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Permalink Reply by Mike Kaminski on June 4, 2016 at 2:27pm

Looks good

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on June 4, 2016 at 3:58pm

likely authentic

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on June 4, 2016 at 9:00pm

Great news! 

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Permalink Reply by James on June 5, 2016 at 12:47pm

There are a few reasons why I have never cared whether or not I ever had a Muhammad Ali autograph. First, I'm not a huge boxing fan. Second, in some ways I do admire Ali. But in other ways I don't. I do admire a person who will stand for their beliefs even if it means going to prison. Like Ali, and just like the Iraq War, we had no business being in Vietnam. But in 1964, Ali said, "My enemy is the white people"...not the black, yellow, or red people.

Now, I understand where his anger and frustration was coming from. But Dr. Martin Luther King, whom I greatly admired, never said, "My enemy is the white people". Ali could have said he resented the rich, white elites that control the corporations and the legislators that make the laws that help to keep black people and poor white people down. I often do too. But Ali instead chose to condemn an entire race of people.

I also think Ali was a megalomaniac. "I am the greatest of all-time," he repeated over and over. There is some debate whether he really was or not. You never heard Babe Ruth or Michael Jordan proclaim such things, at least not publicly over and over. And there is not much debate about those two being the greatest in their respective sports, although I think a legitimate argument can be made for Wilt Chamberlain. But Ali was constantly a self-promoter. He loved talking about himself.

And then there is his conversion to Islam. While I respect all religions and races, I will admit I'm not a big fan of his chosen religion. For a man that supposedly so supported civil rights, did he ever look into Islam's disgusting, vile treatment of women? In most Islamic countries, women are almost owned by their husbands. Women in Islamic countries have very few civil rights, civil rights that Ali supposedly was for for all people. Or was he mainly just concerned about his own issues. Again, did he ever stand up for women and their horrible treatment in Islamic countries? Did he ever at least demand that women should be allowed to drive cars in Saudi Arabia? Or be able to go to town without being accompanied by a male relative?

My father did not like Ali because Ali refused to serve when his country called, and my father served in WWII. My father thought it was one's patriotic duty to serve one's country when called upon to do so. This idea was passed along to my father by his immigrant Italian father. But I was okay with Ali's not serving as I would have possibly done the same, although I was just being born when Ali took his stand. But my issue is with whom Ali called his enemy. Apparently, I was his enemy, but being a Bernie Sanders supporter, I am for the civil rights of all non-violent men and women.

I just wish Ali could have chosen his words a bit more carefully.

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Permalink Reply by Al on June 17, 2016 at 11:21am

I agree with some of what you're saying but you have to put it into context in that era he went through a rebellious phase, wanted a sense of belonging, and was naive and encouraged to join the nation of Islam. Hell if I was black I would've follow Malcolm X too, screw turning the other cheek trying to appease people that MLK's leftist idealism. Ali was controversial, at times a hypocrite but he liked people of all creeds too, he mellowed as he matured - The man clearly had a good heart and from what I've read would make time to sign an autograph for you and return fan mail with autograph requests (no matter what color you were).

I remember reading this quote "The courage of a nation is not determined by how well they fight other nations, but by how strongly they riot against their own government". The sad truth is our fathers were just expendable puppets to serve the military industrial complex, sent to kill poor people in a third world country and hailed as "heroes" upon their return. Funny, if the bs excuse about a communist threat was actually real then why didn't we declare war against powerful China or Russia hmm...I wonder why eh? I think it takes a real man to stand up for what he believes in, especially knowing how it will damage his career and vilify him.

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Permalink Reply by Al on June 17, 2016 at 10:00am

I think the Ali is likely real jmo

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