Bo Jackson Decathlon

nobono wrote:

old runner dude wrote:

when I was 13 or so, my oldest brother was a student at Auburn when Bo Jackson played there. walking by the football practice fields on a weekend visit we spotted him doing sprints by himself. I'll never forget how ridiculously jacked he was, not to mention fast. Looked like the incredible hulk.

Everyone looks big and fast to a 13 year old.

Especially bo jackson.

He was a fcking animal.

would've been awesome to see him throw the javelin

Sorry bozo wrote:

Only here would people diminish the abilities of Bo Jackson.

So in your mind "he was made out to be the single greatest athlete ever, but in reality, he was just one of the greatest athletes ever" counts as diminishing his abilities?

not harsh criticism wrote:

Sorry bozo wrote:

Only here would people diminish the abilities of Bo Jackson.

So in your mind "he was made out to be the single greatest athlete ever, but in reality, he was just one of the greatest athletes ever" counts as diminishing his abilities?

"Everyone looks big and fast to a 13 year old."

sakdfj;lkdsajf;lksdajf;lsadf wrote:

not harsh criticism wrote:

So in your mind "he was made out to be the single greatest athlete ever, but in reality, he was just one of the greatest athletes ever" counts as diminishing his abilities?

"Everyone looks big and fast to a 13 year old."

Not on point. Whether he looks big and fast is a separate issue from his abilities. The other poster did not claim that people are diminishing Bo Jackson's physical stature and apparent speed. He claimed that posters are diminishing his abilities. The statement that "everyone looks big and fast to a 13 year old" does not relate to Bo Jackson's abilities at all.

Sources - Track and Field News, USATF Statistics and National Federation of High School Track. If you believe idiots who don't even know the basics over these 3 sources, then you are the moron, jack. Spend fifteen minutes and you can see the truth, or what they call 'facts'...if you are a blind Bo Worshipper then here you go....Bo won 3 straight Olympic Gold Medals, scored 10,000 points and broke 5 world records in the process...he had to 'skip the last event' to go win the Tour de France....then he won Wimbledon and beat Michael Phelps in the butterfly....you're right...Bo had no weaknesses - keep the Paul Bunyan myth breathing...

By the way to all readers - please omit the oldest - and easiest - and childish - retort in sports debates ever....."well, if so and so had really trained he coulda...shoulda....woulda....blah blah blah" - decathlon is a bare event....lots and lots and lots of training....lots of it alone...no coaches or teammates to drag you out of bed at 6a to run....no cheering crowds except at Olympics, Worlds or a few other meets....it tests your ability to stand alone and conquer 10 events...no excuses....the stopwatch and measuring tape never lie...no teammate to help you out if you screw up....thats why a lot of football dudes dont run track...if you have a big ego its hard to get smoked in front of thousands...what are you gonna do? can't blame a ref...i guess you can grab your hammy and fake an injury...ive seen that more than once.

oh man I think he made a huge mistake to go on and compete in two high-paying professional sports

he did it because he couldn't make it in TF

In the jumping events, he had personal-best jumps of 2.06 meters in the high jump, 7.52 meters in the long jump and 14.85 meters in the triple jump.

At 210+ pounds.

just let that sink in.

btw your jealousy is palpable

wow - i was nationally ranked in high school and college - i dont think thats 'failed'...28 decathlons over 11 yrs...name your achievements in your next reply in the decathlon, ok?

you're too stupid to realize i'm not blowing up your precious bo...just saying facts are facts...if you wanna live in a pretend world and make up stuff you have every right..that might be a comfy place for you, armchair qb...btw, 210 lbs is some kinda big deal in your expert mind? there have been elite decathletes that weigh 175 and some that weighed 225+...so i'm supposed to be impressed...go look up russ hodge and see what he did at 230lbs...ashton eaton weighs 185...best decathlete ever....he ran faster than bo's best ever 100 in the pouring rain in eugene in 2012 oly trials...

like i said earlier...bo was a great (and injury prone) athlete from high school on...lots of power and speed...but had weaknesses too...every athlete born has weaknesses...the decathlon exposes those weaknesses and you can't run and hide...if you ever had the balls or talent to complete one, you'd know what i was talking about idjit...

