It seems like you're picking the Steelers, but you haven't used the CAPS font like you usually do.

Well, at least Buster will get credit for his pick.

It was, indeed, shameful for Ali to call Frazier, who helped him when he was down, an Uncle Tom and so forth. The most disgraceful thing he did, though, was use racist stereotypes to tear Frazier down and build himself up. He called him a gorilla, for God's sake. I understand why it's acceptable when blacks use words that are taboo for whites, but this, I think, is different.

It may be that I put too much stress on Ali's treatment of Frazier-Frazier was, after all, his great adversary-but I've never been able to get past that particular incident to see the same icon that other people seem to. A great champion, without question. I can even see why people blew him up into a symbol of the civil rights movement. But I can't see him as anything more than a symbol on to which other people project their feelings, and it's because of the way he went straight for the racist weapon when he wanted to hurt Frazier.

Ali spoke truth to power long before politicians turned the phrase into a platitude. "I have seen the light and I am crowing" and "I ain't got no quarrel with the Viet Cong" are only two examples of Ali continuing the legacy of Thoreau and civil disobedience. Sure Ali is a flawed human being like the rest of us but how he lifted our spirits and gave the downtrodden the courage to fight the good fight! He saw the glass as always being three-quarters full even in the wake of his defeats in the ring. When he lost, we lost; when he won, we won. Time may ravage legends but it is likely that Ali's legend will survive, the only boxer with a legitimate claim to have made the sweet science sweeter during his reign. Long live, Ali!

Getting voted off of Saturday Night Live?

Plenty of people called BOTH Joe Fraysuh and Ali gorillas.

Ali is a great American. For my father's generation, he is The New Joe Louis, and they love him. For me, he is the Coolest Guy In The World, and I love him. And for my nieces and nephews, he is Hercules, a living super hero.

Joe Fraysuh! Joe Fraysuh! In my memory, I can hear how Ali used to talk. And I can see Joe Fraysuh's stone face and lava-pit eyes... All part of the myth.

Don't weep for Joe Fraysuh. He's okay. Don't weep for Ali. He's The Greatest.

No, it's like having pointless spam removed from a moderated thread.

I know when I'm not wanted. Later,

sniff sniff

There's may be more of Woody Guthrie than Mark Twain in Ali's rap:

"Mean Talking Blues"

I'm the meanest man that ever had a brain,

All I scatter is aches and pains.

I'm carbolic acid, and a poison face,

And I stand flat-footed in favor of crime and disgrace.

If I ever done a good deed -- I'm sorry of it.

I'm mean in the East, mean in the West,

Mean to the people that I like the best.

I go around a-causin' lot of accidents,

And I push folks down, and I cause train wrecks.

I'm a big disaster -- just goin' somewhere's to happen.

I'm an organized famine -- studyin' now I can be a little bit meaner.

I'm still a whole lot too good to suit myself -- just mean...

I ride around on the subway trains,

Laughin' at the tight shoes dealin' you pain.

And I laugh when the car shakes from side to side,

I laugh my loudest when other people cry.

Can't help it -- I was born good, I guess,

Just like you or anybody else ---

But then I... just turned off mean..

I hate ev'rybody don't think like me,

And I'd rather see you dead than I'd ever see you free.

Rather see you starved to death

Than see you at work --

And I'm readin' all the books I can

To learn how to hurt --

Daily Misery -- spread diseases,

Keep you without no vote,

Keep you without no union.

Well, I hurt when I see you gettin' 'long so well,

I'd ten times rather see you in the fires of hell.

I can't stand to fixed... see you there all fixed up in that house so nice,

I'd rather keep you in that rotten hole, with the bugs and the lice,

And the roaches, and the termites,

And the sand fleas, and the tater bugs,

And the grub worms, and the stingarees,

And the tarantulas, and the spiders, childs of the earth,

The ticks and the blow-flies --

These is all of my little angels

That go 'round helpin' me do the best parts of my meanness.

And mosquiters...

Well, I used to be a pretty fair organized feller,

Till I turned a scab and then I turned off yeller,

Fought ev'ry union with teeth and toenail,

And I sprouted a six-inch stinger right in the middle of the tail,

And I growed horns...

And then I cut 'em off, I wanted to fool you.

I hated union ever'where,

'Cause God likes unions

And I hate God!

Well, if I can get the fat to hatin' the lean

That'd tickle me more than anything I've seen,

Then get the colors to fightin' one another,

And friend against friend, and brother... and sister against brother,

That'll be just it.

Everybody's brains a-boilin' in turpentine,

And their teeth fallin' out all up and down the streets,

That'll just suit me fine.

'Cause I hate ever'thing that's union,

And I hate ever'thing that's organized,

And I hate ever'thing that's planned,

And I love to hate and I hate to love!

I'm mean, I'm just mean...

Words and Music Adapted by Woody Guthrie

© Copyright 1965 (renewed) by Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc

King,

The long-time Star-Ledger columnist is Jerry Izenberg (with a "z"). He's been a great sports writer for almost 100 years (alright, 55, but that's an awfully long time). He recently wrote an eight part retrospective on his long career that included a lengthy segment on Ali.