Atlanta, Georgia – The East Lake golf course is actually about 20 minutes from my house here in Atlanta, so it was easy to feel the buzz created by Tiger Woods

As we continue to remember the one year passing of Muhammad Ali, it’s not hard to note the former champion was asked by both the Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush administrations, to embark on some very significant diplomatic roles. During the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979, then US President Jimmy Carter actively considered sending Ali to Tehran to negotiate with the new Iranian regime. They reasoned Ali was both a Muslim and had the stature the Iranians would respect. In the end, the administration decided the Iranians didn’t want to negotiate with anyone that was American, and Ali was not sent.

But a few months later, the Carter administration did use Ali for a different kind of diplomatic mis...

June 3rd, 2016, marked the one year anniversary of the passing of Muhammad Ali. Recognized around the world as one of the most significant figures of the 20th Century and quite possibly, the most recognized athlete in the world. His 1974 heavyweight title fight in Kinshasa Zaire with George Foreman known as the “Rumble in Jungle,” was broadcast (TV/Radio) to a global audience of 1 billion people, making it the largest sporting event in history. There were, however, a few controversial events and nuances leading up to the fight, most notably:

THE IDI AMIN FACTOR

The assembled fight crowd of 60,000 at the May 20th Stadium in Kinshasa was so large and unpredictable, President Mobutu Sese Seko feared...