Muhammad Ali: The Greatest

By Maximillian Muhammad

More than any other athlete, Muhammad Ali was a man who represented the true meaning of freedom to all types of people but probably more to people of African descent. It being 30 years since the Vietnam war, how brave a soldier he was for not joining. He knew war was wrong and how it was about power and not peace. He said it best in his movie "The Greatest"... why should I attack someone who hasn't oppressed me and my people. And, oh, how right he was then and how right he is now. He could walk up to Saddam Hussein but not George Bush. (Personally, Don King should have promoted Hussein vs. Bush instead of troops being sent in.)

Ali was stripped of his title and lost 5 years of his livelihood. In some cases, rapists, embezzlers, even those guilty of manslaughter, don't get half that amount of time. He said I'm a proud Negro and won't back down. We need more like him, who are about character and less about BS images. Ali believed in self-motivation, and helping out the black community. He was raw, outspoken, and allowed himself to grow.

Today's Black athlete needs to take heed to what Muhammad was doing with his business. Like the NFL just hiring 4 Black head coaches in the last 70 years. One co-owner in the NFL. Baseball: zero Black ownership, one General manager and very few managers. Basketball is only a little better with the Denver Nuggets...it's Black-owned. Magic Johnson has a stake in the Los Angeles Lakers and Isaiah Thomas is the GM of the Toronto Raptors. But despite more money, these Brothers should pressure the owners for some long-term stakes. A piece now is cashed sooner than maybe it should be.

That is one of the main reasons Ali reins supreme over contemporary superstars. Ali took risks and wasn't afraid, 'cuz he knew that no matter what they took away as far as possessions, it was just a temporary thing. The powers that be couldn't take away his soul. He spoke to Blacks, saying not to be afraid 'cuz everyone is watching you and learning. They call you lazy, inferior, worthless trash, but without you they are exactly that and still dumb-founded. He is a man who danced with fear and won. In the truest sense of the word he is an Achiever and a man who overcame many, many, many obstacles. Jack Johnson was ahead of his time. Joe Louis, Willie Mays and Michael Jordan were and are perfect for their times. Tiger Woods, Arthur Ashe, Jackie Robinson make the times fit them. But Muhammad Ali has made time sit on its head and think time and time again. His purpose has and will continue to outlast all contemporaries until they learn to go one step further.

Like the book and movie, "A Hero Ain't Nothing but a Sandwich," it's good now but how long does it last? Muhammad Ali is like a book you can't and wouldn't want to put down. There's a soul put here to touch young and old, Black and White. Regardless of bad comments about Joe Frazier, which hopefully will be resolved, I heard Joe has moved on. While nobody's perfect, Ali continues to be an inspiration to me and others who still see and view him as the greatest in the ring, but, more importantly, in his every day dealings within this society. He hasn't lost anything. In fact, he's better than he's ever been. He's never down and won't ever go down.

"The Greatest" lives in all who won't quit to appease or allow themselves to be victims. We all count and Muhammad Ali knew that better than anyone.

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