Jun 4, 2016

GOAT

 

Jun 4, 2016

Ali is a legend. He's probably the greatest boxer to ever live--it's tougher to pin that down than it is in any other sport, but he has five or six of the greatest performances of all time, and that's disregarding everything before Liston 1. Imagine what his career would have looked like if he didn't miss four years right in the middle of his prime.

It's impossible to overstate his political impact. It wasn't just his refusal to report to the military; it was how he defended his decision and how unafraid he was of blowback from white America. Boxing occupied a much bigger space in sports and pop culture in the '60s, and its heavyweight champion and biggest star--by a mile--had not only shed his slave name, but was making American lawmakers swallow their own hypocrisy.

In the end, Ali transcended boxing completely, but refused to transcend race. As I was tweeting earlier, he was a hero to people who never saw him box. I don't know if the same could be said about any other athlete, or about any musician.

f--- off

 

Jun 4, 2016

On a somewhat lighter note I bet Game releases a tribute track in the next 48 hours

 

Jun 4, 2016

 

Jun 4, 2016

It's pretty amazing he made it to 74 considering he had Parkinson's for over 30 years.

Ali is 1 of 1, we'll never see another one like him.

 

Jun 4, 2016

Legendary heavyweight champion and social icon Muhammad Ali has died, a family spokesman said late Friday in a statement.

He was 74.

Ali had been hospitalized in the Phoenix area this week with respiratory issues. The Paradise Valley Police Department told ABC News that an emergency medical services call was made from Ali's address in the Phoenix area on Tuesday, and the Phoenix Fire Department confirmed it responded to a call for mutual aid for a 74-year-old male with respiratory issues at that time.


Retired from boxing since 1981, Ali had battled Parkinson's disease for years. He had been hospitalized a few other times in recent years, including in early 2015, due to a severe urinary tract infection initially diagnosed as pneumonia.

Ali had looked increasingly frail in public appearances, the last coming April 9 when he wore sunglasses and was hunched over at the annual Celebrity Fight Night dinner in Phoenix, which raises funds for treatment of Parkinson's. He had been living quietly in the Phoenix area with his fourth wife, Lonnie, whom he married in 1986.

His death reaches far beyond the sport of boxing.

Ali was one of the world's most recognized people for his actions in and out of the ring. His stance on the military draft and conversion to Islam polarized America mainly along racial lines. Yet later he unified people with his messages of freedom, peace and equality.

"His contribution to this country and the world will be remembered for generations to come," Bob Arum, who promoted a multitude of Ali fights, told ESPN's Michele Steele. "He meant so much to so many around the world -- he had such a transformative effect on American society and such an impact on the world because of his spirit -- he will remembered as one of the iconic people of the time."

Said Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James: "The reason why he's the GOAT [Greatest of All Time] is not because of what he did in the ring, which was unbelievable.

"It's what he did outside of the ring, what he believed in, what he stood for -- along with Jim Brown and Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindor, obviously who became Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], Bill Russell, Jackie Robinson. Those guys stood for something. He's part of the reason why African-Americans today can do what we do in the sports world. We're free. They allow us to have access to anything we want. It's because of what they stood for, and Muhammad Ali was definitely the pioneer for that."

 

Jun 4, 2016

@Help can we get a banner in honour of Ali?

 

Jun 4, 2016

His record really doesn't do him justice. He came in at 22 and clowned the old guard in Sonny Liston and Floyed Patterson in a hand full of rounds. He spent his prime in prison, came back and KO'd the guy who steamrolled Frazier and Norton in a couple of rounds. Had trilogies with both. Beat Leon Slinks passed his prime. Coined GOAT for a reason.

 

Jun 4, 2016

"You want me to go somewhere and fight, but you won't even stand up for me here at home."

 

Jun 4, 2016

I UPSET SONNY LISTON AND I JUST TURNED 22 YEARS OLD, I MUST BE THE GREATEST!!

 

Jun 4, 2016

im probably a bigger ali fan than most guys my age/demo bracket... but i will say: its important to remember how close he hued to the black muslims at the time of his army induction. he adhered so much to them he rejected malcolm x - the icon/defining 20th century leader. michael manns biopic posited ali was always searching for father figures. i personally think his refusal to be inducted had more to do with his devotion to elijah muhammad - a young kid doing what his brothers wanted him to - then it evolved into the legendary statement appreciated (by most) today. its still important, for a myriad of ways, but alot of the tweets/coverage ive read today rly miss the humanity of the decision. and the obvious: ali could "afford" to not go while 47,000 americans died. its complicated

also tbh: what he did to joe frazier was devastating. read ghosts of manilla

 

Jun 4, 2016

I don't usually look up to athletes, but I was the biggest Muhammad Ali Stan. I used to watch all of his old fights. He's probably my favorite athlete of all time.

Ugh, this sucks so much.

 

Jun 4, 2016

Man. I heard he was in the hospital and was hoping this wouldn't be the case. RIP champ.

 

Jun 4, 2016

He was found unresponsive in his home a while back. This time he was hospitalized for respiratory issues. Everybody should watch this guy's entire fightography.

 

Jun 4, 2016

Nah, listen, guy who has a woman too hot for him as his avy on a rap forum, a guy who was imprisoned and had his life threatened for standing up for his beliefs deserves to be called by his name.

 

Jun 4, 2016

Michael "Republicans buy sneakers too" Jordan?

 

Jun 4, 2016

Any of these would be great for the banner

 

Jun 4, 2016

What a sad day. A real fighter not a p---- dodger like Mayweather

 

Jun 4, 2016

If you've never seen Ali fight in HD:

 

Jun 4, 2016

My hero and inspiration. Thank you, Ali. Sleep well, Champ.