Happy birthday, Bo Jackson
by Adam J. Morris on Nov 30, 2009 2:00 PM CST
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PrintHappy birthday to Bo Jackson, who turns 47 today.
I think I've mentioned this before, but those of you who are under the age of 30 or so probably have no idea how huge, for a brief period of time before his hip injury ended his career, Bo Jackson was, other than possibly through your experiences with old school Tecmo Bowl.
He was a truly unique and transcendent talent, not a "great" player in the sense of performance, but a great player in the sense that of being an exceptional athlete who could do things basically no one else could on the diamond. Imagine a supercharged Nelson Cruz who also won the Heisman Trophy as a running back...that's the type of player we are talking about.
And the fact that he's 47 makes me feel old.
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I'm 27...
and I know Bo very well. I even read Bo Knows Bo when I was a wee lad.
If Bo Jackson’s career didn’t end early, he would have gone down as the greatest athlete of all-time, as well as the greatest running back of all-time. Belee’ dat.
"you stupid motherfucker?!?!!?" - Josey Wales
I must have been in the third/fourth grade when I got it
My classmates thought I was cool. All the kids loved Bo, but they also liked reading him say cuss words
by oc on Nov 30, 2009 6:12 PM CST up reply actions
I had that poster...
in my room as a kid. I was a huge Bo fan. Of course it helps that I’m a Raiders fan and grew up watching him play football in northern Cali too. I still remember watching him run over people who tried to tackle him. Watching him run along the OF wall after making a catch. The guy was truly one of the best athletes the world has ever seen.
I can’t believe he’s 47. Crazy.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Bo was huge...
but he could move like Barry Sanders, and was as fast as Chris Johnson. It’s insane.
"you stupid motherfucker?!?!!?" - Josey Wales
he really was
the tandem of Marcus Allen and Bo Jackson was one of the greatest
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
I think it was "the" greatest
It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.
Me too
I also have probably 20 of those baseball cards. Traded Griffey Jr rookie cards to amass as many Bo cards as possible.
It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.
Swing and a miss on that one.
2009 Texas Rangers: Why The Hell Not Us?--ghtd36 on May 13, 2009
In the interest of quicker games Ron should just tell the ump he's pulling the Feliz card and the ump should rule the inning over.--Sherman McCoy on Sept. 4, 2009
Hey, it worked out better than trying to acquire as many
Todd Van Poppel rookie cards as possible…not that I did that…
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
by GhostofSteveFoucault on Nov 30, 2009 3:23 PM CST up reply actions
I collected Juandos rookie cards like crazy.
I once sold off 10 Rickey Henderson rookie cards in mint condition when they were going for $125 per card.
2009 Texas Rangers: Why The Hell Not Us?--ghtd36 on May 13, 2009
In the interest of quicker games Ron should just tell the ump he's pulling the Feliz card and the ump should rule the inning over.--Sherman McCoy on Sept. 4, 2009
Here's my favorite story
Kid buys a whole rack of NBA cards when they were first made. Decides he really doesn’t like the NBA that much (he was huge baseball card collector) so he sells the shoebox full of them for $10.00 to my friend. Box had 8 Jordan rookie cards in there.
It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.
oh god
I went to HS with the guy. When his first cards came out, I got enough to wallpaper a small room. Still have most of them.
/oh, what could have been..
Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
Dykstra has all the money!
ElectricOkra.com
The only athlete ever to be an all-star in professional baseball and football...
I remember him most for being a part of the birth of the Wrecking Crew. Sadly, it has died prematurely.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Nov 30, 2009 2:42 PM CST up reply actions
That just shows you how good the Wrecking Crew was back in the day
As awesome as Bo was, they managed to stuff him four straight times on the goal line. There will never be another defense like those vintage Sherill/Slocum/Davie units.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
Typical Aggie blowhard...Texas Tech (which sucked at the time) scored 27 points v A&M in 1985.
The 2008 USC defense with Cushing, Matthews and Maleuga at LB and Mayes at safety was far superior to the mid 80s Aggie defense.
I’d take the 2005 Alabama defense and wanna say OU’s defense in 2001 was very salty as well.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 30, 2009 10:54 PM CST up reply actions
Uhh, I didn't say the 85 defense was the best of all time
Rather, that goal line stand was one of the Wrecking Crew’s greatest moments and set the stage for what was to come in future years. The greatest Aggie defenses were those of the early 90s with guys like Quentin Coryatt, Marcus Buckley, Sam Adams, Brandon Mitchell, Kevin Smith, and Marcus Buckley.
That 2001 Miami D was probably the most purely talented defensive unit of all time. Those Aggie defenses were not as talented but excelled because of great schemes and a vicious aggression shared by every player on the field. The 1991 Holiday Bowl against BYU and Ty Detmer was the most complete destruction of a team and a quarterback I’ve ever seen.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
by WestTxAg06 on Dec 1, 2009 6:02 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Bo Jackson really was amazing
I remember 1 time before heading out the door, I wanted to see him bat, and I told my Mom this guy is good he’ll hit a Home Run. Bo Jackson goes on to hit the HR, and I just casually say “See” and head to my friends on my bike. For some reason, I always remember that.
