Champions and the public

Kid Skid · Post by **Kid Skid** » 21 May 2006, 12:31

Who was beloved and who was not?...Why or why not?

The reason i ask is because my late Father absolutely hated Ali.
1. he was mouthy
2. he abandon christianity
3. did not support the viet nam war
4. he could back his mouth up in the ring
Seems like you either loved or hated the guy. I use this only as an example.

MEISINGER · Post by **MEISINGER** » 21 May 2006, 12:44

i took my son to a book signing done by george foreman.
my son was 2 nearly 3.i had a picture of george i took with us.
when we stood in line and handed him the picture he refused to sign it.
saying he was only signing his book,that is what he was payed to do.
i said i wanted my son to have an autograph of an all time great.he said buy the book or get out of line.i then said i did not want it.and the jerk said get the kid out of here he was not a baby sitter.
needless to say he was a jerk.
i have heard so many nice things about the guy but he did not show it in making a kid cry.

larry holmes not only gave me and my son an autograph he posed for pics.and had a lengthy conversation and traded jabs with my boy.great guy.

Expug · Post by **Expug** » 21 May 2006, 15:12

Wow ! That incident with Foreman pisses me off. I can only imagine how you felt. Standing in line with your son waiting for this hump to sign an autograph only to get treated like that. Bad news.

MEISINGER · Post by **MEISINGER** » 21 May 2006, 15:19

yeah everytime i see big george now i think what a phoney.
hope he chokes on one of those burgers.

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 21 May 2006, 16:32

It's ironic, but in real life (not what we see on TV or read) the athlete, actor, rock star, politician,etc you heard was such a nice guy, is often in actuality a jerk, who just happens to deal well with the media, while on the other side of the coin, you have the guy who get's label as rude, because after being asked the most personal of questions for the umteenth time, tells someone to F off. To be honest though, I've heard conflicting first hand reports about several athletes, celebrities.

Expug · Post by **Expug** » 21 May 2006, 17:05

Its true you cant believe everything you hear about a guy, but in my experience the reputation of one man has been very consistent. Jake Lamotta was no Dale Carnagie.

kick asner · Post by **kick asner** » 21 May 2006, 17:26

Sounds like Big George stood to make a lot of money if someone was paying him to sign his own book that he was selling.

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 21 May 2006, 17:44

I love the episode of King Of The Hill where George Foreman asks Hank to carry his line of grills where he works, and Hank infuriates Foreman by telling him they don't carry any novelty grills.

Kid Skid · Post by **Kid Skid** » 21 May 2006, 20:17

The persona we see on a thirty second interview usually aint true to life. The Foreman story suprises me though, he has a carefully cultivated image. Anyone remember him shaking hands with young defeated boxers after a bout? I guess anyone can be an angel when the camera is on em.

Anyone here have first hand knowledge of Liston, Ezzard Charles, or Louis?

Expug · Post by **Expug** » 21 May 2006, 20:45

When I was a young kid, Tony Zale used to come by the C.Y.O. and give some pointers to the kids. He ran the gym for awhile. Here in Chicago. He was originaly from Gary Indiana. He came from that town known for the steel mills and Tony worked in them for awhile. Gary was and still is a very tough place and he may be the toughest guy who ever came out of there. However he was a real nice guy and he always took time out for the kids at the gym.He was a dignified guy. He carried himself like a champion very humble too. He was tough but didnt act like he always had something to prove. Tough but classy. He set a good example.

Tantum · Post by **Tantum** » 21 May 2006, 20:58

Tony Zale knocked my grandmother out at a supermarket checkout.

What a phoney!

Expug · Post by **Expug** » 21 May 2006, 20:59

Are you a Graziano?

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 21 May 2006, 21:37

Tony Zale was putting on boxing clinics at Davis Square Park in the Back of the Yards thru the 1970's. Some months ago I was in his old neighborhood on the East Side of Gary doing a photo shoot, and the area around his old parish St Florian (stil open) was pretty sad.

Expug · Post by **Expug** » 21 May 2006, 21:41

Funny how here in Chicago we constantly hear about such and such neighborhood getting gentrified. Ya dont hear about much gentrification going on in Gary. Hell its probably better that way.

Jaclem · Post by **Jaclem** » 22 May 2006, 02:03

..ezzard charles never caught on as a public icon, and got bad press. not as a person, but as a fighter. thiods all time great was really treated badly by the sports writers of the time...his talents dirided by most.

as far as his relationship with the public....he was shy and this was taken as being reserved and aloof, which he was not. gave autographs freely and usually thanked the person for ASKING for his autograph instead of the other way around. He was never mobbed though, as joe louis and marciano , for example, were and it was not unusual for him not even to be recognized when he was out in public.

a friend of mine once caddied for joe louis. it was just after one of his fitghts,he didn't remember which one, but from the time frame my guess it was after his first fight with abe simon. he asked the bomber for an autographh, which he willingly gave, but it took him so long to write it he appologized....said his hands were so sore from hitting his adversary that it was touugh to just handle his golf club.

jack dempsey ..unlike most celebreties who lend thier names to ventures actually spent a lot of time him in his restaurant and always gave autographs, and asked how the asker would like it signed....mine says..."to joltin' jack______ always your pal...jack dempsey.

jake lamotta......said in varous ways about him..."as long as he's alive no one has to be worried about being called the most unpopular man in new york."

Ezzard · Post by **Ezzard** » 22 May 2006, 05:32

Tantum wrote:Tony Zale knocked my grandmother out at a supermarket checkout.

What a phoney!

Brilliant!