DID "BO KNOW" Distance Running?

I wish that beach scene with Bo Derek involved watching her run a longer distance.

When somebody like Rupp can:

(1) Run the fastest 40 yard time ever recorded in the NFL combine

(2) Score 16 touchdowns in the NFL

(3) Hit 20 home runs in the majors 4 times

(4) Be MVP of the MLB All-Star Game

....you can ask that question.

In HS Bo won the Alabama state decathlon held a week after the state track meet and he was so far ahead his junior year he skipped running the mile. A year later I helped get event changed to IAAF tables and the rule that he had to participate in every event to win and he actually finished. Somewhere I have those results but I am not looking it up just now, maybe tomorrow.

In college he walked out to track practice early one day and picked up a javelin and after 3-4 minutes of instruction tossed it over 250 feet from a 5 step run! In HS he had to practice over chairs as hurdles since he didn't have a track or any hurdles at his school.

He threw the HS shot about 54 feet in the decathlon but whats impressive is he did that while at the top of a basketball jumper ala MJ before he put the shot. With some decent technique he could have thrown well over 60 feet easy.

The 30 for 30 didn't give nearly enough discussion to his track exploits. Somewhere there has to be footage of his 100 meters vs Herschel Walker in early May when about 6000 people showed up at Auburn's tiny seating area of a track to watch the Georgia-Auburn dual meet on same day at Auburn's spring football game. Bo ran the 4x1 and 100 and then went and played in the game.

When you talk about the all-time all around gifted freaks of athletics there is Jim Thorpe in the early 20th century and Bo Jackson of the modern era.

Bo Jackson could have concentrated on track and have medaled in the Olympics in the 100 and decathalon.

Or been a Hall of Fame NFL running back if he stayed healthy for 6 years.

But probably the greatest athlete ever to compete in Major League Baseball based on speed, power, and overall athleticism.

That guy was a freak.

Watching that ESPN show its mindboggling how many times he did things in such a short career you would glorify if anyone else did similar once. This was every game he played. There has been nothing like him since.

break it up wrote:

When you talk about the all-time all around gifted freaks of athletics there is Jim Thorpe in the early 20th century and Bo Jackson of the modern era.

Bo Jackson could have concentrated on track and have medaled in the Olympics in the 100 and decathalon.

Or been a Hall of Fame NFL running back if he stayed healthy for 6 years.

But probably the greatest athlete ever to compete in Major League Baseball based on speed, power, and overall athleticism.

That guy was a freak.

Watching that ESPN show its mindboggling how many times he did things in such a short career you would glorify if anyone else did similar once. This was every game he played. There has been nothing like him since.

An amazing comeback story to boot.

I ran for Auburn and our coach emeritus, Mel Rosen, was the HC when Bo was on the team. Bo was 235-245 in the spring (heavier than football season because he wasn't running as much) and ran a 10.35 in the 100. Coach Rosen is convinced if Bo lost 25-30 pounds and focused on track, he could have been the WR holder in the 100m.

But could he beat Kobayashi or Joey Chestnut? :)

Lets take Bo Jackson, um michael jordan, mike tyson, gail devers.........who wins and why? "does bo really know"?

1.devers

2.bo

3.tyson

When you look at Bo Jackson's actual pro stats in both sports, they are very pedestrian.

He definitely was a physical specimen, but simply wasn't able to perform on the playing field in the pros.

I believe he is overhyped now due to hitting one long home run, running over Bosworth one time and running over a catcher one time.

It you're looking for a modern multi sport performer, then D Sanders has much better stats and played longer at a higher level.

You don't know diddley. Bo was a far superior athlete than Sanders. Deon didn't like hitting people. Running back is a much tougher position.

Deon was a single's hitting baseball player, a decent hitter and given his speed, not that great a base stealer. He had an average arm.

I saw Bo play baseball in person. He was unbelievable. The sound of the ball coming off the bat, the speed from the batter's box to first. If he would have stuck to baseball, he probably would have been HOF material. If he had stayed healthy, he undoubtedly would have been HOF in Football. Deon wasn't even in the conversation for the HOF when it comes to baseball.

Bo was a roider, which eventually led to his career ending injury. He never would have passed testing if he had chosen to compete on te track.

The only thing bo didn't know was how to sustain a career in professional sports

Beasty wrote:

Bo was a roider, which eventually led to his career ending injury. He never would have passed testing if he had chosen to compete on te track.

You don't know much about Bo do you? He HATED to practice, and go to the gym, and everything else you have to do for the juice to work.

Boar Hog wrote:

Beasty wrote:

Bo was a roider, which eventually led to his career ending injury. He never would have passed testing if he had chosen to compete on te track.

You don't know much about Bo do you? He HATED to practice, and go to the gym, and everything else you have to do for the juice to work.

This. Bo didn't lift much at all so taking roids would have been worthless. He was just a physical freak.

Bo went out with Avascular necrosis, for which one of the primary causes is excessive steroid use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avascular_necrosis

Jayhawk -

I'm not suggesting Deion was a better 'athlete' than Bo, just that he substantially outperformed him as a professional....

In football, Deion made 1st Team All-Pro 6 times, vs Bo 0.

Deion scored 22TD's (as a defensive/special team player) and Bo scored 16.

Deion played 188 games, Bo 38.

Bo's rushing and receiving totals do not scare the all-time lists.

Deion is ranked in interceptions, interception yards, int TD's, returning TD's,etc

In baseball, neither were nothing special ---- Deion's Net WAR was +4.8, while Bo's was +4.6. Bo was better at offense, with a .783 OPS vs. Deion at .693, but Deion was a higher rated fielder.

As before, I've no doubt Bo was amazing at the combine and on the track. However, that doesn't win games in the big leagues.... it just adds up to a lot of shoulda/coulda/woulda

Brian Jordan also significantly outperformed Bo Jackson as a multi-sport athlete.

In FB, Jordan played 36 games (38 for Bo), and had a similar on-field impact, with 5 career ints and 4 career sacks, with 2 safeties.

In BB, Jordan played 15 years with a 25.3 net WAR and a .788 OPS. Jordan was also ranked 64th all-time at his position, while Bo was 228th.

Bo knows nose wrote:

Brian Jordan also significantly outperformed Bo Jackson as a multi-sport athlete.

In FB, Jordan played 36 games (38 for Bo), and had a similar on-field impact, with 5 career ints and 4 career sacks, with 2 safeties.

In BB, Jordan played 15 years with a 25.3 net WAR and a .788 OPS. Jordan was also ranked 64th all-time at his position, while Bo was 228th.

Bo also got hurt just as he would have been entering his prime so its ridiculous to try and compare his stats to a guy who played 15 years in baseball.

Bo knows nose wrote:

When you look at Bo Jackson's actual pro stats in both sports, they are very pedestrian.

He definitely was a physical specimen, but simply wasn't able to perform on the playing field in the pros.

I believe he is overhyped now due to hitting one long home run, running over Bosworth one time and running over a catcher one time.

It you're looking for a modern multi sport performer, then D Sanders has much better stats and played longer at a higher level.

you clearly don't know what you are talking about. a career rushing average of 5.4 yards per carry is extraordinary. i realize that a career average tails off at the end of one's career, but it still is significantly higher than that of the 31 rbs with the highest career rushing totals: