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Ali... By Bob Dudek Gamecock Staff Writer Muhammad Ali's recent trip to Russia is just another proof that his legacy goes far beyond the boxing ring. Cassius Marcellus Clay first caught the public eye by winning the Gold Medal as a light heavyweight boxer in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. The next three years saw the young Clay go through a series of "patsy" fights to begin his professional career. ^nnw^ JSBf1 Eg i Chatoog By Paul Osmondson Gamecock Staff Writer Whitewater rafting trios are conducted each day on the Chatooga River, the site for some scenes of the movie "Deliverance," by Wildwater, Ltd., Long Creek, S.C. Annie Kenyon, a guide for the company, said the Chatooga was declared a "wild and scenic" river under the Wild and Scenic River Act of 1974. This means the river is mostly wilderness and extremely clean, she said. TUA /.Atvtnnn.. A?i?~ 'L-' a iic vuni)wiijr ima nips lliai begin at 9,10 and 11 a.m. every day except Monday, and last approximately 7 hours each. Every person is required to wear shoes, helmet and life preserver, she said. The company provides the helmet and preserver as part of the fee for the trip. According to Kenyon, the trips are "real exciting" and adventurous, which attracts people to them. Even though the company requires all customers to sign a waiver of release in case of injury, Kenyon said "they have had no serious accidents on the trips, especially this year. Each trip is limited to seven m - Ai I A * * - ia i_ t iour-man rails, dui mlen u is less I* s ..*?? # VV.' / v. <//* gyt ? ^ * ,*i a.'A* ^ v '? % '# -#. > '# V SHHH His legacy The K e n t u c k y - b o r n , pc Philadelphia-trained puglist easily or quashed his early opposition. Not oniy ciia nis ooxing style capture public and media attention, but his fij never ceasing chatter earned him re constant exposure in print and as or guest on numerous radio and at television shows. th "i THE YOUNG CLAY emulated hi the style of a then singularly colorful wrestler, "Gorgeous M George." He bragged about his fo achievements, insulted his op All speaks his mind at a ^ press conference in Columbia ajj last spring. ' of. _ ? ou Brltton Andrew ? GAMECOCK a whiteu than that," she said. ] Three guides are present on each Cc trip. One rides in a kayak while the mi other two are in rafts. thi KENYON SAID all the guides ^ are experienced paddlers and on know first aid. They are also apnrovpH fnr PPR *** According to Mark Berenbrok, a freshman at USC who recently i made the trip, the rafters are taken by truck from the Wildwater, Ltd. office to V4 mile from the river. fh Under the Wild and Scenic River , Act, no road may be used within a . ! quarter-mile of the river. , After all the equipment has been carried to the river, the guides give . the people a brief history of the river, including information on the " use of the river in the film , "Deliverance," Kenyon said. She said they also instruct the people on safety and paddling. She e said if one of them should fall out of the raft, "it is basically up to them ] to save themselves. ra "Hopefully the raft hasn't gone Kc too far" and someone in it will pull them in. she said. She said if they can't get back to the raft, there are safety ropes tr along the river they can grab. The th person should float on his back th with his feet out in front of him th until he gets to the raft or a rope. 81 ">'y. <' v,V V' v V,>>.V, y'< V V f-t 4, *, 4, t, 4, #; f goes far I >nents and ridiculed the press, te time telling Howard Cosell, fou're not as dumb as you look." Cassius Clay put twenty pro ghts behind him before his first al test. He was knocked down ice while defeating Sonny Banks Madison Square Garden. Clay en defeated Archie Moore, the igly old black man," as Ali called m. "What's all this about Archie oore? That old man will go in ur," Ali chanted. The prediction did indeed come pass. But, he was again knocked >wn while defeating Henry )ODer in EncrlnnH PI Q\f UIQC r - ? o ~?*j ?ao rmed "doubtful" as a real mtender because of these two lockdowns. Few of the experts ive him a chance against lampion Sonny Liston. Clay didn't seem to hear the perts. While everyone awaited s expected defeat, he bragged id taunted the "Big Black Bear." At the WPich-in thp aftomnAn nt ? Q-- ?? MlVVillWll VI e fight, Clay went berserk, sturing and screaming at Liston. ; leaped about the room while re of his trainers tried to restrain m. His blood pressure was way i and many wondered if he had ily "flipped his lid" out of fear. \BOUT AN HOUR before the 'Jit, Howard Cosell spotted Clay ending alone in the semirkness of the hall. 