On 'The Deal'

        Aka

On The Take

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.  A black man - well; at least, half black - as a newcomer up against the older, seasoned-veteran white guy.  Who still had some punch in him, but it remained to be seen how much.  

It was also like the waning moments of a football game and one side was going for a winning field goal, and the ball went wide of the mark, but the referees just simply moved the goal posts to the side a little, and signaled it a winner; and the winning side’s fans cheered, and both teams dutifully filed off the field of play - the other team not complaining - when a voice, from a little boy (who was related to the little boy who called the King on his fancy new set of clothes), came out from among the fans in the bleachers of the losing side and called down, ‘Hey wait a minute - that ball was wide of the mark!’  And the losing team’s coach said back, ‘Come on - you don’t see us complaining, do you?’  Because it was, after all, just a game.  A charade.  With some people on both sides making a bundle of money on The Deal.  As the bulk of the fans on the losing side shrugged and said, in effect, ‘Must have been okay.  Didn’t see anybody on our side complaining.  Win some, lose some.  Better luck next time.’

Only luck doesn’t seem to have anything to do with it…     

Like - apparently - the Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay Big Match.*  After Liston had been promoted - with the backing of the Mob - for months like a ferocious, unbeatable force of nature.  But then, wouldn’t want to spoil all the fun, would we?  After all:

it’s just a game. 

And some people are on it.

Like prostitutes.

Just.  Like.  Prostitutes.

And need to get off it.

If they know what is good for them.

Which they may not.

Steeped in the ways of the world as they are.  By now.

But still.

Truth is Truth.

And we are about to see

by just how much.

—

* and then their very short rematch the next year; by which time Clay had had his name changed — by the Nation of Islam leader, which he had by then announced that he had joined - to Muhammad Ali.

   Of ‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’ fame.