My favorite is what he said the Vietnamese never called him.It is a good quote, and I looked it up he really did say it.
He said a lot of stuff.
Yes, he was an Independent Thinker who didn't allow himself to be programmed - by the Government or anyone else.My favorite is what he said the Vietnamese never called him.
In a book he wrote with one of his daughters near the end of his life he mentioned two significant things:Yes, he was an Independent Thinker who didn't allow himself to be programmed - by the Government or anyone else.
Like me.
I interpreted his bragging as part of his entertainment. It always made me smile."I'm young; I'm handsome; I'm fast. I can't possibly be beat."
“It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am."
“Braggin' is when a person says something and can’t do it. I do what I say.”
"I should be a postage stamp. That's the only way I'll ever get licked."
“It’s not bragging if you can back it up.”
Some may have thought he was quite the bragger, but like the last of his quotes I posted he could back it up.
He sure was funny with it.I interpreted his bragging as part of his entertainment. It always made me smile.
He guest-starred on a few sitcoms. I wished he chose an acting career; he would have lived longer & been in better health.
When our children were toddlers and one would fall - as happens frequently with those new to walking - my husband or I would often do our impersonation of Howard Cosell calling the Joe Frazier-Muhammad Ali fight, "Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!" It started us laughing and then the kids would laugh...
I was in my early teens when he embraced and changed his name. Since my parents didn't follow boxing I didn't have much of an opinion about Ali.
That said, he gained my respect when I grew older and saw that he was a man with courage in his convictions who didn't take a back seat to anyone.
His public refusal to fight in Vietnam probably inspired many others to do the same.
He also did a lot of a 'quiet', and likely non tax-deductible 'giving', helping individuals one at a time, his daughters talked about it. Of course there were the public contributions like working with Micheal J. Fox on Parkinson's Foundation.I don't believe I was ever impressed with him... but, this quote just made me rethink my opinion of him.
"Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong."