{"id":4581,"date":"2016-07-11T15:46:44","date_gmt":"2016-07-11T15:46:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/repeatright.com\/engine\/?p=4581"},"modified":"2018-10-08T22:35:29","modified_gmt":"2018-10-08T22:35:29","slug":"ali-muhammad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.repeatright.com\/engine\/ali-muhammad\/","title":{"rendered":"ALI, Muhammad (Cassius Clay)"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1453315804311{margin-top: -40px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-book” add_icon=”true” title=”Citation” tab_id=”1449531588223-e020d87d-f7dd094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

\u201cBirds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

~Muhammad Ali<\/strong>, American boxer<\/p>\n

Describing his role as a professional boxer, \u201cLife with Ali (in Neutral Corner)\u201d (6 April 1977) Joyce Maynard interview with Ali at his home in Berrien Springs, Michigan, The New York Times<\/em>, New York, NY: New York Times<\/em>, Inc., p. C1, column 2; online via \u2018Times Machine\u2019 archives [subscription service] timesmachine.nytimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-plus-circle” add_icon=”true” title=”Context” tab_id=”1449531588755-96303790-852e094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Extended excerpt<\/em><\/strong> [Newspaper interview]:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m at the end of my career,\u201d said the 35-year old Ali, studying a larger-than-life-size portrait of himself, in mosaic tile. \u201cI have a few fights left in me, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

But he won\u2019t miss boxing, he said, in a somewhat hoarse and weary-sounding voice. \u201cIt\u2019s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up<\/span>.\u201d (p. C1, column 2)<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-search” add_icon=”true” title=”Source Link” tab_id=”1449531589797-29580b31-8c50094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: \u201cLife with Ali (in Neutral Corner)\u201d (6 April 1977) online via \u2018Times Machine\u2019 [subscription service] The New York Times: http:\/\/timesmachine.nytimes.com\/timesmachine\/1977\/04\/06\/issue.html<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-book” add_icon=”true” title=”Citation” tab_id=”1449531591105-7edf5f39-feaa094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

\u201cFloat like a butterfly,<\/p>\n

Sting like a bee,<\/p>\n

Your hands can’t hit<\/p>\n

What your eyes can’t see!”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

~Muhammad Ali<\/strong> &\u00a0Drew ‘Bundini’ Brown<\/strong>, Ali’s self-described \u201cspirit builder & assistant trainer\u201d\u00a0Although Ali repeated the phrase a number of times throughout his career, Brown received early credit as the man who coined the first part of the rhyme \u2013 and helped promote it as an Ali mantra as early as 1963. One of several early attributions:<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2019 Man Makes Good with Clay\u201d (10 February 1964) John Crittenden, The Miami News<\/em>, Miami, FL, p. 3B, column 3 [p. 20 of full edition .pdf]; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-ban” add_icon=”true” title=”Re-Quotes” tab_id=”1449531592148-05fdd3db-5676094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Re-quote notes<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: Additional early examples of Ali (as Cassius Clay) using variations of the \u201csting like a bee\u201d taunt include:<\/p>\n

7 January 1964<\/u><\/strong> <\/span>– \u201cCassius may look bad chasing a rabbit, but he\u2019s going to be in with a lion \u2013 and it\u2019s going to be like he had a gun,\u201d said Drew (Bundini) Brown, who is one of Clay\u2019s volunteer trainers. \u201cAin\u2019t Clay beautiful? He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee<\/strong><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Requote souce<\/em>: Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali], \u201cBrotherly Love! Rudy Conks Cassius\u201d (7 January 1964) John Crittenden, Miami News<\/em>, Miami, FL, p. 38, column 2; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com<\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n

17 February 1964<\/u><\/strong><\/span> – \u201cFloat like a butterfly, Sting like a bee.<\/strong> Wow! Wow! Wow!<\/span>\u201d Where else but Cassius Clay\u2019s camp could you hear such menacing gestures. But those are the words the Louisville Lip trains to these days, according to trainer Drew Brown, who does the chanting. \u201cIt gives Clay a feeling of ultra confidence,\u201d says Brown smartly.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Requote souce<\/em>: Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali], cited in \u201cSports Shorts\u201d (17 February 1964) Independent <\/em>newspaper, Long Beach, CA, Vol. 26, No. 148, column 2, p. 21; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com<\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n

