When Muhammad Ali passed away a week ago, the world recognized that not only had it lost a sports icon, but it had also lost a cultural icon. Ali burst on to the scene because of his boxing ability, but he will be remembered for much more than what he did in the ring. The confluence of his talents, his beliefs, and the tenor of the culture in the 1960's all created the perfect storm for Ali to become one of the most iconic and legendary figures of the 20th century.
The eyes of the world right now are focused on the city of Louisville, as a funeral procession is underway for Ali. Pallbearers include Will Smith, Mike Tyson, and Lennox Lewis, and other historic athletes like Jim Brown and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are part of the commentary. The fact that famous names like those are all taking part in the proceedings are really all you need to know about how significant this day really is. Obviously, the day is all about remembering arguably the most iconic figure in the history of sports, but it has also brought about conversations that I believe are worth addressing.
There are two topics that have stirred conversation in recent days in relation to Ali, and I want to tackle both issues. The first is whether or not there will ever be "another" Muhammad Ali. This is a topic that seems to come about all the time throughout the sports world. Since Ali has just passed, the debate has re-emerged. Will there ever be another Ali? The same has been asked about Michael Jordan. The same has been asked about Babe Ruth. The same has been asked about hoards of other athletes. As a matter of fact, the same has been asked about hoards of people in other fields, but for the purpose of this piece, I will focus on the world of sports.
Athletes like Ali and Ruth and Jordan are of the rarest breed, yet it seems like we continue to reach to equivocate them with present day athletes, and I hate that this continues to happen. When guys like Roger Maris, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds were breaking records set by Ruth, it seemed as though the public was constantly looking for reasons to find fault with them. No matter what they did on the baseball diamond, there was always something preventing them from being the "next" Babe Ruth. Maris had a bad rapport with the press. Aaron was fighting against racial prejudices. Bonds was playing in the midst of the steroid era. There was always something that was in the way of them ever being able to live up to the standard that Ruth had set so many years ago.
Now don't get me wrong, these barriers were not completely fabricated. Did Maris have a rocky relationship with the press and the public when he was chasing Ruth's single season home run record? He absolutely did, and his actions and attitudes definitely played a part in that. Maris was just as much at fault as the public was when it came to such a rocky relationship, but in the grand scheme of things, it was Ruth's constantly looming presence that was the root of the problems.
When Hank Aaron was approaching Ruth's career home run record, millions of people wanted to see him fall short simply because of his race, but again it was Ruth's looming presence that played a part in the feelings of many people. The same goes for Bonds, even when he was surpassing Aaron's career record. It was bad enough that Aaron had overtaken Ruth, but now a man who everyone believed was fueled by performance enhancing drugs was about to set another new record was being celebrated by some was almost even worse.
As if the Ruthian standards were not enough, the NBA world went far beyond those after Michael Jordan retired. Following his retirement, fans began to be so protective of his legend that until this day, they will never even consider putting anyone anywhere near his level. Jordan is a saint and everyone else is nothing but a sinner.
It started with guys like Grant Hill and Anfernee Hardaway, and has continued on down the line to guys like Kobe Bryant and, of course, LeBron James. Jordan fanatics stand firm in their protection of their idol, and no matter what, he will be the Babe Ruth of basketball. Even if his records are surpassed, they will always be surpassed by people who in some way will never measure up to the totality of the legend that is Michael Jordan and everything that comes along with it.
So that brings me to Ali. Will there ever be another Ali? My answer is firm. No, there will never be another Ali. However, will there ever be supremely talented boxers that come along in the future? There absolutely will be. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one of the most polarizing figures in modern day sports, and as a professional he has never lost a fight. However, the overwhelming majority of the public views him and Ali in completely different worlds. Boxing is a sport that has become far less popular than it was half a century ago, but that does not mean there are not talented fighters out there, and that does not mean that there are more talented fighters who have yet to make their mark on the sport. So even if there may never be another Muhammad Ali, that does not mean that we should make it our own obligation to make sure of that. Ali was one of the most talented fighters to ever step in to the ring, and his greatness may never be matched. However, to simply brush aside the talents of each and every fighter that comes after him is not right. There may never be another Ali in terms of ability, but there are plenty of young fighters out there who may one day make their own mark on the boxing world that will be as unforgettable as Ali's.
Another issue that has come up since Ali's passing that I want to address is how much of an impact he had outside the ring. Not only was Ali a boxing icon, but he was a social icon as well. His outspoken disagreements with the government when it came to the Vietnam War have been well documented, and the fact that Ali was willing to tackle social issues in conjunction with what he had to deal with in the ring made his legend grow exponentially. As I said before, the fact that Ali's rise to fame happened in the 1960's played a huge part into him becoming the iconic figure that he is remembered as today. Not only was the boxing world ripe for the picking in the 1960's, but the social world was as well, and Ali used his prominence to make his name known in both worlds.
Thanks to the willingness of Ali to speak out against politics and things outside the sports world, Ali became more than just a star athlete. He became the face of an entire generation. No matter the ethnicity, Ali was able to grow into the spokesman for an entire generation of youth. Sure, young black people were able to identify with Ali completely, but young people of other races were able to do the same. When Ali refused to be drafted into the U.S. military and claimed that he had no quarrels with the Vietnamese, it struck a tone with young people throughout America. They saw friends and family being sent across the country to fight a war they had no interest in fighting, and when an enormously popular public figure like Ali said what he felt, young people agreed with him, even if they had never seen him fight in the ring. Ali's legacy is tied tightly to this activism, and it is what made people who had no interest in sports still able to identify with him.
