Re: “,” June 4 news story.
Twenty-five years ago I was walking across town in New York when, lo and behold, I saw Muhammad Ali walking — by himself — on the other side of the street. Doormen and people on the street recognized him and called out greetings such as “Hi, Champ” and several approached him for a handshake. I crossed over to his side and caught up, as these greetings slowed him a bit, and we fell into step just as we crossed 7th Avenue.
Traffic was quite congested and a school bus was stopped in the middle of the street. The children, middle school-aged, recognized him and pulled down windows and started to cheer and applaud. At that point, Ali turned and got on the school bus! He walked up and down the aisle and shook hands with every child.
Then he stepped off the bus and continued across the street as traffic movement resumed, to the door of the hotel to which we were both proceeding.
I then had the chance to shake his hand and compliment his efforts with the kids. He acknowledged my comment with a smile, and continued to greet people such as the doormen and bell staff.
Now that is a classy guy, unlike the oversized egos in today’s sport and celebrity worlds — and the political arena as well.
James DeFrancia, Steamboat Springs
This letter was published in the June 7 edition.
Re: “,” June 5 news story.
Mike Klis wrote an excellent article about Muhammad Ali. I am a year younger than Ali, so I witnessed his rise as a boxer and as a voice for human rights. A lot of people at the time (and probably still now) couldn’t connect with Ali’s reasoning that a black man should not have to go to war to fight for other people’s freedom when he does not have those freedoms at home. I got it then, and I get it now.
Noel Waechter, Littleton
This letter was published in the June 7 edition.
I will never forget when my late father came home from the national Golden Gloves tournament in 1960. Dad was the coach of the Midwest team out of Omaha for decades. At dinner that night, he announced he had just seen the next heavyweight champion of the world fight. Some light-heavyweight teenager from Louisville named Clay. Dad added, “Right now, that kid could have given Joe Louis a helluva fight.”
Yeah, dad knew talent when he saw it, and every time Muhammad Ali fought after that, he let us know.
Steve Fickler, Wheat Ridge
This letter was published in the June 7 edition.
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