April 28, 1967: Muhammad Ali shakes up the world. True, he had sad he had done so when he won the Heavyweight Championship of the World 3 years earlier, by knocking out Sonny Liston as an 8-1 underdog. But, this time, the world was truly shaken up: Ali, 25 years old and in amazing physical condition, was drafted into the United States Army. And he refused to accept it.
When he registered for the draft on his 18th birthday, January 17, 1962, he was classified as 1-A by the Selective Service System. That meant that there was nothing to stand in the way of his being drafted. In 1964, he took what's been described as a "mental test," and it revealed that his IQ was 78 -- below the military threshold, and in the range of retardation.
(For comparison's sake, the best-known retarded person in American literature and film, Forrest Gump, was written as having an IQ of 75. But, in both book and film, he was not drafted. He enlisted.)
Clearly, Ali was neither stupid nor, in any way, developmentally disabled. But when asked about the result of the test, he said, "I said I was the greatest, not the smartest." He was given another test, and again scored 78. Is it possible that the test wasn't geared toward nonwhites?
When he registered for the draft on his 18th birthday, January 17, 1962, he was classified as 1-A by the Selective Service System. That meant that there was nothing to stand in the way of his being drafted. In 1964, he took what's been described as a "mental test," and it revealed that his IQ was 78 -- below the military threshold, and in the range of retardation.
(For comparison's sake, the best-known retarded person in American literature and film, Forrest Gump, was written as having an IQ of 75. But, in both book and film, he was not drafted. He enlisted.)
Clearly, Ali was neither stupid nor, in any way, developmentally disabled. But when asked about the result of the test, he said, "I said I was the greatest, not the smartest." He was given another test, and again scored 78. Is it possible that the test wasn't geared toward nonwhites?
Whatever the reason, he was reclassified 1-Y: "Fit for service only in times of national emergency." Whatever the Vietnam War was, it wasn't a national emergency for America.
But on February 1, 1966, the Army changed its rules to allow someone with an official IQ that low, and Ali was reclassified 1-A. His appeal to be reclassified as a Muslim minister, and thus exempt from the draft, was denied 4–0 on February 20.
But on February 1, 1966, the Army changed its rules to allow someone with an official IQ that low, and Ali was reclassified 1-A. His appeal to be reclassified as a Muslim minister, and thus exempt from the draft, was denied 4–0 on February 20.
And when he was ordered to report to the induction center on April 28, 1967, in Houston, where he was living and training at the time, he did his duty and reported. And when his name was called, he refused to do the legal thing and step forward.
(I've heard that the name they called was "Cassius Clay," his birth name, which he had changed to "Muhammad Ali" right after winning the title. If so, then the Army had a problem. If the name on his boxing license had been changed, then his legal name must have been changed. So if they didn't call "Muhammad Ali," then he had every right to stay put. But if they did call his new name, then the legal onus was on him.)
He announced that he was a conscientious objector: "War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur'an.
I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don't take part in Christian wars, or wars of any unbelievers."
("Allah" is the Arabic word for God. It does not mean a God separate from the one in the Bible. Indeed, many figures from the Bible are also in the Qur'an, or the Koran as it's usually spelled in English. Muslims do not believe Jesus to be the Son of God or the Messiah, but they do revere him as a prophet and a teacher. They revere his mother Mary as well. And Abraham, and King David, and David's son King Solomon.)
Ali also said, "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong." This statement that he had no reason to oppose America's wartime enemy infuriated white mainstream America more than the act of refusal itself. He went further, saying, "No Viet Cong ever called me (the N-word).'"
(I've heard that the name they called was "Cassius Clay," his birth name, which he had changed to "Muhammad Ali" right after winning the title. If so, then the Army had a problem. If the name on his boxing license had been changed, then his legal name must have been changed. So if they didn't call "Muhammad Ali," then he had every right to stay put. But if they did call his new name, then the legal onus was on him.)
He announced that he was a conscientious objector: "War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur'an.
I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don't take part in Christian wars, or wars of any unbelievers."
("Allah" is the Arabic word for God. It does not mean a God separate from the one in the Bible. Indeed, many figures from the Bible are also in the Qur'an, or the Koran as it's usually spelled in English. Muslims do not believe Jesus to be the Son of God or the Messiah, but they do revere him as a prophet and a teacher. They revere his mother Mary as well. And Abraham, and King David, and David's son King Solomon.)
Ali also said, "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong." This statement that he had no reason to oppose America's wartime enemy infuriated white mainstream America more than the act of refusal itself. He went further, saying, "No Viet Cong ever called me (the N-word).'"
But many white men had called him that. And white men indicted him for refusing to be drafted. And the New York State Athletic Commission revoked his license to box in that State. And the other 49 States immediately followed. And because of this, the World Boxing Association stripped him of their recognition of him as Heavyweight Champion of the World. The World Boxing Council did the same, and there would be "unification fights" until a new Champion was crowned in 1970.
This is the beginning of the schism of the heavyweight title that my generation, barely old enough to remember Ali as an active fighter, and those that have followed us know now.
Ali would ask crowds, black and white alike, "Can my title be taken from me without me bein' whupped?" When the crowd answered back, "No!" Ali would tell the reporter interviewing him, "That's all I can say." Muhammad Ali knew when to speak, and when not to.
Ali would ask crowds, black and white alike, "Can my title be taken from me without me bein' whupped?" When the crowd answered back, "No!" Ali would tell the reporter interviewing him, "That's all I can say." Muhammad Ali knew when to speak, and when not to.
He was indicted for draft evasion by a federal grand jury on May 8, and an all-white jury -- 6 men and 6 women -- convicted him on June 20. He remained free upon appeal. On June 28, 1971, in the case of Cassius Marsellus Clay, Jr. (sic) also known as Muhammad Ali v. United States, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that Ali's request to register as a conscientious objector was improperly handled, and therefore he should not have been convicted, and the conviction was thrown out. The vote was unanimous: 8-0. It was easily the most important unanimous decision in the history of boxing.
Ironically, the one Justice who did not participate in the ruling was Thurgood Marshall. It wasn't because Marshall was the 1st black Justice on the Supreme Court. It was because he wasn't appointed to the Court until after the case had been initially decided: That had happened while he was working in the U.S. Department of Justice. Thus, one of the few black people more important in American history than Muhammad Ali, a civil rights icon long before he reached the Supreme Court, decided that he had to recuse himself from this case.
Even before his conviction was overturned, Ali got a license to box... from, believe it or not, a Southern State, Georgia. He had given up 3 1/2 years for his principles. Years when he was 25, 26, 27, 28 years old.
This wasn't like Sandy Koufax and Jim Brown retiring, as both did in 1966, at the ages of 31 and 30, respectively. They'd both had enough (Koufax of injury, Brown of dealing with his team's owner.) Nor was this like the later example of Michael Jordan, retiring from basketball at 30 and returning at 32, either for mental health reasons or as a cover-up for a gambling suspension. And it certainly wasn't like Michael Vick, going to prison at 27 and getting out and resuming his football career at 29. Ali gave up his prime years, and was ready to give up his freedom, and even his life ("I'm ready to die," he would tell people) in the name of his principle.
And this wasn't in the days when there was big money in endorsements for athletes even when they weren't playing. Ali couldn't do commercials for Vitalis or Brylcreem with a black man's hair. And with his religion, he couldn't do ads for alcohol or cigarettes, even if Anheuser-Busch or Philip Morris had wanted him to. But even for those things for which he wasn't forbidden to endorse, no company, and no advertising agency, would go near him with a draft-dodge conviction hanging over him. Commercially speaking, he was radioactive.
Even by the time he fought Joe Frazier the 1st time, by which point more Americans opposed the war than supported it, he was still not universally seen as having been right all along. Even people who opposed the war didn't necessarily support him. Many antiwar people were angry at the way he opposed going into it.
Ironically, the one Justice who did not participate in the ruling was Thurgood Marshall. It wasn't because Marshall was the 1st black Justice on the Supreme Court. It was because he wasn't appointed to the Court until after the case had been initially decided: That had happened while he was working in the U.S. Department of Justice. Thus, one of the few black people more important in American history than Muhammad Ali, a civil rights icon long before he reached the Supreme Court, decided that he had to recuse himself from this case.
Even before his conviction was overturned, Ali got a license to box... from, believe it or not, a Southern State, Georgia. He had given up 3 1/2 years for his principles. Years when he was 25, 26, 27, 28 years old.
This wasn't like Sandy Koufax and Jim Brown retiring, as both did in 1966, at the ages of 31 and 30, respectively. They'd both had enough (Koufax of injury, Brown of dealing with his team's owner.) Nor was this like the later example of Michael Jordan, retiring from basketball at 30 and returning at 32, either for mental health reasons or as a cover-up for a gambling suspension. And it certainly wasn't like Michael Vick, going to prison at 27 and getting out and resuming his football career at 29. Ali gave up his prime years, and was ready to give up his freedom, and even his life ("I'm ready to die," he would tell people) in the name of his principle.
And this wasn't in the days when there was big money in endorsements for athletes even when they weren't playing. Ali couldn't do commercials for Vitalis or Brylcreem with a black man's hair. And with his religion, he couldn't do ads for alcohol or cigarettes, even if Anheuser-Busch or Philip Morris had wanted him to. But even for those things for which he wasn't forbidden to endorse, no company, and no advertising agency, would go near him with a draft-dodge conviction hanging over him. Commercially speaking, he was radioactive.
Even by the time he fought Joe Frazier the 1st time, by which point more Americans opposed the war than supported it, he was still not universally seen as having been right all along. Even people who opposed the war didn't necessarily support him. Many antiwar people were angry at the way he opposed going into it.
From April 1967 to October 1970, Ali stood up for what he believed in, and threw away a chance not only to make (by the standards of the time) gobs of money, but also to fight so well that there would have been no doubt that he -- not Jack Dempsey, not Joe Louis, not Rocky Marciano -- was what he had been saying he was: The greatest heavyweight boxer the world had ever seen to that point, "the greatest of all time."
He fought Jerry Quarry in Atlanta, and knocked him out. He fought Oscar Bonavena at the new Madison Square Garden, and knocked him out, although it took nearly the full 15 rounds. Clearly, he was rusty. Clearly, he needed another warmup fight before taking on Frazier for the undisputed title at The Garden on March 8, 1971. Frazier knocked him down in the 15th round, and won by decision.
Frazier lost the title to George Foreman in 1973. In 1974, Ali beat Frazier, and then knocked out Foreman in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), and regained the title. No longer just "The People's Champ," he was again The Champ. He had finally proven he was The Greatest.
The building where Ali refused the draft still stands: It's the Customs House, at 701 San Jacinto Street in downtown Houston. However, if you want to visit, access may be restricted, as it's still a federal government building, including some use by the U.S. Department of Defense.
*
April 28, 1967 was a Friday. Actress Kari Wurher was born on this day.
Football was out of season. The NBA Championship had been decided 4 days earlier, with the Philadelphia 76ers beating the San Francisco Warriors in 6 games in the Finals. The Stanley Cup Finals was between Games 4 and 5. The Toronto Maple Leafs would beat the Montreal Canadiens in 6 games.
These games were played in Major League Baseball:
* The New York Yankees beat the California Angels, 5-4 at Yankee Stadium. Elston Howard drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 8th inning. He was pinch-hitting for Dooley Womack -- yes, Ball Four fans, the Dooley Womack -- making him the winning pitcher, in relief of Fritz Peterson. Steve Whitaker and Tom Tresh hit home runs. Mickey Mantle went 1-for-4.
* The New York Mets lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 7-1 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. The lone Met run came on a solo homer by Ed Kranepool. Pete Rose went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs. Johnny Bench made his major league debut for the Reds on August 28.
* The Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Athletics, 3-0 at Fenway Park. Jim Lonborg pitched a 6-hit shutout, striking out 13, walking none, and outpitching 21-year-old Jim "Catfish" Hunter. Carl Yastrzemski went 0-for-4. Tony Conigliaro went 1-for-4. Reggie Jackson would make his major league debut for the A's on June 9.
* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-3 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Brooks Robinson went 0-for-4, and Frank Robinson went 0-for-3 with a walk. But Curt Blefary hit a grand slam that knocked Denny McLain out of the box in the 2nd inning. Al Kaline and Dick McAuliffe homered for the Tigers.
* The Minnesota Twins beat the Washington Senators, 7-3 at District of Columbia Stadium in Washington. (It was renamed Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969.) Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison, holdovers from the Twins when they were the "Old Senators" until 1960, each hit a home run off the "New Senators," who left after the 1971 season, becoming the Texas Rangers. Rod Carew, later named the American League's Rookie of the Year, went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Frank Howard homered for the Senators.
* The Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 9-8 at Atlanta Stadium. (It was renamed Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in 1975.) The winning run came home in the bottom of the 9th, as Rico Carty grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Felipe Alou. Hank Aaron went 3-for-5 with 4 RBIs, including his 445th career home run. Joe Torre went 1-for-4.
* The Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians, 3-2 at Comiskey Park in Chicago.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-2 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Willie Stargell hit a home run, and Roberto Clemente went 2-for-4. For the Cards, Lou Brock went 1-for-4, and did not steal a base.
* The Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs, 5-3 at the Astrodome in Houston. Eddie Mathews, after 15 seasons with the Braves, led off the bottom of the 13th for the Astros with a triple, and Aaron Pointer brought him home with a sacrifice fly. Joe Niekro was the losing pitcher for the Cubs, but would win 221 games in his career, 144 of them for the Astros. Ernie Banks appeared as a pinch-hitter, and drew a walk.
* And the San Francisco Giants beat their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-4 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Ken Henderson hit a home run, Willie McCovey went 1-for-4 with a walk, and Willie Mays appeared as a pinch-hitter, without reaching base. The Dodgers got a home run from Al Ferrara, but Don Sutton ended up as the losing pitcher. While Sutton would become a Hall of Fame pitcher, the Dodgers were clearly missing Sandy Koufax: This would be the 1st season since 1958 that they weren't at least in the Pennant race.
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