Day 17: AKA Cassius Clay

Another day, another celebration of a inspirational black figure. In honor of Muhammad Ali's 70th birthday I watched a pretty goofy documentary detailing the events of his career during the 1960's.

I don't know why, I've always liked Ali. I don't like professional athletes and I really don't like overly bombastic, cocky personalities. So why I've always been drawn to Ali is a mystery to me. I guess I admire his confidence and his bravado. As someone who has always had little discernible confidence in my actions or views, I envy his ability to say "I'm gonna knock this dude out in 4 rounds", then make it happen.

The film documented his start in Kentucky, his earning an Olympic medal, and his rise to the Heavy Weight Champion. The latter half focused on his conversion to the Nation of Islam, his name change, and his opposition to the war in Viet Nam, which resulted in the stripping of his title.

What I learned: A whole bunch. Did you know he sang in a broadway musical? While disbarred from boxing he took any job he could find, one of them was lead in a musical about African Americans in America. I didn't know his views on Viet Nam and the draft were so passionate. I assumed  he just didn't want to go (completely understandable) but he really hated the idea of fighting against oppression in far-off lands when it was happening in America at the same time.

What I liked: Him. I could watch this dude talk and joke and jump around all day every day. The guy has a natural aura to him that draws people in. Even when discussing really heavy subjects like race and the war he was able to infuse humor to crack up the audience. I was inspired by his passion and intensity and his unwavering confidence. I don't know how much of his confidence was real and how much was a trick to amp himself up, but it obviously worked. Fake it till you make it, as they say.

What I didn't like: The style of the film was a bit distracting. Made in 1970, it feels so outdated, with it's improv. jazz score and ridiculously dressed narrator. But whatever, not that big a deal.

I also spent some time just thinking about boxing in general, and how I feel about it. It's amazing that it used to be seen as such a regal, gentlmen's sport, as it's just such basic violence; two men punching each other repeatedly. I also like to think about the role of the athlete-celebrity and how it's changed over the decades. What does Ali think about personas like Dennis Rodman/Lebron/Tebow/etc? Does he appreciate their larger than life style, or does he see it as overly narcissistic?

The documentary can be found on Netflix.

Here's an awesome, hilarious set of interviews with his one time manager Cus D'Amato. I could watch these two go back and forth all day. Ultimate odd couple:

And here's an awesome photo of Ali meeting The Beatles. Seems like they'd all share pretty similar sense of humor. Not sure what the story is on why they met. I'll have to look it up!