By Odeisel

History rarely remembers number 2. Who cares about the second man on the moon, or the second place trophy? Not many.  As we celebrate (or decry) the NBA free agent period and Lebron James’ on again off again romance with the Cleveland Cavaliers, let’s take a look at a very famous number two brought the city of Cleveland it’s last professional sports title way back in 1948: Larry Doby. While Jackie Robinson is generally lauded and rightfully so as the first African-American to play for a major league baseball team, Larry Doby came along 11 months later, becoming the first Black player in the American League.

Doby, signed by Bill Veeck underwent the same sliding spikes, racial epithets and lunch counter harassment as Robinson, but apparently the media didn’t have enough Black sympathy to spread. Larry Doby’s tale is one of unheralded self-determination and self control in the face of hatred and resistance to colorizing what was then “America’s Passtime.”

Doby led a distinguished high school athletic career in New Jersey’s East Side High (made famous later by principal Joe Clark), and spent four years playing Negro League ball for the Newark Eagles, eventually winning the Negro League Championship. His stellar play garnered the attention of Veeck and was signed by the Cleveland Indians in 1947. A year later and only a few removed from his Negro League title, Doby brought a ring to the “mistake by the lake,” becoming the first Black man to hit a home run in the World Series.

Doby was a superior ballplayer, making the All-Star team 7 times throughout his career, leading the American League in home runs twice and led the league in various statistical categories including on base percentage, runs scored, and RBI during the same seven year stretch. Being in and Black weren’t enough for Mr. Doby. He produced numbers that were at or near the top of his day even after giving two years of his career to the military.

Larry Doby had a string of distinguished accomplishments in his life after the Major Leagues including becoming the first Black Player of the Japanese Nippon League, one of the first Black coaches in Major League Baseball, and once again taking lucky number two behind another great Robinson (Frank) as the second Black Manager on the majors when Veeck again came calling, this time with the Chicago White Sox.

Jackie Robinson occupies a singular position in the national conscience. While he didn’t live long enough to truly savor his place in history, his story is at least well chronicled and rightfully celebrated. But for every martyr or champion, there are unsung heroes who have faced and conquered similar duress and adversity on their rode to victory. Larry Doby didn’t have the flashing bulbs, the beat writers or the universally retired 42 that Robinson had. That doesn’t diminish his sacrifice in providing another shining example of Black competence and performance against all odds. While you Clevelanders wait on pins and needles for Lebron to decide whether he’s going or throwing.  Take a minute today to tip your caps to the last champion you’ve ever seen. Larry Doby. The best number two there ever was.

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By Odeisel

Yesterday, the good folks at Reebok invited Planet Ill and a select few to the unveiling of their new ZigTech Slash and to announce their newest signing, Kentucky Wildcat point guard and expected 2010 NBA Draft #1 pick John Wall. Wall is the first basketball athlete wearing sneakers that use the ZigTech shoe which is designed to return kinetic energy to the user to enhance explosion.

Wall is no stranger to Reebok. In 2007 he took part in a Reebok promotion, having competed in The Reebok Breakout Camp. His performance against future pros like Milwaukie Bucks guard Brandon Jennings served as his coming out party and established him on the watch list. After a stellar freshman year in Kentucky blue, including an overall 3.5 GPA off the court, Wall decided to take his show to the big stage.  Humble and even a bit nervous, he steps into the limelight as the house that Iverson reinvented with a desire to succeed and become one of the game’s best.

Planet Ill was able to check out the new kicks up close and personal and interview both Wall and Reebok’s President of Sports and Entertainment to get a look at why Reebok chose Wall, why Wall chose Reebok, the demands of selling an aesthetic to the urban market and much more.  Reebok, in the same vein as The Pump 20 years ago stand poised to do it again with Zigtech and the timing of the announcement, with the NBA Draft this evening couldn’t be timed better. Enjoy the press conference in its entirety, our interview with wall (we’re the second set of four questions, and of course, the new kicks. Peace

Press Conference

John Wall Interview (Talks His Father, Defense, Comparisons To Gary Payton, Academic Achievement)

Reebok Interview (Talks Iverson, The Pump, Selling Shoes to Urban America)

Differences Between Marketing John Wall and Allen Iverson

I wasn’t a fan of baseball unless I was at the game. If it wasn’t the Yankees, I could care less as a child.  But one thing I remembered about baseball in the 90s was that swing.  It was so smooth and fluid and so powerful. As soon as you heard that CRACK! You didn’t even have to look up, but when you did, you saw him admire his handiwork. You saw his head tilt slightly and you saw that cool ass bop out of the batter’s box and the smooth slow professionally arrogant stride around the bases for another one of his 630 homeruns.

