As a boxer, Leon Spinks had his share of highlights in a career where he had a 26-17-3 record that lasted from 1977-1995.
He won a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics, and in his seventh professional fight, he defeated Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight championship on Feb. 15, 1978.
Spinks lost the rematch seven months later and lost another title fight against Larry Holmes in 1981 when the fight was stopped in the third round.
Now, Spinks is in a Las Vegas hospital after undergoing a second operation for abdominal problems earlier this week.
It's been decades since Spinks was a viable sports figure, but the stories from Spinks' heyday remain vivid to Associated Press columnist Tim Dahlberg.
"Mr. T was his bodyguard, which right away tells you something about Leon Spinks and his brief yet wildly entertaining stint as the heavyweight champion of the world," Dahlberg wrote. "Someone had to keep watch over Leon and his full length fur coat. Someone had to know where his false front teeth were, and Mr. T and his gold chains had yet to make it big in television.
"Ah, yes, the teeth. His ex-wife once had custody over one set of them during their divorce proceeding, and Leon lost another in a mugging in Detroit that also cost him the $45,000 fur coat."
Years later, Spinks explained exactly how he lost his teeth in the mugging.
"I was trying to bite the guy and they came out and he stole them. It's so damn weird, people taking my teeth."
Worth the risk?
In March 2013, the Seattle Seahawks traded their first- and seventh-round picks in 2013 and a third-round 2014 pick to the Minnesota Vikings for wide receiver Percy Harvin. They signed him to a 6-year, $67-million contract with $25.5 million guaranteed thinking he could be the missing piece in the Seahawks' run for a Super Bowl title.
The Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII but received little help from Harvin, who played in one game with 1 reception for 17 yards during the regular season.
Friday the Seahawks traded him to the New York Jets for either a fourth- or sixth-round selection in the the 2015 draft after catching 22 passes for 133 yards in 5 games.
Wrote Newsday Columnist Bob Glauber: "Harvin's moments of brilliance have been largely overshadowed by his injuries and his attitude, and unless there is demonstrable evidence that he will be a reliable presence on the field and in the locker room, we'll have to put this trade in the high-risk category."
"That the Seahawks were willing to give up on Harvin so quickly ought to at least raise some red flags. And for a team that's already out of it less than halfway through the season, you have to wonder what the upside is, other than to create some buzz for a season gone bad."
Web head
From the website fark.com
• "Florida State, Alabama and OU all face ranked opponents today [Saturday]. Who is in bigger danger of being upset? Plus, how much does it cost to get a damn autograph these days? Anyone? Anyone? Winston? Winston? It's your College Football Farkday."
Sports quiz
Who did Leon Spinks defeat for the gold medal in the light heavyweight division in the 1976 Olympics?
Answer
Sixto Soria of Cuba
Sports on 10/19/2014