Ali Helped Mold the Modern Athlete, But There Likely Won't Be Another Like Him Again

Today is the legendary Muhammad Ali’s 70th birthday. Many people, including Ali himself, have called Ali the greatest of all time. Is Ali the greatest of all time? Maybe? I don’t know if he’d rank number one if I made a list of the greatest athletes of all time, in fact he probably would not, but I’m certain he’d be near the top. There’s no doubting, at least, that Ali is one of the greatest. 

One of the things that made Ali the greatest wasn’t just his amazing boxing skills inside the ring, but what he stood for outside of the ring. In fact, he stood for a couple of things outside of the ring. He stood for a glimpse into the future – for better or worse – and he stood for what he believed in. The reason why I say that Ali was a glimpse into the future is that Ali was a brash personality who ran his mouth as well as he competed. Top notch at both he helped create the modern day athlete who’s got a larger than life ego and does stuff like talk about themselves in the third person. But, while that comes off as unlikable among many of today’s modern athletes, it’s probably the thing we love the most about Ali and that’s because he always seemed to back it up. It’s rare to have a brash athlete that is that beloved. The only one I can think that comes close is Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, but on an obvious lesser level. 

The other thing that makes Ali such an iconic figure is that he stood for what he believed. In 1967, Ali was essentially vilified in this country for refusing to be conscripted into the U.S. military during the war in Vietnam, because of his Islamic beliefs and his general opposition to the war. This isn’t something that Ali should’ve been vilified for, but championed for, which is now the way many view his decision. Ali stood up for what he thought was right, how can you honestly vilify someone for that? In today’s sports world there aren’t many athletes who would go to this type of length to stand up for themselves, and this is an example of how Ali molded the modern day athlete, but also why we likely won’t ever see another like him again. Happy birthday, champ.