Frazier And Ali Revisited

Sunday’s column reflected on the death of Joe Frazier and recalled the epic “Thrilla in Manila.”

I made reference in the column to Mark Kram’s seminal account of the fight for Sports Illustrated, under the headline “Lawdy, Lawdy He’s Great.” You can read it here.

And here’s a link to Bill Simmons’ column about Frazier following the fighter’s death.

One caller left a voice mail for me lauding my depiction of Ali as a bully. There was nothing new or original about that, but the caller seemed to think there was, and I appreciate him calling. Ali was a most complex man, and that’s what makes him so interesting. Certainly the most interesting athlete of my lifetime, if not of all-time.

Anyway, give the column a read if you haven’t, and let me know what you think.