I, also, remember him breaking his bat over his knee when he would strike out. that was hilarious. Bo KNOWS Lumber! Get your firewood here.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
Memorable
In addition to his long breadaways, the one that sticks in my mind was running directly over Brian Bosworth. Head on. Carried him backwards into the end zone. Couldn’t believe it as I watched it.
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912) also -
"Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance."
~Ambrose Bierce
by Ed Coffin on Nov 30, 2009 2:15 PM CST up reply actions
I remember that. I just sat there and laughed.
2009 Texas Rangers: Why The Hell Not Us?--ghtd36 on May 13, 2009
In the interest of quicker games Ron should just tell the ump he's pulling the Feliz card and the ump should rule the inning over.--Sherman McCoy on Sept. 4, 2009
holy crap
Brain Bosworth. I wonder if he’s still alive. Talk about all hype and nothing to show for it.
Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
Dykstra has all the money!
ElectricOkra.com
Too many roids in college
He was a beast in college then not so much when he got to Seattle.
2009 Texas Rangers: Why The Hell Not Us?--ghtd36 on May 13, 2009
In the interest of quicker games Ron should just tell the ump he's pulling the Feliz card and the ump should rule the inning over.--Sherman McCoy on Sept. 4, 2009
his nephews played for UCLA in the recent years
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Nov 30, 2009 3:42 PM CST up reply actions
Here it is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLmpjg4UhdE
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Nov 30, 2009 6:33 PM CST up reply actions
After running over Bosworth...
"I got up and said to Bosworth, ‘Next time have bus fare.’ "
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
by GhostofSteveFoucault on Nov 30, 2009 3:28 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
When I think of Bo Jackson
the first thing that comes to mind is him running down the sideline in a Raider’s uniform, getting hit from behind while his leg straightened out causing his hip to completely buckle.
That was pretty much it for Bo as far as football.
Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
Dykstra has all the money!
ElectricOkra.com
Anyone remember ProStars?
I remember watching that cartoon back in England as a young lad. Back then Bo Jackson was just the big dude who helped Jordan and the white guy fight evildoers.
by LiamP on Nov 30, 2009 2:19 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Never heard of it
2009 Texas Rangers: Why The Hell Not Us?--ghtd36 on May 13, 2009
In the interest of quicker games Ron should just tell the ump he's pulling the Feliz card and the ump should rule the inning over.--Sherman McCoy on Sept. 4, 2009
I remember it
Never really watched it. Seemed kinda dumb and this coming from a person that couldn’t miss GI Joe, Thundercats or He-Man.
It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.
I had to look it up
It debuted the year I graduated high-school.
What a drag it is gettin’ old.
Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
Dykstra has all the money!
ElectricOkra.com
Anybody
see a link to where Bo Jackson climbed that wall in KC after catching the fly ball?
Allstar game
I don’t remember what year. If I’m not mistaken, he hit a HR the same inning he made the catch.
Your 2009 Snow Monkey Ambassador
I forgot that Bo Jackson played for the Angels
In fact, he was batting 5th in Kenny Rogers’ perfect game in 1994. He struck out swinging all 3 times.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TEX/TEX199407280.shtml
It's baseball. You don't always get what you want, and you don't always want what you get. --Ed Coffin
The most amazing part about Bo
was that pre-hip injury the guy never worked out in a gym, he said in an interview it was all natural.
"Losers assemble in little groups and bitch about the coaches and the system and other players in other little groups. Winners assemble as a team."
- Bill Parcells
JoePos had a column a few years back detailing just how how good Jackson really was
It was a great read but last time I looked for it on the internet, I couldn’t find it. It was basically a recounting of the various stories about Bo that sounded larger than life but actually happened: the running up the wall, the broken bat homer, and a bunch others. The greatest, of course, was throwing out Harold Reynolds at home with a flat footed throw from the warning track when Reynolds thought he was going to score standing up.
I wish I could find that article again, because it was one of the more amazing stories I’ve ever read. Bo was one of a kind.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
That may be, but for some reason I thought the original article was longer than that
That one may be a condensed version or maybe my memory is just incorrect (it’s been a while since I read it).
Those stories are amazing. I forgot all about the not being granted timeout and then jumping back into the box to hit a homer. That’s just sick.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
I think this might be the article.
"Stats are like a woman in a fine little bikini. You can see a lot, but you can't see everything." -Dirk A. Tron
That's a good article
.385 BABIP. Only for him, it was sustainable. Trouble was, there weren’t a whole ton of balls in play with him.
It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.
YES!! That's the one
I’m glad you found that.
Just think what might have been had Bo stayed healthy, or didn’t try to play two sports:
That was the day that Buck O’Neil heard the sound—a crack of the bat he heard only three times in his life. The first time he heard it was as a boy, when he watched Babe Ruth take batting practice. The second time was as a player in the Negro Leagues, and the player was Josh Gibson. The third time was Bo that first day in Kansas City.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
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