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He has lived in his current condition much longer than I anticipated he would.
Not a huge fan but I wish him well on his next stop.
Back in the the day when I was young me and my father mailed him a good amount of stuff to be signed at his home. He always signed and wrote a few letters back. I've got a ton of his autos and very proud to have them.
Back in the the day when I was young me and my father mailed him a good amount of stuff to be signed at his home. He always signed and wrote a few letters back. I've got a ton of his autos and very proud to have them.
I'm honestly shocked he has lived this long.
LOT of differing opinions of Ali. But, he is an all time great for sure.
LOT of differing opinions of Ali. But, he is an all time great for sure.
"I'm so mean I make medicine sick"
Dude was pretty much the first witty trash talker in sports.
Dude was pretty much the first witty trash talker in sports.
"Joe Frazier ain't no champ. Joe Frazier's a chump".
"Your hands can't touch what your eyes can't see. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."
"Your hands can't touch what your eyes can't see. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."
No matter what happens from here, dude is truly the greatest and a legend that won't be forgotten. Whatever your opinion is on him as a person, I think everyone holds him in the highest regard as an athlete and icon.
Not gonna lie, cried like a baby when this happened
His next stop? The afterlife? and he did those nice gestures for you? Yet you're not a huge fan? I would be a die hard if he did that for me.
If I'm correct. IF. the source says on the op's post wkyt. Which would be reputable. But I agree with you before this iver seen nothing that wood indicate he's in life threatening condition. But he's had Parkinson's disease for a long time. So who knows.
Was raised on three things regarding this.
1. He's a Lousiville guy. Father hates Lousiville guys.
2. He had a patriotic issue. Father, grandfather, great grandfather hate people with patriotic issues.
3. Great athlete who signed good for us. Was the best. Was the first.
Can it be that maybe it's just a combination? one way or no way I guess. And I said not a HUGE fan. Comprehension comprende amigo?
And by next stop I meant the afterlife yea so.....
Ali: I'm pretty, I'm pretty
Reporter: You're not that pretty
Ali: I'm a bad man
and he was too
Reporter: You're not that pretty
Ali: I'm a bad man
and he was too
Just think if he'd been pampered like today's athletes and taken care of himself with proper diet and all of the medical safety aspects of today. Would have been unbelievable.
It's like Mickey Mantle. Dude cried when he did his retirement interview because he never thought he was going to live past 50 so he didn't take care of himself at all and hated the fact that people didn't get to see how good he really was. And hell, he's already top 3 all time.
We don't really care if we're fans or not when graphing. It's about the hobby. Case in point, I just got a package back from Duke. Coach K didn't sign my photos but sent back his own photo signed. Last week Rick signed all 4 photos sent and my chunck of old memorial flooring and Will Clark sent back a ball signed "Go Giants". I'm a Cardinals fan.
Just the way it goes.
Great boxer, but I won't celebrate the life of a draft dodger.
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He was a guy who could beat people up and ran his mouth all the time. Amazing how little it takes to be spoke of in reverence in modern times.
I met him at the mall as a teenager and he gave me a signed Islam pamphlet and boxing card. It wasn't an autograph signing either, that was kind of cool. I planned on putting them on EBay when he died. May be time to dig them out.
I met him at the mall as a teenager and he gave me a signed Islam pamphlet and boxing card. It wasn't an autograph signing either, that was kind of cool. I planned on putting them on EBay when he died. May be time to dig them out.
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Probably a tough sell being as its on something Islamic, but there is probably a small crowd of collectors that will be really interested.
My advice is to put it on the day after he dies if you're ever going to sell it. Hit it during the craze or hold it for a generation.
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Matter of fact I remember being with a group of kids before the game against the Reds and Kevin Mitchell approached us and said, "sorry I forgot how to sign my name."
I have a Will Clark signed ball from the late 80's. Unfortunately, I had to pay $$$ through a vendor because he and half the Giants team were unwilling to sign autographs.