26 February 1964<\/u><\/strong><\/span> – \u201cIt started between the fourth and fifth rounds. \u201cFloating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee<\/strong><\/span>\u201d as he and his stooges had predicted, Cassius had made Liston look like a bull moose plodding through a swamp.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Requote souce<\/em>: Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali], \u201cEat Your Words,\u2019 Cassius Bawls to Press\u201d (26 February 1964) The Boston Globe<\/em>, Vol. 185, No. 57, Boston: Globe Newspaper Co., p. 44, column 2; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com<\/a>]\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-plus-circle” add_icon=”true” title=”Context” tab_id=”1449531591631-43861bc7-da28094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Extended excerpt<\/em><\/strong> [Newspaper profile of Ali’s trainer, Drew “Bundini” Brown.\u00a0 In 1964, Ali was still known as Cassius Clay.]:<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if it\u2019s untrue, Bundini rates a hearing on his speeches alone. \u201cFloats like a butterfly, stings like a bee\u201d is the Clay camp slogan for the month, and this is a Bundini product. Even if Drew Brown were no trainer at all, he would be an asset as a scriptwriter.\u201d (p. 3B)<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-search” add_icon=”true” title=”Source Links” tab_id=”1449531592891-f39e055b-a66e094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong> [7 January 1964]<\/span>: \u201cBrotherly Love! Rudy Conks Cassius\u201d (7 January 1964) Miami News<\/em>, online via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/image\/302032158\/?terms=%22Float%2Blike%2Ba%2Bbutterfly%22%2B%2B%2B%22sting%2Blike%2Ba%2Bbee%22<\/p>\n

Source link <\/em><\/strong>[Featured source<\/strong>]:<\/span>\u00a0 “No Man Makes Good with Clay” (10 February 1964) The Miami News<\/em>, online via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/image\/302070337\/?terms=%22Float%2Blike%2Ba%2Bbutterfly%22%2B%2B%2B%22sting%2Blike%2Ba%2Bbee%22<\/p>\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong> [17 February 1964]<\/span>: \u201cSport Shorts\u201d (17 February 1964) Independent; via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/image\/17597081\/?terms=%22Float%2Blike%2Ba%2Bbutterfly%2C%2Bsting%2Blike%2Ba%2Bbee.%2BWow%2C%2Bwow%2C%2Bwow%22<\/p>\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong> [26 February 1964]<\/span>: \u201cEat Your Words,\u2019 Cassius Bawls to Press\u201d (26 February 1964) The Boston Globe<\/em>; via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/image\/433769449\/?terms=%22stinging%2Blike%2Ba%2Bbee%22<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-book” add_icon=”true” title=”Citation” tab_id=”1453315829087-ce67c619-0fbcda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

\u201cI am America. Only, I\u2019m the part you won\u2019t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own – get used to me!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

~Muhammad Ali<\/strong>, American boxer<\/p>\n

Reflecting on what he wanted to say to defeated opponent Floyd Patterson after their November 1965 fight, in The Greatest: Muhammad Ali<\/em> (1975) with Richard Durham, Random House, p. 219<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-ban” add_icon=”true” title=”Misquotes” tab_id=”1453315829287-33b1178b-1c81da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Misquote note<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: Some online sources have paraphrased the quote from Ali\u2019s autobiography by eliminating the word \u201conly\u201d and changing \u201cI\u2019m\u201d to \u201cI am\u201d:<\/p>\n

Original quote<\/em><\/span>: \u201cI am America. Only, I\u2019m the part you won\u2019t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own – get used to me!<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

Misquote<\/em><\/span>: \u201cI am America. I am <\/strong>the part you won\u2019t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own – get used to me!<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-plus-circle” add_icon=”true” title=”Context” tab_id=”1453315829475-7c82a017-1e62da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Extended excerpt\u00a0<\/em><\/strong> [Ali, on what he wanted to say to defeated opponent Floyd Patterson after their November 1965 boxing match. Ali & Patterson were both African American boxing champions, but Ali felt that the match was being viewed by many white sports industry executives, advertisers, celebrity fans & journalists as a chance for \u201ca nice Catholic boy\u201d (Patterson) to \u201cdefeat a Black Muslim.\u201d (Ali, p. 219)]:<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it was not you that I was trying to beat and knock out. It was those backing you. I was talking back to them. I was saying, \u201cI am America. Only, I\u2019m the part you won\u2019t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own – get used to me!<\/span> I can make it without your approval! I won\u2019t let you beat me and I won\u2019t let your Negro beat me!\u201d<\/p>\n

But I couldn\u2019t explain it to him, so I let the chance go by.\u201d (p. 219)<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-search” add_icon=”true” title=”Source ISBN” tab_id=”1453315829682-63e8fade-cf4cda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: Library \u2013 The Greatest: Muhammad Ali<\/em> (1975) International Standard Book Number (ISBN) 0-394-46268-8<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-book” add_icon=”true” title=”Citation” tab_id=”1449531591105-7edf5f39-feaa094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