There was a bit of majesty to the way that Griffey hit those homeruns. He made baseball matter to the urban community in a way that it hadn’t been since the Dodgers left Brooklyn and Willie Mays stopped playing stickball with the children of Harlem. He wasn’t overtly Hip-Hop or anything like that, but he was the spirit of youth, with a connection to the hood that basketball had usurped from baseball with Magic and Bird and that the ascension of the Miami Hurricanes had further eroded.

For most of his career’s height, he stood at the left side of Barry Bonds (pre-roids), both supreme in talent on offense and defense. But Griffey lacked the surliness that made Bonds an anti-hero. He would not dance or smile for the camera. Griffey, conversely, just has “It”. With the era of hypermedia just gathering steam, Griffey had all the elements of stardom. The second generation pedigree, the perfectly imperfect smile, his arrival at the age of 19 identifiable by youth but respected by veterans. Griffey had seemingly impossible talent, and the cherry on top: genuine animus for the evil empire, my beloved Jankees ( Yes I know, no J in Yankees) The perfect storm that produced runs at an alarming rate, sold millions of baseball cards, jerseys, and sneakers. He averaged 44 homeruns in the midst of an era when many of his contemporaries went to bat aided by performance enhancing drugs, an achievement in itself.

Unfortunately, the latter half of his career didn’t have the same gleam with which it began. Injury after injury robbed slowly robbed him of the sublime talent he once possessed. A return to his hometown town Cincinnati that began with the promise of a new start deteriorated under the weight of so many injury shortened seasons, eventually ending with Griffey unceremoniously spending his final years with the Chicago White Sox, and eventually back to where it began in Seattle, more of a figurehead and symbol of what use to be than the fearsome weapon that was. In the end, clubhouse disarray, ignominious tales of sleeping during games and other innuendo finally caused Griffey Jr. to see the writing on the wall. He retired this week, falling on the sword and removing a bit of mayhem from team.

Ken Griffey Jr. never reached Willie Mays’ 660, much less Aaron’s 755 or Bonds’ 762.  But he will retire as a symbol of a time when the long ball was trusted and when athletes didn’t concern themselves with their contracts before their game; his first major injury coming with a daring crash into the wall catch that broke his wrist. He’s probably the last link to the spirit of fun that was baseball’s “game” link, before the steroid and labor disputes, and other factors slowly drained that relative “innocence”.

With Alex Rodriguez tainted by the stench of steroids, Griffey was perhaps the last legitimate challenge to Aaron’s non asterisk mark. For that he should always be honored. Baseball owes him for bringing back the fun and perhaps bringing the hood back to the ballparks. The tragedy is that we were never able to see him challenge Mays’ and Bonds’ supremacy. In all honesty, ‘roids or not, Barry Bonds would have been there anyway. But wouldn’t it have been nice to see those two go at it post millennium? Cultural elements aside, it would certainly have been more essential to baseball immortality than Sosa and McGwire. As it stands, “The Kid” retires in the greatest of company. Time to tip our backwards caps.

By Odeisel

If you like sports then you probably know who Bill SImmons is. He’s the “Sports Guy” and his exploits can be read on ESPN, in his bestseller books, and on radio. Simmons, a Bostonian and Red Sox homer is not only a champion of all sports New England (Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, Sox) but the proud owner of *gasp* LA Clippers season tickets.

Simmons is known to go off on just about any topic, sports related and his use of pop culture to mix with sports is second to none.  We were able to catch up with Simmons at ESPN The Magazine’s NFL 2010 Pre Draft Party last week and were able to go all over the place with questions as he was very gracious with his time.  We talked  bad GM mistakes,  the Dallas Mavericks, Lebron James, his new book, NBA Coaches Don Nelson and Phil Jackson, his frustration with Kobe Bryant as a player, and of course, the beloved Red Sox.

Mr. Simmons rarely speaks with outlets outside of ESPN so it’s an honor and a privilege that we got to chop it up  and for so long.  Hope you all enjoy the video. Bill Simmons. Planet Ill. Let’s go.

By Odeisel. Interview by Hot Rod! The Rowdy One

Stephen A. Smith is a long time veteran of the new guard of media. His distinctive style can be abrasive to some, but to many he’s like a living barbershop discussion: uniquely and profoundly urban. Smith, a former college basketball player, has done print, television, and radio as well as online media and has mastered them to varying degrees.

