University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1981 Muhammad Ali nee Cassius Clay (the New York Times' coverage of Muhammad Ali from September 6 1960 to April 30 1967) Thomas S. Newmann The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Newmann, Thomas S., "Muhammad Ali nee Cassius Clay (the New York Times' coverage of Muhammad Ali from September 6 1960 to April 30 1967)" (1981). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 5863. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/5863 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ALI, NEE CASSIUS CLAY (■nffi NEW YORK T D C S ' COVERAGE OF MUHAMMAD ALI FROM SEPTEMBER 6, 1960 TO APRIL 30, 1967) By Ihanas S. Newmann B.A. University of Minnesota, 1970 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 1981 Approved by; chairman ,'^^Board of Examiners ^ Graduate S< Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EP36664 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT DiwMwfation Publishing UMI EP36664 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest* ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Newmann, Ihomas S., M.A., 1981 Journalism Muhamnad Ali, Nee Cassius Clay (the New York Times' Coverage of Muhammad Ali fron S^tember 6, 1960 to Aforil 30, 1967) Director; Warren J. Brier A distinct bias against Muhammad Ali appeared in news stories and columns in the New York Times from 1964 through April, 1967. This thesis documents that bias and attenpts to ejqjlain it. At first, the Tûtes sports writers regarded Ali as a refreshing figure in professional boxing. His antics and doggerel brightened itany n w s accounts. But that editorial stance changed abruptly in 1964 when Ali, imtediately after winning the heavyweight title, an­ nounced that he had become a Black Muslim. He subsequently revealed that he had changed his name from Cassius Clay to Cassius X (and later to Muhaitmad Ali). Insisting that as a Black Muslim he could not fiÿit in the Vietnam war, he petitioned his draft board to declare him a con­ scientious objector. The Times, refusing to acknowledge All's new name, continued to call him Cassius Clay. It displayed a marked prejudice against the Black Muslims, and it censured Ali for seeking conscientious-objector status. The researcher examined every news story and column about Ali from September 6, 1960, to ^ril 30, 1967, two days after Ali refused in­ duction into the Army. Sipplemental materials examined in this study suggest that sports writers for other newspapers also exhibited biases against Ali. 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Preface "Yes. lîiat's true. I am a Muslim. "I've learned to accept my own kind and be myself. I don't have to be vÆiat you want me to be. I'm free to be Wx) I want. "I want to be with my own kind. In the jungle, lions are with lions. Tigers are with tigers. Red bircis are with red birds. That's vhat nature intends. "I don't want to be where I'm not wanted. "I don't have to be vho you want me to be. "I'm free. Free to be vho I want." — Muhammad Ali at a post-fight conference! 1X1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page a b s t r a c t ................................................. ii PREFACE ................................................... iii Chapter I. iNTRODUcriaq ..................................... i II. CASSIUS C L A Y .................................... 8 III. CASSIUS X ....................... 17 IV. MÜHAMV1AD A L I .................................... 27 V. E P I L O G U E .......................................... 129 VI. CONCLUSION ........................................ 136 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................... 143 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Chapter I INTRODUCTION In the beginning, there was Cassius Clay, a brash 178-pound boxer frcn Louisville, Kentucky, vho, on Septenher 5, 1960, "soundly vAiipped Ziggy Pietrzykcwski, an experienced Polish Olynpian," to vhn a gold medal at the Rome Olynpics. Ihe New York Times gave Clay's feat a two-paragraph mention Septentoer 6, 1960. But the brief coverage marked the beginning of a long bittersweet relationship between Clay (who changed his name to Muhanmad Ali in 1964) and the Tiroes. The Times' initial reaction to Clay was sxitined up in a 1963 editorial, vhich said, "Not in years has so refreshing and so corny a figure emerged from the miasma of a violent sport. Clay was a media dream, a young, brash, outspoken fighter in search of his own dream. He was, in short, good copy. But even Arthur Daley, a Times sports columnist, could not really take Clay too seri­ ously. Before Clay's first heavyweight title bout with reigning chanpion Sonny Liston, on February 24, 1964, Daley wrote, "Ihe only one who demanded [the title bout] was Cassius, a precocious master of ballyhoo, vho lulls himself to sleep at night not by counting sheep but by counting money. Ihe next day. Clay knocked out the fearsome Liston in the seventh round— and opened ip a new relationship with the press. "Eat your words, he shouted to reporters at ringside. Only three of the 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 46 scribes had predicted he would win. In short order, Clay announced that he had become a Black Mus­ lim^ and that he had changed his name to Cassius X,^ in honor of his new religion. He also flunked the Arrty mental test twice.® In ccsnmenting on events after the first Liston fiÿit, Daley wrote: By way of adding to the unfragrant aspects of the wretched affair [the Clay-Liston bout], Clay revealed that he belonged to the Black Muslims. Later, he was rejected by the A m y as unqualified.® The "refreshing" figure had suddenly becane "unfragrant" to the Times. But one Times writer, Robert Lipsyte, tried to understand the many sides of the complicated boxer. In an article titled "Cassius Clay, Cassius X, Muhaimad Ali", Lipsyte wrote, "Ali will probably re­ main, for a long time, the most controversial and carplex figure in modem American sports history. Lipsyte, through the years, treated the boxer fairly (though the Times editors could not bring themselves to recognize Clay's new name of Muhammad Ali and consistently referred to him, through 1967, as Cassius Clay). Ali, in his book The Greatest, refers to Lipyste as "one of the most fair-minded writers. If Clay-Ali became a paradox b y changing both his religion and his name after winning the heavyweight title, he became an object of derision for his supposed arrogance both in the ring and out. Even Lipsyte took Clay to task for his November 22, 1965, pummeling of Floyd Patterson, writing, "Like a little boy pulling the wings off a Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 3 butterfly piecemeal, Cassius Clay mocked and humiliated and punished Floyd Patterson for almost 12 rounds. And, addressing Clay's conduct after that fight, Joseph M. Sheehan of the Times wrote: Clay shouted to the assembled men of letters, "What's the excuse? What's the excuse this time? What's the excuse?" The repeated question reflected Clay's annoyance at what he considered to have been unfairly stinted praise after each of his two victories over Sonny Liston.13 undoubtedly, the members of the press were not at all pleased by the boxer's castigations. A headline in the November 28, 1965, Times gave a clear indi­ cation of the paper's view of Clay. "Clay: A Ring %stery," read the headline, followed by a deck reading, "His Pfeckery of Sport and Black Muslim Role Make Future of Boxing IMcertain."!^ But, apart from his boxing skills, his personality, his re­ ligion and his name change. Clay's ultimate challenge with tlie Times came over his refusal to be inducted into the Army in 1967. After being reclassified from 1-Y (under viiich he would not have had to serve, due to flunking the Army mental test) to 1-A (fit for service), Clay rebelled. On. February 18, 1966, Lipsyte wrote: [Cassius Clay] charged that he was being "picked on" because he was a manber of the so-called Black Muslim sect. "Why me?," asked Clay. "I can't understand it. How did they do this to me— the heavyweight champion of the world? "How can they do this without another test to see if I'm any wiser or worser than last time? Why are they so anxious, vAiy are they gunning for me."15 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.