A Man of His Time, A Man For All Time

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  • BIGPOPPAPUMP
    Franchise Champion
    Franchise Champion - 20,000+ posts
    • Sep 2003
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    #1

    A Man of His Time, A Man For All Time

    As he reaches his 65th birthday, we find that Muhammad Ali's legend has held up remarkably well over the course of time. There are indeed second acts in American life, but dramatic transformations like his are usually reserved for movie plots. How does a man who made his living punching people in a boxing ring rise to a level of notoriety that would make him one of the most reviled figures in our national culture? And then, how does that same person undergo a metamorphosis where, his status as a cultural hero and icon firmly secure, he is awarded the Congressional Medal of Freedom and lights the torch in an emotional ceremony at the 1996 Olympiad?

    How is Muhammad Ali still one of the most beloved and recognizable figures on the planet, more than 25 years after his final pro fight?

    "The main thing that has kept his image going is the electronic age," says Hank Kaplan, the noted historian/archivist and member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. "He came along at a time when television was starting to play an important part. He was perfect for television then, and television continues to keep him alive in people's minds."

    We are a society that is obsessed with celebrity, much of it phony and unwarranted, completely lacking in substance, and often the creation of marketing campaigns. The true legend defies formula; there is no blueprint for manufacturing one. There is not one thing, but rather a combination of things, responsible for stamping Muhammad Ali as a legend for his time, and all times. But even that is not enough. While there may be a number of ingredients that comprise the bricks, something must suffice as the "mortar" - something that is not easily defined, except to say that people do not commonly possess it or have any means by which to acquire it. [details]
  • Piggu
    The Prophet
    Super Champion - 5,000-10,000 posts
    • Nov 2005
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    #2
    Happy Birthday Muhammad Ali.

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