Well, it is boxing. They make a living through violence and you expect them to be great people? No one here knew Ali. They knew the media creation and boxing persona of Ali. Different people.
They punch people in the face for money. They try to destroy another human for entertainment, to get paid.
The majority of boxers come from terrible backgrounds, poverty stricken, grow up in a life that very few here know and understand. They grow up to fight, then when they achieve fame, money, adoration, that fighter doesn't suddenly leave. In fact, that can make things worse because they see it all as a ridiculous fake world they live in.
They get treated like **** by the boxing world, everyone loves them when they're on top, then are promptly swept under the rug when they're down.
You'd be surprised how many boxers are serious ****ups as humans. It's a harsh life, and they often come from even harsher backgrounds.
What do you except. It's great when some of them are sensible, well adjusted people, but they are also often the ones that didn't come from the bad backgrounds.
We watch them, and thus give them fame and fortune, for their ability to **** someone else up, not their manners.
I guess boxing isn't to you what boxing is to me. To me boxing is sweet science-constant learning. It's harsh combat- one needs to be humble to stay safe. The countless hours of just repeating the same patterns to be able to do them with maximal balance and form- it's mesmerizing and the hours just fly by. It's the feeling of fear, victory, grace, embarrassment, oneness with the opponent and the opposition with the opponent... everything in one as paradoxal as it seems. You feel you are part of the team but in the ring you feel all alone, but when the match is over you feel like you have done something spiritual.
If boxing is just two guys beating each others in a ring without any class, spirituality or manners, I understand how you don't have problems with the behavior of Ali. But to me boxing much more than two guys/chicks beating the **** out of each others.
I reckon a lot of eastern european fan boys and american white supremacists or british skin heads are going to hate him
I think it's weird how white supremacy and Eastern Europe fanboyism has to be taken into the talk whenever a great black athlete is criticized.
And like I said, he did great things but it's not an excuse for the bad stuff he said. Often person's heart can be seen by the negative things they are willing to do and say without repenting and not by how much money they give to charity.