Muhammad Ali

Allen Abel reports from Louisville, Ky., the birthplace of Muhammad Ali—the most important athlete of all time.

Fiery and passionate, Ali’s activism was born of a visceral reaction to the inequalities he saw in America

Before Ali, heavyweights were clunky, ponderous lugs. He made boxing look pretty, dancing around the ring.

He’d won the 100 metres before leaving the blocks

A new documentary has the heavyweight legend baring his soul with brutal candour

So, I’m not much of a tennis lover (not got my head around that silly scoring system) but I’ve got a lot of respect for Justine Henin’s decision to walk away from the game. I hate watching sports stars in decline. I even wrote about this once. Part of what makes great athletes great, is that they understand the importance of their legacy and their legend. The toughest thing of all is knowing when you’re hurting your legacy by continuing to play. Don’t give me all that “love of the game” stuff. when you’re past it, give it up and spare your fans the agony of watching you play into senior citizenship.