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Jewish World Review Dec. 24, 2001 / 9 Teves, 5762

Larry Atkins

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Consumer Reports


Remembering the real Ali


http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com -- I WAS never a fan of Muhammad Ali.

To a generation of baby boomers, Ali may have been a cultural icon and a hero, but to me, Ali was just another successful sports figure to root against, much like Notre Dame, the New York Yankees, and the Boston Celtics.

Even though I did the best impersonation of Howard Cosell in my elementary school, I loved it when Joe Frazier knocked Ali down and won their first fight; I seethed inside when Ali outfoxed George Foreman and "shook up the world" in Zaire; I jumped up and down with glee when Ken Norton broke Ali's jaw. When crowds chanted "Ali, Ali, Ali*" I would chant "lose, lose, lose!"

While I admire and respect Ali's tremendous boxing skills and the fact that he spoke his mind and stood for his convictions by sacrificing the prime of his career when he shunned the Vietnam draft on religious grounds, I couldn't stand his trash-talking, self-promoting, showmanship, arrogance, and disrespect for his opponents. While he floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, his words also stung many.

Ali set the stage for everything that many people today don't like about the modern day athletes--dancing in the end zone, taunting fans and opponents, etc. He wrote poetry that predicted what round he would beat his opponent. Ali referred to himself as the Greatest, and for years he compared Joe Frazier to an ugly, stupid gorilla and called him an "Uncle Tom." He reportedly mocked Joe Louis for losing his money and for being inarticulate.

I always liked quiet workman-like athletes who just did their job on the field, such as Emmitt Smith, Michael Jordan, and Joe Frazier, who was the son of a sharecropper and overcame adversity growing up in poverty in South Carolina. When you score a touchdown, just give the football to the referee. When you block an opponent's shot in basketball, you don't have to wag a finger in the other player's face. Berating opponents got so out of hand during the 1990s, that the NCAA instituted a rule that penalized taunting and celebrating on the football field.

Even in my experiences playing sports as a kid, I always hated the kids who would trash talk and yell stuff like "swing batter, swing batter, he's a whiffer, he's whiffer." Since I wasn't a Little League All-Star, I took the 'whiffer' comments personally. Even as an adult playing in an over-30 basketball league a few years ago, I seethed inside when someone scored a layup on me and got in my face and yelled, "Take some of that!"

There is no denying that Ali was a cultural icon, a humanitarian, and a spokesperson and positive role model for African-Americans. To his credit, he spoke out against racism, had the courage to change his name from Cassius Clay, and remained committed to Islam despite public criticism. But he shouldn't be deified in light of his flaws, especially his poor sportsmanship.

So when I shuffle off to see Will Smith portray Muhammad Ali in the upcoming movie, I'll still be rooting for Joe Frazier to land that one extra left hook in the "Thrilla in Manilla." Gee, I wish Oliver Stone had been the director.



JWR contributor Larry Atkins is a lawyer and writer who lives in Philadelphia. Comment by clicking here.

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© 2001, Larry Atkins