The Greatest Men I have witnessed

     When I was about 13, we moved to Hemet California.  I was attending the Catholic grade school in San Jacinto, on the other side of this soup bowl of a valley.  I will never understand why, but the time changed between Hemet and San Jacinto.  I could get on my bike at 8AM and ride to school (probably 5 miles) and arrive at 7:45.  This was certainly my first living example of "nothing is absolute, even time," a huge revelation to a youngster.  It taught me it's acceptable to question everything that was deemed "just the way it is." I met someone that year that not only challenged, but changed the status quo in our world forever...

     Cassius Marcellus Clay was training at Reds Meadows Training Camp, in Hemet at the time.  Boppa (my grandfather) and I would often go sit in the old wood bleachers with 6 to 10 others and watch him spar.  After his workout he would dance a little and with arms raised tell us, "I AM The Greatest!"  Boppa told me to watch him because he could just become the greatest.  We were there often enough that one afternoon he took us inside, talked and toyed with us and then let me hit the heavy bag.  When he hit it, it flew so easily, I assumed it was full of cotton and....damn near broke my fist.  It's full of sand!   

     Well, Ali provided Boppa and me many a fun night.  Whenever he fought, I would pick Boppa up @ La Costa and drive into San Diego to The Sports Arena and watch the fight on big screen.  If I was in college in Menlo Park I would fly home to watch Ali with Boppa, it was "our thing." I don't think we missed a fight. We would have a few (ya right) beers and watch Ali.  I am so very thankful for those times.  Believe it or not, Boppa was a chick magnet for me and we were Ali's biggest fans!  We would always leave the fight either hoarse or voiceless from our "instructions" to our friend during the fight. All of his fights were an incredible emotional roller coaster for both of us!

     I have owned and displayed this poster of Ali, standing over Sonny Liston with the caption. "IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING"  for over 30 years.  This man changed me and changed the world.  Boppa WAS RIGHT, HE DID TURN OUT TO BE THE GREATEST!

     Thank you Muhammad Ali. You gave Boppa and me so much.