Self-styled

[Felt Martin]

So, if I start calling myself "The Greatest" and then repeat it enough until it sticks will it become a "fact"?

[thefreakytiki]

So, if I start calling myself "The Greatest" and then repeat it enough until it sticks will it become a "fact"?

It worked for Howard Stern... "King of All Media"


the Tiki

[Bobgar Ornelas]

So, if I start calling myself "The Greatest" and then repeat it enough until it sticks will it become a "fact"?

It worked for Muhammad Ali. Go for it.

[Felt Martin]

Ali was who I was thinking of.
I couldn't believe the coverage of his birthday. Just about every article or news programme described him as the greatest of all time, apparently unaware it was just a nickname he gave himself.   :bang head:

[Chris]

Ali was who I was thinking of.
I couldn't believe the coverage of his birthday. Just about every article or news programme described him as the greatest of all time, apparently unaware it was just a nickname he gave himself.   :bang head:

Uh.

He was the greatest. He knew it. Everyone else knew it.

& beyond the actual sport, he's probably one of the 100 most important and recognizable people of the last century.

[ValorPhoeniX]

he is the greatest and howard stern is the king. mr perfect was perfect. all this is lessened when you can  trademark 3-peat without actually doing it. you know who you are  

[Felt Martin]

Uh.

He was the greatest. He knew it. Everyone else knew it.

& beyond the actual sport, he's probably one of the 100 most important and recognizable people of the last century.

What made him the greatest Chris?
I don't see how any boxer can be described as "the greatest". It's not objective.

He's certainly one of the most recognisable people of the last century but I wouldn't say he was that important.

[ValorPhoeniX]

I don't see how any boxer can be described as "the greatest". It's not objective.

the way boxing greatest is argued is if you fought and beat the best available fighters in your era.

[S. Earl]

What made him the greatest Chris?
I don't see how any boxer can be described as "the greatest". It's not objective.

He's certainly one of the most recognisable people of the last century but I wouldn't say he was that important.

Are we really going to go down this road? It was a nickname that stuck for a really great person that was one of a kind. Nicknames don't have 100% basis in reality. They are meant to be endearing. I'll put it in comic terms: Was Gene Colan ever the Dean of a school? Was Jack Kirby actually the King of any country?

[lugaru]

More importantly, my boy Felt Martin has not lost a single professional fight. Take that, all boxers in history!

[ValorPhoeniX]

More importantly, my boy Felt Martin has not lost a single professional fight. Take that, all boxers in history!

cept the brockton blockbuster



49-0

[Shroud68]

He's certainly one of the most recognisable people of the last century but I wouldn't say he was that important.

I do not want to get into a long back and forth debate about Ali with you but I think you are missing some things about the man. If you base your opinion on the ESPN puff piece that ran all day yesterday you might miss the true impact of the man. He is easily the most important and impactful sports figure of the 60/70's and his impact resonated beyond the sports world. I saw the tail end of the man's impact and I felt it then. Please do not mistake ESPN's blind Cult of Personality hero worship and penalize Ali for it. He mattered to the world in a way that Tiger and Michael could never reach. I think you might need to see a more learned profile of the man before you say "  I wouldn't say he was that important." .

[lugaru]

I'll put it in an Obama context... a man named Muhammad Ali became one of the most idolized and respected celebrities in mainstream culture. Let that sit in for a second... yeah. He is a huge deal, and a hell of an athlete. When little white kids aspire to grow up to be like any of these trailblazing black celebrities, that is a huge blow against segregation.

In Mexico we had our first brown trailblazers early, thankfully, so there is not much of a social stigma. Take for example Benito Juarez, a Zapotek indian who did not know Spanish and orphan who grew up to be president of Mexico and who survived a French invasion. Also he assisted Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.



He is known for the phrase "the respect of others rights is peace". Badass.

That said Felt Martin has never lost any territory to the French to date.

[Chris]

He fought Superman to a standstill.

Nuff Said.

[AztecLos]

So, if I start calling myself "The Greatest" and then repeat it enough until it sticks will it become a "fact"?

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/o1o36sPZ10A&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/o1o36sPZ10A&rel=1</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/JC4C_Gcp_dM&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/JC4C_Gcp_dM&rel=1</a>

[Lesson_25]

Shroud68: +1 Million

[Bobgar Ornelas]

He fought Superman to a standstill.

Nuff Said.

If I didn't read it, it didn't happen. 

[Felt Martin]

He fought Superman to a standstill.

Nuff Said.

There's no arguing with that!

I'm not raging on Ali (although if I wanted to I could because there's lots of stuff that has been airbrushed out of history), more the lazy reporting surrounding him.

I'm not referring to any specific programmes (I'm in the UK so didn't see the ESPN piece) but when the news continually refers to "The Greatest" there's no mention of it being a self-styled nickname. It just makes me laugh because there will a generations of people who will say the greatest ever boxer was Ali based on that and that alone.

And when I said I didn't think he was "that important" it was specifically referring to Chris's argument that he was one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. Surely that's going overboard? 

[ThePatheticClub]

I have been doing this. "I am wealthy", "I am a radiant being", "I am the White Noise Shaman".

I believe these things.

[Jeppe]

I have been doing this. "I am wealthy", "I am a radiant being", "I am the White Noise Shaman".

I believe these things.

"You are Grant Morrison"