IGX

footage of Ali throwing the first pitch in Miami for opening night. I am sure there are better ways to honor the champ than this.

http://deadspin.com/5899264/the-marlins ... socialflow

I'm sure the eleet will come up with something. They always do.

If Ali was able to clearly communicate that he was fine with it, let it be.

If not, I don't know who the owner is, but I dislike him a lot. Have Ali in the press box and show a reel of highlights from his career or something but that is awkward. Interested if somebody has another opinion.

No words.

What pitch did he throw? A knuckleball? :::rimshot:::

But yeah, it's tragic when someone trades in their health for millions of $ and the status of arguably GOAT boxer.

Kraj 2.0 wrote:But yeah, it's tragic when someone trades in their health for millions of $ and the status of arguably GOAT boxer.

Waiting for a fan of boxing to come in and claim that the years of pounding to the head contributed nothing to his condition.

Terry B. wrote:

Kraj 2.0 wrote:But yeah, it's tragic when someone trades in their health for millions of $ and the status of arguably GOAT boxer.

Waiting for a fan of boxing to come in and claim that the years of pounding to the head contributed nothing to his condition.

I'm a huge fan, and figure he'd be fucked one way or another. I'm not familiar with the role that repeated blows to the head have on the development of Parkinson's, but anyone familiar with Ali's last 5 years or so in the ring should recognize he'd be a vegetable one way or another. The ass whipping he took from Holmes (anyone see that 30 For 30 documentary on that fight? Sickening)... ouch. A prime Ali runs his former sparring partner out of the ring, but he was shot. Slow and sloppy, uncoordinated, speech slowing. I doubt he would have been licensed today.

It's sad, but these guys know the risks. Everyone thinks it won't happen to them, and only some are lucky and smart enough to get out with their health intact. I blame the people around Ali for the condition he's in. Those who know and love the fighter should be letting him know when it's time to stop instead of leeching off of him.

baffled wrote:

Terry B. wrote:

Kraj 2.0 wrote:But yeah, it's tragic when someone trades in their health for millions of $ and the status of arguably GOAT boxer.

Waiting for a fan of boxing to come in and claim that the years of pounding to the head contributed nothing to his condition.

I'm a huge fan, and figure he'd be fucked one way or another. I'm not familiar with the role that repeated blows to the head have on the development of Parkinson's, but anyone familiar with Ali's last 5 years or so in the ring should recognize he'd be a vegetable one way or another. The ass whipping he took from Holmes (anyone see that 30 For 30 documentary on that fight? Sickening)... ouch. A prime Ali runs his former sparring partner out of the ring, but he was shot. Slow and sloppy, uncoordinated, speech slowing. I doubt he would have been licensed today.

It's sad, but these guys know the risks. Everyone thinks it won't happen to them, and only some are lucky and smart enough to get out with their health intact. I blame the people around Ali for the condition he's in. Those who know and love the fighter should be letting him know when it's time to stop instead of leeching off of him.

Agree on all counts.

It sounds bad but if you could tell a young Ali that he would win repeated titles, beat everybody who was everybody and be generally considered to be the GOAT though he would eventually be in the condition he is currently in, he would take the bargain.

Terry B. wrote:

baffled wrote:

Terry B. wrote:

Kraj 2.0 wrote:But yeah, it's tragic when someone trades in their health for millions of $ and the status of arguably GOAT boxer.

Waiting for a fan of boxing to come in and claim that the years of pounding to the head contributed nothing to his condition.

I'm a huge fan, and figure he'd be fucked one way or another. I'm not familiar with the role that repeated blows to the head have on the development of Parkinson's, but anyone familiar with Ali's last 5 years or so in the ring should recognize he'd be a vegetable one way or another. The ass whipping he took from Holmes (anyone see that 30 For 30 documentary on that fight? Sickening)... ouch. A prime Ali runs his former sparring partner out of the ring, but he was shot. Slow and sloppy, uncoordinated, speech slowing. I doubt he would have been licensed today.

It's sad, but these guys know the risks. Everyone thinks it won't happen to them, and only some are lucky and smart enough to get out with their health intact. I blame the people around Ali for the condition he's in. Those who know and love the fighter should be letting him know when it's time to stop instead of leeching off of him.

Agree on all counts.

It sounds bad but if you could tell a young Ali that he would win repeated titles, beat everybody who was everybody and be generally considered to be the GOAT though he would eventually be in the condition he is currently in, he would take the bargain.

Probably except he's not the goat. Ray Robinson is, and he ended up punch drunk and broke like the rest too.

baffled wrote:Probably except he's not the goat. Ray Robinson is, and he ended up punch drunk and broke like the rest too.

I said "arguably GOAT". Would you rather be considered GOAT by a small group of boxing elitists or by 99% of the general public? There's no doubt that when you ask the average Joe Schmo on the street who the greatest boxer ever was they'll almost all say Muhammad Ali. A few might say Tyson, and a few will try to look smart by pulling something out of left field. In any event, there's no denying that Muhammad Ali is to boxing what Michael Jordan is to basketball. Does becoming synonymous with the sport you love and earning a fortune doing it warrant becoming a vegetable in your older years? I guess only Ali can answer that. Sure as hell beats working in the coal mines and getting lung cancer at 50 or any of the other fucked up fates most people end up with. Can't say I feel sorry for the guy.

Ali is the greatest of all time not just in boxing but in any sport. He is the most recognized man in the world. Nobody has touched more people than he has through sport and Robinson was never an Olympic champion. But that said, this is what Ali said of Sugar Ray: "The king, the master, my idol."

Fat Cat wrote: He is the most recognized man in the world.

He's a good candidate, but Ali kills Jordan in recognition IMHO.

You're both wrong.

Kraj 2.0 wrote:Does becoming synonymous with the sport you love and earning a fortune doing it warrant becoming a vegetable in your older years? I guess only Ali can answer that.

Remember the survey 15 or 20 years ago where athletes were asked if they could trade winning every major competition in exchange for early death (believe that it was winning everything for five years and then dying)? A rather high percentage said that they would take that bargain. Everybody who suits up in the NFL is trading 'now' for 'later' anyway.

protobuilder wrote:

Fat Cat wrote: He is the most recognized man in the world.