Posted on 06/19/2007 9:19:20 AM PDT by SirLinksalot
Muhammad Ali Awarded Honorary Doctorate from Princeton University
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Associated Press
PRINCETON, N.J. — The Greatest is now an Ivy League doctor. Muhammad Ali has been awarded an honorary doctorate of humanities from Princeton University.
Ali was honored for his contributions to humanitarian efforts and his athletic achievements.
The 65-year-old former heavyweight boxing champion was one of seven people awarded honorary degrees at the university's graduation ceremony Tuesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
“Thank you, Mr. Neoconservative.”
From the New York Times of October 3, 1984
CAMPAIGN NOTES; Muhammad Ali Switches His Support to Reagan
UPI
Muhammad Ali, the former heavyweight boxing champion, who endorsed the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s unsuccessful run for the White House, has announced he is switching to President Reagan.
Mr. Ali announced his support Monday night at a gathering for black Republicans at the home of Jerry Zarg, who is challenging Representative Henry A. Waxman, a Democrat.
Asked to elaborate on his endorsement of Mr. Reagan, Mr. Ali told reporters, ‘’He’s keeping God in schools and that’s enough.’’
Seeing as even Idi Amin collected a few honorary doctorates during his reign (he immediately required that “Doctor” be added to the honorifics that others had to address him by) I would not get too excited over this particular one.
And while this goes on, in Britain the debate is on whether Salmon Rushdie should have received a knighthood, (What a slur by Tony Blair on the common working people who deserve a knighthood before this fish).
Please list a few of your heroes so I can see where you set your bar.
I have always been amazed that Ali receives any honors, not because he refused to serve in ‘Nam; but because he was a member of one of the most racist (and weird) religious cults on earth:The Nation of Islam (which later split and one part became Farrakhan’s group). The Nation had (has?)some very strange theological ideas, and always referred to whites (an inferior species) as “white devils”. Now I am just wondering if any white guy had Ali’s background, he would be adulated by all, and given honorary degrees anywhere. Not a chance.
“Please list a few of your heroes so I can see where you set your bar.”
Jesus of Nazareth
I never cared much for the guy either. In addition to the offputting self-promotion and the radicalism, I thought that the way he treated Joe Frazier, a basically decent guy, was beyond disgraceful.
See, we have something in common.
I wonder what the name of the person was who got drafted in his place...if they survived Viet Nam, and what degrees and honors they might have otherwise achieved had 'the champ' not burned his draft card.
Ummmm, not so much!! He gets all of the attention because he was the greatest boxer of all time.
Ali sure was something in his hayday....remember him with Howard Cosell, what a duo!
It is time to forgive, forget, and move on. But, He is a character like Jane Fonda...
I actually met Joe Frazier one time while in high school, quite accidentally. What you say is true. He is a decent and nice man. I had a one-on-one converastion with him for about 15 minutes.
I'm still not clear about where the honroary PhD figures into that prescription....
Look at professional sports today & all you see are echos of this trash-talking boxer. Tremendous talent, innately intelligent, but uneducated. Certainly he was/is no role model.
Patton v. Ali? You certainly pulled that comparison out of your... forget it, I don’t want to get banned.
Willie Mays was the best I ever saw & he was past his prime when I saw him. There were not weaknesses in his game.
Lest we forget, Ali is a Muslim. Was he punch drunk when he converted? The Great Oz has spoken.
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