6:50: Still 10 minutes before the polls open, so I will get a few sports thoughts off my mind. First and foremost, take a minute today to remember the quintessential Philly athleted.
Long before there was the fictional Rocky Balboa, there was the very much real-life 'Smokin' Joe Frazier. Never has an athlete matched a city as well as Frazier did for the City of Brotherly Love.
Even though he was a native of South Carolina, Frazier quickly became our favorite adopted son, and in an era when Philly was known for its losings teams, Frazier gloriously showed us what it was like to be a winner in and out of the ring.
While the world rallied behind dethroned heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali, we stood behind our local champion.
On March 8, 1971, Frazier repaid our loyalty with a single, thunderous left hook, depositing Ali on his backside and remaking Philly as a city of winners.
Before the Flyers won back-to-back Stanley Cups, before Mike Schmidt and the Phils broke through in 1980, before Dr. J. and the Sixers, there was the image of Frazier standing over Ali.
His trilogy of fights with Ali are the stuff of legend, but while many have come and gone from the local sports scene, Frazier remained one of us.
Take a moment today to remember Joe Frazier, Philly's champion.
Long before there was the fictional Rocky Balboa, there was the very much real-life 'Smokin' Joe Frazier. Never has an athlete matched a city as well as Frazier did for the City of Brotherly Love.
Even though he was a native of South Carolina, Frazier quickly became our favorite adopted son, and in an era when Philly was known for its losings teams, Frazier gloriously showed us what it was like to be a winner in and out of the ring.
While the world rallied behind dethroned heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali, we stood behind our local champion.
On March 8, 1971, Frazier repaid our loyalty with a single, thunderous left hook, depositing Ali on his backside and remaking Philly as a city of winners.
Before the Flyers won back-to-back Stanley Cups, before Mike Schmidt and the Phils broke through in 1980, before Dr. J. and the Sixers, there was the image of Frazier standing over Ali.
His trilogy of fights with Ali are the stuff of legend, but while many have come and gone from the local sports scene, Frazier remained one of us.
Take a moment today to remember Joe Frazier, Philly's champion.
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