[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
[June 20, 1993]
[Pages 892-895]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the National Sports Awards Reception
June 20, 1993

    Good evening and welcome to the White House, and where appropriate, 
happy Father's Day. I'm glad all of you could be here with us tonight to 
celebrate the tradition of sport in American life. Hillary and I are 
delighted to be the honorary cochairs of the first annual National 
Sports Awards and to pay tribute to those outstanding Americans rightly 
called ``the great ones.''
    Frankly, I'm thrilled to meet these heroes of

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sport. And I have to say that of all the perks that have come along with 
being President of the United States, the best one was being able to 
play 18 holes of golf with Arnold Palmer this morning. Even if it turned 
out to be all downhill from here, I could still be on a high. I might 
say, I'm glad I didn't have to play one on one with Kareem or go 15 
rounds with Muhammad Ali to justify the round of golf. [Laughter]
    It's been said that the athlete does not embark upon a sport but 
upon a way of life. Tonight we honor five individuals not simply for 
their athletic superiority but for the special qualities of character 
and leadership that have earned them the respect and the admiration of 
our Nation.
    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led every team he ever played for to 
championships. From Power Memorial High School to UCLA, to the Milwaukee 
Bucks, to the LA Lakers, he dominated the court for the entire 20 years 
in the NBA that he played. And he's hailed by many fans and players 
alike as the greatest center ever to play the game. He led the Los 
Angeles Lakers to five championships. And his teammates used to call him 
E.F. Hutton. When Kareem talked, they listened.
    When he retired in 1989, he had been a first team all-star 10 times, 
college player of the year twice, earned 6 world championship rings, 6 
MVP trophies, and played more seasons, more games, and more minutes, 
blocked more shots, and with his elegant trademark ``skyhook'' scored 
more points than anybody else who ever played this game. But for all of 
us who watched him, we know he did something more: He brought a 
tremendous pride and dignity to a game that will be forever in his debt. 
And tonight we offer him our highest praise. Congratulations.
    Muhammad Ali may be the most widely recognized athlete in the world. 
He captured the imagination of the world with his distinctive fighting 
style and with the exhilarating fights he took to places all over the 
globe. He was the first fighter in history to win the heavyweight title 
three times. He was a loud, proud poet who told the world he was the 
greatest and was poetry in motion when he floated around the ring. 
Sometimes when his opponents couldn't hit him, it was hard to tell 
whether he was boxing or doing ballet.
    He was just as courageous and dignified and mesmerizing a challenger 
as he was a champion. And he's a man who has unfailing stood by his 
principles and his beliefs. It was written of him that he spoke of God 
before his fights; he spoke of man; he spoke of hungry children. He 
cared about the sick and the old. He raised the game to drama. And 
because he stood for something greater, the people who climbed upon 
their chairs for him felt that they stood, too, for something greater. 
Congratulations, Muhammad Ali.
    Arnold Palmer revolutionized his sport. It's been said that when 
television discovered golf, the world discovered Arnold Palmer. Fans all 
over the world grew to love his unique style, his boldness, and his 
daring. To many he is the American ideal: the perpetual underdog falling 
behind and then charging down the stretch and tearing up the golf 
course. I can identify with that. [Laughter]
    Who could forget the 1960 U.S. Open tournament, where before the 
final round he trailed in 15th place, and a reporter said he was no more 
in contention than the man operating the hot dog concession. In one of 
the most memorable examples of grace under pressure, he birdied the 
first 6 out of 7 holes and then went on to win the tournament. During 
the campaign, some people used to call me the Comeback Kid, but I think 
he deserves that title much more than I ever will. He won the U.S. 
Amateur, the U.S. Open, the Masters 4 times, the British Open twice, was 
named Athlete of the Decade in 1970. He is a remarkably gifted man. And 
we are all in his debt.
    I must say, I saw today on the golf course that even today when he 
tees it up, Arnie's Army is as faithful and enthusiastic as when he 
marched through Augusta to win his first Masters. We thank him tonight 
for all he has given us, for all the thrills. And I can tell you that on 
the basis of a wonderful few hours today, he's just as much of a 
gentleman and a competitor in private as he always seemed to the public. 
Congratulations, Mr. Palmer.
    Wilma Rudolph had to relearn to walk before she could learn to run. 
The 20th of 22 children, she suffered a childhood bout with polio, 
double pneumonia, and scarlet fever, which left her legs paralyzed. But 
with resilient spirit and undaunted determination, she defied all the 
expectations and beat the odds to become a great athlete. She was a 
remarkable star at a fairly early age, although she did not take up 
track until the ripe old age of 13. Two years later,