\u201cI am the greatest!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

~Muhammad Ali<\/strong>, American boxer<\/p>\n

Not an original boast, though Ali repeated this line so frequently in his\u00a0career that it is now closely associated with his name. The initial date Ali first spoke the phrase in public is unclear, but it was part of his repertoire since at least 1961.<\/p>\n

One earlier source<\/em>: Ali’s press statement prior to a match with heavyweight boxer Archie Moore – \u201cBoxing Careers of Moore, Clay at Stake in Thursday\u2019s Battle\u201d\u00a0(11 November 1962) UPI (United Press International) story in The Ogden Standard-Examiner<\/em>, column 5, p. 29; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-ban” add_icon=”true” title=”Misquotes” tab_id=”1453315828190-b4d7b461-d58dda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Re-quote notes<\/em><\/strong><\/span> \u2013 <\/em>Two examples of many notable \u201cI am the greatest<\/strong>\u201d variations from Ali:<\/p>\n

\u201cI have said I am the greatest. Ain\u2019t nobody ever heard me say I was the smartest<\/strong><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Muhammad Ali<\/span> <\/strong>– Responding to a question about his failure to pass written Army pre-induction tests, \u201cAlex Haley Interviews Cassius Clay\u201d (1 October 1964) Interview with author Alex Haley, Playboy <\/em>magazine, Vol. 11, No. 10, ISSN 0032-1478<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not just the greatest, I\u2019m the double greatest<\/strong><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Muhammad Ali<\/strong> – C<\/span>ited in profile story \u201cParadox of Cassius\u201d (February 1964) Will Grimsley, Associated Press (AP) Miami Beach, FL; in The Indiana Gazette<\/em>, Indiana, PA, Vol. 64, No. 165, p. 19, column 6; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-plus-circle” add_icon=”true” title=”Context” tab_id=”1453315828385-86abfac4-79bfda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Extended excerpt <\/em><\/strong>[Press statement, repeated in profile prior to Ali\u2019s match with heavyweight boxer Archie Moore]:<\/p>\n

\u201cI am the greatest,<\/span>\u201d is his constant refrain. \u201cIf Moore stays 12 rounds with me, I\u2019ll kiss his feet in the ring and tell him that he is the greatest. But my aim is to retire all old men from the ring, starting with Moore.” (p. 29, column 5)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-search” add_icon=”true” title=”Source Links” tab_id=”1453315828572-dac97b48-68e0da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Source link\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>[Featured source – \u2018I am the greatest\u2019]<\/span>: \u201cBoxing Careers of Moore, Clay At Stake in Thursday\u2019s Battle\u201d (11 November 1962) Ogden Standard-Examiner, online via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/image\/31336836<\/a>\/<\/p>\n

Source link <\/em><\/strong>[Re-quote \u2013 \u2018double-greatest\u2019]<\/span>: \u201cParadox of Cassisu\u201d (27 February 1964) The Indiana Gazette, online via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/image\/13931412\/?terms=%22I%27m%2Bnot%2Bjust%2Bthe%2Bgreatest.%2BI%27m%2Bthe%2Bdouble%2Bgreatest%22<\/a><\/p>\n

Source <\/em><\/strong>[Re-quote \u2013 \u2018’the smartest\u2019]<\/span>: Library – \u201cAlex Haley Interviews Cassius Clay\u201d (October 1964) Playboy magazine, International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) 0032-1478<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1453316221301{margin-top: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-book” add_icon=”true” title=”Citation” tab_id=”1453315828001-b5e2e52e-ea1eda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

\u201cIf Clay says a mosquito can pull a plow, don\u2019t ask him how. Hitch him up.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

~Muhammad Ali<\/strong>, American boxer<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026I\u2019m the Greatest: A Poem by Cassius Clay\u201d (15 February 1963) LIFE\u00a0<\/em>magazine, Vol. 54, No. 7, Chicago, IL: Time, Inc., p. 62B; online via Google Books, book.google.com<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-ban” add_icon=”true” title=”Re-Quote” tab_id=”1453315828190-b4d7b461-d58dda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Re-quote notes<\/em><\/strong><\/span> \u2013 <\/em>Variations of the quote include:<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Cassius says a mosquito can pull a plow, don’t ask how<\/strong><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Ali says a mosquito can pull a plow, don’t ask how<\/strong><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Allah says a mosquito can pull a plow, don’t ask him how<\/strong><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-plus-circle” add_icon=”true” title=”Context” tab_id=”1453315828385-86abfac4-79bfda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Extended excerpt\u00a0<\/em><\/strong> [Ali poem in LIFE<\/em> magazine. Poem title ellipsis are original to cited source.]:<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you conquer a man so fast?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure his opponents have tried their best,<\/p>\n

