RIP Muhammad Ali...

[maceemiller]

This morning I woke to the sad news that Muhammad Ali had passed away aged 74.

Many call themselves legends but Ali IS a legend - the greatest good looking fighter there has ever been

Sleep well champ.......

Edited June 4, 2016 by maceemiller

[Astrofox]

I was about to make a thread for this, but I found this.

 

Rest in peace, Muhammad. You were great inspiration to us all.

 

Unfortunately, it is another death of a much loved celebrity in 2016. However, we must all keep our heads up, and continue to make a difference in this world despite the losses.

[TheSaint]

Back in 1988 I was flying from JFK in New York to Toulon, France. I was 20 years old, had just finished my nuclear power training in the Navy, and I was flying out to meet my ship which was on a Mediterranean deployment. We were supposed to fly into Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris, have an eight-hour layover, transfer to a different flight at Orly airport, and then fly on to Toulon. Well, De Gaulle was fogged in, so we had to divert to Orly. Which seemed like a good thing, except that there were no international facilities or customs at Orly, so we couldn't deplane there. So all we could do was refuel and wait for the fog to lift so we could fly back to De Gaulle and deplane. As it turns out, we waited on the tarmac at Orly for seven hours, flew back to De Gaulle, got into a taxi, made a mad dash across the city, and barely made our flight at Orly. 

So, the relevant part: It turns out that Muhammad Ali was on our flight from JFK to De Gaulle, and was stranded on the tarmac with us at Orly for seven hours. As the delay dragged on word spread that he was on the plane and people began asking for autographs and pictures. At one point almost the entire complement of the aircraft was standing in a line that stretched from his seat in first class in the front through the entire length of the 747 and looped back through the lounge at the rear. Probably 400 to 450 people. I didn't go, since I'm not a boxing fan, and I'm not a celebrity hound of any sort at all really, but everyone else I was with did. And after sitting through a six-hour trans-Atlantic flight, and after sitting on the tarmac being delayed for hours, Muhammad Ali was apparently a total gentleman. He never stopped being positive. He never stopped encouraging people. He signed whatever people put in front of him: note pads, cocktail napkins, torn off paperback book covers, whatever. He posed for every photo with his fists up and a big smile. After I heard the stories from the other guys, I wished I had gone up and just shook his hand. Now I wish I had even more. 

[Dartguy]

He was one of a kind.  Great man!  

 

The whole town is active with media, people planning events in his honor.  There will be a funeral procession later in the week, I will make sure to be there to pay my respects.

 

I sure wish I would have him at some point, but I am proud to have been from the same town.

[Matuchkin]

Seriously? Cassius died? Why did no one in Toronto know, I didn't see any news on it!