I did not choose necessarily on the basis of significance. If you have a vote for the most significant athlete, then you have Ali, then you have Babe Ruth, then you have Michael Jordan.
Sugar Ray Leonard was as close as anyone came after Ali to being Ali, but he wasn't Ali.
Sportswriters have changed more than sportswriting.
Some people who love boxing might love Mike Tyson, but people outside of the sport are generally repulsed by him and therefore, repulsed by the sport.
If I got paid, it was no more than five dollars a column, and I still think I was overpaid.
I came up with new leads for game stories by being observant and clever, by using the many gifts of the English language to intrigue and hook a reader.
