Legen-dary boxer Muhammad Ali passed away Friday night at the age of 74. There have been many tributes and kind words spoken of Ali all across the world over the last few days and many of the comments are deserved. Myself, I’m a little young to have watched Ali in his prime although I was certainly aware of him post-career and his charisma couldn’t be denied. A few things I haven’t seen or heard much of over the last few days was how Ali treated other people during his competitive days. Ali once called Joe Frazier, one of his most well-known opponents, an Uncle Tom.
In fact, according to historical records, Ali and Frazier fought for the first time in 1971, as soon as Ali’s three-year ban for refusing to go to war was over. Frazier had supported Ali financially and through public statements, but Ali said Frazier was an ‘Uncle Tom and he works for the enemy’. I think it’s human nature to remember all the great things about someone when they pass away, but I also think remembering Ali in the proper context is important. He was a tremendous fighter with a great personality, but he was not always kind. He did a great job rehabbing his image once he retired. Some people have criticized him for being a draft dodger, which is widely known, but I really am not knowledgeable enough about the Vietnam War to offer much of an opinion on that.
Ali suffered from Parkinson’s Disease for many years and it’s, commonly, assumed this was contracted because of repeated blows to the head from his boxing days; but that has never been officially determined. Anyone can get Parkinson’s Disease. Doctors have not connected the disease to Ali’s repeated head trauma. The matter should be settled if an autopsy is conducted. There are doctors who believe boxing can lead to Parkinson’s Disease, but to say it, definitively, is a stretch.
I’m dating myself, but my time as a sports fan goes back to 1982 when I would have been a seven-year-old boy. I sat around on Saturday trying to come up with a list of athletes who were both great and dominating for a period of time and came up with: Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Mike Tyson, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Michael Phelps, Hulk Hogan, Michael Schumacher, and Doug Flutie. There have also been some great athletes but none that have dominated to that level. I think of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Jerry Rice, Pete Sampras, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Donovan Bailey, David Beckham, and Barry Sanders to name a few. But, to me, the ones I highlighted first were, clearly, dominant over a prolonged period of time. I do think Jennifer Jones and Sandra Schmirler warrant some mention as well. Schmirler was great, but I don’t feel she really dominated for a long time. Jones has, and continues to dominate. The more I think of it, the more I think she belongs on my original list.
I don’t agree with many of Barack Obama’s policies, but I do back many of his statements on gun control. I also realize that’s not a popular side to take in this part of the country; but Obama’s most recent answer on the subject has gone viral on social media. In short, Obama says the premise that he wants to take away people’s guns is just not true. However, he says there are more than enough guns for every man, woman, and child in the USA. His position is that studies should be done to come up with more safe legislation. He points to automobile accidents, which were occurring at an epidemic rate before seatbelts became the rule. He also says studies showed tougher penalties needed to be in place for drunk driving and there are various other things government has tackled and now fatalities on the highway have gone down. When it comes to guns, government is not allowed to conduct studies. Congress will not allow the study of gun violence because they feel it will lead to firearm confiscation. He also makes a strong case on background checks. With a car, you need to take a test and get a license. But not with a gun. Obama stresses there are people who are on the FBI watch list and a no-fly list, but those people are not prohibited from buying a gun. Why am I one of the few who finds this insane?
Nice people mentions: Brent Danylko, Ashley Caouette, Derek Serdachny, and Esther Whitehawk.
