About a year ago, I was talking with someone about The Greatest. She told me that she had a brother in Iraq and she had no respect for Ali because of his stance against the Vietnam War. I read her the riot act, told her to look at the situation again, and rethink some of the epithets that she was hurling about so flippantly. She was young. I wasn't that mad about it, but you will not speak badly of Muhammad Ali in front of me. I adore the man and everything he stands for. She might as well have been talking about someone in my family; my immediate family, even.
(...and he loves his country, even though he's "always getting blamed for things he didn't do!" Ya can't say the guy doesn't have a great sense of humor.)
I could talk about Ali all day. I've read books about him. I study clips of him. He is the single most important athlete of this or any other generation, not just for what he did in the ring but for what he did and represented outside of the ring. I watch the old fights and imagine how incredible his first run as champion would've been had he been allowed to fight in the ring for the years he was speaking out against an unjust war. I watch his wars with Joe Frazier and am aghast at the ferocity of his will. I watch his interviews and press-conferences and see one of the Godfathers of Rap ("If you wanna lose your money, bet on Sonny.", When times are as they are now, we could use another Muhammad Ali. Unfortunately, the man is simply one-of-a-kind. We will never see another phenomenon like Muhammad Ali. His physical gifts were baffling, his wit is amazing, his strength of character is astounding...there is no one on Earth like Muhammad Ali and there never will be again. Quote me.
Some folks may see Ali clips and hear nothing but braggadocio and ranting. Nooooo, people; everything this man said had a purpose. EVERYTHING. May I define 'Grace' for you? This eloquent, intelligent, brilliant, charismatic man is now the victim of a disease that makes it so he cannot speak clearly or move with any kind of fluidity, THIS man of all people, and he still regularly travels the world as an ambassador of peace and goodwill. His mind is as sharp as ever, his body has betrayed him. Yet and still, Ali travels the world, making children laugh with magic tricks, mugging for cameras and 'slap-boxing' with reporters. He is The Greatest. I love this man, Muhammad Ali. He was a hero of my Father and that is something I am very glad picked up from My Old Man.
I'll share a clip I uploaded to Youtube a day or two ago. I have watched this clip probably a thousand times. It brings me joy every time I see it. Listen and watch The Greatest...
People, people, people! I used to watch that because I simply loved hearing the Brother flow! Awww...man! There is stuff in there I say to this day!
"I'm a baaaaad man!"
"I'm the prettiest thing that ever lived!"
"I told the world! I talk to God every day! If God is with me, can't nobody beat me!"
"I am the greatest!"
"I shook up the world and I want justice! I want justice!"
"Ohhhh, I shook all of ya up!"
"I'm through talkin'. You write the results."
Now, I watch that clip and I see something entirely different, because I have a better vision of what the world and America was like. I see a 22 year-old Blackman in 1964, who was just crowned 'Heavyweight Champion Of The World', against astounding odds. Do we even need to talk about the state of civil-rights in America in 1964? And this young man has the attention of the world, so what does he do? He gives young people about 20 new catch-phrases of self-empowerment. "I AM THE GREATEST!" When did a kid in the ghetto have a chance to see a Blackman announce that on TV before that fight? "I'm PRETTY!" I'd bet dollars to donuts that 'Black Is Beautiful' became the movement during the 60's and 70's partially because of this 'rant'. "I SHOOK UP THE WORLD!" He was just getting started; Cassius Clay announced to the world the next day that he was a Black Muslim and he would now be called 'Muhammad Ali'. WOW. That must have terrified some people. It also must have empowered a lotta people. What I see in that is 'I am not what YOU will make me. I am what I make me. And I say "I am the GREATEST!".
If you will look to Ali's right, you'll see Joe Louis, former Heavyweight Champion of The World. Please note that Ali is not trying to give him a look or a word. I believe Joe Louis represented old ways of thinking, old ways of boxing. Clay knew that he was really gonna shake up the world the next day. The non-communication between Louis, at the time thought of as, arguably, the greatest heavyweight that lived and Ali, the new way of thinking (speed, movement, SPEAK YO' MIND), the new prototype, the new Blackman speaks volumes. "This is MY time, Joe; no disrespect, but while I have everyone's attention, I am gonna make the most of it." Ain't nobody quoting Joe Louis, man. (just keeping it real. No disrespect.)
This 'rant' was as much a political statement as it was a victory celebration. Clay changed the way people felt about a lotta things in such a short time. He is to boxing what Jimi Hendrix is to the guitar. He transcends everything he is involved in by just being 'Muhammad Ali, The Greatest.' He made people more tolerant by sheer force of will. He kickstarted the 'Peace Movement'. He won the Heavyweight Title three times, kiddies. THREE. When people tell me about how we need to 'get those Muslims', I remind them that Muhammad Ali is a Muslim. What that sereves to do is (usually) get a conversation started about tolerance, acceptance, and understanding. This is what Muhammad Ali means to me.
He is a hero in every sense of the word. I am so thankful that one of my Daddy's heroes is one of mine. There are not many people you can say that about. Thank you, Ali. You are truly 'THE GREATEST'.
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