It's a hockey sweater.

   Today was Hockey Day in Canada. A great tradition started about 10 years back by the folks at CBC Sports. It gives us all a chance to reflect on what the game means to us both as individuals and as a society.

   We've heard all the cliches before. Hockey is like a religion. Hockey is what binds us together as a country. Hockey defines us as a people.

   Hockey has also given us expressions and vocabulary that is unique to us as Canadians. Things such as "changing on the fly", "two-hander", "playing in traffic", and "top shelf". 

   And in much the same way that we spell words such as "colour" and "centre" differently than they do in the United States, the vocabulary of the game of hockey is also different to that used in what are considered American sports. Two examples of this are the use of the words "jersey" and "locker rooms".

   Unfortunately these words seem to be creeping into the hockey vernacular. They are terms which are used by the NHL by the CBC, and by the Canadian Press.

   As the NHL is mostly an American corporate entity, that it lacks awareness of the traditional Canadian hockey vocabulary is not all that surprising. The CBC and CP on the other hand, should know better.

   At the risk of being accused of nitpicking, here in Canada, it's a hockey sweater and a dressing room. In the words of Hockey Night in Canada's Jim Hughson, "a jersey is a cow", and there are no lockers in a hockey dressing room.

   So in the spirit of keeping the Canadian game Canadian, let us therefore commit ourselves to using the proper terminology when discussing hockey. A good place to start would be the proper use of the terms hockey sweater and dressing room.

Give the right-wing goalie a break.

   When reading a story yesterday, that the Boston Bruins would be attending the White House to meet with President Barack Obama in a ceremony meant to highlight last spring's Stanley Cup victory, I must admit that my reaction was one of "ho-hum". Boring...

   For American sports teams, the Washington visit is one of the perks of winning a championship. Baseball teams, basketball teams, football teams, and United States based hockey teams, go to their nation's capital, pose for pictures, hand the Prez a jersey with his name on it, make a few lame jokes, everybody laughs, and everybody moves on.

   When it's the Stanley Cup champions making the visit, these public relations events usually serve to show how little most presidents know about hockey.

   The image of George Bush The First, not knowing who Mario Lemieux was, or of Bill Clinton calling the Detroit Red Wings captain Steve "Why-Zerr-Man" are two such instances.

   I don't know this for sure, but I'd be willing to bet that Barack Obama isn't exactly an expert on the game. I could be wrong, but I suspect that if asked he would say that hybrid icing has something to do with green technology being used for the freezing of the playing surface.

   So I figured that this visit would be one that would come and go as most others have in the past, a 15 second blurb at the end of the nightly sportscast. But I hadn't figured on Tim Thomas.

   Today, Tim Thomas, an American-born NHL goaltender, declined the invitation to attend the White House and meet President Obama with the rest of his teammates. This of course set off the media and sent the Twitter world, well, all atwitter. 

   Thomas, for those who may not know, is an active member of the Tea Party, an ultra-conservative political movement. Some clues as to his political views can be seen on his mask which include the "In God We Trust" inscription on the front and a stylized Gadsden flag on the back. Thomas has also stated that he is a fan of conservative media figure Glenn Beck.

   So that he is not enamored with this particular President of the United States, is certainly not a surprise. That he decided that his political convictions demanded that he snub an invitation to the White House is  also not really surprising given the highly divisive nature of current American politics.

   Although Thomas stated that "this was not about politics", the reality is that refusing an invitation to the White House is a profoundly political act. Regardless, how it is spun.

   But be that as it may, as a hockey fan, it is a story of little or no consequence. I'm certain that his teammates are not torn in the least about this, so it won't have any effect on the cohesiveness of the Bruins. 

   This is not Carlos Smith at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, nor is in Muhammad Ali refusing induction in the United States Army. A hockey goalie refusing to meet the President of the United States is hardly the type of event that will have sociologists and historians writing about years from now.

    I didn't care about the Bruins visiting the White House earlier today, and even with this controversy, I still don't care.

  

Sunday Shots

-   My last trip to the hockey equipment equipment store got me thinking: "When was the latest technological advance in the hockey helmet?". Seems like today's helmets are pretty much the same as they have been for the last 30 years. With all of the talk about concussions, you'd think that helmets would have evolved. Or, maybe not...

