For that rumble in the stomach

So you’ve been called the most important athlete of the 20th century (media’s words) and the Greatest of All-Time (your words) and you turn 65 today. How do you celebrate the occasion?

By rolling out a new line of snack food, of course.

Muhammad Ali has lent his name and his famous self-description -- G.O.A.T. for short -- to a company producing a line of multi-flavored “healthy snacks” aimed at 18-to-24 year olds, who were born after Ali retired from boxing.

A series of G.O.A.T. snacks carrying names such as “Rumble,” “Shuffle” and “Jabs” debut in bookstores on five college campuses today to coincide with Ali’s birthday. The schools are Georgia Tech, the University of Pennsylvania, Texas Tech, Yale and Ohio State -- the Buckeyes being an especially intriguing selection, considering how its football team just played goat to Florida’s heroes in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

The snacks, which include crunchy mixes and crisps shaped like tiny boxing gloves and speed bags, come in such flavors as barbecued chicken, Buffalo wings, sweet corn and cole slaw.

Peter Arnell, founder of the Arnell Group, which helped design the snacks, told the Associated Press that Ali gives the product a “cool factor” other brands lack.

“You can’t escape the power of his brand,” Arnell said. “He is just so current in so many different ways.”

And he has already half-scripted any potential commercial jingle:

Float like a butterfly

Sting like a bee

Eat like a G.O.A.T.

When you’re feeling hungry

Trivia time

In 2004, Benedikt Taschen and Howard Bingham produced a book about Ali that was a true heavyweight -- 75 pounds and 800 pages. What is the book’s title?

Advantage, America

Evidently, there were future considerations involved in the deal that brought David Beckham to the Galaxy.

America gets: England’s most famous soccer player, post-prime edition.

England gets: America’s most popular sport, professional football, not-ready-for-prime-time edition.

The NFL has announced plans to play a 2007 regular-season game in London, and the rumored matchup is the Miami Dolphins against the New York Giants.

Would you trade Beckham for Joey Harrington and Eli Manning?

To borrow the words of noted football fan Johnny Rotten, “England’s dreaming.” Obviously, there was a better deal on the table. But we wouldn’t give them New England-Indianapolis because they wouldn’t give us Wayne Rooney.

Great off-season training program

After taking in an Everton match in Liverpool, Sylvester Stallone joked with reporters that he had found a part for Beckham in his next movie.

“I haven’t met him yet,” Stallone said, “but I might just put him in my next Rambo film and chase him round the jungle for a couple of months.”

Trivia answer

“GOAT: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali.” Copies of the book are available for $2,800 on Amazon.com, marked down from their $4,000 original retail price.

And finally

Example No. 1,348.225 why post-game interviews are overrated: Asked to explain his team’s 6-3 loss to Arsenal in the Carling Cup, Liverpool Coach Rafael Benitez replied, “The problem was conceding four goals in the first half.”

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mike.penner@latimes.com