Muhammad Ali Appreciation thread.

[Master]

Do not listen to him @beenKOed Bill is trying to butter you up.

You are never witty in your posts.

[Bill Paxtom]

Do not listen to him @beenKOed Bill is trying to butter you up.

You are never witty in your posts.

[Master]

Bill loves @beenKOed

[C.J.Rock]

Bill loves @beenKOed

Bill finally found love I'm happy for him I hope they'll be very happy together LOL

[Bill Paxtom]

'Hippie Clay'

[TitoFan]

Caught a little of that Facing Ali TV doc again, since I missed some parts last time.

You know, putting aside Ali's polarizing personality, I can't blame him too much for refusing the draft. He wasn't the only black American during those times that resented being asked to fight a war for a country that treated blacks like inferior beings during those times. He was hardly alone in that sentiment.

Think about it. You living in a time and a country where you can't ride in the front of the bus (or in the bus at all)... you can't go into certain restaurants.... you have separate water fountains.... you get called "nigg__" every day.... in some parts of the States you run the risk of getting lynched simply by being black. And then you're supposed to go running to your draft board for the chance to get flown to Vietnam to shoot North Vietnamese who are posing no danger to the U.S.?? I'm sorry... but I can't say I'd think much different if it was me.

Had Ali not been such an offensive person toward Frazier and other opponents.... and had he not had that polarizing personality so many people found offensive... I'd bet he would've made a lot more people think about this particular issue.

Ali called Frazier and a few others Uncle Tom, a term meaning a black man excessively obedient and submissive to the white man. A lot of that probably came from his anger at seeing how other blacks, maybe including Frazier, seemed to have no problems with the prejudice and restrictions white society placed on the blacks. Again, it's hard to walk in another man's shoes unless you've been in similar situations, but... I can see why he'd be resentful toward what he considered to be submissive blacks.

Speaking for myself, I thank God I wasn't born black in the States during the 50's and 60's. I probably would've been dead by now.... as I don't tend to accept things like prejudice easily. And although I consider myself a peace-loving citizen.... I probably would've sympathized with the militant blacks who sought equality by force.

Again..... this is aside from the "Ali was a disrespectful prick" arguments and whatnot. This is just a point on his refusal to be drafted, and the subsequent stripping of his title.

I liked the documentary, because it went through his meaningful opponents one by one. I enjoyed seeing that bit on Chuvalo.... didn't realize the hell he had gone through in his personal life (sons dying from OD's..... wife committed suicide). Chuvalo was one tough dude. Even at the time of the doc filming, he still looks pretty fit. I saw how Ali objected to Ernie Terrell continuing to call him Clay, to the point where during the fight Ali kept asking Terrell, "What's my name?". If you didn't have the background info on that, you'd think Ali was just being an ass during the fight.