-  Even though the top ten leading NHL scoring leaders are within 5 points of each other, one cannot help but feel that it's only a question of time before Pittsburgh's Evgeny Malkin starts to separate himself from the pack. After briefly falling out of a playoff spot last week, the Penguins have won 5 in a row, thanks in large part to Malkin's inspired play.

-   It never fails. You go out on a limb and pronounce a team as being a shoo-in to go all the way, and they thank you by going out and playing a stinker of a hockey game.

   The culprits this time are the Shawinigan Cataractes whom only a few days ago, I predicted will ultimately win the President's Cup, the trophy awarded to the QMJHL champions. While I still believe that they are the best team in the league at this time, yesterday's loss to the Gatineau Olympiques shows that the road to QMJHL supremacy will not be without bumps.

   Ultimately this loss may serve as a reminder to the Cataractes that while they may have a top level roster, rarely, if ever, are hockey games won on talent alone. 

   In their defence, the Cats were not favoured by the schedule, one of the QMJHL's glaring weaknesses, having played the night before in Quebec City, and they did fire 39 shots at the Olympiques' net. But a lot of those shots were from a fair distance, with little or no traffic in front of the Gatineau net.

   Rather than continue to work at coming back from a 4-2 deficit late in the game, they lost their cool and their focus, and became embroiled in a game ending free-for-all. Frankly they looked a lot like a team who felt entitled to win. A team who figured that just showing up at the Robert Guertin Arena was enough to guarantee two points.

   Very rarely does it work out that way at The Bob.

-   It's too bad for the Colorado Avalanche that they are in the Western Conference. They are in the middle of a dogfight for the eighth and final playoffs spot, yet they are 10-2 vs. teams from the East.

-   Good to see Mike Milbury back on Hockey Night in Canada's Satellite Hot Stove. While Milbury may not be everybody's cup of tea with his gruff manner and sometimes extreme viewpoints, I find him entertaining. Plus in a segment that features Ron MacLean, Eliotte Friedman, and Eric Francis, somebody has to bring some testosterone. 

-   It could be a while before we see another 500 goal scorer, in the NHL. Now that Jarome Iginla has passed that milestone, only 3 active NHLers are in the 400 to 499 goal range. Jason Arnott (412), Marian Hossa (408), and Daniel Alfredsson (404). I'm not betting on any of those players making it to the 500 mark.

-   Has hockey changed? Take a look at this hit delivered by Dougie Hamilton, Boston Bruins 1st round draft pick, during a recent OHL game. The Sudbury player is dipsy-doodling around the opposing blueline with his head down for about 4 to 5 seconds before getting leveled by Hamilton. I'm not necessarily a fan of hits to the head, but come on, keep your head up kid.

Untouchable? Why?

   Watching Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban arguing on the bench with coaches Randy Ladouceur and Randy Cunneyworth after turning over the puck in the Habs zone, a play that led to a Pittsburgh Penguins shorthanded goal, showed just how bad things are going for the Habs these days.

   There was Pernell Karl, sitting alone at the end of the bench, his teammates shuffling down to their left and looking away, as the young defenceman argued on and on, even as coach Ladouceur held up his hand in a "that's enough P.K., just play" motion. 

   Considering the absolutely brutal game that Subban had been playing up to that point (turn over after turn over, bad penalties, getting caught pinching in at the Pittsburgh blueline), it wasn't as if the Montreal defenceman was arguing from a position of strength.

   But what yesterday's game showed is just how bad things really are for the Montreal Canadiens. Not only do they have to count on a player of P.K. Subban's caliber to assume the role of number one d-man, but he feels confident enough in his role on the team that he figures that it's acceptable for him to get into a debate with his coaches during an NHL hockey game. 

   Some will say that what P.K. Subban did is not anywhere near as serious as the epic Patrick Roy-Mario Tremblay blow-up which led to the Hall of Fame goaltender being traded to Colorado in 1995, but that would be missing a couple of major points. The most obvious difference is that P.K. Subban is nowhere near being the hockey player that Patrick Roy was.

   When Patrick Roy confronted Montreal Canadiens president Ronald Corey behind the player's bench on national television, he had 2 Stanley Cups, 2 Conn Smythe trophies, 4 Jennings trophies, 3 Vezina trophies, and 3 NHL First-All Star team selections under his belt. 

