2016 Dead Pool

Quote: Evenbob

What was cool about Prince, I don't get it.
Please clue me in..

Actually Jimmy Fallon said it best at the SNL 40th reunion. Even in a room full of famous people, Prince was still the coolest guy in the room at the after party.

That would include

Justin Timberlake, Derek Jeter, Paul McCartney, Will Ferrell, Robert De Niro, Paul Simon, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Jack Nicholson, Peyton Manning, Jim Carrey, Dana Carvey, Dan Akroyd, Chris Rock, Christopher Walken, Tom Hanks, Martin Short, Bill Murray

and more.

I didn't include most of the younger people because I don't think you would know them.

Quote: rxwine

Actually Jimmy Fallon said it best at the SNL 40th reunion. Even in a room full of famous people, Prince was still the coolest guy in the room at the after party.....

Check out the Prince guitar solo at the end
A beautifully performed Beatles George Harrison classic While my Guitar Gently weeps by
Tom Petty, Steve Winwood and Jeff Lynn
and Prince just soars at the end taking the song to another level
wow

Quote: rxwine

Hope that superstition about things happening in 3s is not going to come true. Bowie, now Prince -- another cool person is gonna die.

Merle Haggard. Glenn Frey. Lemy Kilmister.

I suspect you merely forgot, because if you can't find cool in there...

Quote: AZDuffman

About that time:

1. Jerry Lewis
2. Jimmy Carter
3. George H.W. Busy
4. Bob Barker
5. Hugh Heffnew
6. J. William Glassford (former NFL Player)
7. Charles Manson
8. Lee Iacocca
9. Alan Greenspan
10. Hillary Clinton

Year I do not pick Cassius Clay is year he dies.

Hard to remember how big boxing used to be, how many people can even name the champ today? When is the last time network TV even covered it?

I remember in 1964 how reviled Clay was
for calling himself the greatest boxer who
ever lived and how he was 'pretty'. No
athlete before Clay ever talked about
himself that way. It was very uncool to beat
your own drum. Now everybody does it.
Even on the cooking contest shows the
chefs will brag about how they're the best
and will win. If you did that 50 years ago
you would be disqualified for unsportsmanlike
conduct.

Quote: Evenbob

I remember in 1964 how reviled Clay was
for calling himself the greatest boxer who
ever lived and how he was 'pretty'. No
athlete before Clay ever talked about
himself that way. It was very uncool to beat
your own drum. Now everybody does it.
Even on the cooking contest shows the
chefs will brag about how they're the best
and will win. If you did that 50 years ago
you would be disqualified for unsportsmanlike
conduct.

This is right when TV was coming into its own in all things but also in sports. Ali/Clay was among the first to understand marketing yourself, though he probably didn't realize the term or the science behind it back then. He just did it and saw it work. Much of his schick would be emulated by pro-wrestlers, with whom he would interact from time to time.

Like many, he probably should not have done his last fight, it was over but he didn't want it to end.

Quote: AZDuffman

Like many, he probably should not have done his last fight,

I think guys did turn down fights, but someone just upped the money offers. People would pay to see the top few fighters even when they should have retired probably.

Quote: rxwine

I think guys did turn down fights, but someone just upped the money offers. People would pay to see the top few fighters even when they should have retired probably.

I forget what movie I saw it on, bit by 1980 he really needed the cash. If you believe the HBO Don King movie, King really, really shorted him on the payout since the take was not what was expected because Ali was well past his prime by then. Remember, pre-1980 sports payouts were not what they would be just half a decade later.

People may not know, but he tried to make his own car company, or at least be the face of it. Bunch of Arab Oil money was to back it. Ali3WC.

Expect some kind of big memory events in the Middle East, the guy was amazingly popular there.