Smith recently made big waves a few weeks ago when he wrote a column with shocking details on Allen Iverson’s life, amid varying reports regarding the health of Iverson’s daughter, a pending divorce from his wife, rumors of a gambling addiction and a growing alcohol problem. The report created a firestorm of media which ultimately led to Iverson being dismissed for a final time from his second stint with the 76ers.

We caught up with Smith at the ESPN The Magazine 2010 NFL Pre Draft party to ask him a few questions, not only to follow up with the Iverson situation, but also Ben Roethlisberger’s recent legal trouble, The Philadelphia Eagles’ trade of longtime quarterback Donovan McNabb, and the NBA playoffs. In trademark Stephen A. fashion, he let it rip with both barrels blazing. Here’s the vid. Enjoy.

By Odeisel

We all prepare for our eventual professions through the formative stages in our lives, via high school, college, et cetera. With sports it is no different, and the journey of prospective professional prospects and their journey from high school selections to NFL draft picks is one of the most transparent processes there is.

Student athletes deal with many pressures, both social and scholastic, as well as the game day jitters, the screams of coaches, the health concerns; trying to avoid dramatic injuries that could derail the dreams for which they have have sweated and bled. They get poked and prodded like cattle, evaluated and background checked like criminals, and put under the microscope.

But at the end of that journey lies riches beyond the imaginings of regular folk, and all the commensurate fame and attention. At the end of theay, if you are successful, it’s not a bad life.

Wednesday night, on the day before Round 1 of the NFL draft, we caught up to two players who would eventually go first and second in the draft, Sam Bradford, quarterback, and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. While they were certainly trying to get their fair share of hot women, ?uestlove driven beatmania, and of course the free booze, we managed to twist their arms for a few minutes of their time on their last night as amateurs.  Below is the result.  Enjoy.

Sam Bradford

Ndamukong Suh

For your pleasure, here’s a small sample of how the event went off.  Special shout to Crystal Howard from ESPN The Magazine for another top flight event.

1234►

Hot Rod! The Rowdy One

We’re back for another week of Out of Bounds here on Planet Ill. As always, we strive to give you the best from the world around. This week, the world of sports began to wind from the high of the 2010 Winter Olympics. We saw a great Olympic Hockey game to close out the Winter Olympics. The U.S.A. lead the final count with 37 total medals while the host country, Canada, had the most gold medals with 14. Although the Olympics initially looked to be a “snooze fest” with the way things began, the paced picked up quickly this year, with hockey playing a major part. 

Pro-Hockey may not have the flash it once had here in America during the late 90’s and early 2000’s following the hockey lockout of 2004. However, in Canada, it’s their national sport and they showed us why they’re the best at it.  Congrats to the Canadian hockey team for their gold medal win, to the U.S. Hockey team for advancing to the gold medal game and putting up a good fight, and to all of the Olympic participants, winners and losers, for making the 2010 Winter Olympics one of the more memorable Winter Olympics. 

Allen Iverson has had a hell of a week. On Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers released Allen Iverson. Iverson hasn’t played a game since February 20, 2010 in order to take care of his daughter who is ill with an undisclosed illness. On the same day, his wife of 8 ½ years, Tawanna Iverson, filed for divorce. A.I. has always been linked to alcohol and gambling problems and those troubles have again lead to the recent troubles in Iverson’s life and friends are asking fans to “pray” for A.I. 

Despite his troubles, Iverson is still one of the All-Time greats in the NBA. It’s sad to see anyone having to fight their demons and have their life altered on such a scale. Love or hate him, one still has to have hope that he can see his way out of this storm and come out a better person from it. 

Another athlete who’s going through a storm of his own is Pittsburgh Steelers star quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger is being accused for sexual assault for the second time of his career. The first incident took place in 2009 when charges of sexual assault were filed in Reno, NV by Andrea McNulty for an encounter that took place in 2008. 

I don’t know where to begin with this situation. Once is enough with this kind of situation, but for a second incident to have supposedly happened, you really have to start questioning a person, their actions, and the people around them; especially if you’re a teammate of Roethlisberger’s. Hopefully more details will emerge from this situation and all parties involved can put this behind them. 