   P.K.Subban, on the other hand, is in his second full season in the NHL. He was selected by Montreal with the 43rd pick in the 2007 draft. Sixteen defencemen were selected ahead of him. 

   Yet through a series of fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on your point of view) events, he has managed to find his way into a critical role within an organization that has lost its way. So overrated has he become, that many observers have taken the irrational and illogical view that somehow P.K. Subban is one of the few untouchables on the Montreal roster. A player who cannot be traded away.

   That Subban ranks so incredibly high on the Canadiens depth chart is not his fault. It does however serve as a glaring example of the dire situation the Montreal hockey franchise finds itself.

   Jacques Martin was heavily criticized by fans and by hockey analysts for what they felt was the stifling of Subban. That somehow Martin was preventing him from fully expressing his talents on the ice. It was as if Subban were only to be left alone to play without the shackles of a system, he would magically develop into the second coming of Bobby Orr. 

   The reality is that Subban is showing himself to be an incredibly selfish and high maintenance player. Last night's loss to Pittsburgh can be pinned squarely on his shoulders. Had it not been for a couple of very good saves by Peter Budaj off chances which resulted directly from Subban blunders, the Habs would not have even escaped with a single point.

   If I were a fan of the Habs, I would also be very worried that even though Subban was a liability on the ice and was sucking the energy right out of the team with his on-bench attitude, the coaching staff decided to keep putting him out there, shift after shift. The message being, "it doesn't matter if you're playing poorly and being selfish, you'll still play". No consequences, at least if your name is P.K. Subban.

   That Pernell Karl Subban has elite level talent is undeniable. There are nights when he can make a difference in a hockey game and be a big part of a win. But for the most part, he has not shown that he has the maturity level required to be a leader in an organization. Successful teams, whether it be in hockey or any other endeavour, are those in which the most talented people are also the best leaders.

   I've been a very vocal critic of the Montreal Canadiens over my many years as a fan of the game of hockey, but the one thing that I've always respected about that organization is that everything they did seemed to be done with an eye towards ensuring the success of the team. Nothing, and no one, came before the team.

   Very high on the Habs executive list needs to be the re-establishment of the mentality within the organization that every action taken by all members is to be geared toward the betterment of the team. 

   Make sure that those who are brought in are not only top end talent, but top end people. People who understand to build something worthwhile, you need to be prepare to fill your role, but also need to do it with a good attitude and in a manner that does not impact negatively on others.

   A team, any kind of team, should be all about "us" and very little about "me''. In only 125 games in the National Hockey League, P.K. Subban has required, and received, far more attention than he warrants. The reality is that he will never be one of the NHL's top defencemen. He will never be the type of player who anchors a blueline and leads a team to the Stanley Cup. 

   If the Montreal Canadiens don't want to spend the next few years coddling, coaxing, and otherwise dealing with P.K. Subban, for what will probably be limited returns, then trade him. There are surely teams out there who would be interested in his talent and ability, and he could bring some interesting elements in return.

   If they don't, they risk regretting it for a long time. Time will tell...

Hall, Salming, Cataractes, Phaneuf, and Pronger.

-   Taylor Hall's much publicized skate cut to the face/head, which occurred during the pre-game warm up two nights ago, has many calling for NHL teams to make the wearing of helmets mandatory for all players when they hit the ice for the pre-game. 

   So far, Hall's Edmonton teammates have vowed to wear helmets in pre-game skates, and the Colorado Avalanche management has directed their players to do the same.The good news is that it doesn't appear as though Taylor Hall will be out of action for long. Just a question of reducing the swelling and letting the stitches heal a little and he'll be back. 

   The Oilers sure have been snake-bitten on the injury front as of late. Jordan Eberle was out for four games with a knee injury and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be out for at least another week with a shoulder injury.

-   Older fans will remember another fairly gruesome skate vs. face incident. This one occurred back in November of 1986.

   Toronto defenceman, and Hockey Hall of Famer, Borje Salming, was struck in the face by a skate during a game against the Detroit Red Wings.The injury required 200 stitches to close, yet remarkably, the Swedish rearguard was in the Leafs' lineup just 3 days later. 

