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The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

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Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

Last night, not knowing Ali was on death's door, I watched his 1975 fight in Manila with Smokin' Joe. It's been so long since I've seen him fight, I was just amazed at how big a man he was for having such lightening speed and, when he wanted to use it, athletic grace. What an athlete! When you add in his character and consider the times during which he spoke out with such brazen confidence (and eloquence), it is difficult to think of a more remarkable athlete in our time.

RIP Champ
 
Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

What sports personality would reach the same level as Ali when he/she dies?

Pele?
Arnold Palmer?
 
Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

No one I can think of off the top of my head. Pele is world renowned but at least one-step lower not only for recognition but also for personality. Same for Arnold. Jordan maybe although I think he falls short on likability.
 
Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

Different reality today, it causes people to tear down sports heroes that wouldn't have been torn down 50 years ago because they could keep their stupid doings hush-hush much easier back then than they could ever dream today.
 
Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

joecct said:
What sports personality would reach the same level as Ali when he/she dies?

Pele?
Arnold Palmer?
Click to expand...

Maybe both, not sure about Magic and MJ

But Ali was universally known and almost as universally loved. He could walk unannounced into the smallest, most remote village in Africa and every kid there would know him immediately.....without the aid of Twitter or Facebook.
 
Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

joecct said:
What sports personality would reach the same level as Ali when he/she dies?

Pele?
Click to expand...

Pele maybe. But he wasn't also political and cultural the way Ali was.

In all honesty I think Ali stands alone. If another came it would have to be from soccer, the only sport with a global impact.
 
Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

rufus said:
Magic. And Michael Jordan.
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I don't see MJ being in the same league as Ali. He may well be the best basketball player in the history of the game, but he gave the world nothing beyond that, IMO.

Well, that's not true, on second thought. He became an icon to young kids, black and white, much like Tiger did. But that was the result of his play, not his position on the social issues of his time.
 
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Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

burd said:
I don't see MJ being in the same league as Ali. He may well be the best basketball player in the history of the game, but he gave the world nothing beyond that, IMO.

Well, that's not true, on second thought. He became an icon to young kids, black and white, much like Tiger did. But that was the result of his play, not his position on the social issues of his time.
Click to expand...

I am talking pure fame here. Not social impact, which in today's world doesn't mean what it used to. EVERYONE knows MJ. He IS/WAS bouncyball. IMO, the GREATEST bouncyball player that ever lived. Not even a question.
 
Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

Brenthoven said:
I am talking pure fame here. Not social impact, which in today's world doesn't mean what it used to. EVERYONE knows MJ. He IS/WAS bouncyball. IMO, the GREATEST bouncyball player that ever lived. Not even a question.
Click to expand...

Pure fame, you're right. I suppose Ruth, in the context of his time, was as iconic. And Tiger. But hard to argue anyone ever achieved as much fame.
 
Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

burd said:
Pure fame, you're right. I suppose Ruth, in the context of his time, was as iconic. And Tiger. But hard to argue anyone ever achieved as much fame.
Click to expand...

Ali was boxing. Ruth (generally) was baseball. MJ was basketball. Gretzky was hockey.

That's the thought process I'm going with (although personally, Mario would have surpassed Gretzky if not for the cancer and back problems)
 
Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

burd said:
Pure fame, you're right. I suppose Ruth, in the context of his time, was as iconic. And Tiger. But hard to argue anyone ever achieved as much fame.
Click to expand...

I could argue Ruth quite easily, fame-wise. Think about it for a moment. Ruth towered over all sports in the 20's and early 30's. He was the first true superstar that transcended sports.

Had Tiger stayed healthy, and kept his dick out of every blonde he could find, he could have been there, too.
 
Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

Hammer said:
I could argue Ruth quite easily, fame-wise. Think about it for a moment. Ruth towered over all sports in the 20's and early 30's. He was the first true superstar that transcended sports.

Had Tiger stayed healthy, and kept his dick out of every blonde he could find, he could have been there, too.
Click to expand...

Two things about Tiger:

If the scandal never hit...he still could be great.
If he didn't bulk up, he still could be great.

Arguments could be made for both cases, and in the first case, however unethical.
 
Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

MinnesotaNorthStar said:
That's not fair. He nailed brunettes too. Probably redheads as well....:D
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The problem is, that little tornado hit at the same time his body started to go. Had he gone out and put up 3-4 additional majors, and maybe even passed Nicklaus' totals, he might still be on that list. But not now.

Ever since his knee crumbled at the US Open (the one where he beat Rocco Mediate in the Monday playoff), he hasn't been the same since. And he probably never will be. His body is just cooked.
 
Re: The Dead Thread: Yep. Still Dead.

Decent amount of smoke on the Twittersphere about Kevin Ferguson (Kimbo Slice) being hospitalized and in bad shape, at minimum. Spotty "confirmations" that he has passed away.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Update: It has been confirmed that <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFC?src=hash">#UFC</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bellator?src=hash">#Bellator</a> veteran, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (5-2) has died due to heart failure. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIPWarrior?src=hash">#RIPWarrior</a></p>— MMA Nick (@MMA_Nick) <a href="https://twitter.com/MMA_Nick/status/740002976157306880">June 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

http://www.tmz.com/2016/06/06/kimbo-slice-hospitalized-in-florida/

Update: Supposedly his training partner posted he passed from Heart Failure.
 
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