But one by one on the canvas they rest.<\/p>\n

Everyone knew when Cassius wasn\u2019t around,<\/p>\n

For quietness descended on the town,<\/p>\n

If Clay says a mosquito can pull a plow,<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t ask him how –<\/span><\/p>\n

Hitch him up!<\/span>\u201d (p. 62B)<\/p>\n

Source note<\/em><\/strong>: Muhammad Ali used & professional boxed under his birth name, Cassius Clay, until 1964<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-search” add_icon=”true” title=”Source Link” tab_id=”1453315828572-dac97b48-68e0da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0\u201c\u2026I\u2019m the Greatest: A Poem by Cassius Clay\u201d (15 February 1963) online via LIFE magazine & Google Books:\u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=n0EEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=If+Cassius+says+a+mosquito+can+pull+a+plow,+don%E2%80%99t+ask+how.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-book” add_icon=”true” title=”Citation” tab_id=”1449531591105-7edf5f39-feaa094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

\u201cI\u2019ll beat him so bad he\u2019ll need a shoehorn to put his hat on.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

~Muhammad Ali<\/strong>, American boxer<\/p>\n

Press conference comment prior to fight with Floyd Patterson, \u201cMaster of the Verbal Jab\u201d (21 November 1965) Arthur Daley, The New York Times<\/em>, ‘Sports of the Times\u2019 column, New York: New York Times Co., section 5, p. 2S, column 7 [p. 322 in full edition .pdf file]; online via \u2018Times Machine,\u2019 New York Times archives [subscription service] timesmachine.nytimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-plus-circle” add_icon=”true” title=”Context” tab_id=”1453315828385-86abfac4-79bfda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Extended excerpt<\/em><\/strong>:\u00a0[Ali \u2013 then still known by his birth name, Cassius Clay \u2013 speaking to the press about his upcoming fight against Floyd Patterson]\n

\u201cWhen he picks on me, he\u2019s crazy. I\u2019ll have a good whuppin\u2019 for him. I\u2019ll beat him so bad, he\u2019ll need a shoehorn to put his hat on.<\/span>\u201d (p. S2, column 7)<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-search” add_icon=”true” title=”Source Link” tab_id=”1449531592891-f39e055b-a66e094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

 <\/p>\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0\u201cSports of the Times\u201d (21 November 1965) online via New York Times archives [subscription service]: https:\/\/timesmachine.nytimes.com\/timesmachine\/1965\/11\/21\/98464308.html?pageNumber=322<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1453316221301{margin-top: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-book” add_icon=”true” title=”Citation” tab_id=”1453315828001-b5e2e52e-ea1eda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

~Muhammad Ali<\/strong>, American boxer<\/p>\n

Describing his role as a professional boxer, \u201cLife with Ali (in Neutral Corner)\u201d (6 April 1977) Joyce Maynard interview with Ali at his home in Berrien Springs, Michigan, The New York Times<\/em>, New York, NY: New York Times<\/em>, Inc., p. C1, column 2; online via \u2018Times Machine\u2019 archives [subscription service] timesmachine.nytimes.com<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-plus-circle” add_icon=”true” title=”Context” tab_id=”1453315828385-86abfac4-79bfda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Extended excerpt\u00a0<\/em><\/strong> [Newspaper interview]:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m at the end of my career,\u201d said the 35-year old Ali, studying a larger-than-life-size portrait of himself, in mosaic tile. \u201cI have a few fights left in me, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

But he won\u2019t miss boxing, he said, in a somewhat hoarse and weary-sounding voice. \u201cIt\u2019s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.<\/span>\u201d (p. C1, column 2)<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-search” add_icon=”true” title=”Source Link” tab_id=”1453315828572-dac97b48-68e0da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

 <\/p>\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0\u201cLife with Ali (in Neutral Corner)\u201d (6 April 1977) online via \u2018Times Machine\u2019 [subscription service] The New York Times: http:\/\/timesmachine.nytimes.com\/timesmachine\/1977\/04\/06\/issue.html<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-book” add_icon=”true” title=”Citation” tab_id=”1449531591105-7edf5f39-feaa094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