- I've seen pretty much every team in the QMJHL (haven't seen Bathurst or Cape-Breton) in action this year, and no team has impressed me more than the new look Shawinigan Cataractes. As they are hosting this year's Memorial Cup, they were intent on icing a competitive team.

   The acquisitions of Morgan Ellis and Brandon Gormley, when added to an already impressive squad headed by Mikael Bournival, have pretty much ensured that the Cats are the team to beat in the race for the QMJHL's President Cup. 

-   Is it just me or has Nick Foligno been at the centre of a few controversies this season? The latest was the submarining of Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf in the latest Battle of Ontario. 

   Foligno was assessed a two minute penalty, and while he sat in the box, many were saying that he would have to answer to Leafs strongman Jay Rosehill once he returned to the ice.

   It wasn't surprising however to see Dion Phaneuf take matters into his own hands as he dropped the gloves against Foligno, in what turned out to be a spirited scrap.

   You can count me as one of the the tens of thousands of players who have never been clipped like that, but one can easily imagine that being on the wrong end of a dirty hit of that ilk leaves one more than a little pissed off.

   The kind of thing that would leave you saying "Never mind, I've got this one" to however happens to be the designated bodyguard on your team. 

   Kudos to Phaneuf for taking on Foligno, especially when you consider that he still hasn't fully recovered from taking a shot to the face in a game against the Winnipeg Jets.

   While the Leafs did ultimately lose the game, seeing your captain go out there and "take care of business" surely must have left an impression on his teammates. I know that it did on me.

-   While were speaking about controversial defencemen, Chris Pronger, the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers is by all accounts not doing very well in his battle with concussion symptoms. You knew it had to be a serious injury for the Flyers to announce that there was no way that Pronger would be back, so early in the season. 

    Because love him or hate him, there is no denying that throughout his career Chris Pronger has shown a remarkable ability to either come back from, or play through, injuries.

   So for word to be getting out, both through his family and Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, that Pronger is not doing well, is unsettling.

The All-Star game, Schenn for JVR, and Jacques Martin.

-   The NHL will be holding it's All-Star game in Ottawa in about 10 days and it would be impossible for me to care less. 

   The fan balloting. Who is in. Who is out. The fastest skater competition. The fastest slapshot competition. The picking of teams by the players themselves. All of it. I just don't care. 

   I am a hockey fan because I like watching hockey games. All this other stuff, it's just there to fill coffers which are already overflowing with money. I get that it's meant to entertain fans, showcase and promote the game, bla, bla, bla...

   The fact of the matter is that I am already a fan. I'm in. You don't need to put on a special show to try and recruit me as a fan. I'm hooked. You got me.

   Truth is, there is only one sport for which the all-star format works and that's baseball. If you forget about the fact that managers in All-Star games try to make sure that everybody gets in a least a little action, the All-Star game is pretty much like all the other games. Pitchers pitch, hitters hit, and away we go.

   In hockey, it just doesn't work. An All-Star game doesn't look anything like a regular hockey game. There is the obvious difference caused by the lack of body contact, which is course understandable. Who would want to risk injury to self or others for the sake of an exhibition game? 

   There is also the lack of defense. Your level of intensity on the backcheck is directly related to the importance of the game. If you're out skating with the boys, it's not quite the same as if you're chasing the Cup.

   And then there is the scoring. 11-10, 12-11, 8-7, and 12-9. Seriously, when was the last time you were at a hockey game that ended 12-9? Yet those are the final scores of the last four NHL all-star games. And those are just the recent results. You don't have to go that far back to find scores such as 16-6 and 14-12. I defy any hockey fan to sit on the edge of their seat for that.

   So like Teemu Selanne and Nicklas Lidstrom, I too will be taking All-Star weekend off. You can find me at the Colisée watching junior hockey or outside at the rink down the street.

-   We've been hearing rumblings about a possible trade between Philly and Toronto that I don't like. The central parts of that rumoured deal are Luke Schenn and James van Riemsdyk. 

   That the Flyers are shopping in the NHL's defenceman aisle should come as no surprise. While they have managed to stay near the top of the Eastern Conference standing through the first half of the season, the reality is that they have allowed 45 more goals this season than have the Boston Bruins. Hardly a recipe for long term success.With Chris Pronger out for the season, finding someone to eat up some of his mega-minutes has proved a bit of a problem.

