MUHAMMAD ALI, MORE THAN THE GREATEST
– BUT BETRAYED BY THOSE CLOSE TO HIM
SO the great Muhammad Ali has made it to 70. The world’s greatest ever boxer has just celebrated that milestone birthday – and it gives us all a chance to reflect on the man who could also arguably claim the title of the greatest sportsman ever. Yes, he was that good – beating the bulldozing Joe Frazier twice and, through a tactical bit of genius (the so-called rope-a-dope tactics), also emerging victorious over the supposedly unbeatable George Foreman when the man-mountain submitted to fatigue in their titanic bout in Zaire in 1974. But Ali is even more than all that: his influence and significance as a human being and an icon spread much wider than a mere sporting legend.
Ali, christened Cassius Clay, famously refused to fight in Vietnam - a moral stance based upon his publicly held belief that ‘the Vietnamese have done nothing to hurt me’. He expanded upon that belief when he said, ‘Hating people because of their colour is wrong and it doesn’t matter which colour does the hating. It’s just plain wrong.’
And on religion he said, ‘Religions all have different names, but they all contain the same truths. ... I think the people of our religion should be tolerant and understand people believe different things.’
As he grew older, Ali became more interested in becoming the spokesman of his generation and transcended sport with his words and beliefs.
So it was great to see him hit 70, if also sad as he shook uncontrollably – a legacy of the punishment he took in the ring in his later bouts. It is a shame that the men who controlled his career did not have the same humanity of the man they fleeced – they should have pulled him out or persuaded him not to fight the likes of Larry Holmes, who gave him a real battering.
The man is a legend – I very much doubt there will be another sportsman who manages to match his achievements, both within their sport and out of it.
Ali we love you.
IGNORE THE CYNICS AND PLAY BECKS
AND GIGGSY IN THE OLYMPICS
AN increasing number of my colleagues in the Press boxes around the country have jumped on an ageist bandwagon of late. Yes, almost every sports hack I speak to is unflinching in his or her belief that two of the greatest footballers of the modern era should NOT be allowed anywhere near the Great British team in the London Olympics this summer. They contend that the two men are finished, burnt out and too slow – and that the two slots in the squad should go to much younger, faster boys. I am referring, of course, to the ongoing debate over whether England’s David Beckham and Wales’ Ryan Giggs should be in GB boss Stuart Pearce’s final squad.
My opinion is this: there will be plenty of other youngsters in the 23-man squad and each team is allowed three over-age players. So why not choose Giggsy and Becks?
Their experience will prove invaluable to the young lads and they will add technical skills in terms of free kicks and set plays that could bring the odd goal or three. And, let’s be honest here, we are not going to win the darned thing anyway! Not with Pearce in charge – he is an honest battler but lacks tactical nous…a modern day Kevin Keegan if you will – and not when we are going to be up against the wonderful talents of Argentina and Portugal.
So, as hosts, it surely therefore makes sense for us to maximise our presence and impact in the tournament. With Becks and Giggys in there, I can tell you for sure that everyone will be talking about Team GB and make us their second team after their own countries.
Choosing the pair is a win-win no-brainer, so come on Pearce…pick Becks and Giggsy, they’ll be proud to represent the nation and they’re bring us much prestige as the host nation.
THAT’S ANOTHER FINE MESSI YOU’VE GOT INTO, PELE!!!
TALKING of Argentina (and Lionel Messi who may well be one of THEIR over-age players!), I was saddened to see Pele doing the little man down recently. Many pundits claim Pele is the greatest footballer of all time – and a fine ambassador for the game nowadays. I have to say I disagree on both points. He might have built himself up as the greatest, but he was too much of a goody-goody in my book and did not have the charisma or mischief to be the best.
That accolade has to go to another Argentine, the naughty but wonderful Diego Maradona, who won the World Cup for his country in 1986, almost single-handedly. And, led by Maradona, Italian club Napoli won their only Serie A Italian title in 1986/87. Again he achieved it with a team with talents much less stellar than his genius. No way was it as tough for Pele – he played for Brazil, with magical stars all around him in the team.
And now Pele is getting a bit mean in his old age. When asked by French newspaper Le Monde whether Messi could now legitimately be called the greatest player EVER, Pele replied resentfully, "When Messi's scored 1,283 goals like me, when he's won three World Cups, we'll talk about it."
What a sad old bugger he has become! He was asked the question just after Messi had
won Fifa's Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world
for a THIRD SUCCESSIVE year.
Surely he could have joined in the salute to a truly wonderful player by saying something like, ‘Well, he is going the right way about it!’ Instead he demeaned himself and his reputation on the world stage by taking it personally…a real own goal on the PR front that one, Pele…
FRANK WORRALL writes the best news reports especially for your WEEKLY SPORT!
(For more information on Frank and his bestselling sports books, see www.frankworrall.com)
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