Archives for May 2012

Scott Robarge Louisville Visitors Experience Education and Inspiration at The Muhammad Ali Center

May 31, 2012 by

May 31, 2012 Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Muhammad Ali is a hometown hero whose professional and personal crusades impacted the entire world. The Muhammad Ali Center, located in downtown Louisville, aims to share the history and ideals of Muhammad Ali and inspire every visitor to achieve greatness.

Billing itself as both a cultural attraction and an international education center, the Ali Center’s inspiration stems from Muhammad Ali’s own legacy and the hope that each person will strive for greatness. The Ali Center contains numerous inspiring exhibits, educational and public programming and global initiatives in its three-story building. The hope of the Ali Center is that visitors will have an educational experience within its walls, by learning about the rich history of Ali himself. Additionally, the Ali Center wants to provide each visitor with the inspiration needed to begin their own journey of inner reflection so that they can find and challenge their own values and character.

Muhammad Ali lives his life according to six “Core Values,” all of which are represented within the Ali Center’s walls: Respect, Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving and Spirituality. Each “Core Value” is given its own section of the museum, so visitors can explore their meaning and gain inspiration via media presentations and interactive exhibits. The historical significance of these exhibits shows how a sports legend grew from a dreamer to becoming the best that he could be, and then in turn how his personal growth helped him inspire that same sense in others.

In addition to the “Core Values,” the museum explores other themes such as empowerment, personal discovery, compassion and conflict resolution. The focus of these exhibits is to demonstrate how all individuals are linked, rather than how they are different. The Ali Center bills itself as a “global gathering place” where visitors can experience Ali’s values both online and at the Ali Center.

Scott Robarge on Twitter | Scott Robarge on Digg | Scott Robarge on Youtube

This article also available in PDF : Scott Robarge Louisville Visitors Experience Education and Inspiration at The Muhammad Ali Center

Filed Under: Louisville Tagged With: ,

Scott Robarge Louisville Fan on the 138th Kentucky Derby

May 14, 2012 by

Saturday May 5, 2012 marked the 138th Kentucky Derby.  The “Run for the Roses” is billed as the fastest two-minutes in sports.  But the road to the Kentucky Derby takes years of breeding, training and a little luck.  We saw a glimpse of that this past Saturday when I’ll Have Another scored a 15-1 upset at Churchill Downs.  I’ll Have Another flew past 4-1 favorite Bodemeister for a 1 1/2 lengths victory in front of a record crowd of 165,307.  Trained by Doug O’Neil, I’ll Have Another gave jockey Mario Gutierrez his first Kentucky Derby winner finishing 1 1/4 miles on the fast track in 2:01 4/5.

It was a warm 81 degree spring day in Louisville.  The fancy hats were out in full force and the Mint Julep kept folks cool and well lubricated.  Celebrities were spotted throughout the Churchill Downs track dressed to impress, including Cyndi Lauper, Debra Messing, Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Mary J Blige, Ashton Kutcher and Travis Tritt.

After the call to post and the singing of “My Old Kentucky Home” the starting gun brought the crowd to its feet.  Bodemeister held the lead for most of the second half of the race before tiring down the stretch.  Union Rags, another early favorite, wasn’t really in contention for most of the race.

I’ll Have Another won the Santa Anita Derby, but the betting action had him the 9th favorite to win. I’ll Have Another was purchased for $35,000 and is owned by Paul Reddam.  Most people looked past the horse before Derby day.  But not anymore.

It was the first time a horse won from the 19th post position.  I’ll Have Another paid $32.60, $13.80 and $9. The $2 exacta with Bodemeister paid $306.60.

All eyes now turn to the Preakness in two weeks to see whether I’ll Have Another has another big win left in him.

This article also available in PDF : Scott Robarge Louisville Fan on the 138th Kentucky Derby

Filed Under: Scott Robarge Tagged With: ,