EL SEGUNDO HERALD June 9, 2016 Page 5 Rumble, Young Man, Rumble By Adam Serrao Ali boma ye. A familiar slogan shouted by thousands of Congolese audience members as Muhammad Ali prepared to face George Foreman in 1974 at the Rumble in the Jungle in what was at the time, Kinshasa, Zaire. The pro-Ali crowd from back then has grown by millions in the years since. Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, chiseled out a place in the hearts of every American on his way to becoming known as “The Greatest”. Ali entered the hospital last week in the Phoenix area due to what was initially thought to be non-threatening respiratory issues. It later became one fight that the champion would ultimately not survive. Muhammad Ali died last Friday night at the age of 74. Though his spirit may now be gone, his legend will truly live on forever. There have been books written, movies made, documentaries produced and articles constructed, all about the man whose name was Ali. The 860 words in this article will certainly neither do any of those, nor the man himself, justice. Perhaps the most important thing to remember about Ali, however, was that he was a man who made promises and truly lived up to them. He promised to be the greatest ever. He was. He promised to shock the world. He did. He floated like a butterfly, he stung like a bee, and even after a despicable disease rendered him much more useless than any other fighter ever could, Ali remained fearless. Though his voice was little more than simply a whisper, his spirit remained gigantic. An unshaken champion, Ali stood for freedom and love. Muhammad Ali was bigger than boxing. He was one of the world’s most recognizable people, and not just because of what he did with his gloves inside of the ring. Ali famously took a stance on the military draft and refused to go across seas to fight in the Vietnam war. “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong,” Ali explained. Likewise, Ali’s conversion to Islam even further polarized a nation that was already in awe of the man who stopped at nothing to stand up for what he believed in. “It’s a sad day for life, man,” promoter Don King said of Ali’s passing. “I loved Muhammad Ali. He was my friend. Ali will never die. Like Martin Luther King, his spirit will live on. He stood for the world.” Though he stood for the world outside of the ring, Ali certainly stood tall inside of the ring, as well. He took down Sonny Liston twice. He brought the enormous George Foreman to his knees by inventing the rope-a-dope. Perhaps most famously, Ali nearly fought until life left his body when he took on Joe Frazier in the Philippines. The names mentioned above speak volumes about who Ali was as a person and a boxer. He never shied away from a battle and was never scared to take on the best that there was. Boxers nowadays fight battles that they know they can win. Ali, on the other hand, was always out to prove a point. He took on the best, beat the best, and became the best that there ever was. “Muhammad Ali is a legend and one of the world’s most celebrated athletes, the fighter who ushered in the golden era of boxing and put the sport on the map,” Oscar De La Hoya explained. “He paved the way for professional fighters, including myself, elevating boxing to become a sport watched in millions of households around the world.” Muhammad Ali truly was a household name. Without him, the sport of boxing would be nothing. Ali had a career after boxing, as well. He later became an evangelist and a missionary for Islam, naturally stating, “I will be the greatest evangelist ever,” in a way that only Muhammad Ali could. Soon thereafter, Parkinson’s entered into Ali’s life. His loud voice turned to a whisper, his shuffle in the ring turned into a slow stagger, and his muscular visage quickly turned into a frail countenance. Through it all, however, Ali remained strong-willed and kept the heart of a lion in his chest. “What I suffered physically was worth what I’ve accomplished in life,” he related. “A man who is not courageous enough to take risks will never accomplish anything in life” Words that we all could truly live by. “I would like to be remembered as a man who won the heavyweight title three times, who was humorous, and who treated everyone right. As a man who never looked down on those who looked up to him, and who helped as many people as he could. As a man who stood up for his beliefs no matter what. As a man who tried to unite all humankind through faith and love. And if all that’s too much, then I guess I’d settle for being remembered only as a great boxer who became a leader and a champion of his people. And I wouldn’t even mind if folks forgot how pretty I was.” – Muhammad Ali January 17, 1942- June 03, 2016. Rest in Peace, Muhammad Ali. • Championship Saturday Crowns Champs Story and Photos by Gregg McMullin The El Segundo Little League wrapped up its sixty-second season with Championship Saturday that crowned the league champions in the AA, AAA and Major divisions. It was a full day of baseball, reflection and a time to come together and remember just how precious life is. In the AA championship game the Royals got by the Pirates, 4-3. In the AAA game, the Athletics came from behind to defeat the Giants, 3-2. In the Major championship game the, Angels repeated by defeating the Athletics, 7-2. At the Closing Ceremonies league president Peter Gianusso gave an emotional heartfelt speech in front of a packed audience that included the El Segundo police and fire departments as well as a number of news channel trucks. It was another successful season that seems to have flown by way too quickly. In years to come the memories of the past four months of practices and games, sitting in the bitter cold at games, at Center Street School, or in the stands at Brett Field will forever give way to what we long for; one more reminiscence of our child’s youth. And who will forget eating some of the best snack bar hamburgers being grilled by Stacy McEwan. There were no losers only winners with dirty uniforms, precious smiles and plenty of memories to last a lifetime. AA Division The day started with an incredible game that featured two teams with a lot of character and a boat load of potential for the future. Both teams played outstanding defense and had solid pitching. The Royals scored to open the game when Logan Brooks reached on an error and scored on JR Francis’ RBI walk. They scored twice in the second inning when Nick Parisi walked and scored on Timmy Anderson’s RBI single. Anderson would later score when Brooks worked an RBI walk to make it 3-0. In the bottom of the third inning the Pirates tied the game. Townes Potter was hit by a pitch, Jamie Owen ripped a single and Parker Levin was hit by a pitch to lad the bases. Calvin Meyer drew an RBI walk, Milo Watts drove in a run and Ethan Plouff had an RBI double to tie the game, 3-3. The Royals would go onto score the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and then hold off the Pirates. The Royals pitching staff was impressive with Chase Mattoon, Mark Coakly, Logan Brooks and Ethan Kearney limiting the strong Pirates batting order. The Pirates staff was equally impressive with Ethan Plouff, Jamie Owen and Townes Potter combining on a two-hitter. Anderson and JR Francis led the Royals on offense. The Pirates were led by Ethan Plouff who was 3-for-3 with two singles and an RBI double. AAA Division Perhaps the best game of the day was between the Athletics and the Giants. These two teams finished at the top of the standings before their playoff run to the championship game. It was fitting that these two teams played for the championship since they were so evenly matched. The Giants got the upper hand early on and led 2-0. The game was quickly played with minimal mishaps on defense by both sides. The Athletics scoreless innings drought against the Giants ended in the bottom of the fifth when they scored a run to cut the defi- “Muhammad Ali was bigger than boxing. He was one of the world’s most recognizable people, and not just because of what he did with his gloves inside of the ring.” The Angels celebrate their Major Division championship. See Champs, page 7 Douglass M O R T U A R Y “Our Family Serving Yours Since 1954” B U R I A L - C R E M A T I O N - W O R L D W I D E T R A N S F E R P E T M E M O R I A L P R O D U C T S 500 EAST IMPERIAL AVENUE EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA 90245 Burkley & Brandlin LLP A T T O R N E Y S A T L A W Living Trusts/Wills, Probate, Employment Law, Personal Injury Trust and Estates Litigation, Business Litigation, Civil Litiga tion 310-540-6000 Lifetime El Segundo Residents *AV Rated (Highest) Martindale - Hubbell / **Certified Specialist Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization Brian R. Brandlin • Bruce R. Brandlin • Christopher P. Brandlin Telephone (310) 640-9325 • Fax (310) 640-0778 • FD658
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