His section of the sports museum and video library initially carries the title of “I’m The Greatest – MUHAMMAD ALI”….because of his position of being Bone Daddy’s all time favorite athlete….having held down the # 1 position for longer than I have been around. Therefore….I have started off my Boxing Section of the museum with stories about ALI….for this will be my tribute to his exalted position in BD’s life. As time goes by….this section will morph into my entire Boxing section….which is expansive especially considering the amount of content I have to choose from in the video library. ”Can you say 400+ World Championship Fights?”
DOG ASIDE:To my way of thinking….the 400+ Championship Fights in Bone Daddy’s video library really covers the Golden Age of Boxing….spanning almost three decades from the 1960’s to the nearly 1990. This was a period where there wasn’t big money purses just for a few like the Mayweather’s of world like it is today….you know….the ones who can bring a lot of pay per view customers in today’s market…..cuz it’s about the pay for view audience of the boxing world of today. The networks in this day and age aren’t carrying live boxing like they did during the period of BD’s collection. During the time and effort that it took to acquire this wonderful collection of boxing video….live fights were being shown on multiple networks….often on the same dates and times in direct competition for ratings….as NBC, CBS, ABC, ESPN, TBS and others fought it out on the airways while presenting the best live boxing fight cards that promoters of the day like Don King, Bob Arum, Jim Jacobs and many more could conjure up. How else could you get 696 boxing matches in a personal library in such a short period of time as the 17 years Bone Daddy’s sports bar was open….cuz those were the taping years.BD has always had some really interesting thoughts about how the promoters killed the beautiful art and sport of boxing….as I’ve heard his rants more than once about how the world has lost the fine art of boxing….cuz there just ain’t no art displayed when it comes to the UFC’s of today….which rivals boxing in popularity today. Now don’t get me wrong….those UFC boys are tough and bad ass….but they’re not at all artistic…and they have no idea what a combination of accurately applied punches really means.
So, this section should be a great deal of fun to many of all ya’ll who love boxing. It will develop slower than some of the other category sections in my museum….cuz BD has tons more boxing video with a much less expansive collection of boxing memorabilia ….and the truth is….I am still learning how to extract pieces of video to use in order to enhance my stories….so just hold on to your britches while I learn how to use this high tech stuff….and stay tuned cuz obviously….I have a bunch of great fights to share with you. Also, did you read my Dog Disclaimer above?….cuz I explain up front what my lil Chiweenie opinion is about BD’s video library and copyright laws.…if you haven’t read it….read it.
Unquestionably, BD has a wonderful amount of Cassius Clay and Muhammad ALI video footage….which I am just dying to share with you….cuz I just gotta tell you that I have always really liked ALI….but for much different reasons than why BD….as my favorite thing about him has always been….as I will prove to you in video….that little kid inside of him that just loves to play with you. So here’s the proof of what I just said….cuz last year I sat with Bone Daddy and we watched The Opening Day of the MLB Season game together……it was at Fenway Park…..and the person who was going to throw out the ceremonial 1st pitch was MUHAMMAD ALI.
ALI appeared in a golf cart….riding in the passenger side front seat with a driver and a person sitting back where the golf bags with clubs typically ride. It became apparent to all who watched….that the person on the back had a singular purpose to holds ALI’s arms down to avoid the continuous uncontrolled shaking during the process of driving him towards the pitchers mound. His attendant was there to restrain the uncontrollable shakes that the hand of advanced Parkinson disease had dealt him by then….for here were the arms and the hands that once took down Sonny Liston….Joe Frazer….Ken Norton….George Foreman…Ernie Shavers….Jimmy Ellis….Leon Spinks….and so many other champion caliber heavyweights of the time….and for today….he needed a full time assistant to help him move his arms in the right direction and deal with the hands of fate that he now has.
As the golf cart pulled along side the pitcher’s mound…..ALI gave the best rendition of throwing a ball that he could muster up….then the golf cart slowing began to move towards home plate….and when ALI and the ball arrived….his attendant places both of ALI’s hands around the ball….and as ALI’s hands holding the ball moved forward to the catcher’s mitt as the catcher stood at home plate.…with arms shaking like the leaves of a Royal Palm in a heavy windstorm….ALI moves the ball towards the catcher’s mitt. When the catcher moved to take the ball….ALI pulls back just far enough to make the catcher miss….and with arms shaking and a big ole smile on his face….he hands the ball to the catcher….for Muhammad Ali proved once again that he was still the same boy in a man’s suit that he has always been….just a kid who likes to play. So I ask you one simple question….”what dog on this planet doesn’t love a little boy who loves to play?”
My hope is that each of you will “love to play” with BD’s wonderful collection of the sport of boxing that I have to share with you in this section….as the stories should rival any of the best that I have ever written….and the video footage of Ali is priceless to Bone Daddy and me….as we hope you enjoy it just as much.
