Muhammad Ali fought twice in Maryland toward the end of his legendary career, both times as the defending heavyweight champion at the Capital Centre in Landover.
Before the first bout, against Jimmy Young in April of 1976, Ali and his entourage shared a hotel with the Maryland basketball team and its annual post-season banquet.
Russ Potts, then the athletic department’s marketing director, received a telephone call from a member of Ali’s entourage asking if the Terps could find another venue because the champ was using the hotel’s ballroom for sparring.
Potts said he couldn’t.