   The Leafs on the other hand, having been bouncing around the 5th to 10th spots for the better part of the last two months. As they have not been to the playoffs since 2004, you have to think that there is some pressure to make the playoffs this season. How long ago was 2004? Well their goalie was Eddie Belfour, and the team had players such as Joe Nieuwendyk, Gary Roberts, and Alexander Mogilny on their roster. 

   If these rumours are true, and they are only rumours, it's also a sign that both teams are starting to lose patience with the pace of development of their respective players. Both were high first round picks.

   James van Riemsdyk was selected with the second pick in the 2007 draft. While there were some who felt that the Flyers may have let the fact that he's somewhat of a local boy, he's from New Jersey, cloud their judgement when they decided to take him with such a high pick, the reality is that none of the players selected immediately after him are off to Hall of Fame type starts to their NHL careers.

   Consider that the 3, 4, 5, and 6 picks of that draft were, in order, Kyle Turris, Thomas Hickey, Karl Alzner, and Sam Gagné. Not exactly a draft class that seems destined to go down in history as a great one. 

   This to say that maybe thinking of JVR, as some like to call him, as a second overall draft pick is not necessarily the way to go when trying to assess his trade value.

   I happen to see him as a 6'3'' forward, who plays in Philadelphia, but doesn't play like a Flyer, that is to say he's not overly physical, and while some have said that he's got 35-40 goal potential, sorry folks I don't see it. To score 40 goals in one NHL season a player has to be on his game night in, night out. I'd be more inclined to think that with him you're looking at 25-30 goals, tops. 

   If you're looking to get a 25-30 goal guy, you might as well go and try to get one with more major league intangibles than JVR possesses. Stuff like great leadership, gritty play, excellent special team play. I've never been a fan of the 25-30 goal player who brings little else to the rink.

   Which is why I don't like the Schenn for JVR rumours. Sure it has been a bumpy ride for Schenn. Part of it is actually the Leafs' own fault. The team was so bad, that three months after drafting him with the 5th overall pick in the 2008 draft that they felt compelled to throw an 18 year old kid in the lineup for 70 NHL games, a move that was motivated, at least in part, because of pressure to give the Air Canada Centre fans a little something to cheer about, a little hope.

   It's a truism that NHL defencemen take longer to develop second only to goaltenders. That Schenn seems to be stumbling a bit in his progression at this point in his career is hardly surprising and/or cause for panic. At just 22 years of age, whatever is deemed to be wrong with him can be fixed. With all of the people working in the hockey department of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club, you have to hope that someone in there can help this kid get back on track. 

   If he needs coddling, coddle him. If he needs a kick in the ass, kick him in the ass. If he needs a coach or mentor just for him, get a coach or a mentor just for him. But whatever is decided, just remember that in about 2-3 seasons, Luke Schenn could realistically end up being one of  the top tier defencemen in the league. James van Riemsdyk will in all likelihood not be in the top tier of NHL forwards.

   So trade Schenn if you feel you must, but please make sure you get us some real player, or players, in return. But James van Riemsdyk? You can do better than that.

-   So Jacques Martin has been gone from the Habs dressing room for a few weeks now, and Les Glorieux have won a grand total of 4 games since. 

   They were two points out of a playoff spot when Pierre Gauthier decided that the kitchen was sufficiently hot and fired the coach. They are now 8 points out of a playoff spot.

   Like many, my take has been that the problem in Montreal is the roster, and not necessarily the coaching staff. Sure the loss of Kirk Muller as an assistant appears to have hurt, but even Toe Blake himself, would be unable to make a winner out of this group.

   Don't agree? Try this little exercise. Look at the Boston roster. Look at the New York Rangers roster. And the Philadelphia roster. Now look at the Montreal Canadiens roster. Not quite the same level is it? 

   We could enumerate a number of decisions that were taken by both Pierre Gauthier, and his predecessor Bob Gainey and find quite a few that didn't quite work out as planned or hoped. Decisions that made the coach's life more difficult.

   But beyond all of this, what really bugs and irritates me is the hypocrisy of fans and some members of the media.

   Pretty much since the season began, they've been calling for Jacques Martin's head on a platter. Fan poll after fan poll indicated that they wanted Martin to be fired. In some polls, Martin was even identified as the main problem with the Montreal Canadiens.

