Loss of a Champ: Person, or Persona?

I've stayed kind of quiet today about the passing of Muhammed Ali.   Those who haven't known me forever don't know I come from deep boxing roots.  I think I was in high school before I realized other girls were not spending Friday nights at the NLR Community Center at the matches.  My uncle, Ray Rodgers, is legendary in the boxing world - amateur and professional.  He has worked with some of the greats, both before and after they became "great".  He has his own boxing club in Little Rock and has helped many a young boy become a man.  He has stringent rules in his club and if you don't follow, you are out.  First and foremost are education and proper behavior.  No vulgarities are allowed. No skipping school.  His efforts were recognized a few years ago when he was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.  He has been similarly honored by both the National Golden and Silver Gloves organizations.

He got my dad into boxing at a very young age, and Daddy stayed in it for many years, well into college.  My cousin, Michael Rodgers Sr., Ray's son and also known as The Honkytonk Hitman, also boxed professionally and has followed in his dad's footsteps by having his own boxing club in Tennessee.and helping young men grow into better adults.

So, I grew up in and around and watching boxing.

While no one can ever discount Ali's athletic ability, Daddy never cared for his demeanor.  All the bragging and boasting.  Not Daddy's style.  And the way Ali got out of military service- not a fan of that.  So we didn't grow up huge Ali fans.  Ali just didn't conduct himself as Daddy wished he would.

At that time.

But I think Daddy shook Ali's hand today in Heaven.  I think he would see that Ali taught the world to live with dignity in the face of adversity.  What worse fate than for a champion athlete to lose control of his body to a disease like Parkinson's?  To have the one thing that he always prided himself on slowly taken away from him.  Some might say Karma.  Others would say tragedy.

But is there anyone who did not get chills when Muhammed slowly made his way up the ramp to light the Olympic flame in Atlanta in 1996?  And to hear the clips that follow of Ali giving of himself to the next generation, I think Daddy would be good with that.  He changed from the man he was towards the man he should have been.

I like to think that in Heaven all is made clear and all is forgiven.  A perspective change, if you will.

In any event, my heart goes out to the Ali family tonight.  While the world lost a champion, they lost not only that but a husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend.

Been there, done that.  They have my prayers.