Muhammad Ali, 'The Greatest of All Time', Dead at 74

NBC News ^ | 4 June 16 | NBC News staff

[SkyPilot]

Muhammad Ali, the silver-tongued boxer and civil rights champion who famously proclaimed himself "The Greatest" and then spent a lifetime living up to the billing, is dead.

Ali died Friday at a Phoenix-area hospital, where he had spent the past few days being treated for respiratory complications, a family spokesman confirmed to NBC News. He was 74.

After a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer died this evening," Bob Gunnell, a family spokesman, told NBC News.

[Delta 21]

Political correctness run amuk. How many non famous, non championship boxers got their draft dodging convictions overturned by the Supreme Court?

[DocJ69]

He’s still a coward and now rotting in Hell for eternity.

[CIB-173RDABN]

Airborne

Viet Nam 1965-1966 503rd 173rd ABN

[MarvinStinson]

Ali took bad beatings and then was awarded his obligatory fake “decision” in fights with Doug Jones, Ken Norton, Jimmy Young, Earnie Shavers, and several others.

His career was a farce.

[stellaluna]

But Malcolm was assigned to be Ali’s teacher and cult minder. He spent a lot of time with Ali and the champ listened to every word

[Delta 21]

He changed his name when he accepted islam but referenced the Christian God in his support for Reagan and later was reported to be born again but never took back his Christian name.

I am sure God can keep it all straight but it comes across to me as either being lazy and ignorant about your faith or playing both ends against the middle.

[Spacetrucker]

I don’t justify the things Muhammad Ali did outside of the ring by this post but you really don’t know what joy this man had in his life by doing the charity work and philanthropy that had little to do with boxing, Parkinson’s aside.

[Bratch]

Yeah, just listen to the blithering idiot.

[LS]

Yes, Jack Cashill has written a good book on Ali: he came from a very patriotic, Chrustian home and was completely brainwashed by NOI.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

I disagree.

He had no quarrel with Vietnam. He willingly paid the price of his convictions - a heavy price.

[OldSmaj]

After announcing his retirement from the ring in 1974, Ali lost no time in throwing right hooks at Zionism and embracing the Palestinian cause. Talking to reporters in Beirut, Lebanon, at the start of a tour of the Middle East, Ali said that “the United States is the stronghold of Zionism and imperialism.” On a subsequent visit to two Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon, the former heavyweight boxing champion was quoted by a news agency as saying: “In my name and the name of all Muslims in America, I declare support for the Palestinian struggle to liberate their homeland and oust the Zionist invaders.”

It is my opinion that he took that belief to his death bed.

I will not grieve for such a person...his other accomplishments are diminished greatly those statement.

To hell with him.

[Spacetrucker]

In 88 on the plane to my first duty station in Tustin, CA, I had the chance to meet the guy before the layover in Las Vegas - very humble in those years of his life as the Parkinson’s had already taken ahold of him ... He did clown a boxing pose at me and smiled - never forget that :-)

[MarvinStinson]

Ali had the mentality of a 12 year old. (That is being generous).

He parroted whatever his Nation of Islam handlers told him to say.

[xzins]

My point is about beating people's brains out, the objective in boxing. Ali took some tremendous shots. People have different recovery capabilities, the brain is still mysterious, and charities supported aside, the sport should be considered a culprit in seriously injuring him.

From Wikipedia about the causes of Parkinsons (my bold/italicized added):

A number of environmental factors have been associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's including: pesticide exposure, head injuries, and living in the country or farming.[32][33] Rural environments and the drinking of well water may be risks as they are indirect measures of exposure to pesticides.[34][35]

[SkyPilot]

Thanks - I did a title search for the headline and did not find it. Appreciate the heads up.

[SkyPilot]

Having said that, any Christian African American who slithered over to the likes of the Muslim Brotherhood, Elijah Muhammad and Louis Farakhan and was a draft dodger, rabble rouser and generally A-hole is and remains a traitor and A-hole.

Tough, but true. Very true.

[SkyPilot]

A big bus drove up, a bunch of 5’6” black muslims got out and then Ali, wearing a black shirt and black pants, got out. He stood in front of the theater, with an audience of about 8 people including me and several policeman, and gave his feeble-minded memorized spiel, which included mentions of “kikes” and “spics” And then got back on the bus with his muslim handlers to head to their next stop.

A hatred of the Jewish people is in line with a Muslim like Cassius Clay. The irony is that his given (Christian name) was beautiful. I wish I had his original name.