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Author Topic: The Greatest  (Read 10451 times)

Offline Rotterdam

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #30 on: June 04, 2016, 11:52:13 AM »
Sad news, but not unexpected. Rest easy Ali.

Offline West Derby Villan

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #31 on: June 04, 2016, 12:07:49 PM »
Rest In Peace Muhammad Ali, the Greatest.

Offline UK Redsox

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #32 on: June 04, 2016, 12:53:05 PM »
Greatest boxer without any doubt and greatest sportsman in my book too.  Bradman as brilliant as he was is only relevant to the cricketing world.  His name would hardly register in mainland Europe, China, The far east, Russia, America and so on....Ali would be known the world over and quite rightly so.

We've done this several times before. I'd say that Ali is the most important sportsperson (Jackie Robinson and Billie-Jean King would be next on my list of social importance), probably the greatest boxer (but that's not a sport that I know anything about) but not necessarily the greatest sportsperson. Others have been more dominant in one sport in comparison to their peers; eg Bradman and Ruth. Then there's the multi-sport athletes to look at; eg Jim Thorpe

Offline pauliewalnuts

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #33 on: June 04, 2016, 01:16:59 PM »
I don't care for boxing but Ali transcended mere sport, he was one of the greatest cultural icons of the latter half of the century 

How many sportsmen do we hear speaking like this?

Quote
“Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on Brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? No I’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again. The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years.”

Offline garyshawsknee

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #34 on: June 04, 2016, 03:35:46 PM »
I'm too young to see his fights on TV, but I feel very sad with his loss. As much of a man, as he was as a boxer, we were lucky to live in the same time as him. R.I.P Champ. 

Offline maidstonevillain

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #35 on: June 04, 2016, 04:39:49 PM »
"......for how fortunate we all are that The Greatest chose to grace our time".

Obama

Offline Villa Lew

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #36 on: June 04, 2016, 05:00:27 PM »
Ali, without doubt the greatest boxer I've ever seen, but pound for pound a lot of the older boxing pundits, reckon Sugar Ray Robinson is the greatest.

In other sports the greatest, IMO, are golf Nicklaus, football Pele, tennis Federer and in cricket, yes Bradman, obviously the greatest batsman, but greatest all rounder Sobers.

Offline thick_mike

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #37 on: June 04, 2016, 06:04:41 PM »
The thing for me that made him great was his intellect. I'm sure that being smarter than his opponents was what defeated them. He had great ability and athleticism, but his mind was brilliant.

Offline Rudy65

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #38 on: June 04, 2016, 06:12:27 PM »
My dad used to wake me up in the early 1970's on a Saturday night to watch match of the day. Many a time I got to see Parkinson part way through, as it was on before the football, and that is the stand out memory for me of Ali, in that great interview with Parky.

I remember my mom was never keen on Ali as she felt he was  way too big headed, but that was part of the appeal for me. Arrogance with talent and highly entertaining.

Like all boxers he kept coming back and I seem to remember the fight aginst Larry Holmes was embarrassing. 


Online FrankyH

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #39 on: June 04, 2016, 07:33:38 PM »
Thomas Hauser's book about Ali is a great read.

Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times.

Offline bertlambshank

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #40 on: June 04, 2016, 09:00:17 PM »
The greatest showman in boxing but not the best boxer.But without him boxing wouldn't be where it is today.

Offline Bad English

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #41 on: June 04, 2016, 10:35:05 PM »
I don't care for boxing but Ali transcended mere sport, he was one of the greatest cultural icons of the latter half of the century 

How many sportsmen do we hear speaking like this?

Quote
“Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on Brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? No I’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again. The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years.”
That would have been my post on what I liked most about Ali.

Offline JD

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #42 on: June 04, 2016, 10:49:41 PM »
I don't care for boxing but Ali transcended mere sport, he was one of the greatest cultural icons of the latter half of the century 

How many sportsmen do we hear speaking like this?

Quote
“Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on Brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? No I’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again. The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years.”
That would have been my post on what I liked most about Ali.

This is what makes Ali stand apart and alone from any other sports person. He was so much more than just a boxer.

Online Brend'Watkins

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #43 on: June 04, 2016, 11:12:10 PM »
Having just watched  the Beeb's tribute to Mohamed Ali - The Greatest..not only does it make me think how quick has time passed but reminds me the greatest did have his flaws, which doesn't in anyway impinge on his greatness.

Online dcdavecollett

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Re: The Greatest
« Reply #44 on: June 04, 2016, 11:22:44 PM »
Sporting intelligence! Shifting to the rope-a-dope after one round in Zaire!!

 


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