Ali

With Muhammad Ali's death this weekend, much has been written about one of the great athletes of the 20th century. For me, the most iconic moment I remember is of Ali lighting the Olympic Flame in 1996, long after his boxing career had ended. For the world, that was just the icing on the cake.

If you read Evander Holyfield's "Ali" piece in "The Player's Tribune," it isn't shocking to you that his heart didn't stop beating even after his body had shut down. The man was literally and figuratively a fighter. The bigger the stage, the bigger the Ali. "The Rumble in the Jungle." "The Fight of the Century." "The Thrilla' in Manila." He arguably fought in the three biggest fights of all-time.

While I love that side of Ali, I also love that he was willing to be an advocate for his causes. He gave up his prime years to protest war. His conversion to Islam was a freak out to "Middle America" in it's time. The man was an outspoken activist. He was an inspiration to millions.

When I rank the most important athletes of the 20th century, I can't get past four in any count with Ali. In whatever order you want, Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and Muhammad Ali make up the upper most tier of the sports pantheon. The world just won't get another Muhammad Ali any time soon.