Second Thoughts

Foreman fired up by protesters

Two-time heavyweight champion George Foreman said athletes who protest the national anthem are doing it to attract attention. He also said athletes who protest the anthem were not brought up in patriotic homes.
Two-time heavyweight champion George Foreman said athletes who protest the national anthem are doing it to attract attention. He also said athletes who protest the anthem were not brought up in patriotic homes.

George Foreman, the two-time world heavyweight champion who shared a ring with Muhammad Ali, has weighed in on the national anthem controversy -- and he's on the opposite side of Ali-esque political protests.

Speaking to the Offended America podcast, Foreman -- who admitted he doesn't "pay much attention to what kids do" -- said the anthem protests were merely a cry for attention.

" 'I got all this money, but nobody knows me,' " he said, speaking as if he were a protesting athlete, " 'so let me say something like Muhammad Ali and maybe I'll be different.' That's all that is."

Foreman, 68, lost to Ali in one of the greatest fights in boxing history, the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle. Foreman then shocked the world two decades later by winning the heavyweight championship once again at age 45.

The concept of patriotism among athletes came up during the podcast, and Foreman -- who represented the United States in the 1968 Olympics -- proudly noted: "I still love this country. The greatest day of my life was when I put on the colors red, white and blue."

He suggested that athletes who protest may not have been brought up in patriotic homes.

Foreman suggested that simply speaking out like Ali wasn't enough to make one equivalent to Ali.

"The shame part of it, all of us, including Joe Frazier and myself, we became the heavyweight champion of the world," Foreman said. "We didn't realize that just because you're champ, you don't become Muhammad Ali."

Sportsmanship counts

Sometimes, sportsmanship is more important than winning and losing.

Such was the case in Venezuela's 3-2 victory over the Dominican Republic on Monday night in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

After Dominican Republic pitcher Edward Uceta gave up a triple to Venezuela's Oscar Romero to give Venezuela the victory, Uceta collapsed to the ground.

While Venezuela was celebrating, several of its players and coaches came out to the pitcher's mound to console Uceta.

"Edward has a big heart. It was sad," Venezuela Manager Alexander Ballesteros said after his team's victory. "It could have happened to anyone."

After getting hugs from Venezuelan players, the visibly distraught Uceta joined the rest of his team in the customary postgame handshake line, where he received more hugs and consolation from Venezuela's players and coaches.

Wait a minute

Swimmer Fernando Alvarez, like so many in Spain, was stricken with grief and despair at last week's terror attack in Barcelona. At the Masters World Championships in Budapest, Alvarez -- who was slated to compete in 50, 100 and 200-meter events -- wanted a minute of silence to honor the victims. After being told that wasn't possible, Alvarez offered up his own tribute.

Meet organizers told Alvarez there wasn't time for a minute of silence during competition.

"It's something that has affected us all," Alvarez said (translated from Spanish). "I really think it would have been a good detail."

Instead, he opted for a powerful tribute of his own, standing for a minute during his own 200m breaststroke race.

"I left a minute later," said Alvarez, whose overall time was not recorded. "But I do not care. I was feeling it more than if I won all the gold in the world."

Sports quiz

Who defeated George Foreman in Foreman's final ring appearance?

Sports answer

Shannon Briggs on Nov. 22, 1997 in Atlantic City.

Sports on 08/23/2017

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