calling Louis a sell out and his constant bad mouthing of him is one of the most fucked up things ever. It was totally uncalled for. And it's one of the reason I will always say fuck Ali

[Gandalf]

Ali was a great boxer and whilst I do admire him for refusing to allow himself to be drafted up, I do take issue with a number of his political and social stances. He was somewhat racist and his attitudes were demeaning to women.

I have no doubt that Ali is American and in turn I do think he is a hero of boxing. As a moral and social force, I think that it takes more than one principled stand against the draft to make a hero in those respects.

[Gandalf]

I don't knock Ali's skill or his impact on the sport and certainly he is a hero to some Americans....I am not one of them. I do not mind people seeing him as a hero, I mean he certainly seemed to stand against the war in Vietnam and being as big of an icon as he was at the time and with the rise of the "counter culture" hitting at the same time I think that has a lot to do with why people think so highly of him. For example, when (former news anchor, now host of HBO's Real Sports) Bryant Gumbel talked about the result of Ali-Frazier I he said "You got the feeling like the bad guys won"...now I for one take offense to that because Joe Frazier wasn't white, he wasn't pro-War, he wasn't "the anti-Ali" in anything other than his fighting style. But the cult of personality that is/was Ali branded Joe Frazier as some sort of collaborator with the status quo because he didn't talk trash, he didn't get involved in politics...and that's a shame for Joe because he basically shared the same view of the war with Ali but he just had a different personality is all...same with Foreman.

Joe Louis is an American hero to me...he served his country honorably, he opened doors for African-Americans to excell and acheive in areas they had previously been unable to participate in for example he got African-Americans onto the PGA tour, he worked towards getting the Armed Forces desegregated, and he won one of the most important fights of the last century.

What eats at me is that when the Counter Culture hit the trail blazers of the past (especially Joe Louis and Jesse Owens) were not trusted, they were not respected, and they were all but shunned by the very people they aimed to help clear a path for just because they had EARNED the respect of the average American of the previous generation. I just wish things hadn't happened that way...and after Louis' death I'm sure Ali felt the same way, I just think it's a shame that those two great champions couldn't have shared a greater bond.

This is a GREAT answer. Joe Louis is as big a hero as Ali was in my book.

Louis is a bigger hero than Ali. Ali calling Louis a sell out and his constant bad mouthing of him is one of the most fucked up things ever. It was totally uncalled for. And it's one of the reason I will always say fuck Ali

True, even bad Mike Tyson has always given his dues to the greats that went before him. Ali was an uncouth pottymouth in that regard. He gave little respect to anyone and would say whatever he could get away with. A total twat in that regard and yet we all look at him as some kind of hero. Look at the stick Mayorga gets on the boards today for the things he says. In terms of rhetoric, Mayorga is no worse than someone like Ali.

Ali does appear to have been somewhat put on a pedestal and the unsavoury aspects of his life have been dusted under the furniture.

[El Kabong]

True, even bad Mike Tyson has always given his dues to the greats that went before him. Ali was an uncouth pottymouth in that regard. He gave little respect to anyone and would say whatever he could get away with. A total twat in that regard and yet we all look at him as some kind of hero. Look at the stick Mayorga gets on the boards today for the things he says. In terms of rhetoric, Mayorga is no worse than someone like Ali.

Ali does appear to have been somewhat put on a pedestal and the unsavoury aspects of his life have been dusted under the furniture.

Yeah Tyson was very humble and respectful when it came to talking about the greats that came before him and that comes from Cus D'Mato really preaching the gospel of the greats to him and showing film of them.

One guy Ali did have respect for was Jack Johnson and I totally understand that because politics aside he was Ali before Ali ever took a breath much less stepped in the ring. Jack Johnson didn't have any agenda other than Jack Johnson...he was a real pioneer in that manner.