Ken Norton

Ken Norton once broke Muhammad Ali's jaw and I hated him for that.

It was 1973 and he won the fight in a split decision victory. He was only the second boxer to defeat Ali, after Joe Frazier, and I hated him for that too. He was a virtual unknown at that time and the victory was a  huge upset.

Muhammad is one of my idols and I hated anybody who hurt him.

They fought again six months later in 1973 and Ali won a split decision. One more go around in 1976. Ali was awarded a unanimous decision victory but it was exceptionally controversial.

The man fought Muhammad Ali valiantly three times and held his own. That's all you need to know about him.

He was a goddamn stud. When he walked into the ring you could not believe a boxer would be built like that.

The sport of boxing back then was magnificent. Heavyweight bouts were heavyweight bouts. They were extravaganzas, there was drama, there was hype, there was truth, there was lying, there was pre- fight press conference buffoonery, there was Ali's poetry and sense of humor, there was Norton's toughness, Frazier's focus, Foreman's size, toughness and sense of humor.

And there was some damn good boxing. You would sit riveted, watching these fights on Wide World of Sports. It was intense and you would be rooting for or against with your whole heart and soul.

Boxing today is a joke. The hype outweighs what the fights deliver. There are no larger than life personalities anymore, there are no characters or villains or charmers.

Ken Norton died on September 18 at the age of 70.

Joe Frazier died on November 7, 2011 at the age of 67.

Both of them way too young and way too early.

People who loomed large in my life are dying off. I have talked about this before and I will right now and again in the future.

When the people who inspired you as a kid and as a young man begin to die, it gives you a sense of perspective carved in granite. Because in a way, you never thought these people would be dead. It doesn't enter your mind when you are dazzled by them. They give you a joy in life, they make you feel alive and excited, they make you realize that life can be large.

Decades later when they move on, it slaps your reality a little.

John Lennon has been dead for 31 years. George Harrison has been dead for 10 years. My mind, my heart, my soul to this day cannot accept that fact. I recoil every time I think about it.

There are a number of people who I worshipped and still worship, that are up there in age. Some of them, when they die, will devastate me. When somebody gets under your skin they find a way to travel directly to your heart.

Having these people in your life in one way or another is a bonus. They enhance your existence as a human being. They give your life a little sparkle, which you know as well as me is a hard thing to come by.

When they die, they give you a little nudge.

Rare it is, the person who can inspire you in life and inspire you in death.