Happy Birthday Muhammad Ali!
Every American, of almost any age, has a Muhammad Ali story. I was 10 years old when he fought George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle, and it seemed like the biggest sporting event in history. Unlike a similar event today, which would include round-the-clock televised reports, this spectacle took place entirely in the imagination; we could read about it, but it was an exotic event in an exotic place, and it took the documentary "When We Were Kings" for me to confirm that the Zaire that existed in my mind bore no resemblance to the real one.
The six-week delay after Foreman cut his forehead while sparring only heightened the anticipation. The fight took place on a Wednesday night, and that fact alone gives you an idea of how much the world has changed since then. I don't remember it being on television, but I remember bringing my transistor radio to the gym so I could listen to the fight before and after our CYO basketball practice.
About halfway through the practice, a dad walked in with his own radio and said, "Ali won. He knocked him out." It seemed impossible. Foreman was so big and strong he seemed unbeatable, especially for the lighter, older Ali.
At that moment, as a 10-year-old more than half a world away, I took it on faith that there was something magical about Ali.
http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/story/_/page/keown-120117/on-muhammad-ali-birthday-70-reasons-celebrate