Matter of fact I remember being with a group of kids before the game against the Reds and Kevin Mitchell approached us and said, "sorry I forgot how to sign my name."
Calling him a draft dodger is one sided. People who ran off to Canada IMO are draft dodgers. (they left this country knowing they may never return.) Ali made a stand on being a "conscientious objector" which was legal for him to do. He was willing to go to jail for 5 years to make a stand for his beliefs. That's not dodging. I think that is virtue promoted in the USA.
I served in Vietnam in combat. 10 years military service overall.
I served in Vietnam in combat. 10 years military service overall.
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Will Clark will sign for free now. Just grab a ball and send it to him at the Giants Stadium. He will inscribe it though. Lots do for fear of eBay. It's destroyed TTM collecting compared to the old days.
I agree. He was told to just go into army for a few months, fight a few exhibitions and call it a day, still train for his big money fights after his year long commitment. Generals told him he could pick his place to train his last 4 months. He was never going to see action or combat.
I respect a man like that. Honestly many of the young men who died and serviced our country were men of color from the South, hell they couldn't even stay at hotel with whites until the 70's, some places in South they couldn't even fill their tanks up with gas. Yeah I could understand a man like this who saw major injustices.
The man is the most recognized and most loveable man on earth. He has a lot of goodness in him and from everything I have heard is very kind. Spent time with kids and people.
Sports and music did more to integrate than any march or bill from congress.
Young girls dancing to Motown, white musicians in Muscle Shoals and Memphis playing with Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, Albert King, Booker T, UK vs. Texas Western, Jackie Robinson, Bama getting beat by Black teams like USC.
Young girls dancing to Motown, white musicians in Muscle Shoals and Memphis playing with Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, Albert King, Booker T, UK vs. Texas Western, Jackie Robinson, Bama getting beat by Black teams like USC.
Ali was part of America as young pro boxer and kept true to his belief, when others were running away. Those a$$holes who went to Canada still get on my nerves.
Just out of curiosity...have you served in any armed conflicts ala Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan? I haven't so I try not to judge another man for refusing to kill men he has never met. But that's just me.
That war has been shown to have been a disaster, so I don't really blame someone, especially someone who had the treatment "Clay" got, for not going into the war. Also, he was willing to go to jail for his convictions. And this is coming from a 23 yr veteran.
Draft dodgers:
Estimates vary greatly as to how many Americans settled in Canada for the specific reason of dodging the draft or "evading conscription," as opposed to desertion, or other reasons. Canadian immigration statistics show that 20,000 to 30,000 draft-eligible American men came to Canada as immigrants during the Vietnam era. The BBC stated that "as many as 60,000 young American men dodged the draft."
Estimates vary greatly as to how many Americans settled in Canada for the specific reason of dodging the draft or "evading conscription," as opposed to desertion, or other reasons. Canadian immigration statistics show that 20,000 to 30,000 draft-eligible American men came to Canada as immigrants during the Vietnam era. The BBC stated that "as many as 60,000 young American men dodged the draft."
No way you can make that claim that he was a draft dodger. I mean the man could not eat downtown Louisville in 1966, he had no problem with no Viet Con. US Army, Generals all told him to go quietly and he would never get near a gun or combat, fight exhibitions for 2-3 months, and train for the last 4 like usual. He would not go for it, they broke him financially with lawyer fees, fines, and appeals. He could not even eat in a restaurant in Atlanta with white people, a guy like this a true man and a bigger man than just some casual guy saying draft dodger. He took a stand, I wish more guys would do that. It is the problem of our society.
Sandy Koufax not pitching on Yom Kippur etc.. Ali not going into Army so the US could pimp him to blacks across country. He was not going to be a pawn or someone the Army could recruit and point out.
I say that is a hero, when you get stripped of everything but choose the harder path, he would have never done anything so this is heroic.