Speaking of the NFL, free agency signings kicked-off at 12am Friday morning. There were some big names that made big moves to other teams. Former Carolina Panthers DE Julius Peppers signed a six year deal with the Chicago Bears. The New York Giants signed former Arizona Cardinals Safety Antrel Rolle. Speaking of the Cardinals, the New York Jets traded a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft and a seventh-round pick in 2011 draft for Safety Kerry Rhodes. The Cards also traded WR Anquan Boldin and a fifth-round selection to the Baltimore Ravens for a third and fourth round 2010 draft picks. 

Also from the Carolina Panthers camp, the organization decided to release QB Jake Delhomme. 

Finally, with today being Oscars Sunday, I figured I would share with you three sports documentaries that have caught my attention that every sports fan should see. Two of them have debuted already while another one debuts this weekend. Let’s check them out. 

First, let me apologize to one of our writers here at Planet Ill. About a month ago, our very own Malice Intended did a review on the documentary Facing Ali and I never mentioned it. For that, I apologize. For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, it’s a documentary about the life of arguably one of sports’ greatest athletes and professional boxing’s greatest champs, Muhammad Ali, through the eyes of ten men who have face Ali in the ring. It’s a great documentary and Malice’s review is excellent as always. 

Last night on HBO, HBO Sports debuted Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals. The documentary coincides with the book When the Game was Ours which was written by Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Jackie MacMullan. The documentary covers a range of topics between the two superstars including their upbringings, their rise and rivalry in the NCAA and Pro Basketball ranks, their off the court lifestyles and personas, the racial tensions amongst the fans of the sport, and so much more. If you’re a fan of basketball and a historian of sorts, this is a must see. 

By Hot Rod! The Rowdy One

Your resident sports fan is back with you for another round of Out of Bounds here on Planet Ill. With the 2010 Winter Olympics coming to an end tonight, the world is on pins and needles to catch the final ceremony as well as the biggest game in this year’s Olympics.  We’re gonna get to that in a lil bit, but look at some of the other news that went down in the world of sports. To put it best, in my best Jim McKay voice, “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… This is Planet Ill’s Out of Bounds.”

With the 2010 NFL Draft two months away, the NFL Scouting Combine started on Wednesday. The big fun began yesterday with the workouts. One of the players most people have their eyes on at this year’s combine is Florida Gator QB and Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow. Tebow ran a 4.7 and 4.72 40 yard dash. Not blazing speed, but think about it like this; you’re gonna run a lot faster, during a game, when you have a 250 pound linebacker chasing you than when you’re at the combine doing drills that you would do in your high school P.E. class. Don’t fret “Disciples” of the Church of Tebow, he’ll be fine. He did jump 38.5 inches in the vertical jump which ties Josh McKnown’s record for QBs at the Combine. So he’s got that goin’ for him, which is nice.

While we’re on the topic of the NFL, it was not a good week to be an offensive veteran since there were a number of eye catching cuts that took place this week. The San Diego Chargers decided to make some changes in their backfield by releasing Pro-Bowl RB and face of the Charger’s franchise for the past nine years, LaDainian Tomlinson and not offering a tender to running back Darren Sproles, which will allow him to test the free agent market this year.

I have no idea what the Chargers are doing, but I sure hope all of this movement in their backfield works out for them. If it doesn’t, somebody will be unemployed at the end of the 2010 season.

Another running back who was released this week was former Philadelphia Eagles RB, Brian Westbrook. Westbrook called into Chicago’s ESPN 1000, with his thoughts about his recent release:

waddlesilvy100226_westbrook

Other noticeable releases that took place this week were Terrell Owens from the Buffalo Bills and the impending release of running back Thomas Jones from the New York Jets.

Another headline that went down this week was the suspension of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption’s co-host Tony Kornheiser for remarks he made about the outfit ESPN’s Sports Center host, Hannah Storm, was wearing in an edition of Sports Center. Kornheiser’s words were:

“Hannah Storm in a horrifying, horrifying outfit today. She’s got on red go-go boots and a catholic school plaid skirt … way too short for somebody in her 40s or maybe early 50s by now.

She’s got on her typically very, very tight shirt. She looks like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body … I know she’s very good, and I’m not supposed to be critical of ESPN people, so I won’t … but Hannah Storm … come on now! Stop! What are you doing?”

This isn’t anything new for Kornheiser. He’s been suspended in the past for remarks he’s made about ESPN employees, so this is just “par for the course”. Ironically, when Jason Whitlock, who I’m not a big fan of at times because of his attacks on Hip-Hop, made comments about ESPN’s employees, he was fired. I’m a fan of P.T.I. (Pardon the Interruption). I’m a fan of both Kornheiser and the show’s other host, Michael Wilbon. I think it’s one of the more “truthful” sports shows on television. However, if he’s gonna keep going at his peers like he went at Storm, or any other staff member at that, then a long term “suspension” needs to be looked at. ESPN shouldn’t go the route of double standard in that case.

