Well, I think the first criteria should be someone who loves his country, I know what I wild thought

he represents Christianity, America, the flag. I can't let him win."

I think that says everything, but go ahead and watch Will Smith again while you are on your Christmas break

he never went there. Totally a pc kinda of like this is our city/college icon for our town. Dwade totally looked out of place

nm

[This message has been edited by BMX Bandit (edited 1/3/2007 10:52a).]

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Well, I think the first criteria should be someone who loves his country, I know what I wild thought

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He grew up in segregation. Do you have any idea of the daily humiliations that blacks suffered in this country in that time?
To expect blacks from that era to be glowing patriots is foolish.
The man has spoken out against violence and for peace.
You dont have to agree with everything the man said to respect him.

I dont see how christianity has anything to do with this discussion of what a patriot is. So i'll throw that out.
The basis of america and how it was founded was civil dissent, which ali did. So that speaks to the true nature of what a patriot. (you remember the battle for independence right? i'm wasn't there but i heard about it... maybe you did too)
He didn't let "them" win. He helped push the establishment for equal rights for everyone he didn't continue to let the "man" keep him or others down with their second class status. To be honest i can't think of a better figure that represents what america is about. Americans are fighters and he was that in and out of the ring. Thats why i think he's a patriot.

I just stopped liking the man when he changed his name to Ali.

Wait a minute! Wait a minute! America is a free country and if a man wants to change his name to Ali you should respect his wishes and call the man Ali.

His mama named him Clay, I'm gone call him Clay.

Well then you're a Putz. The three of you. You should change the name outside from My-T-Sharp to the Three Putzes.

oh, and EVERY war in history has been fought by and large by the "second class"

Vietnam wasn't the first war with a parallel draft, and it probably won't be the last.

He wasn't standing up for anyone other than himself. He could have taken reserve/guard duty like many other black athletes at the time, see Cazzie Russell.

He didn't have to be a patriot like Rocky Bleier. He chose to be a punk, and those aren't my words, those are the words of his peers, that still wish bad things upon him.

Wow get over it already its been 40 years. You dont have to agree with everything the man did. However if you still hate him after all these years, your the hateful punk not him.

I respect him as a boxer, and that's it, as most people do. I mean, before the sympathetic sick old man nostalgia set in

Screw Cassius Clay.

Draft Dodger.

Screw Ali, he's a joke! Funny how he dodged the draft and refused to fight because he's a muslim....LMAO!!!! I must have missed something, because that's all muslims do is fight in wars!
As for Ali being the greatest of all time....B/S!! Marciano was, and always will be.



I am an Aggie, an Aggie is me, I'm true Maroon, from my head to my feet!

BTHO...EVERYONE!!!!

HE ran. He ran to Canada. "Stood up for what he believed in". He ran for Gods sake. I agree totally with Navy63.

Hate him? Please, I could give a shat less about him, again like most people. I am simply laughing at the "patriot" comments.

I could care less if they cart him out for these sideshows, but don't shove this great human being crap down my throat. He is no different than most any man. Selfish & self-serving as a young man, that inevitably turns into a saint as a sick old man.

Ali represented controversy when America wasn't ready for it and I'll always love him and respect him for it. I may not agree with his religious beliefs but he, along with countless others, helped to make many people realize that racial discrimination is unacceptable. Ali just happened to be an athlete which made his stance more publicly viewed and therefore more publicly criticized by some and applauded by others.

Like I said, he wasn't MLK who got beaten and had water hoses turned on him as he passively stood there but he also wasn't out actively arming militants with guns threatening violence in the streets like Elijah Muhummad and the FOI threatened.

He didn't run to Canada. He stood up for his beliefs (whether right or wrong) and took his punishment.

He ran, when hundreds of other professional athletes, collegiate All Americans, White, Black, whatever didn't.

He thought he was above the law, and he fought it and lost 4 of his best fighting years. Hell, that just makes him stupid to me. He could have been in the same "unit" as Nolan Ryan, but that wouldn't make for as a good a movie I suppose. ha ha

[This message has been edited by Syd_X_Barrett (edited 1/3/2007 11:07a).]

Showing up at the courthouse does not equal running.

He may be unpatriotic, stupid or whatever else, but he did not run away.

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Many like to hold Ali up as a beacon of courage for "speaking truth to power," especially on issues of race and war. But he was much more than that. He was the first to realize that, much like today's entertainers, racism sells and, when combined with cartoon-like displays of narcissism, it sells like hotcakes.

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Great boxer. Opportunistic self-serving attention wh0re. End of story...

[This message has been edited by agent-maroon (edited 1/3/2007 11:09a).]

[This message has been edited by BaronVonAggie (edited 1/3/2007 11:19a).]

pointless argument...especially on the football forum.

Trying to change minds and educate on a message board is like trying to cook an egg with a block of snow.

Ali and D Wade had nothing to do with the game and were bad choices for a Louisville v. Wake Forest football game.

I don't think anyone can more accurately sum him up better than Thomas Hauser ALREADY did.

http://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Ali-His-Life-Times/dp/0671779710

Here, buy the book, agent already posted some quotes from the author, but what would this guy know he only wrote the most respected biography of Ali

And then there are biographies by David Remnick and Richard Durham. It's all spin. Let it go

it was ali's right as a person to stand up for what he believed in


and it's also our right as americans to call him a draft dodger and an attention whore. end of story.

What Farva said!



I am an Aggie, an Aggie is me, I'm true Maroon, from my head to my feet!

BTHO...EVERYONE!!!!

I dont know much about Ali and I never saw him fight. I am only 25. But he seems to be involved in a lot of American things and was recently recognized by Bush. I am not a historian but it seems he has made his peace with the government and the government has made their peace with him. Either way, it is sad to see anybody go through what he is going through.

Clint Bandfield '03
Gig'em Aggies!!!

For all these calling him a draft dodger, would you be so quick to call our country's President a dodger for serving in the National gaurd?

Some of you are just blatent hypocrites.

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would you be so quick to call our country's President a dodger for serving in the National gaurd?

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i think you just answered your own question.

Hey TEtoWR,

You should think about what you post before you post it, because your last post was purely idiotic.



I am an Aggie, an Aggie is me, I'm true Maroon, from my head to my feet!

BTHO...EVERYONE!!!!

Nice try, but why not serve in the Army for a possibility to go in the front lines?

dp

[This message has been edited by MaroonMachine (edited 1/3/2007 11:46a).]

Dude, just quit while you're ahead!!! The National Guard is just as important, as it serves to protect our homeland from intruders! If not for the NG, we would be open game!



I am an Aggie, an Aggie is me, I'm true Maroon, from my head to my feet!

BTHO...EVERYONE!!!!

Listen, my intentions are not to downplay the importance of any branch of our national defense, I just find it odd that people are trying to drag his name through mud.

and did you not read any of the previous posts where I pointed this out at least twice???

There were plenty of famous athletes that joined the reserves/guard during Vietnam. Nolan Ryan, Jim Lonborg, Tom Seaver, Bill Bradley, Cazzie Russell (Yes, WOW a famous black athlete)

Not everyone did what Notre Dame AA, and new NFL draftee Rocky Bleier did after he was drafted into military service.

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Nice try, but why not serve in the Army for a possibility to go in the front lines?

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or why not completely refuse to serve in any branch of the military when you are drafted and make a huge public scene about it?

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I just find it odd that people are trying to drag his name through mud.

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Blame him, not us! He's the one who brought this upon himself!



I am an Aggie, an Aggie is me, I'm true Maroon, from my head to my feet!

BTHO...EVERYONE!!!!