Originally posted by QueensburyRules
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I come here for knowledge, not to win arguments. My opinion about Tyson and Atlas is not black and white...I can't see an argument why it should be, but if I did I would change my opinion. Your assuming things about where I am coming from.
I am agreeing that Mike had some rough road to hoe and that he was victimized in many respects. I grew up with Mike Tyson's...I taught them in High school! including the Samoan variety that has a very sensative differential switch between "Your pissing me off stooooop it" and "Im going to take your head off and piss down your neck." I am sympathetic.
I have not really argued about Atlas other than to say as a New Yorker in his generation, what he did was considered street appropriate behavior and probably the best way to deal with Mike and the incident. There is protocal here. George Foreman wanted for years to ask Liston about his reading ability...He didn't do it cause you werent gonna ask Sonny about that unless you were a priest, or some other authority figure.
Now, you want to argue for some fallibility regarding Atlas... So be it... And maybe you have a little sister who was approached that way by a juggernaught and you had a better way to deal with it. Here is a clue: Iron Mike, and most of the people around at that time would have a real problem with Atlas if he had went to the authorities... I am speaking somewhat from experience, and NOTICE I have not tried to defend Atlas outside the specific actions in this case.
I am defending the actions of Atlas in this case. I am sympathetic to Mike. I don't claim to know about the character of atlas on the whole. i look at him as an interesting character in boxing and little else. I grew up with sisters and know what I had to do in East Harlem as a white boy. Thats my position.
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