\u201cThe man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

~Muhammad Ali<\/strong>, American boxer<\/p>\n

\u201cPlayboy Interview: Muhammad Ali\u201d (1 November 1975) Interview by Lawrence Linderman, Playboy<\/em> magazine, Vol. 22, No. 11, Chicago: HMH Publishing; reissue online 3 June 2016, \u201cThis is the Legend of Muhammad Ali, the Greatest Fighter That Ever Will Be\u201d [condensed interview] online via Playboy, www.playboy.com<\/a><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-plus-circle” add_icon=”true” title=”Context” tab_id=”1449531591631-43861bc7-da28094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]<\/span><\/p>\n

Extended excerpt <\/em><\/strong>[Magazine interview]:<\/p>\n

Linderman<\/u>: \u201cSince a lot of people are wondering about this, level with us: Do you write all the poetry you pass off as your own?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ali<\/u>: Sure I do\u2026But poems aren\u2019t the only thing I\u2019ve been writing. I\u2019ve also been setting my mind to sayings. You want to hear some?\u201d<\/p>\n

Linderman<\/u>: \u201cDo we have a choice?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ali<\/u>:<\/strong> \u201cYou listen up and maybe I\u2019ll make you as famous as I made Howard Cosell. \u201cWars on nations are fought to change maps, but wars on poverty are fought to map change.\u201d Good, huh? \u201cThe man who views the world at 50 the same he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.<\/span>\u201d These are words of wisdom, so pay attention, Mr. Playboy. \u201cThe man who has no imagination stands on the earth \u2013 he has no wings, he cannot fly.\u201d Catch this: \u201cWhen we are right, no one remembers, but when we are wrong, no one forgets. Watergate!\u201d I really like the next one: \u201cWhere is man\u2019s wealth? His wealth is in his knowledge. If his wealth was in the bank and not in his knowledge, then he doesn\u2019t possess it \u2013 because it\u2019s in the bank!\u201d You got all that?\u201d […]\n[Repeat Right: Ali went on to share a few more sayings, and then asked]:<\/p>\n

\u201c…How do you like this one: \u201cLove is a net where hearts are caught like fish\u201d?<\/p>\n

Linderman<\/u>: \u201cIsn\u2019t that a little corny?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ali<\/u> [cheekily]: \u201cI knew you wasn\u2019t smart as soon as I laid eyes on you.” […]\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-search” add_icon=”true” title=”Source ISSN” tab_id=”1449531592891-f39e055b-a66e094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

 <\/p>\n

Source<\/em><\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0\u201cThis is the Legend of Muhammad Ali, the Greatest Fighter That Ever Will Be\u201d (3 June 2016 reissue of 1 Nov. 1975 interview) online via Playboy. Note<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: Online version of article removed as of September 2018. Library – International Standard Serial Number 0032-1478<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1453316221301{margin-top: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-book” add_icon=”true” title=”Citation” tab_id=”1453315828001-b5e2e52e-ea1eda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

\u201cYou know I\u2019m bad.<\/p>\n

Just last week, I murdered a rock,<\/p>\n

injured a stone, Hospitalized a brick.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m so mean, I make medicine sick.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

~Muhammad Ali<\/strong>, American boxer<\/p>\n

Poem recited for the press on Ali\u2019s first Kinshasha-based training day before his \u201cRumble in the Jungle\u201d boxing match with opponent George Foreman (17 July 1974) Kinshasha, Zaire [now Democratic Republic of Congo]; in Stan Hochman, \u201cAli Still Hits Hard with Punch Lines,\u201d Philadelphia Daily News<\/em>, 18 July 1974, p. 45; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-ban” add_icon=”true” title=”Re-Quote” tab_id=”1453315828190-b4d7b461-d58dda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Requote note<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: Ali repeated variations of his poem on several different occasions.\u00a0 One example, from a September 1974 press conference:<\/p>\n

\u201cI have wrassled with an alligator. I done tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightening, throw thunder in jail. That\u2019s bad! Only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. I\u2019m so mean I make medicine sick<\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Requote source<\/em>: Muhammad Ali, speaking to the press (September 1974) Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York City, New York; video online via \u201cMuhammad Ali \u2013 \u201cI\u2019ll Show You How Great I Am\u201d speech,\u201d posted 4 June 2016 (video – 1:17; quote begins approx. 0:38) online via YouTube, www.youtube.com<\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-plus-circle” add_icon=”true” title=”Context” tab_id=”1453315828385-86abfac4-79bfda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Extended excerpt\u00a0<\/em><\/strong> [Newspaper report, following press conference the day before]:<\/p>\n