'What was all that screaming out this afternoon?" Cosell immered. Clay winked and said, "I wanted ston to think I was crazy. Only a . - _ i later raj KATY PETERS, a student at the liege of Charleston who also has ade the trip, said the guides told em the proper way to paddle is to ace one hand at the top of the ndle near the "T" and the other e at the bottom near the wide rt. Chatooga, which means "we ve crossed here," is 50 miles ig. Kenyon said the trip lasts for ly 7^ miles, but it goes over me of the most difficult rapids in e southeast. She said all of the rapids on the p are rated either a three or four difficulty. Rapids are rated on a scale of 0 6, with 6 being the most difficult, inyon said. She said section 4 of the river, >m the U.S. 76 bridge to Lake igaloo, is rated 4. On Mondays e company has one trip over that ction only. Each raft is led through difficult pids one at a time by a guide, rnyon said. Carolina freshman Carol tiwVtn..* 11- " an unit., wiiu recently iook me ip, said the rapids were some of e best parts of the river. She said at because each raft was led rough the difficult rapids by a lide, "you could just sit back and ?eyond the 1 fool isn't scared of a crazy man. You'll see tonight." Indeed, the world saw Clay cut up Liston for seven brutal rounds t ? ?n?j :i ?it- ut i?u uciui c Liiaiun cttiicu ii qui US. i IU1U ya, I told ya," Clay taunted the writers at ringside. "I am the greatest! The Big Black Bear! I am the greatest!" The writers expected much of the same from the new heavyweight champion at the press conference the next day. Instead, Clay walked into the press room quietly. "Yes, the rumors are true," he said. "My name is Muhammad Ali. I'm a Black Muslim now." Instantly, the old writers were up in rage. Who wanted a radical champion, one that had discussed politics with Malcolm X? Most writers insisted on calling him Cassius Clay, despite the legal change of his name. Among these was Dick Young of the New York Daily News. One has to wonder if Dick Young still calls Lauren Bacall, Betty Perske? If he calls Gary Grant, Archie Leach, or Bob Dylan, Robert Zimmerman? MANY PEOPLE suspected that boxing was controlled by organized crime. Sonny Liston had long been suspected of dealing with gamblers. Zora Folley died mysteriously after a fight: he fell into an empty swimming pool. Now they had a champion who didn't smoke, drink, or associate with gamblers. The only problem was his "weird" name and "radical" religion. Some writers encountered one cting will not worry," about what was happening. THE GROUPS stop during the trip for lunch, which includes sandwiches and potato chips. Fairhart said she enjoyed this part of the trip because they got to eat good food out in the wild. Kenyon said the group makes other stops to allow the people to go swimming or take pictures. =^|: :? ill ring vexing problem, however; finding fault with his boxing. He defeated Liston in a rematch in Lewiston, ME. Announcer Jimmy Cannon kept that fight lively by talking of "possible gun play between the Muslims and the underworld." "It couldn't have crushed a grape/' Cannon said of the punch that floored Liston. The students from Bates College agreed.They poured down the aisles screaming, "F-I-X, F-I-X!" Ali viewed the whole scene with amusement, calling the punch his "anchor punch." The now confirmed champion introduced his "Ali Shuffle" to help defeat Patterson, Cooper, Chavallo, and Terrill. Just as Muhammad Ali was reaching his prime in 1987, so was uie war in viemam. rne Muslim teachings against war had the writers curious about what Ali would do when called up for induction into the armed services. When asked directly, Ali replied, "I ain't got no quarrel with those Viet Cong." A position, let it be noted, most of the country would latpp aHnnt On April 28,1967, Muhammad Ali refused to take the step of induction into the army. He was whisked into a private office and given his rights by Federal Marshalls. Within a matter of minutes after Ali chose not to take the oath of induction, Edwin Dooley, New York boxing commissioner, stripped Ali of his title and his See ALI. oace 9 I,scenic The scenery on the river was described as "gorgeous" by Peters. Berenbrok, who has made the trip 3 times, said the scenery is one of the things that keeps him coming back. ^According to Kenyon, this time ui year is tne busiest for the company. She said a lot of the business they get is from people who come and enjoy it so much that they return with some friends. W .' ' \ ? , I - --.V. V/Z/Ivl , Si'l vl Jvlvv/I