'The Greatest of All Time': Muhammad Ali Dead at 74

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'The Greatest of All Time': Muhammad Ali Dead at 74

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Source: NBC

Too soon. An icon passes.

Muhammad Ali, the silver-tongued boxer and civil rights champion who famously proclaimed himself "The Greatest" and then spent a lifetime living up to the billing, is dead.

Ali died Friday at a Phoenix-area hospital, where he had spent the past few days being treated for respiratory complications, a family spokesman confirmed to NBC News. He was 74.

"After a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer died this evening," Bob Gunnell, a family spokesman, told NBC News.

Ali had suffered for three decades from Parkinson's Disease, a progressive neurological condition that slowly robbed him of both his legendary verbal grace and his physical dexterity. A funeral service is planned in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Even as his health declined, Ali did not shy from politics or controversy, releasing a statement in December criticizing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States. "We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda," he said.

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/

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Type: Discussion • Score: 3 • Views: 2,108 • Replies: 14

"My conscience won't let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big powerful America. And shoot them for what? They never called me nigger, they never lynched me, they didn't put no dogs on me, they didn't rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father... Shoot them for what? How can I shoot them poor people? Just take me to jail."

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RIP Ali. He truly was the greatest.

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@bobsal u1553115,

How is, any, one person of more/less value than any other?

Celebrities are idolised because they are made familiar to you (Whether by media or feat) in order that a product/idea/suggestion is transferred into the follower/worshiper thereof: You.

So, by, illuminating 'them' - Their product/idea/suggestion becomes 'further-developed'.

I credit anyone who directs their 'minds' focus' in order to excel at their abilities - But not when that ability is punching brain-trauma into people for (Gladiatorial-bloodlust) entertainment's sake.

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@mark noble,

Good grief, it was just a slogan, like "sting like bee." He was a great boxer who seemed to live a good life outside of his career, seems to be a dying breed. Give the man his due and express regret for his passing.

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@revelette2,

I was (clearly) referring to celebrities as 'traditionally' more relevant than others - Not the person named above.
And don't impose your 'adoration' of anyone upon me, nor your conditioned 'grief' thereof processes.
"GREAT"?
I'll defer MY definition of "GREAT" for another time - But fighting in a controlled environment and fighting for your life have different values to me.
For instance:

The GREATEST matador (Cow-killer)
The GREATEST Oil-producer (World-killer)
The GREATEST zookeeper (Prison-warden)
The GREATEST politician (salesman)

Get it?

I'm certainly not knocking Mr Ali, and I hope his family and friends have more value for his presence in their lives, rather than his fame.
Yet, I doubt he'd have been upset over your or my passing...?

Plus - I don't believe death is an end to consciousness - more a 'doorway'.

Anyway - If you are genuinely upset about someone's death - excuse my post - Not here to offend anyone - Just telling it as I see it.

David Bowie died recently (Nice fella, imo) and the first thing I thought was - "Brilliant! Someone decent to talk to, on the other side".

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@mark noble,

Ali was a wonderful man who did a lot of good things without making a cause of it. If you don't agree, that is no excuse to make your piss over it.

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@bobsal u1553115,

And your opinion is, by self-decree, more valuable than mine?

I VALUE every lifeform - You value specific, self-relative idols.
And your life/opinion is valuable to me, along with all others.

You are now attacking someone who values all of existence by equal measure and holding me in contempt for doing so.

Well done, sir.

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Hard to believe that a poor, almost illiterate kid could come on the scene in a sport that has always been corrupt in one way or another, take on everything the established order tried to throw at him, and emerge victorious. Nobody could ever say he backed down from anything, and he always came back and won.

The Establishment finally got him though. Because they wouldn't let him fight for 3 years he lost his super speed and quickness when he came back, and so had to adopt his "Rope A Dope" strategy which won him fights but also markedly increased the number of blows to the head he took. The Parkinsons was a result of that. If he had been allowed to fight, he never would have adopted the Rope A Dope, he wouldn't have gotten hit so much, his Parkinsons would have been much reduced or nonexistent.

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@mark noble,

as you can see, you are clueless (As usual)
Here was a very gifted athlete and very sgharp person. He was an all round colorful and noble character.

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@mark noble,

Nice attempt at trying to change the conversation from remembering Ali to your feeble attempts to making this about you and you presumed "freedom of speech" on a private web site where there is NO presumption of free speech.

Shame on you. Go start your anti-Ali thread. I will avoid it.

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@bobsal u1553115,

I'm not anti-anyone - I'm pro-everyone/thing.

I look at all subjects 'philosophically' - And that's why I joined a 'PHILOSOPHY'-forum' Which ended up Here Absorbed.
I'm still a philosopher - What, exactly, are you?

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@mark noble,

Quote:

What, exactly, are you?

A person who respects the man and all he stood for.

This thread is not about you.

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@bobsal u1553115,

I worship not.
I'll leave you to your pointless pursuit of responses.

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@mark noble,

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/624/cpsprodpb/DF34/production/_90004175_fainstagram.jpg

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'The Greatest of All Time': Muhammad Ali Dead at 74

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