Ali, The Original
Source: Muhammad Ali ushered in the era of preening, swaggering athletes: Ted Diadiun | cleveland.com
Clearly, Ali was one of the greatest influences of his time and that influence carries past his generation to this present day. As this is written, memorial services abound in honor of Ali’s life. As far as fame and influence, it’s hard to argue with his worldwide recognition. He was ground zero for today’s brash, swaggering athlete as the linked author notes. He was the progenitor of that display of “in your face” bravado that is aped today by many pro sports personalities, from Richard Sherman and Cam Newton, to entertainers such as Kanye West. It can’t be argued that Ali was the hero of most black kids of that era whose last great idol was probably Hank Aaron.
There is another perspective however. Many will say that the coarseness and brashness commonly displayed by sporting participants today diminishes the spirit of sport. Maybe; but that’s what sells, so there’s no reason to back off as long as it pays. There’s classy and there’s brassy; both work if you’re good enough. It can be argued that the roots of aggressive Rap culture may have been inadvertantly influenced by Ali’s prose and demeanor.
Apart from bravado, Ali’s most controversial notes concerned his joining the Nation Of Islam and the related refusal to obey his draft orders. This made Ali a hero to many constituencies. Although he would later abandon the radical Nation of Islam to support a more passive Muslim ideology, his association gave that group credence and legitimacy because of his membership. It can also be argued that Ali’s refusal of military service sparked the rethinking of the national conscience on sending kids to war.
The preceding narrative are matters of fact. The opinions about them are not. While at the moment, there is almost universal praise for Ali and his life, there are those that don’t think that his life achievements are as laudatory as everyone claims. This is not, as some may posit, racist. Years ago, an article was written exploring the nuanced aspects of Ali: Muhammed Ali, Racist. Pointing out some of the less admirable aspects of Ali’s life does not make one a racist, any more than pointing out the many shortcomings of Donald Trump is racist.
In the reading of the flood of commentaries post Ali’s death, the majority are kind to his legacy. History will properly remember him as a transformative figure. That doesn’t make the detractors racists or haters. Ali went through a very bad period and made some unambiguously offensive statements. Many of history’s notable figures had significant character faults that were overlooked in consideration of their greater contributions. People like John Kennedy, Winston Churchill and even the well loved Dalai Lama were/are just people. People who knew them well enough will most certainly have cause to characterize them as sons of female dogs. That’s not racism. Oddly race never comes up in criticism of them. The constant use of that label as an argument trump card has eroded that label of any edge. It usually means that the user has run out of legitimate rebuttals.
During his eventful life, Ali was involved with dubious people and voiced all kinds of things, not all of them admirable. He was a boxer and as he famously said, “I just happen to beat people up for a living”. He wound up being much more than just a boxer though; his actions elevated him to icon status. Despite his formidable life accomplishments, he took many wrong turns along the way like everyone else. Idol or not, he will be blamed by me for giving birth to rap music. As a final send off, I pen this little homage:
Hey you fools, my name is Ali,
I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,
I also make rhymes, ’cause I’m so smart,
It’s intellectual poetry, linguistic art,
Y’all can try, to do me better,
Not likely ’cause I’m the master of letters,
During my lifetime, I was the best,
Now I’m done, I’m laid to rest.