What was so great about Muhammad Ali?

[Nomad]

Other than being a great boxer, what was so great about Ali?

[NightTrainLayne]

Other than being a great Quarterback, what was so great about Elway?

[claymore]

Other than being a great Quarterback, what was so great about Elway?

Elway isnt carrying Olympic torches or going to inagurations.

Ali.... Was a draft dodger. Anti Amercan etc.. every mans choice, but I personally dont like the guy.

[Nomad]

Other than being a great Quarterback, what was so great about Elway?

Don't go there. This is about Ali. I see him everywhere on sports channels and news channels as the greatest. And in my book, Elway was a great QB and it stops there! Start your own conversation about Elway elsewhere!

[claymore]

Don't go there. This is about Ali. I see him everywhere on sports channels and news channels as the greatest. And in my book, Elway was a great QB and it stops there! Start your own conversation about Elway elsewhere!

I was thinking of Ali on the way to work, and it made me want to create a draft thread.

Before I had kids I thought it was every mans duty to answer the call to arms when asked.

But since Ive had children, I would do anything to hide my son if need be to keep him out of a draft.

[Thnikkaman]

I see him as a great man for being willing to stand up what he believed in regardless of my beliefs. He also did it in a somewhat peaceful way. I believe that he had his reasons (religiously based) for "draft dodging", and was willing to face the consequences for it. I don't think his reasons were right, but who am I to decide that.

[Nomad]

Elway isnt carrying Olympic torches or going to inagurations.

Ali.... Was a draft dodger. Anti Amercan etc.. every mans choice, but I personally dont like the guy.

This is true, clay, but why does this make him the greatest? I was born in 1973, and will not pretend to know what he did back then. There are enough people on this board old enough to remember him and what he stood for to be labeled as the greatest and why he is idoilzed by the media and many others.

[topscribe]

Other than being a great Quarterback, what was so great about Elway?

Elway filled the stadium and brought excitement and enthusiasm to a city, nay, an entire region.

Ali almost single-handedly saved the sport of boxing from anonymity, if not extinction.

That is one of the major factors behind their respective greatness.

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[Slick]

I honestly can't blame Ail for not wanting to fight for a country that treated people of his race as second class citizens at the time.

He was a funny man, entertaining. His banter with Cosell was fun to watch although I caught the tail end of most of it.

[Nomad]

I was thinking of Ali on the way to work, and it made me want to create a draft thread.

Before I had kids I thought it was every mans duty to answer the call to arms when asked.

But since Ive had children, I would do anything to hide my son if need be to keep him out of a draft.

I have two sons (11/10) and I never want to see them go to war. I would never try to promote draft dodging and yes it would tear me up inside if it came to that point. I would beg them to take me back instead.

[claymore]

This is true, clay, but why does this make him the greatest? I was born in 1973, and will not pretend to know what he did back then. There are enough people on this board old enough to remember him and what he stood for to be labeled as the greatest and why he is idoilzed by the media and many others.

Oh I didnt mean to say Ali was great. I think he is a POS. I really dont like the guy. Frankly Im torn on heis decision to not go to vietnam... Its viewed as "Cowerdice" but on the same note, our politicians dont get us into wars that we believe in very often.

I dont give 2 shits about vietmanese people. So hell I might of done the same thing.

[Slick]

The high five was for the last sentence Clay, and for your attempt at spelling cowardice.

[claymore]

The high five was for the last sentence Clay, and for your attempt at spelling cowardice.

Thanks, :D

Truthfully, I have never liked the guy. And if what he did was illegal by dodging the draft, How in the hell, can we have him carrying the torch, and going to Obama stuff?

Im kinda pissed at the government for that crap. Joe smoe that went to Canada is probably still in trouble.

[topscribe]

Thanks, :D

Truthfully, I have never liked the guy. And if what he did was illegal by dodging the draft, How in the hell, can we have him carrying the torch, and going to Obama stuff?

Im kinda pissed at the government for that crap. Joe smoe that went to Canada is probably still in trouble.

Actually, most of them were eventually granted clemency. ;)

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[Slick]

Thanks, :D

Truthfully, I have never liked the guy. And if what he did was illegal by dodging the draft, How in the hell, can we have him carrying the torch, and going to Obama stuff?

Im kinda pissed at the government for that crap. Joe smoe that went to Canada is probably still in trouble.

Times were different back then Clay. He said a lot of things that others were afraid to say, but you make a good point. It's hypocritical of us as a country to hail him, and shun others.

[BroncoJoe]

Ali was not a draft dodger. He openly defied being called up because of his beliefs, and took the punishment. It's not like he fled the country. Does anyone stop to think how many millions of dollars he must have lost during his 3-5 year (can't remember) banishment?

[KCL]

Ali was not a draft dodger. He openly defied being called up because of his beliefs, and took the punishment. It's not like he fled the country. Does anyone stop to think how many millions of dollars he must have lost during his 3-5 year (can't remember) banishment?

He did change his name.What was the purpose of that?

[MasterShake]

He did change his name.What was the purpose of that?

His given name was a "slave name" to him.

[topscribe]

His given name was a "slave name" to him.

So you don't think it was because he had heard about Claymore?

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[KCL]

So you don't think it was because he had heard about Claymore?

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top...You are going with it now...:lol:

[MasterShake]

So you don't think it was because he had heard about Claymore?

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Dude, you are a wild and crazy guy since you stopped being a mod! You need to calm down! :lol:

[BroncoJoe]

He did change his name.What was the purpose of that?

What the others said. He also did that before (IIRC) he was drafted.

[OrangeHoof]

Ali's nickname of "The Greatest" was due to his boxing talents. And it was indeed true. There's never been a boxer with his combination of speed and power. He combined blinding quickness with savage punching power like none before or after him.

Now, as for his life away from the ring, there is much for people to love and hate, from his conversion to Islam to his refusal to accept the draft to having multiple wives to being crippled by Parkinson's Disease. While a boastful and braggart athlete (the forerunner to all the T.O.s and Ocho Cincos), he was also a tremendously charismatic and funny man. He once gave a commencement address where he told the graduates that all people have been given certain gifts from God. "Mine just happens to be beatin' people up."

There is also one other dynamic that appeals to some people. When Ali fought Joe Frazier and later George Foreman, some saw Ali as the antithesis of Frazier who voiced support for the Vietnam War and Foreman who waved the American flag while other blacks at the 1968 Olympics were staging protests. So, to some (not me) Ali was representing "real" blacks while Frazier and Foreman were portrayed as Uncle Toms. Ali was sticking it back to "the man" while the other two refused to criticize their country.