Check out Wilbon’s thoughts on the Kornheiser situation as well as other topics when he visited The Dan Patrick Show

DP-Michael_Wilbon-02-24-10-Interview

Speaking of double standard, what’s good with all of these people making a big fuss about the Canadian Women’s Hockey Team celebrating on the ice after their gold medal win against the U.S. Team?

While following up on the situation, I heard that the team’s celebration actually took place when the building was supposedly empty. So what’s the big deal? And would this have been a big deal if this was the Men’s Hockey team and not the Women’s squad? Look, these women played a good game to win gold on their home ice. I understand that they’re representing their country during these Olympic Games, but gimme a break already. Someone released pictures of a private celebration amongst teammates. So with National Woman’s Month starting tomorrow, do me a favor, enough with the double standard. Leave it be, it’s not that serious. Had those pictures not been released, we would have known nothing about it and frankly, we really don’t care. Stop making mountains outta molehills.

Finally, since we’re on the topic of Olympic Hockey, one of the most anticipated match-ups will take place when Team Canada faces Team U.S.A. for the gold in Men’s Hockey. If today’s game is anything like last week’s preliminary round game, it’s gonna be a matchup for the ages.

As you can tell by my opening video, you know who I’m rooting for in this game. Strap on your seatbelts folks, this will be one hell of a ride.

That’s all for now, but be sure to check back next week for another edition of Out of Bounds on Planet Ill. Be easy. 1.

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By Hot Rod! The Rowdy One

Howdy folks, we’re back for another round of Out of Bounds here on Planet Ill. While the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada seems to be the big story in the world of sports, it took a Tiger’s roar to put the world of sports at  a stand still. We’ll get to Tiger’s press conference in a little bit, but there were other highlights in the world of sports that caught my attention, so let’s get into it.

Last Sunday, the 2010 NBA All-Star took place at Cowboy Stadium. It was a record-breaking game for attendance with 108,713 people in the building to see the best from the Easter and Western Conference in the NBA going head to head. The game looked to be a blow-out from the Eastern Conference All-Stars early in the, but during the last five minutes of the game, the Western Conference  All-Stars turned it up and made it a game in the final minutes; the most exciting moments of the All-Star Weekend.

The Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade was the All-Star MVP, but the Denver Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony had a strong performance and had the Western Conference won, ‘Melo would have won the All-Star MVP award.

Although the All-Star Weekend for the most part was lackluster, we still got a good game towards the end. Hopefully the NBA can find a way to spice up next year’s All-Star Weekend because after this year’s display, the NBA is at risk of losing the interest of the casual fan and risk the loss of ratings and especially money. We’ll see what happens next year.

Speaking of the NBA, Denver Nuggets head coach, George Karl announced that he has been diagnosed with neck and throat cancer and will be out for some time for treatment. This is Coach Karl’s second bout with cancer. Our prayers go out to Coach Karl for a speedy recovery.

While we’re still on basketball, did anyone see the end of Georgia Tech’s game against Maryland from Saturday? How do you lose to a team by two buzzer beaters in less than a minute? The Terrapins showed us how in yesterday’s game:

You know the NCAA Tourney is right around the corner when things like this happen!!!

Also, today at 7:40pm, Team USA will face Team Canada in Olympic Hockey.  If you’re not a hockey fan, this would be a good time to watch the sport because this isn’t just an Olympic hockey game; this is a hockey game with a rivalry attached. These types of games are always the ones that can grab the casual fan because of the back story. Also, today is the eve of the 30^th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice. I know I touched on it in last week’s edition of Out of Bounds, and this week, ESPN’s Outside the Lines did a nice story about the Miracle on Ice and some of the untold tales about that memorable day in Olympic and U.S. sports history.

Outside the Lines also did another great piece this week about Florida State Safety and Rhodes Scholar, Myron Rolle. Check out the video below and when you get a chance, read the piece.

In our ever changing world, we  always seem to seek role models for the future. This young man’s path is the stuff that role models are made from. Hopefully his path leads to great endeavors in both a career in the NFL and his personal life.

