The 1968 Esquire Magazine Cover: The Passion of Muhammad Ali

Shot by George Lois.



" To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? "

- William Shakespeare - To be, or not to be (from Hamlet 3/1)

The idea for this shoot came about when Ali refused to join the US Army’s fight in the Vietnam War because of his recent conversion to the Nation of Islam. This cover shot is one of the most memorable in magazine history; so iconic in fact that I'm having it put to canvas as art for my apartment. The image shows the former heavyweight champion with six arrows in him, which were supposed to kill him.

The direction for this shoot was inspired by the story of St. Sebastian. He was martyred after he converted to Christianity. Legend has it that St. Sebastian was tied to a stake and shot at with six arrows. He survived and was taken to safety, and nursed to health. After this near death experinece, he was to help a blind girl regain her sight by converting her to Christianity. When she could see, he cried out to the Lord and was heard. He was then clubbed to death.

In similar fashion Ali was punished for his beliefs. All the respect he had earned over the course of his career was rendered null and void. He was called a traitor to his country, a draft dodger and was stripped of his heavyweight crown and passport. He is a reminder to me of what the price for having principles is, and though I was born in 1979 without ever having seen him fight outside of highlight reels, he remains an iconic figure to me for his unyielding stance.

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Life Magazine Available on Google Books

Google Books has recently made the entire Life Magazine catalog available for free viewing on the web. You can read through all the back issues from 1935 to the most current. Take a look and go down memory lane, and the let the nostalgia take it's course.

It takes tremendous sacriface to achieve greatness, often failures before Success

I chose this clip taken from the Movie "Ali" with Will Smith acting as "The Greatest" because this was by far my favorite of all the scenes in that Movie. It showed me how close Will Smith came to impersonating Ali in both tone and attitude. It more importantly showed me what a man must be prepared to lose sometimes for his own personal beliefs; and when principle is put before social acceptance a greater greatness awaits you.

My favorite Sports commercials; Michael Jordan for Gatorade / Laila and Muhammad Ali for Adidas

History Today: Muhammad Ali

June 20, 1967 - 42 Years ago

On this day in 1967, Muhammad Ali was convicted of violating civil service laws when he refused to be drafted into the Vietnam war. Ali was sentenced to 5 years in prison & a fine of $10,000. The US Supreme Court overturned that ruling in 1971, Ali never went to jail for it, but he lost critical ring time. The greatest boxer ever didn't let adversity get in his way, and he stands as a true symbol of conscientious resistance.

Muhammad Ali: Charismatic Person Moment

Every so often I'll be posting up interviews, shows and features from various indivisuals in history. People who echoed their actions and words throughout eternity.



Today I choose boxing legend Muhammad Ali (Outside of the Ring)
Speaking with British TV interviewer Micheal Parkinson. For the record, I don't agree with everything Mr Ali says and I am more critical of the manner in how he chose to express certain views at times - but I'm damn near 90% in agreement with him about so called educated people, and I could definately see the cunning in some of Parkinson's clever questions as he tries to corner Ali about certain subjects. This footage was chosen over alot of what people typically like to see about Ali because this footage shows Ali in full intellectual confrontation with Michael Parkinson. He does not rely on being comical in his usual rhyming fashion, on the contrary in this program there wasn't alot of applause, but still the energy in the room was sharper then a blade.

What I do admire about Muhammad Ali is the boldness and passion of his views, something that isn't as present in modern day sports personalities. Money and Fame, to be without these things for so many of today's athletes is just too unbearable. Ali faced imprisonment, got bankrupted in his fight against the supreme court of America for his refusal to fight in Vietnam when unlawfully drafted. Ali faced public scrutiny and was stripped of his Heavyweight title and went through public life turmoil for what he believed in. For this reason, he is featured here as one of my favorite people to watch as he debates and speaks his mind.

Take it in...





No matter what your opinion, whether for or against, it would always take courage for a man or a woman to speak their mind just as Ali did in that footage without fear of what anyone else would think.

Stay tuned for the next Charismatic Person Moment in History.