\u201cI tussled with an alligator,\u201d Muhammad Ali recited. \u201cI wrassled with a whale. I handcuffed lightening. And I threw thunder in jail. \u201cYesterday I murdered a rock. I injured a stone. And I hospitalized a brick. I\u2019m so mean, I make medicine sick<\/span>.\u201d He is still poetry in motion. Motion in poetry. He is 32, but his tonsils have not lost their resiliency.\u201d (p. 45, column 1)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-search” add_icon=”true” title=”Source Link” tab_id=”1453315828572-dac97b48-68e0da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong> [Featured source]<\/span>: \u201cAli Still Hits Hard with Punch Lines\u201d (18 July 1974) Philadelphia Daily News<\/em>, online via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/image\/185963435\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong> [Requote]<\/span>: \u201cMuhammad Ali \u2013 \u201cI\u2019ll Show You How Great I Am\u201d speech\u201d (speech: Sept. 1974|video posted: 4 June 2016) online via YouTube.com: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1LSewbS5eQI<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-book” add_icon=”true” title=”Citation” tab_id=”1449531591105-7edf5f39-feaa094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

\u201cViolence is the worst thing we can think of. It\u2019s like a bull running into a locomotive. You can admire the bull for his courage, but he\u2019ll still end up splattered all over the track.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

~Muhammad Ali<\/strong>, American boxer<\/p>\n

Remarks to conference delegates, National Conference of Black Students (February 1969) Minneapolis, MN, cited in \u201cPeople,\u201d TIME<\/em> magazine, Vol. 93, No. 8, 21 February 1969, New York: Time, Inc., p. 33, columns 1-2; online via \u2018The Vault,\u2019 TIME archives [subscription service] content.time.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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Extended excerpt<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 [Brief news item in monthly magazine]:<\/p>\n

\u201cViolence is the worst thing we can think of,<\/span>\u201d Muhammad Ali, otherwise known as Cassius Marcellus Clay, cautioned delegates to a National Conference of Black Students in Minneapolis. \u201cIt\u2019s like a bull running into a locomotive. You can admire the bull for his courage, but he\u2019ll still end up splattered all over the track.<\/span>\u201d Strange words indeed from a man who used to make his living with his fists \u2013 but Ali, undefeated but defrocked heavyweight champion, was not pulling any punches on the race question.\u201d (p. 33, columns 1-2)<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-search” add_icon=”true” title=”Source Link” tab_id=”1449531592891-f39e055b-a66e094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

 <\/p>\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: \u201cPeople\u201d (21 February 1969) online via \u2018The Vault,\u2019 TIME magazine archives [subscription service]: http:\/\/time.com\/vault\/issue\/1969-02-21\/page\/35\/<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1453316221301{margin-top: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-book” add_icon=”true” title=”Citation” tab_id=”1453315828001-b5e2e52e-ea1eda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Misattributed to Muhammad Ali<\/em><\/strong><\/span>:<\/p>\n

\u201cAge is an issue of mind over matter. If you don\u2019t mind, it doesn\u2019t matter.<\/span>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

~Saying<\/span> popularized in a 1966 U.S.<\/span><\/strong> <\/span>Veterans Administration<\/b><\/span> agency report<\/p>\n

\u201cAging\u201d (1966) 1965 Highlights of VA Medical Research<\/em>, Washington, D.C.: Research Service, Department of Medicine & Surgery, Veterans Administration, 1966, p. 27, column 1; online via University of California & HathiTrust, babel.hathitrust.org<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-ban” add_icon=”true” title=”Misquotes” tab_id=”1453315828190-b4d7b461-d58dda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Misattribution notes<\/span><\/em><\/strong>: A number of famous personalities have been credited as the source of the quote “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter<\/span>.” People who are known to have repeated versions of the phrase in interviews or other forums include championship boxer Muhammad Ali<\/strong><\/span>, baseball pitcher Satchel Paige<\/strong><\/span>, and comedian Jack Benny<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 None of these sources, however, appear to pre-date the 1966 government report. [Note<\/em>: Benny was known to use the “mind over matter” part of the phase before this date.]\n

Although American author Mark Twain <\/strong>has been credited with using the phrase “mind over matter,” we could find no evidence to support the idea that he coined the full quote shown above.
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Re-quote notes<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: The specific phrase \u201cGrowing old is an issue of mind over matter. If you don\u2019t mind, it doesn\u2019t matter<\/strong><\/span>\u201d appears to have been popularized by the Veterans Administration report, but the \u201cmind over matter<\/strong>\u201d phrase – and it’s connection to aging – has been in circulation for well over a century.<\/p>\n

Following the publication and subsequent publicity of the 1966 Veterans Administration report, their \u201cgrowing old\u201d quote spawned a number of variations in newspapers and books. A few examples include:<\/p>\n