Since the topic of role models have come up, it’s now time for the big story of the week. Tiger Woods finally spoke:

Everyone, including our very own A Negro and A Keyboard who wrote a great piece about Tiger’s situation, had something to say about Tiger’s press conference.  A few months ago when the story broke, I added my two cents about the situation and I stand by what I said. Despite his scripted “press conference,” there was sincerity behind his words and that he is sorry for his actions and that he has a long road ahead of him to get back into the good graces of the public.

Many peopledon’t feel that Tiger owes people an apology. Tiger Woods, as a man, doesn’t owe the public an apology.  Tiger Woods, the corporation, does. Like all corporations who have had mishaps that have affected the public, public apologies are mandate. Toyota has been apologizing left and right for the past month because of their faulty parts. Like Toyota, Tiger Woods the athlete is a corporation.

He’s a money maker for Nike, EA Sports, the PGA, and any other company he endorses. His apology wasn’t just for the fans; it was for those who are his sponsors as well. He has to make those people feel that he’s back on the right track and that he can represent the product to the fullest with no controversies.  So as I asked before in my earlier piece, cut him some slack.

That’s all for now, but be sure to check back next week for another edition of Out of Bounds on Planet Ill. Be easy. 1.

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By Malice Intended

We view our icons through decidedly rose colored glasses.  We exaggerate the good parts and willfully ignore their flaws.  We quickly cry down those who would speak ill of our champions, fearing that such claims may have weight.  This is unfortunate, as those who have opposed or faced our champions in one arena or another often have a much more balanced view of them.  They know our icons more intimately then we ever will, to the extent that they have even been able to exploit the weakness that they find.

Facing Ali is documentary wholly comprised of interviews with ten men who have faced Muhammad Ali in the ring.  They are among his most well known opponents, and their clashes with “The Greatest” have made for some of the most memorable matches in the history of the sport.  Facing Ali is unique in that is not narrated by pundits, experts or outsiders; these are the testimonials of men who perhaps knew Ali as no one else did: as an opponent and in more extreme cases, as a sworn enemy.

The film not only talks about the matches themselves, but offers background on each fighter and a bit of historical perspective.  We see how the political and social upheaval of decades past influenced what went on behind the scenes and even in the ring.  These matches didn’t occur in a vacuum or a protective bubble.  They often had a cathartic and unifying effect on the public.  Facing Ali plays an interesting balancing act, showing them to be the larger than life events that they were, but never giving in to full on Hero worship.

George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes and Leon Spinks are among those profiled.  We are given lucid analysis and testimony from George Chuvalo and Ron Lyle.  Their accounts of facing the champ are objective though not void of emotion.  We learn about the hardships that befell both men before and after their bouts with Ali.  These men all have lives that exist outside of the ring, and Facing Ali makes us fully aware of that fact.

There are also some surprising revelations.  George Chuvalo talks about the mob tactics that preceded his fight.  George Foreman admits to fearing Frazier initially.  By contrast, his over confidence before fighting Ali contributed just as much to his loss as anything that happened in the ring.  Frazier shows a surprising level of restraint.

Director Pete McCormack makes the very wise decision to not weigh the film down with stylistic flourishes.  He simply lets boxers tell the story.  The camera mostly remains stationary, while the low lighting creates an atmosphere of one on one intimacy with each boxer.  The jazz score employs muted trumpet, piano, and drums to regulate the adrenaline flow.  The pace of the music perfectly scores the intensity of what we see.  The effect is consistent and seamless.

Special mention should be made of Jesse James Miller’s editing, which keeps the film basic yet substantial.  There is no extraneous material or anything that obscures the focus of the piece.  Something of a story arch develops as we see Ali’s skills deteriorate over time, and his rivalries with certain opponents take on more serious connotations.  Fight footage and news footage are interspersed throughout at the appropriate moments to flesh out the narrative.  The construction of the piece exemplifies the physical condition of these men at their prime: lean and mean.

The presentation of the information is helped by the candid nature of the interviews.  None of the people profiled appear to go out of their way to bad mouth Ali, though some make their negative opinions known.  It is this balance that keeps the film on an even keel.  All of the fighters profiled have some level of respect for this man, a respect that comes through even in their criticisms.

Facing Ali is a joy to behold.  For boxing fans it provides an insightful and heartfelt trip down memory lane.  For newcomers, it will be a compelling analysis of a brutal contact sport and the most recognizable personality that sport has ever produced.  Facing Ali gives a reverent yet balanced portrait of its subject, filtered through the most unlikely of perspectives.

Out of 5

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