When heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier was preparing for his first fight with Muhammad Ali, one of his sparring partners was an up-and-coming contender named Ken Norton. Norton gave Frazier fits. One observer at the time suggested that Frazier's braintrust(s) might want to consider getting behind Norton as a title contender. In March, 1973, Norton was selected as another stepping stone in Ali's return march to the throne. By the time of this fight, Ali had been mercilessly hammered in a loss to Frazier (in March, 1971) and Frazier had, in turn, been dethroned after sitting on the title for two years by George Foreman (in January, 1973). Norton had been knocked out by unknown Jose Luis Garcia, so he wasn't considered much of a roadblock on Ali's way back up the ladder. Not only did Norton break Ali's jaw, he pitched a shutout. Norton won 12 out of 12 rounds. In the rematch 6 months later, Ali eked out a narrow win (I gave him the fight by a single point).
It was because of his shocking win over the self-professed "Greatest" that many of us queued up to see MANDINGO (and the sequel, DRUM). While Norton had proved himself capable enough in the ring, it was clear that he wasn't exactly a natural when it came to acting (not that his role in either film stretched the boundaries of the craft in any way, shape or form). The sordid storyline, with its roots in Reality, was likewise less than compelling, but we were there to see Norton, after all (those of us who followed The Sweet Science, anyway). The highly-touted fisticuffs the promoters had promised were too few and much too far between for some of us.
What prompts all this? Just last night, on MSNBC's COUNTDOWN with Keith Olberman, Right Wing Racist Rush Limbo referred to the current President of the United $tate$ as "a Halfrican." Thus far having proved himself a politician of uncommon Common Sense, Barack Obama labors to set right what the Republican Reich has undone over the past 45 years (today's jobless rate stands at a whopping 15%). For Limbo to take the same old road tred by so many lacking even marginal Common Sense in this country, it points up just how far we've really come, after all these years. Which is not very far at all.
It was because of his shocking win over the self-professed "Greatest" that many of us queued up to see MANDINGO (and the sequel, DRUM). While Norton had proved himself capable enough in the ring, it was clear that he wasn't exactly a natural when it came to acting (not that his role in either film stretched the boundaries of the craft in any way, shape or form). The sordid storyline, with its roots in Reality, was likewise less than compelling, but we were there to see Norton, after all (those of us who followed The Sweet Science, anyway). The highly-touted fisticuffs the promoters had promised were too few and much too far between for some of us.
What prompts all this? Just last night, on MSNBC's COUNTDOWN with Keith Olberman, Right Wing Racist Rush Limbo referred to the current President of the United $tate$ as "a Halfrican." Thus far having proved himself a politician of uncommon Common Sense, Barack Obama labors to set right what the Republican Reich has undone over the past 45 years (today's jobless rate stands at a whopping 15%). For Limbo to take the same old road tred by so many lacking even marginal Common Sense in this country, it points up just how far we've really come, after all these years. Which is not very far at all.