Rest Easy, Champ

Muhammad Ali and I were both born in Kentucky. That’s pretty much where the similarities end. He was black. I’m white. He was Muslim. I’m Christian. He was a world class athlete. I recently sprained my ankle while walking. Slowly. In sandals. He was a national figure for civil rights and religious tolerance. He rubbed shoulders with presidents, world leaders, and pop culture icons yet they stood in awe of him rather than it being the other way around. To say Ali was a special human being is an incredible understatement. The world lost a giant today.

Calling myself a casual boxing fan would be a disservice to casual boxing fans everywhere. I’m a product of the generation that came up long after Ali last stepped into the ring. When I was a kid, the boxing ring was ruled by the likes of Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. The first time I actually remember seeing Ali was when he lit the torch for the 1996 Olympics.

I had heard of Ali by then, of course. I knew he was a great boxer and that he was born in Louisville as Cassius Clay. I had seen the many — now iconic — photographs of his great matches. But that was the first time I had ever seen him in the present. As a twelve-year-old, I was aware that the torch lighting moment was a big deal but I didn’t really understand the magnitude of it. I had no idea of the man’s impact on the world outside of his athletic achievements.

Over the years, I’ve come to learn that Ali’s impact on the world was much greater than his exploits in the ring. He was a controversial figure who made very unpopular decisions in the name of a misunderstood religion. The choices he made had very real consequences — like surrendering the heavyweight title, not fighting for four years, and facing a five year prison sentence to name a few.

He was a man of conviction who certainly talked the talk but also walked the walk. He was a man to be respected if not revered.

A figure as large as Muhammad Ali will stay in the public consciousness for many, many years to come. Like the ghost of Babe Ruth told Benny in The Sandlot, “heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” Although Ali’s not physically with us anymore, his impact on the people he met and the world as a whole will continue on.

There are dozens if not hundreds of tributes on Ali to be consumed today that are more eloquent than this one written by people who knew much more about the man than I, and you should read as many as you can.

I’ll leave you with Mike Tyson — of all people — who I believe has summed today’s loss the best.

God came for his champion. Take it easy on everybody up there, Champ. You will be missed down here.