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she won a bronze medal at the 1956 Olympics. She had an extraordinary 
career at Tennessee State College. She went back to Rome in 1960 and 
became the first American woman to win three track and field gold medals 
at one Olympic games. Her trademark composure became familiar to people 
all over the world. And she became literally an international heroine.
    After retiring from track, she continued to dedicate much of her 
time to working with young athletes. She did more than break world 
records. She broke barriers for thousands of women competitors and paved 
the way for those who have followed in her footsteps. Wilma Rudolph, you 
are a great one.
    Our next honoree is not here, but I want you to know a little bit 
about him. There was a young pitcher new to the major leagues. He was 
facing a batter by the name of Ted Williams. ``Ball three,'' said the 
umpire; and the pitcher walked halfway to the plate and screamed, ``What 
was wrong with that pitch?'' The umpire dusted off the plate; the young, 
frustrated pitcher wound up and threw; and once again Ted Williams hit 
it over the Fenway Park fence. The umpire walked toward the man and said 
to the rookie, ``You see, son, when you throw a strike, you don't have 
to look to me; Mr. Williams will let you know.''
    During his 19 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, the Splendid Splinter 
earned 6 major league batting titles, 2 at the ages of 39 and 40; 
maintained a batting average of .344, with 2,654 hits, including 521 
home runs. These statistics are awesome, all right, but they're even 
more incredible when you consider that Ted Williams lost most of 5 
seasons and hundreds of hits and home runs because he wanted to serve 
his country. He left baseball twice, first to serve as a fighter pilot 
in World War II and then to serve again in the Korean war. In 1941, he 
defied all the laws of baseball when he batted .406. No one has batted 
.400 since. And talk about grace under pressure, at his very last time 
at bat in 1960, he hit a farewell home run.
    Ted Williams is a great athlete and a great patriot, and I'm proud 
to honor him tonight, as I know all of you are, for what he's done for 
his sport and for his country.
    Each of you has honored your sport and your Nation and left a legacy 
of greatness. I hope these National Sports Awards become an American 
tradition that will honor the legacy of all those who participate. Today 
we must look to the future, the idea of service performed by young 
people all across America.
    The funds raised by these awards and this weekend will enable young 
people dedicated to service to expand their own efforts in rebuilding 
our more troubled communities, in caring for those unable to care for 
themselves and transforming the lives of people and cities in need, and 
in the process, in transforming and improving their own lives.
    Some of these young leaders and those who have mentored them into a 
life of service are here with us. And I urge all of you on the eve of 
our Nation's summer of service to go forward knowing that you are 
shining examples of what it means to be a real citizen in our country. 
You are welcome here, too, tonight. Perhaps there is no way better to 
honor the athletes tonight than by supporting young people who 
themselves are dedicated to helping their peers most in need. They are 
also great ones.
    Although we are blessed with the presence of these athletes tonight, 
we are all, I'm sure, saddened by the absence of another champion, 
Arthur Ashe, an extraordinary man who lived by the words ``thou shalt 
not close a door behind you.'' There will be more said about Arthur Ashe 
tonight at Constitution Hall, but I'm proud that his wife, Jeanne, is 
here with us tonight. And thank you so much for your presence.
    In closing let me just say that I have some people to thank tonight: 
those who have agreed to serve on the President's Council on Physical 
Fitness and Sports, including the two cochairs, Florence Griffith Joyner 
and Tom McMillen, who is standing here and looking short with his friend 
Bill Bradley as Kareem is up on the platform. They will advise me and 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Donna Shalala, on ways to 
enhance opportunities for all Americans, not just the young, to 
participate in physical fitness and sports activities.
    Finally, let me say to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to Muhammad Ali, to 
Arnold Palmer, to Wilma Rudolph, to Ted Williams, and to all of you who 
are here tonight, I thank you for lending your dignity to this occasion 
and for your service to this country and for your embodiment of the best 
values of America.
    Thank you very much.

Note:  The President spoke at 6:12 p.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks,

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he referred to tennis champion Arthur Ashe, who died of AIDS; Olympic 
track champion Florence Griffith Joyner; and former professional 
basketball players Tom McMillen and Senator Bill Bradley.