So just like how there have been conversations in recent days about there ever being "another" Muhammad Ali, it has also sparked debate as to how modern day athletes (and celebrities in general) should take stands when it comes to issues that go beyond the boundaries of their own fields. People who speak of Ali with the highest regard highlight his social activism and involvement just as much as they speak of his ring prowess. They say that when athletes, or other celebrities in general, reach the highest of platforms, they have a responsibility to bring about a social awareness that will awaken their supporters. It is as if because Ali was publicly outspoken when it came to matters outside of the sports world, it means that each and every modern day athlete has to do the same thing, and I fervently disagree with this assumption.
Sports fans invest our time and our money on the greatest athletes in the world because we want to watch them perform at levels we have only ever been able to dream about. We watch sports because of what these people can do on the field. We don't watch sports to hear what they have to say about politics or any other kind of social issues. While we might care deeply about such issues, that is not the reason we watch sports. If I want to hear about political or social issues, I don't turn on ESPN. If I want to hear about the NHL or NBA playoffs, I don't turn on CNN. There is a reason that CNN and ESPN exist independently of one another. People covered on CNN have no responsibility to cater to ESPN viewers, and people covered on ESPN have no responsibility to cater to CNN viewers.
Muhammad Ali was one of the few athletes that was able to blur those lines. However, it is unfair to expect every superstar athlete to follow in his footsteps. Just because there are men and women out there that make millions of dollars in the business world does not make them obligated to ingratiate themselves to the sports world, and just because there are athletes out there that make millions of dollars does not make them obligated to ingratiate themselves into the business world.
Ali was able to appeal to people of multiple walks of life, but just because he was able to do so does not mean that every athlete that follows him is required to do the same. There are plenty of athletes out there that want to speak their mind when it comes to issues outside the sports world, and they are more than welcome to do so. However, there are also a whole lot of athletes that do not want to concern themselves with the world outside of sports, and it is their right to do just that as well.
Prominence in one field does not bring about a social responsibility to voice your feelings in every field, and anyone who thinks that is the case is mistaken. With money comes responsibility, but that responsibility is not unlimited. Just because someone is an expert in one field does not require them to be an expert in all fields. I do not expect an athlete to get up in front of the world to make a political speech just as I do not expect a politician to address the world on the current state of archaeology.
Muhammad Ali was one of those rare and unique figures that was able to make himself noteworthy because of his ability and willingness to address multiple issues and show an expertise in multiple fields. Just like Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan, people like him do not grow on trees and do not come around all the time. Ali set a standard that only a select few have even dreamt of approaching, and it is because of this that his passing is such a significant event. Ali blurred the lines of color, political affiliation, financial status, and many other things that included being one of the greatest athletes that we have ever seen. So how about we stop trying to instantly find and anoint the next Ali or the next Ruth or the next Jordan. How about we recognize the greatness of these men, but also recognize the greatness of those that have come and will come after them. It might be hard to do when we have such vivid memories of these icons, but if we can recognize politicians and businessmen for their individual greatness, we need to do the same for athletes. There will never be another Muhammad Ali, but that is completely acceptable. Let's recognize him for what he did in and out of the ring, but at the same time let's be willing to appreciate anyone that comes after him that might pave their own way to a legendary status such as his.
Daily Diamondbacks Report: Arizona has dropped seven of its last ten games, and now sit 10.5 games out in the NL West. On the positive side though, Zack Greinke seems to be zoning in and proving that he is worth the $206 million the team spent on him, as he shut out Tampa Bay in his last start. Paul Goldschmidt has been hitting better as well, and that is another good sign. The Miami Marlins come to town starting tonight, as Patrick Corbin takes the mound. Corbin has been struggling a bit thus far, but he beat Jake Arrieta his last time out and hopefully he can notch his 4th victory of the season tonight.
Daily Giants Update: No breaking news on this front, as all the reports are about OTA's that involve no tackling and a whole lot of insignificant drills. At this point, the best news is that no one has gotten hurt and there are no holdouts. The offseason has just begun though, so there will be much more news to come, and hopefully all of it is good.
Daily NHL Update: The San Jose Sharks staved off elimination last night in Pittsburgh in a game that started out in wild fashion and then finished with two goaltenders standing on their heads. It seemed like every chance in the first period was being converted into a goal, and from then on neither team could find the back of the net. The series moves back to San Jose now with the Sharks still down three games to two.
Daily NBA Update: After being beaten in Game 1 and then blown out of the building in Game 2, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back and blew the Golden State Warriors out of the building in Game 3. Game 4 is tonight, and I still think it is a must-win game for LeBron and the Cavs. If they go back to Oakland down 3-1, I doubt the series goes past five games. Stephen Curry has been completely absent from the first three games of the series, which has been a total shock. I have to say that I expect Curry to finally bounce back tonight, and I think the season and the NBA title is on the line. In my opinion, the defending champion Warriors answer the bell tonight and they well head back home with the title in their grasp. It is up to the Cavaliers to prove me wrong though, and I am hoping they do just that.
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