On Nov. 7, 2011, Joe Frazier, former boxing heavyweight champion, passed away from liver cancer. I always respected Joe Frazier and had been a fan of his for the longest time, which often made me a minority among hordes of Muhammad Ali fans. But to me, Ali lost my respect during that period when he was making racist taunts toward Frazier. I thought Ali crossed that line in the world of sports. I never respected Ali again.
So on Nov. 7 our nation lost a great sportsman, a great American and a great boxer. It is regrettable that Joe Frazier had to live under Ali's shadow. While Ali may have been a better fighter, and I can admit to that, Joe Frazier was always the better man.
-- Gerald Tamura
Anchorage