True, Gordie was a better man in many ways, but look at it this way. Gordie lived to the age of 88, and remained engaged with the public till his early 70’s. He had a good run, and even a temporary revival in his last few years. Whereas with Ali, he developed Parkinson’s rather early in middle age.
It became very obvious and only got worse over time. There was never any temporary revival or reprieve from that illness.
Not even science of the day could halt the disintergration, nor any amount of money. You can ask Michael J. Fox about how pernicious the disease becomes. In many ways, the public was not permitted to grow old with Ali, he was no longer fully available to us. The opposite example of ‘growing old with’ would be Paul McCartney, who is still quite active at about the same age as Ali.
“The opposite example of ‘growing old with’ would be Paul McCartney”
Oh, yeah, I remember him. What’s he been up to, aside from supporting drooling-moron “causes?”