Celebrity Death: Muhammad Ali, 74

[chupanibre]

Really sucks, one of those guys you just expect to be around forever

 

[Suxnet]

Went to bed last night fearing I would see this when I woke up. How sad. One of the few men to transcend sport. Truly the GOAT.

RIP

 

[Guardian17]

Sad news.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Not gunna lie I thought he was already dead for years. He was long retired when I came into the world and older people didn't talk about him much unless you brought up boxing so I always had the impression he was already gone because its not like he was ever mentioned on TV or seen in public the last decade-15 years. I'm not a boxing fan so I admit even more I don't know too much about him aside from the fact he was pretty good.

Interesting theory played out on TV. I wonder if his boxing career caused him to get Parkinson's but he may be the only boxer I've ever heard of having it.

 

[JS19]

Not gunna lie I thought he was already dead for years. He was long retired when I came into the world and older people didn't talk about him much unless you brought up boxing so I always had the impression he was already gone because its not like he was ever mentioned on TV or seen in public the last decade-15 years. I'm not a boxing fan so I admit even more I don't know too much about him aside from the fact he was pretty good.

Interesting theory played out on TV. I wonder if his boxing career caused him to get Parkinson's but he may be the only boxer I've ever heard of having it.

Last I heard, studies are very conflicting. Some researchers say head trauma can result in Parkinson's, others say it's not simply head trauma but it also depends on genetic/environmental factors. I do wonder if boxing had made an impact on Ali's mental health. Especially when you consider how NFL players (not correlating the two sports, just saying how as science gets better, we start seeing more negative effects on athletes of other sports). Ali had taken some strong blows especially if you consider his brutal matches against Joe Frazier, George Foreman etc. Not to say that these are specifically the reason why, but given enough of these blows over a long period of time, you'd have to wonder if there's long-term damage.

 

[WeWantTacos]

 

[Acadmus]

2016 has taken a lot of really big names from us...we should start a pool on who's next

I'm starting to feel like most of what's happened in my life is now just something in a history book. More and more of the people that lived it are gone now.

Betty White, Doris Day, George H.W. Bush and Barbara, Jimmy Carter, Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Glen Campbell...just some of the more notable names out there who are up in age (and, in Campbell's case, ill) who we may see during the course of this year...lot of yesteryear's huge stars and of course, former Presidents, still hanging around. If you were alive 30 or more years ago, the names you heard frequently are going fast, and this year seems to be the year...I guess the list so far has me jaded.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Derek Jeter's being taken through the wringer for his comments regarding Ali.

Can't say I disagree with the sentiment, either.

 

[aleshemsky83]

Derek Jeter's being taken through the wringer for his comments regarding Ali.

Can't say I disagree with the sentiment, either.

It's true, many athletes and public figures do what he did, they try and say something profound, and because they don't want to risk offending people, end up saying nothing at all. That is a classic case. More people need to be told to shut the hell up if they're just going to say what is essentially nothing.

 

[JS19]

Derek Jeter's being taken through the wringer for his comments regarding Ali.

Can't say I disagree with the sentiment, either.

I can understand where the people are coming from, but I think it's unnecessarily harsh. Jeter never had to fight to the extent that Ali did. And just because he didn't, doesn't mean he can't respect what Ali did for civil rights. Not to mention, there are different kinds of athletes; there are ones who use their fame and power to make a change in the world, and there are those who may not be interested in doing so and may want to be anonymous/not in the spotlight (as ironic as it sounds).

 

[GarbageGoal]

It's true, many athletes and public figures do what he did, they try and say something profound, and because they don't want to risk offending people, end up saying nothing at all. That is a classic case. More people need to be told to shut the hell up if they're just going to say what is essentially nothing.

It's funny how angry you are over something that was essentially nothing.

 

[aleshemsky83]

It's funny how angry you are over something that was essentially nothing.

its funny that you think I'm angry.

 

[GarbageGoal]

its funny that you think I'm angry.

You just said a guy should "shut the hell up" for saying a few nice words about someone who passed away. You're either angry, irrational, or just need to grow up.

 

[aleshemsky83]

 

[aleshemsky83]

 

[aleshemsky83]

They don't owe me nothing

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Last I heard, studies are very conflicting. Some researchers say head trauma can result in Parkinson's, others say it's not simply head trauma but it also depends on genetic/environmental factors. I do wonder if boxing had made an impact on Ali's mental health. Especially when you consider how NFL players (not correlating the two sports, just saying how as science gets better, we start seeing more negative effects on athletes of other sports). Ali had taken some strong blows especially if you consider his brutal matches against Joe Frazier, George Foreman etc. Not to say that these are specifically the reason why, but given enough of these blows over a long period of time, you'd have to wonder if there's long-term damage.

I guess it was a different time but I've watched this movie called Cinderella Man about James Braddock. He seemed to live a rather long and "healthy" life for his time being a boxer.

I did hear that only like 10% of people develop symptoms before 40. Makes you wonder how Michael J Fox an actor had it before even 30. Haven't heard of anyone else in his family having it. I do hear its genetic.

 

[Sturm]

The Ali Frazier trilogy were some of the best moments in boxing history and sports. I could watch those fights on ESPN Classic all day.

 

[Philly85*]

Nice little semi-personal note on Ali. One of our close family friends was at Pearson International back in the winter of 65-66, she said mid 60's, she was a teenager at the time. My "Aunty" and her parents were going on a family getaway to Florida. There was a terrible snowstorm and flights were delayed. Her mom saw Ali sitting in the bar/lounge area of a restaurant and was a huge fan, after awhile got the courage to go up to Ali and talk to him. She asked "Mr. Ali" if she could squeeze his muscles and he said sure. They talked for about 5 minutes, she got to kiss him on the cheek and Ali wrote her a poem on a cocktail napkin, said he was 110% charming. My Aunty still has that napkin to this day. I was over at her house on the weekend with my own parents for lunch and she said it comforts her knowing mom is up in heaven given those muscles a squeeze again.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Is it possible to talk down to the guy who said he knows more about sports than anyone in HFBoards?

Besides that, Ali transcended sports and displayed what impact an athlete can have on politics. No one will ever match what he did for the nation or in athletics.

Everything in this post is bang on. Bravo, sir.

The memorial service today was beautiful. Billy Crystal's speech was amazing.

 

[kdb209]

This thread has long passed the boundaries of the Entertainment Forum.

10) Off-Topic Posting: Posts are to be on the topic of the board description where they're posted. Off Topic posts may be moved or closed at the moderators discretion. We do not allow homework threads. All political discussion is to be done on the Political Discussion Forum.

Take further discussion to the Politics Forum

Edit: posts discussing Ali, Vietnam, and the draft have been moved to the Ali thread on the Politics Board:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2085985

Non-political discussion may continue here.