Cassius Clay, later known as Cassius X and Muhammad Ali, was a brash, young fighter out of Louisville, KY, who went on to become one of the most beloved sports figures in history. Beloved by people of all races for his flashy boxing style and his arrogant, trash-talking persona, he is arguably the greatest boxer who ever lived.
He's probably talked more trash than any athlete in any sport and backed all of it up.
Today, he is revered by older white men for being a breath of fresh air in a time when he was hated for being an uppity and arrogant Negro. Poeple would come watch his fights just to see him lose. It would never happen.
His trash-talking is looked at as entertaining, even though he regularly interrupted his interviewers and called his opponents names. He's called a "masterful self-promoter" today.
His political stances are credited with changing a lot of the ways that athletes are viewed in America as role models and he helped define the swagger for an entire race of people, simply by being himself.
He is easily the most influential athlete in American history. If he were boxing today, he would be the most hated athlete alive.
Today's athletes are frowned upon for talking trash. Chad Johnson or Terrell Owens might give you a little taste every now and then. Shaq would occasionally take shots at upcoming opponents. These guys are regularly called "SHAMELESS self-promoters."
Muhammad Ali didn't just talk trash; he put on a show. He'd loudly shout all through the interview, brag on himself, then freestyle a little bit to close things out. In the ring, he would sometimes taunt his opponents. As Sonny Liston lay prone on the canvas, there was Cassius Clay standing over him, steadily running his mouth. It's probably the most famous shot of a boxing match, ever.
Roy Jones, Jr. gets chastised for doing stuff like that. He's called things like "a showboat," or "cocky." He's talked about in a negative light, when all he does is the exact same things that Ali did. Roy Jones, Jr. showed a simliar dominance at multiple weight classes. But something's wrong with him, because he just won't shut up. Why couldn't he just be stoic and humble, like the great fighters of old?
He is. He's exactly like the greatest fighter of all time.
Today's athletes are also discouraged from taking controversial stances. Back in 1996, NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (formerly Chris Jackson), refused to stand for the National Anthem before games, saying that the United States had a "history of tyranny," and that the American flag is a "symbol of oppression." The league suspended him for one game, before reaching a compromise with him. Basketball fans nationwide made derogatory comments about him for taking such a stance against the country of his birth. A similar incident happened in 2002, with Toni Smith, a college basketball player who didn't agree with the Iraq "War" and turned her back on the American flag during the anthem, despite threats from fans.
Muhammad Ali was drafted to go fight in Vietnam and flatly refused to go. He cited religious differences with the philosophy of wars not declared by Allah or The Messenger and also stated that he had no issues with the Vietcong. He was sentenced to five years in prison, stripped of his title and not allowed to get a boxing license. He's celebrated today for his courage to stand up for his beliefs.
So what's the difference between Ali and other athletes? I seriously doubt that Terrell Owens will be looked at as "misunderstood" in 30 years. I don't think Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf will ever be remembered for anything other than protesting the flag, despite being one of the most accurate shooters in NBA history or overcoming Tourette's Syndrome.
Why the double standard? Why is Cassius Clay allowed to call other fighters out of their names and interrupt interviewers, but someone like Allen Iverson can't? Allen Iverson is painted as a malcontent who complains about having to practice; Ali is viewed as a revolutionary force in history.
Not to say that Ali isn't a revolutionary figure, but he talked trash and slighted his opponents just like today's athletes are criticized for doing. They're called "disrespectful." He's called "a brilliant strategist."
Just call a spade, a spade. It's shit-talking, either way. That's all I'm saying.
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