1966<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 \u201cThe process of growing old is a question of mind over matter. If you don\u2019t mind it doesn’t matter.<\/strong><\/span>\u201d \u2013 \u201cAlabama Baptist\u201d<\/p>\n

[Source<\/em>: Short \u2018filler\u2019 quote, Word and Way, Kansas City, Missouri, p. 3, column 1; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com<\/a>]\n

1970<\/u><\/strong> – \u201cAge is mostly a matter of mind. If you don\u2019t mind it doesn\u2019t matter.<\/strong><\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

[Source<\/em>: 1970-1971 \u201cJest a minute\u201d or \u201cChuckle\u201d joke featured in a number of U.S. newspapers]\n

1970<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 \u201cGrowing old is only a question of mind over matter; if you don\u2019t mind, it doesn\u2019t matter<\/strong><\/span>.\u201d \u2013 \u201cReinnie\u2019s Ramblings\u201d<\/p>\n

[Source<\/em>: \u201cReinnie\u2019s Ramblings\u201d (15 September 1970) Manitowoc Herald-Times<\/em>, Mantiowoc, WI, p. 17, column 8; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com<\/a>]\n

1972<\/u><\/strong> – \u201cOld age is a question of mind over matter…If you don\u2019t mind it doesn\u2019t matter<\/span>.<\/strong>\u201d \u2013 \u201cLarry DeLookey\u201d<\/p>\n

[Excerpt <\/em>[Newspaper short anecdotes feature]: \u201cOld age is a question of mind over matter, says Larry DeLookey. \u201cIf you don\u2019t mind it doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d]\n

Source<\/em>: \u201cOff the Hook\u201d (3 December 1972) Focus magazine, supplement in Quad-City Times-Democrat, <\/em>Davenport, IA, p. T-3 [p. 158 of full edition .pdf]; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com<\/a>]\n

1974 <\/u><\/strong>– \u201cAge is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don\u2019t mind, it doesn\u2019t matter<\/strong><\/span>.\u201d \u2013 Comedian Jack Benny<\/p>\n

[Excerpt<\/em> [Newspaper article]: \u201cBenny\u2019s only comment on his 80th birthday has been this line from his nightclub act: \u201cAge is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don\u2019t mind, it doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d (p. 9)]<\/span><\/p>\n

Source<\/em>: \u201cBenny wants no fanfare on his 80th\u201d (14 February 1974) Associated Press (AP) Palm Springs, CA; in The Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, p. 9, column 3; online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] www.newspapers.com<\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-plus-circle” add_icon=”true” title=”Context” tab_id=”1453315828385-86abfac4-79bfda41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Extended excerpt <\/em><\/strong>[Report showcasing Veterans Administration (VA) medical research highlights from 1965. No author name is provided.]:<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing old is a question of mind over matter \u2013 if you don\u2019t mind, it doesn\u2019t matter<\/span>, researchers discovered at the VA Hospital in Houston. Groups, regardless of age, have been evaluated to assess attitudes toward \u201cgrowing old\u201d and to explore the role of self-image and attitudes about one\u2019s body in the process of aging. Individuals, regardless of age, who are productive and effective in their vocational activities do not conceive of themselves as \u201cgrowing old\u201d or of aging.\u201d (p. 27, column 1)<\/p>\n

Source note<\/em><\/strong>: The Veterans Administration (VA) report was quoted in a June 1966 article by William A. Garrett of the Press Bureau office. The article ran in a number of American newspapers, and it is likely responsible for helping to popularize a quote that might otherwise been read by a limited number of people in the government report.<\/p>\n

The first lines from the Garrett article:<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing old is simply a question of mind over matter \u2013 if you don\u2019t mind, it doesn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 That, says the Veterans Administration, is the concensus [sic<\/em>] of VA researchers in the psychology of aging. Research in the field is being done at 38 or nearly a fourth of VA\u2019s hospitals and in outpatient clinics.\u201d (p. 3B)<\/p>\n

[Article source<\/em>: \u201cGrowing Old: Question of Mind Over Matter\u201d (23 June 1966) William A. Garrett, Press Bureau, Washington, D.C.; in The Evening Press<\/em>, Binghamton, NY, Vol. 88, p. 3B, column 1 [p. 15 of full edition .pdf \u2013 quote also appears on the upper right corner of the front page of the paper under the heading \u201cMind, Matter\u201d] online via Newspapers.com [subscription service] <\/span>www.newspapers.com<\/span>]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-search” add_icon=”true” title=”Source Link” tab_id=”1453315828572-dac97b48-68e0da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

