Cassius Clay is gone

[Raceready]

He was 74 years of age.

[buster83]

in 1967 he refused to report to the United States Military so what made him better than anybody else.

[Raceready]

in 1967 he refused to report to the United States Military so what made him better than anybody else.

And then he changed to a Muslim because he "refused to practice a white mans religion"!

[kidrock]

I thought that was what this country was founded on Freedom of Religion NO?

[Raceready]

Or rather the freedom of no religion based on the shape she is in today!

[TS FAN]

Clay paid dearly for his Muslim conversion. That old cleric that latched on to him took him for every dime he made. Buy 1975 he was broke and figured out he was getting taken. Only took him about 8 yrs. Had to fight a lot longer than he wanted to, in order to acquire financial stability. Yes, i believe in freedom of religion, expression and all other things we have fought for. But while I enjoyed watching the man, liked listening to him banter, i saw a poor fool.

[Clayton_Wetter]

I thought that was what this country was founded on Freedom of Religion NO?

You should ask Obummer that question? Don't you think?

[CIRF]

Clay paid a huge price for his ability to take a blow to the head and body. He was a great boxer, no question about that but he was not well educated and allowed himself to be exploited, both financially and politically, by some very, very unsavory people. Elijah Muhammed was a rampant racist who admittedly hated white people regardless of whether they had done him wrong or not. Clay was an ardent and extremely faithful follower of Muhammed and allowed himself to be mentored by the guy and his racist followers. Elijah Muhammed mentored the likes of Calypso Louie Farrakhan and Malcolm Little, AKA Malcolm X. In fact Muhammed ordered the murder of Malcolm Little. Elijah Muhammed was the man who Clay turned to for all kinds of guidance, spiritual and otherwise. This explains much of Clay's utter contempt for white people and the white establishment. It also explains why Clay was basically broke after a glorious boxing career. Muhammed and the black power movement pretty much confiscated all of Clay's earnings until Clay finally wised up and broke all ties with the racist Nation of Islam in 1975 but by that time all the money was gone.

The financial hosing of Clay explains why he fought way, way past his prime. He needed the money.

Clay's lack of education probably contributed to his falling into the grips of some very evil people. Clay was a worldwide mouthpiece for the agenda of some real bad people which caused a large percentage of the general public not to be all that enthralled with him as a boxer or as a person. I will not pass judgement as to whether those feelings were justified, it's just the way it was.

Some hold Clay in the same contemptuous regard as Hanoi Jane Fonda. Whether that assessment is fair, once again, is for each of us to decide. One thing is for sure, Clay could easily have deemed himself a conscientious objector, entered the military, and could have probably kept right on boxing and at the same time been a role model and mentor to his brothers of color in the service of their country. But he chose to make a statement, probably at the behest of the black power movement, and it cost him dearly in public opinion, monetarily and also a big chunk of his athletic prime.

[Clayton_Wetter]

You are a fanatic when you actually change your name because of religion.