  Writers, television and radio commentators, and the seemingly endless supply of former players employed by the media, fed the flames of this discontent day, after day, after day. 

   Martin is too boring. Martin is too stiff. Martin looks like he's asleep behind the bench. They would laugh at is post-game press conference, his style none too colourful. Some could be heard to say Martin was downright incompetent.

   Yet as Martin embarked on a 3 day media tour, yesterday newspapers, today television, tomorrow radio, he is greeted with handshakes and smiles. Reporters who were at the front of the fire Martin parade just a few short weeks ago, are now saying that Gauthier "panicked" by firing him.

   You can't have it both ways boys. It can't be "Fire him, fire him, fire him!" one day, and then "The general manager panicked when he fired him" after it happens. It's called logical reasoning, you may want to give it a try.

   Now those of you who know me, which means pretty much everyone reading this, know that I'm not what would be considered a Montreal Canadiens fan. Part of it is genetic, part of it is decades of acquired distaste. Heck, if it was up to me, I'd give Pierre Gauthier a lifetime, fireproof contract as GM.

   But the reality is that Geoffy Molson has to pull the plug on Gauthier before he screws things up any further. No need to wait for the perfect time to do it, there is no such time as the perfect time to replace the general manager. 

   Surely Molson and the board of directors have been considering this possibility and have a plan B. 

   If they don't, it could be a long march into the darkness for the Montreal Canadiens and their fans for many years to come.

Louis, my grandfather, Ali, and me.

   When I was a kid, I used to think that my grandfather knew everything there was to know about sports. It seemed to me that he had seen every hockey, football and baseball game ever played. Same thing with boxing.

   If he wasn't busy out on his farm tractor, or fixing stuff in his shop, he was either watching sports, reading about sports, or talking about sports.

   Being the curious type that I was, I would pepper him with questions. "Who was the best hitter you ever saw?". "Who was the best pitcher you ever saw?". "Who was the best hockey player you ever saw?"

   It wasn't until I asked him who he thought was the best boxer of all-time that it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, my grandfather didn't know every about sports after all. 

   "Joe Louis", he blurted out, his attention never leaving whatever it was that he was working on. "Joe Louis? What about Muhammad Ali?"

   "Ali's got a big mouth." he said, as he turned to look at me, probably taken a little aback by my new found unwillingness to simply take his word on it. "But he's so fast. And he can take a punch, look at what he did to Foreman." 

   My reference to the legendary Rumble in the Jungle, failed to impress. "Foreman just swang away like a madman. Louis would have picked him apart had he stood in ropes like that." he replied, not quite sure what to make of my sudden incredulity. "I dunno..." I said, as we moved on to another subject.

   Few days later, he handed me a book. "Here. Read this." It was a well worn paperback. Joe Louis. My Life. "If you're going to argue, you might as well know what you're talking about." Clearly I had struck a nerve.

  Before he let me go that evening, he went on to tell me about how in 1938, he and some of the men he was working with in the woods had piled into an old truck and traveled over the bumpy roads that led them back into town where they were to listen to the second Joe Louis-Max Schmeling fight on the radio.

   He told me how two years previously, Louis and Schmeling had met in the ring in New York's Yankee Stadium. Schmeling, a German, represented the Nazis, which meant all that was evil. Louis, on the other hand, was a young kid from the southern U.S. who had risen from utter poverty, and was undefeated going into that fight.

   Many observers, my grandfather included, felt that Louis didn't take the first fight as seriously as he should have and let his 24-0 record get to his head. "Schmeling gave him a boxing lesson that night" was his verdict. Like most boxing fans, he thought that ultimately Louis was a better boxer and if he trained properly and headed into the fight with the right mindset, he could take down "Hitler's man".

  "By the time I got home, the fight was over" he said, a mixture of sadness for having missed it, and pride in the job done by his favourite boxer. "It didn't even go one full round.".

   It certainly was one of the most impressive boxing displays in the history of the sport. Right from the opening bell Louis went on the attack. In the 2 minutes and 4 seconds, he threw 41 punches at Schmeling. 31 of those punches landed solidly, causing the German to hit the canvas on three occasions before the referee mercifully stopped the fight. "Sent Schmeling to the hospital for 10 days, before they shipped him back to Germany".

