Muhammad Ali

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keslake

Original Poster:

657 posts

211 months

Saturday 28th July 2012
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Looked very frail last night at the ceremony and to be truthful i found it quite upsetting.

I consider myself so very blessed to have met him in 1986 when he still resembled his old self.
I was only 23 at the time and to be able to spend 15 minutes or so chatting to your idol takes some beating.


Damn, why do some people have to grow old :-(

It will be a sad day indeed when he passes and we will never see his likes again.


Countdown

41,547 posts

201 months

Saturday 28th July 2012
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keslake said:
Looked very frail last night at the ceremony and to be truthful i found it quite upsetting.
me too. TBH I wish they wouldn't parade him at ceremonies such as this - they're painful to watch when you remember him in his prime.

My favourite book about him

http://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Ali-His-Life-Times/...

Dan_1981

17,496 posts

204 months

Saturday 28th July 2012
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Didnt look good at all.

Dark glasses aswell as a helper "guiding" him - has he lost his sight?


Dr Imran T

2,301 posts

204 months

Saturday 28th July 2012
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Sad indeed, but the man is a legend. Possibly the most respected sportsman of all time and one who in my eyes will never be surpassed.

He is held in the highest regard by many of the world's best know sportsman - just highlights how even the 'greatest' can be hit hard with diseases.


Countdown

41,547 posts

201 months

Saturday 28th July 2012
quotequote all
Dan_1981 said:
Didnt look good at all.

Dark glasses aswell as a helper "guiding" him - has he lost his sight?
That was his wife IIRC

keslake

Original Poster:

657 posts

211 months

Saturday 28th July 2012
quotequote all
I would even go so far as to say that if his funeral is public it could be on a similar scale
to Princess Diana's.

Sure he upset some people earlier on in his career but i would like to think most of that is now either
forgiven or forgotten.

I read somewhere a couple yrs back that he is the most loved person on the Planet ?

Heres hoping he has a few good years yet and more importantly he has a decent quality of life.

kiteless

11,895 posts

209 months

Saturday 28th July 2012
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"The Greatest", in Ali's case, is a moniker that is very appropriate.

tommy vercetti

11,496 posts

168 months

Saturday 28th July 2012
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Was sad seeing him like that, but glad his still with us.

Zad

12,747 posts

241 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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Getting old is one thing (and bad enough) but getting a disease like that at such a comparatively young age is horrible. It looks like medical science is gradually making headway though, and whilst it will be too late for Muhammad Ali, at least it will help many others out there. Should he be able to attend future ceremonies, then I think it should be enough simply to have his presence there, without actively involving him.

I read today of a 96 year old woman who died whilst doing a charity abseil. I'm sure it was traumatic, but not a bad way to go all said, clearly comparatively fit at 96 (it was her 9th abseil) then -click- gone.

Kays vRS

1,985 posts

181 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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I found it very upsetting watching him during the ceremony and TBH I don't think it was fair him being there.

I have seen the effects of Parkinsons on a very close family member and I know that he wouldn't have wanted anyone to see him in the condition that it reduced him to. It's terribly sad.


Shake&Bake

370 posts

190 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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Sure he upset some people earlier on in his career but i would like to think most of that is now either
forgiven or forgotten.

I read somewhere a couple yrs back that he is the most loved person on the Planet ?



Joe Frazier might disagree with you, have you seen "thriller in Manilla" recently? Ali is a legend in every sense of the word, some would argue that the only way he beat Frazier physically was to beat him mentally first. I don't dispute the man has done incredible things not only for the sport but for humanity through the years, but not everyone in the world would be rushing to pay their respects.


obob

4,193 posts

199 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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[quote=Shake&Bake]
Sure he upset some people earlier on in his career but i would like to think most of that is now either
forgiven or forgotten.

I read somewhere a couple yrs back that he is the most loved person on the Planet ?



Joe Frazier might disagree with you, have you seen "thriller in Manilla" recently? Ali is a legend in every sense of the word, some would argue that the only way he beat Frazier physically was to beat him mentally first. I don't dispute the man has done incredible things not only for the sport but for humanity through the years, but not everyone in the world would be rushing to pay their respects.


[/quote]
I would.

keslake

Original Poster:

657 posts

211 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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I think even Smoking Joe mellowed in the end.
Very moving to see him choked up in this video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh3E2z-pXd8&fea...

john2443

6,385 posts

216 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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Born 1942, so although 'mature', not really old by current standards, there are plenty of people older than that who are still very active. Sad that he has this disease.

It does seem odd to wheel him out for the Olympics, but presumably him or his wife would have said No if they though it wan't appropriate.

BlackVanDyke

9,932 posts

216 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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Kays vRS said:
I found it very upsetting watching him during the ceremony and TBH I don't think it was fair him being there.

I have seen the effects of Parkinsons on a very close family member and I know that he wouldn't have wanted anyone to see him in the condition that it reduced him to. It's terribly sad.
I don't believe that it was a decision made for him - he chose himself and fair play for it.

The thing I really, really don't understand is the refusal to use a wheelchair in public eg in the opening ceremony - he could have paraded in with the flag, held on to a corner of it or whatever, rather than just being plonked in a chair at the end of their march/walk in. Doesn't make sense.

Pints

18,444 posts

199 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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BlackVanDyke said:
I don't believe that it was a decision made for him - he chose himself and fair play for it.

The thing I really, really don't understand is the refusal to use a wheelchair in public eg in the opening ceremony - he could have paraded in with the flag, held on to a corner of it or whatever, rather than just being plonked in a chair at the end of their march/walk in. Doesn't make sense.
The image you imagine the world has of you versus the actual image the world holds are sometimes very different.
I think he wants to continue to try and portray that image we once all had of him.
He'd be no less great if was wheeled in. Wish he knew that.

epom

12,160 posts

166 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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The Greatest !!

kitz

328 posts

182 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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Black birds go with black birds ,blue birds go with blue birds ,etc
Imagine what would happen if John Terry said it !