The Greatest has passed at age 74.

RIP.

:( , remembering his bouts....

RIP ALI
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f167/t56g13h9/478px-Muhammad_Ali_NYWTS.jpg

The Greatest - Rest in Peace Muhammad Ali.

Dislike the notion of idolising someone, but more than any musician or sports figure, he was probably the closest for me to that status.

Today has been on the cards for a very long time, which makes it easier but its still a sad occasion.

Meeting him still remains probably the highlight of my life.

Gazza wrote on Jun 4^th, 2016 at 7:21am:

Meeting him still remains probably the highlight of my life.

Now might be a good time to to hear your recollection of that day.

Rest in peace, The Greatest.

He's a bad man!!!! I can watch any match they show of his on espn classic anytime I come across it. I remember he said he would turn off the lights in the room and be in bed before it got dark.

What I'll never forget is reading about his trial for draft-dodging. He said this: “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong. My conscience won’t let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, some poor, hungry people in the mud, for big powerful America, and shoot them for what?” Ali said at the time. “They never called me nigger. They never lynched me. They didn’t put no dogs on me.” Ali was a warrior with honor, not just a fighter.

RIP !!!!!!

Gazza wrote on Jun 4^th, 2016 at 7:21am:

Meeting him still remains probably the highlight of my life.

I, too, got to meet him...quite by accident...I was running to make a meeting when i literally bumped into him exiting the Mayflower Hotel in DC...He looked at me and said to becareful because i almost knocked him out...not realizing until about 5 seconds later who he was...as the press gathered around...he/they continued...I stood there wondering if that had really just happened...

I was 10 min late to my meeting btw...never gave the excuse as to why I was late...

My fathers 2nd cousin(?) was his physician for many years...though never able to take advantage of that since that side of the fam is quite distant ( literally & figuratively)

I also enjoyed his cartoon saturday mornings...

RIP Mr Ali!!

Gazza wrote on Jun 4^th, 2016 at 7:21am:

Dislike the notion of idolising someone, but more than any musician or sports figure, he was probably the closest for me to that status. Today has been on the cards for a very long time, which makes it easier but its still a sad occasion. Meeting him still remains probably the highlight of my life.

Well said, mate.
The single greatest athlete of the 20th century, and not just of fighters. He was the greatest in the ring and out, and transcended sport and celebrity as no other has before or since. A truly great man and for all the right reasons. And if you feel like it, G, do tell of your meeting with him. Would love to hear it.

Rest in peace, Champ.

Paranoid Android wrote on Jun 4^th, 2016 at 10:21am:

Gazza wrote on Jun 4th, 2016 at 7:21am: Meeting him still remains probably the highlight of my life. I, too, got to meet him...quite by accident...I was running to make a meeting when i literally bumped into him exiting the Mayflower Hotel in DC...He looked at me and said to becareful because i almost knocked him out...not realizing until about 5 seconds later who he was...as the press gathered around...he/they continued...I stood there wondering if that had really just happened... I was 10 min late to my meeting btw...never gave the excuse as to why I was late... My fathers 2nd cousin(?) was his physician for many years...though never able to take advantage of that since that side of the fam is quite distant ( literally & figuratively) I also enjoyed his cartoon saturday mornings... RIP Mr Ali!!

Nice one, PA!

"The best things left from the '60s are me and the Rolling Stones".

- Muhammad Ali

Paranoid Android wrote on Jun 4^th, 2016 at 10:21am:

Gazza wrote on Jun 4th, 2016 at 7:21am: Meeting him still remains probably the highlight of my life. I, too, got to meet him...quite by accident...I was running to make a meeting when i literally bumped into him exiting the Mayflower Hotel in DC...He looked at me and said to becareful because i almost knocked him out...not realizing until about 5 seconds later who he was...as the press gathered around...he/they continued...I stood there wondering if that had really just happened... I was 10 min late to my meeting btw...never gave the excuse as to why I was late... My fathers 2nd cousin(?) was his physician for many years...though never able to take advantage of that since that side of the fam is quite distant ( literally & figuratively) I also enjoyed his cartoon saturday mornings... RIP Mr Ali!!

wow you two are too much. my wife grew up a little over a mile away from where he lived in jersey for a time and i dont think she ever ran into him!

Yes, one of the greatest... BTW he was subject for one header, too bad it was a joke on Gazza's birthday

Mr. Yeats wrote on Jun 4^th, 2016 at 7:51pm:

Gazza wrote on Jun 4th, 2016 at 7:21am: Dislike the notion of idolising someone, but more than any musician or sports figure, he was probably the closest for me to that status. Today has been on the cards for a very long time, which makes it easier but its still a sad occasion. Meeting him still remains probably the highlight of my life. Well said, mate. The single greatest athlete of the 20th century, and not just of fighters. He was the greatest in the ring and out, and transcended sport and celebrity as no other has before or since. A truly great man and for all the right reasons. And if you feel like it, G, do tell of your meeting with him. Would love to hear it. Rest in peace, Champ.

Sure. This was the post I made on facebook a few days ago. It took place in October 1993.

Ali was my hero when I was a kid. More than anyone before or since (although 'hero' is a term I'm reluctant to use about anyone as no ones perfect and Ali would be the first to admit he certainly wasn't) So you can imagine my jaw almost hit the pavement on 5th Avenue when on our first day ever in the US we walked past this bookstore to see a photo in the window announcing he'd be doing a book signing with his friend and author Howard Bingham in two days time.

He was supposed to be there from 1-2 pm. It's a huge bookstore and hundreds had already bought their books and were queueing around the store and by about 1.30 he still hasn't arrived. He was staying at the Waldorf Astoria which is only a short distance away but by this stage the crowd outside was so big they had to close off the entire block.

Utter mayhem when he walked in. All the orderly queues were temporarily forgotten about as everyone rushed to the middle of the store to just watch him walk the 30 yards to where he'd do the booksigning session. It was like the parting of the Red Sea as he made his way through. Now by this stage in his life the Parkinson's had set in. He wasn't shaking or anything and he still looked fantastic - but he didn't to my knowledge say a word the whole time. Probably saving his energy for all the photo ops (and there were literally hundreds)

But get this. As soon as the crowd flocked towards him he went into full 'Ali mode'. Every couple of yards in the midst of all the handshakes he'd stop in front of some random person, put his fist up to his or her face , give them the intimidating pre-fight stare out and all that nonsense. He was mugging it like mad and the whole store was in fits of laughter.

I was worried that because of his late arrival we wouldn't get the book signed or get a photo with him. As if. He stayed three hours instead of the allotted one hour, signed every book, posed for every photo without complaint even though a few people ripped the ass out if it by asking for more pics than they should have done.

In some ways it was sad to see him in obvious decline but it was equally heartwarming. I've never seen so much love before or since generated towards one human being - which really hit me as I thought how maybe 15-20 years earlier he was a hate figure for so many. Changed times indeed - reflected in the huge mix of complete strangers who were crammed into the store sharing their favourite Ali stories with each other.

Overwhelmed isn't the word. When Heather and I left the store we could barely speak for about 10 minutes.

What a man.