   I did go on to read the book. I could certainly understand why Joe Louis was held in such high esteem by fans of my grandfather's generation. He had slayed the symbol of Nazi Germany and stood as the World Heavyweight Champion for an amazing 12 years. But Ali was still my man.

   Louis may have knocked out Schmeling, but Ali had taken out the dreaded and feared Sonny Liston not once, but twice. And, like Louis, Ali lost a big fight to a formidable foe. It was dubbed "The Fight of the Century" and it was held in Madison Square Garden in 1971. 

   It pitted Ali against the reigning champion, "Smokin' Joe" Frazier, and it was to be the first of three legendary battles between the two great champions. Ali would come back to defeat Frazier twice. By unanimous decision in New York in 1972 and one more time, in one of boxing's most memorable fights, The Thrilla in Manila, a technical knockout win, 1975.

   And then came 1978. Leon Spinks had won the Olympic gold medal boxing medal in the light heavyweight division in Montreal, just as Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) had in Rome in 1960.

   Spinks headed into the fight, held at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a professional record of 7 wins and a draw against a largely unimpressive group of opponents. Ali on the other hand was coming off three very tough 15 round decision wins against top notch fighters, Ken Norton, Alfredo Evangelista, and Earnie Shavers.

   Heading into the Spinks fight, Ali was merciless towards his fellow Olympic champion during interviews that lead up to the first fight. He called him stupid. He called him ugly. He denigrated his boxing skills.

   Ali went into the fight seemingly expecting to easily cruise to victory against a much less experienced boxer. What he ended up getting was a much younger, and much fitter, opponent who came at him for 15 rounds. Spinks took the fight in a unanimous decision, that shocked many, but not all.

   "You can't go around talking about your opponents like that. Last night, Ali got what he's had coming for a while", was my grandfather's analysis of the bout. "He's finished, he should call it quits".

   Had Ali followed his advice and retired following that fight, the question of who was the better champion, Louis or Ali, would be a much more debatable one.

  Louis' last fight had also been a loss, but against a young Rocky Marciano. And Leon Spinks, all would agree, was no Rocky Marciano.

   In an interview with his longtime friend and confidant Howard Cosell just prior to the second Ali-Spinks fight, held at the Superdome in New Orleans, Ali stated that there were a few main reasons why he chose to fight Spinks one more time.

   The first reason he mentioned was that he wanted to become the first black boxer to retire as the heavyweight champion of the world. The second reason was that he wanted to become the first boxer to win the heavyweight crown three times. He also mentioned that he believed that he simply was a better boxer than Leon Spinks.

   On September 15th 1978, Muhammad Ali defeated Leon Spinks in a unanimous 15 round decision. Although Ali had lost much of his legendary speed, he controlled the match from start to finish.

  "A pretty impressive fight," was the family patriarch's assessment "a good way to retire". Alas, as we now know, Ali did not retire.

   Instead of hanging up the gloves as reigning Heavyweight Champion of the World, the only boxer to win that title on three different occasions, he chose to go on.

   Two years after the last Spinks fight, Ali, by then out of shape and showing the signs of what was later to be diagnosed as Parkinson's disease, stepped into the ring with one of his former sparring partners, Larry Holmes.

  At 30, Holmes was the reigning champion and at the top of his game. From the outset it was clearly no match. Had it not been for Holmes' unwillingness to embarrass or injure his boxing hero, the bout would have ended much sooner.

   The sight of his longtime trainer, and friend, the legendary Angelo Dundee, yelling at the referee who asks Ali "What do you want to do?" before the start of the 11th round "The ballgame's over, I'm the chief, stop the fight", was heartbreaking.

   As Larry Holmes walked to the centre of the ring after taking a moment to speak with Ali who was still sitting on his stool, unable or unwilling to stand, tears rolled down the younger champ's face.

   Announcer Howard Cosell, one of the best boxing analysts of all-time said at that moment, "For Muhammad," his voice cracking, "it is time to face the final curtain".

   Unbelievably, there was to be one more fight, this time against Trevor Berbick. Although Ali was in somewhat better condition than he had been for the Holmes fight, he lost an unanimous 10 round decision. A sad ending to an unfitting final 3 years of boxing.

   While my grandfather and I never did agree as to who was the greatest boxer of all-time, we did agree that Ali stayed on too long.