Young Kentucky Wildcats Resemble Young Muhammad Ali

“I’m young, I’m handsome, I’m fast, I’m pretty, and can’t possibly be beaten.”

Sound familiar? It could be the great Muhammad Ali. Or it could be a 2009-10 Kentucky Wildcat.

Ali is from Louisville, Ky., but Kentucky fans can forgive him for that. He didn’t have a choice in the matter.

Ali said many things that reflect the Wildcats' season thus far. Here are some more Muhammad Ali quotes. If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought a Kentucky Wildcat said it.

“I’m a poet, I’m a prophet, I’m the resurrector, I’m the savior of the boxing world.” Is this not what John Calipari has done to Kentucky Basketball? From the NIT under Billy Gillispie last year to 17-0 this year, Calipari has resurrected Kentucky’s basketball program. He’s the savior.

“It will be a killa and a chilla and a thrilla when I get the gorilla in Manila.” It was a "killa" and a "chilla" and a "thrilla" in Lexington against the Louisville Cardinals. With two technicals in the first 45 seconds, it was more of a boxing match. Who was the gorilla? Edgar Sosa. Ali labeled Joe Frazier as an “Ugly, dumb Gorilla.” Take a look at Sosa and one would think the same.

“I’m as confident as I say, and I’m better than I say I am.”  Sports Illustrated cover boy John Wall told SI, “My goal is to be the be the best point guard ever.” Keep in mind that Wall is better than advertised.

“I’m knockin’ out all bums, and if you get too smart, I’m knockin’ you out.” When Louisville visited Rupp Arena, Jared Swopshire got a little too smart. In a tussle for a loose ball, Swopshire kneed DeMarcus Cousins in the head. Cousins responded with an elbow to Swopshire's head and nearly knocked the bum out.

“I hit him with a punch that Jack Johnson called the anchor punch, and you can’t see it, but if you got hit with it, you’d all be out.” I think Cousins told the press this after the game.

“Let me tell you how I test my speed. I go to my bedroom, hit the switch, cut the lights out and be in the bed before the room gets dark.” I’m sure John Wall has done this once or twice. Nobody in the country is faster with a basketball than Wall.

 “I’ve wrestled with an alligator.” Not only have the young Cats wrestled gators, but they disposed of them 89-77.

“His hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see.” Go ahead and try to foul Eric Bledsoe in the open court. He’s just as blindingly fast as Wall.

“I predict that tonight somebody will die at ringside from shock!” Nobody has died from shock on Kentucky’s sideline, but Clark Kellogg seems to be getting close. When he is commentating a Kentucky game, he gets as giddy as a schoolgirl whenever Wall makes a play.

“He’s too ugly to be the world champ. The world champ should be pretty like me.” Sonny Liston was too ugly to be the world champ. So is North Carolina. The champion should play pretty, free-flowing basketball. The champion should be able to play big and small, fast and slow. The champion should be Kentucky.

A perfect season is hard to achieve. Then again, so is greatness, but Ali had no problem with that.

Who knows, by the time March Madness is over, it could be Kentucky that's saying, “I told you I’m the real champion! I told you I’m the champion of the world! All of you bow!”

Article inspiration/source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0Skf7PujCc