In fifty years of covering the sport, of course Muhammad Ali is by far the dominant figure.

Sugar Ray and talked about doing some articles together or writing a book together but dealing with Sugar Ray was a lot like fighting him. He would fake you in and then he'd drop you.

I think my mistakes were kind of common - leaning on cliches and adjectives in the place of clear, vivid writing. But at least I knew how to spell, which seems to be a rarity these days.

Cliches and adjectives permeated my prose.

My top three were Jim Brown, Wilt Chamberlain and Bo Jackson.

I wanted to be a sportswriter because I loved sports and I could not hit the curve ball, the jump shot, or the opposing ball carrier.

In fifty years of covering the sport, of course Muhammad Ali is by far the dominant figure.