The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 13, 1978, Page Page 8, Image 8
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