After the Foreman fight,it seemed as if the public perception of Ali was changing. The Ali haters seemed to be less vocal. In the ring he left little doubt that he was indeed "The Greatest after beating Foreman and in little over a year later beating Joe Frazier again in the "Thrilla in Manilla"
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Earlier in that year of Ali-Frazier 3,we had witnessed the Fall of Saigon,perhaps more came to realize Ali's statements on the Vietnam War were right. I also believe another factor in the changing perception was those of us who grew up with Ali from childhood were now transitioning into adulthood. At the time of the Thrilla in Manila,I had just entered my twenties.
There were no cries of "The anti-establishment Ali selling out"when he started appearing on commercials. Besides,where I lived at the time in Park Slope Brooklyn long before gentrification,when Ali declared "I don't want you living with roaches" while hawking D-Con,one still felt as if he was speaking to you because what building in Brookly at that time DIDN'T have a roach problem?
In the summer of 1977,during the New York City blackout I witnessed arson,looting,and the greatest breakdown of order I've ever experienced to date.It occured in the Park Slope neighborhood I was living in,Yet a few months later,when Muhammad Ali beat Earnie Shavers that same neighborhood broke out in a spontaneous demonstration of joy with strangers high fiving each other and passing each other on the streets with shouts of "Ali Ali Ali!"
By now the Muhammad Ali-Howard Cosell confrontations had become legendary.. In Brooklyn,there was Michael Lanzillotta. He was a tremendous pianist and a great vocalist.The church group we were both part of had a business New Life Service Company. It specialized in vinyl and leather repair,mostly at car dealerships.
For all of Michael's talents elsewhere,a vinyl repairman he was not and neither was I thus we were teamed up together by the bosses in hopes that two people that sucked at it together would be better than two that sucked individually. We did manage to ruin (New York Yankees outfielder) Reggie Jackson's Mercedes seat once,but beyond that we continued to suck and as a result,we didn't make a lot of money at it Michael and I did generally have a good time driving aroun
One of the things we do while driving around the Boroughs and Long Island,supposedly hustling up work was impersonations. Our best one clearly was our Ali-Cosell impersonation. We made money doing it once on a Brooklyn street corner and even produced a version acceptable to perform as part of a Sunday church service..
By the time I moved to Denver in 1980,it was clear Ali was not the fighter he used to be. I couldn't bring myself to watch the Trevor Berbick and Larry Holmes fights. I preferred to remember him for the fighter he was from the time I was 9 years old..
1985...as I'm glancing through the pages of the (now defunct) Rocky Mountain News I notice an ad from ( the now defunct) Dave Cook's Sporting Goods Store in Downtown Denver. Muhammad Ali would be making an appearance!
I knew I had to meet him. At the same time I realized getting to meet him would not be an easy task imagining the large crowd likely to appear.
Step One: Buy his Autobiography The Greatest..figured Ali would be more inclined to sign something with his likeness on it. After stopping a few few bookstores with no luck,I came across a copy at a (now defunct) used bookstore on South Broadway Avenue.
Step Two: Buy a dark suit. Muhammad Ali's bodyguards always wore dark suits. I've always hated wearing suits.In the rare times I have worn them,it has usually been after a strong case of persuasion.Count this as one time where no persuasion was needed,and found a used dark suit that fit at a used clothing store on East Colfax Avenue.
Step Three: It's all about the Timing. I didn't want to arrive at Dave Cooks too early and possibly give away my plan, and yet arriving too late would be a mistake given the crowd.
There are days when everything works out the way you hoped,and on this day I arrived at Dave Cooks moments before Ali's bodyguards began to appear,and as Ali and his entourage entered,I merged with Ali's bodyguards as he moved from the rear of the basement to the front area where a stage was set up. After making a few comments about Sonny Liston,George Foreman and Sugar Ray Leonard and after making a comment about what an honor it was for us to be in his presence,he began to sign autographs.
I have long regarded his autograph as my most valuable possession
Adult Prologue: When she was growing up,one of my daughter's favorite activities was going to the movies. She hated that I found myself bored at some of her favorite movies,and trying to find a movie we would both enjoy was often an exercise in futility. The one movie we did agree upon,albeit for different reasons was Will Smith's portrayal of Ali. I went to the movie prepared to hate it,but came away impressed. Apparently so was Ali.
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It's often said so and so is a "product of his/her generation. I for one feel privileged to have grown up in the era of Ali.
ALI ALI ALI!
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