 <\/p>\n

Source link<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>[Featured source]<\/span>:\u00a0<\/span>1965 Highlights of VA Medical Research<\/em> (1966) online via HathiTrust: https:\/\/babel.hathitrust.org\/cgi\/pt?id=uc1.ax0001671239;view=1up;seq=33<\/a><\/p>\n

Source link\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>[Source note – June 1966 newspaper article]<\/span>: \u201cGrowing Old: Question of Mind Over Matter\u201d (23 June 1966) The Evening Press<\/em>, via Newspapers.com [subscription service] – https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/image\/254562854<\/a><\/p>\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong>: [Re-quote – 1966\u2013 \u2018Alabama Baptist\u2019]<\/span>: Word and Way<\/em> (18 August 1966) via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/image\/335060273\/?terms=%22Growing%2Bold%2Bis%2Ba%2Bquestion%2Bof%2Bmind%2Bover%2Bmatter%22<\/a><\/p>\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong>: [Re-quote – 1972 \u2013 \u2018Larry DeLookey]<\/span>: \u201cOff the Hook\u201d (3 December 1972) Times-Democrat<\/em>, via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/image\/304953773<\/a><\/p>\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong>: [Re-quote – 1974 \u2013 Jack Benny paraphrase]<\/span>: \u201cBenny wants no fanfare on his 80th\u201d (14 February 1974) The Newark Advocate<\/em>, via Newspapers.com [subscription service]: https:\/\/www.newspapers.com\/image\/293870252\/?terms=%22Age%2Bis%2Bstrictly%2Ba%2Bcase%2Bof%2Bmind%2Bover%2Bmatter%22<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-book” add_icon=”true” title=”Citation” tab_id=”1449531591105-7edf5f39-feaa094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

Misattributed to Muhammad Ali<\/em><\/strong><\/span>:<\/p>\n

\u201cImpossible is just a word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they\u2019ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It\u2019s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It\u2019s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary.<\/span>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

~Aimee Lehto Schewe<\/strong><\/span>, American advertising copywriter & creative director<\/p>\n

Adidas sportswear campaign advertising copy (2004) Text built in support of \u2018Impossible is nothing\u2019 tagline by Boyd Coyner, TBWA\/CHIAT\/DAY advertising, San Francisco, CA; ad campaign launched 9 February 2004, Sports Illustrated magazine insert. Story on the advertisement development, images & misattribution examples online via Aimee Lehto Schewe, \u201cImpossible is Nothing Adidas,\u201d Aimee Lehto Schewe portfolio, www.withtwoees.com<\/a><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-ban” add_icon=”true” title=”Misquotes” tab_id=”1449531592148-05fdd3db-5676094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]<\/span><\/p>\n

Misattribution note<\/em><\/strong>: American championship boxer Muhammad Ali<\/strong><\/span> – and his daughter and fellow-boxer, Laila Ali<\/strong><\/span> – were two of the athletes featured in the 2004 “Impossible is nothing” Adidas advertisement. Although other athletes were also featured in the campaign, the words cited here did appear superimposed over an image of Ali — leading some to believe that it was a quote from the boxer himself.\u00a0 The words, however, were original to Aimee Lehto<\/strong> <\/span>(Schewe<\/strong><\/span>), the author of the advertising copy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Misquote note<\/em><\/span><\/strong>: One common misquote omits the original “Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare<\/em>.,” and adds “Impossible is nothing<\/em>.”]:<\/p>\n

Misquote<\/span><\/em>: \u201cImpossible is just a word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they\u2019ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It\u2019s an opinion. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing<\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Original Adidas advertising copy<\/em><\/span>: \u201cImpossible is just a word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they\u2019ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It\u2019s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It\u2019s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Extended excerpt\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>[None \u2013 full advertising \u2018manifesto\u2019 shown. Original work for the 2004 Adidas sportwear advertising campaign.]:<\/p>\n

\u201cImpossible is just a word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they\u2019ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It\u2019s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It\u2019s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary.\u201d<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-search” add_icon=”true” title=”Source Link” tab_id=”1449531592891-f39e055b-a66e094f-cf63da41-e4df”][vc_column_text]\n

 <\/p>\n

Source link<\/em><\/strong><\/span>: \u201cImpossible is Nothing Adidas\u201d (no date \u2013 accessed March 2018) online via Aimee Lehto Schewe: http:\/\/www.withtwoees.com\/work#\/impossibleisnothing\/<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

Resources<\/h4>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation=”none” el_class=”Wrapper-Author-Resources”]Learn more about Muhammad Ali<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0| Here are a few good places to start –<\/p>\n