The Greatest

In sports, the moniker of "Legend" is one not bandied about lightly.

Then, there are the legends who get a name on top of the label. Hockey had "The Great One" in Wayne Gretzky. Football had "Sweetness" in Walter Payton. Basketball had "Air Jordan". Baseball had... I dunno... I think baseball sucks. They had someone named after a candy bar, I think.

Here is why Muhammad Ali, "The Greatest", is on a different stratosphere. Not to diminish those guy's individual accomplishments and talents, it's just that they come from team sports. Payton had an offensive line that would have made ME look pretty decent. Jordan had a supporting cast of future Hall of Famers along side him.

Ali was all by his lonesome once the bell rang. It was him versus his opponent. He entered the ring 61 times. SIXTY ONE. Fifty six of those, he left the ring the victor. Thirty seven of those, opponents were retired early, by way of getting knocked the fuck out. In his amateur career... 100 wins, 5 loses.

I have always admired boxing. There is a difference between a "Fight" and a "Boxing Match". Both have their time and place, satisfying different parts of the brain. A fierce, visceral, fight between two guys who genuinely hate each other... well, you imagine the winner is You, and the loser is the asshole who dinged your car door. You imagine the loser is your boss... Like a Snickers, it satisfies.

A "Boxing Match" between two skilled opponents is like watching chess in motion... with blood.

Muhammad Ali's strength, besides a devastating right, was this thing called "Ring Generalship". Whatever game plan you had, whatever strategy you had prepared... That's cute and all, but you were going to fight Ali's fight.

I am reminded of Miyamoto Musashi, a ronin and master swordsman in old timey Japan... When he would duel, he would find out about his opponent. If his opponent was super punctual, Musashi would show up late. If his opponent was devout, Musashi would be blasphemous.

Ali would jack with his opponents to the point they were scared. Sonny Liston pulled and fired a gun at Ali in a casino. That gun was loaded with blanks. There are reports that he carried a REAL gun to the actual fight with Ali.

Ali would show up on opponents lawns at 3AM with a PA system and start trash talking... He was going to get into your head...

ALL THIS BEFORE STEPPING INTO THE RING!

In his famous fight with George Foreman, Ali employed the "Rope A Dope". He let Foreman, with his unique fighting style of "None", keep swinging. While absorbing all that punishment, Ali would keep asking ol' George, "That all you got?". "That's it?"

In the eighth... Down went Foreman. It was tactically, the greatest boxing match I have, or will ever see. I can appreciate the art and skill watching that fight in much the same way I can appreciate a virtuoso performance by a ballerina. It was that masterful.

 Ali's two greatest fights came outside the ring.

By refusing the draft, he gave big ol' middle finger to the establishment. He took two IQ tests when 18, and was found to have an IQ of 78. That score declared him to be "unfit".

When the war pigs needed more meat for the war machine, they lowered the standards. NOW, he was draft worthy.

"I said I was the Greatest, not the smartest.", Ali said. Knowing this makes me understand his argument even more so. He did not mire his belief with all the weighty social relevance, and what his stance would mean... He simply asked, in his own braggadocios manner, "Why are you sending me to kill someone who I have no quarrel with, when you (the system) are oppressing me, and denying me my rights, right here at home?" (paraphrased - not his actual quote)

Simple fucking question that old crusty white dudes did NOT want to have to answer. Especially when it came from a black man.

The one part I take umbrage with is that a lot of kids felt that way, but were not heavyweight champions of the World at the time, so... they went to jail. Or Canada. I don't know which is worse.

He was called a "Coward" by some. I disagree vehemently with that classification. The legal case went all the way to the Supreme Court. To get a case heard by the Supreme Court, that in and of itself is a fight. You have to lose in court, more that once... I think it is three or four times, and each time, basically say, "No, your Honor, you are wrong." Ali won his Supreme Court hearing, 8-0. Yet another TKO.

I am relatively sure that if he had lost, he would have done his time. I do not know if he would have to boxing after serving the five year sentence. Maybe by not boxing, that would have saved him from his next fight...

Parkinson's is not something I would wish on my worst enemy. The brain works... but the signals coming from the brain... don't. Impairing motor function, and speech. Now, imagine all you ever known, made your livelihood with, and were known WORLDWIDE for, was your physicality and running your mouth!

The last time I saw Ali speak in public was after 9/11. It was on "America: A Tribute To Heroes". Muhammad Ali fought one last time... He fought for reason. He fought for peace. He fought against the wanting to lash out and blindly hurt others because we were hurt.

Parkinson's won. War and ignorance won.

At least he fought.

d

This blog brought to you by George Thorogood & The Delaware Destroyers, Dead Kennedys, Pat Travers, Poison, Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, The Black Crows, White Zombie, Deftones, Anthrax, The Dust Brothers, Megadeth, Metallica, and Journey.

P.S. - Fuck you, 2016. Please stop taking legends...