Sorry nobody remembers you.

We're you an All Star in BASEBALL AND FOOTBALL in addition to your track achievements? That would be cool because you'd be the only other person to have done it.

Your breathless retort just underlines your jealousy.

Bo knows. You don't.

Bo is the only athlete to become an All-star in two professional sports.

He was good enough in track to qualify for Nationals.

His HS exploits....who cares it's HS. The decathlon on the HS level is swimming in the kiddie pool.

Alan

jealous of bo?....no....jealous of a decathlon champ or wr holder...that'd be closer....lots of great football athletes out there...baseball players?...dude if you think baseball players are the measure of a great all-around athlete, you're a bigger idiot than i first thought....speed-strength-stamina-hops? you think BASEBALL is the measure of that?....guess you think great athlete michael jordan sucked cause he batted 200 in minor leagues right? did you ever watch the superstars in the day? all-sround test..guess who won 99% of the time? football and track...how many baseball players won it in 30 yrs? ZERO...there's a reason, moron...like i said, you cant have a discussion w a loser who's never tried something..you're one of the guys i mentioned before..."i coulda done that -- if i'd wanted to...worthless....baseball is for the dudes who werent fast enough or tough enough for football....you probably think josh hamilton is a great athlete...he wouldnt last one game in the nfl - at his prime...he cant even stay healthy playing a non-contact sport like bball!! btw thats another point about the decathlon - can't excel when youre a lifelong cocaine addict..pick up a pole and try to pole vault..i'll come visit you in the hospital.....bet babe ruth woulda dominated the decathlon, too, with his chicken legs and pot belly...but he made lots of $ so.....

Mike I think your definition of greatest athlete is kinda biased towards decathlon.

For a guy to be as good as he was at what he tried is incredible. Athletically he was a freak.

I don't think any of the people you named have the skill to ability to smash 98 mph fastballs over 400 ft and then jump over fences to deny others the same satisfaction. Or throw lasers across right field into third.

Also to embarrass people on the football field who were the best in the country at a professional level. The speed and side to side quickness and ability to withstands monsters is beyond the range of those people.

I suspect he could have picked up bowling and dominated.

Plus factor in the fact that millions upon millions of people try to go pro in those sports and fail, add in the pressure that comes from huge contracts, and you have a man that slip unique.

Many people could do what he did in each sport, but nobody could do what he did in all of them.

read again einstein..i said high school and college..i bet you were nationally ranked in college, right? yes bo qualified for nationals in the 100...with a bunch of other dudes - and got blown out...by people that 'noone remembers'...but bo remembers them...because they were 10 meters in front of him...

once again...bo is your man...the athlete that had no weaknesses...drink up all that kool-aid, bro

You are so jealous you are angry bro

Nobody will side with you the way you're acting

loperharder....the decathlon...superstars...all those tests were designed for the very reason we are having this discussion....it's a test of subjective athletic tests designed to test running and jumping and throwing - speed and strength and stamina...it's not a perfect test but it's the best one devised yet...name a better event thats designed to test versatility....who was a better 'athlete'? tiger woods or jimmy connors? both dominated their sport in their era...but athlete? how would you choose...one runs and dives and hits a moving object at over 130 mph and has to play 4 hrs+ ...the other hits a stationary ball...and plays in slacks...which one has to be more 'athletic'...how would you judge that....if you want to find out who is the best all-around athlete is...is the decathlon a great way to find out? sports experts around the world say yes...do you think the number one bowler in the world is a great 'athlete'...how do you decide? what skills makes a great athlete? if you say hitting a curve ball makes you a great athlete - cecil fielder - but you can barely jog one lap around a track...is that a great 'athlete'...john daley won two grand slam events...could he hurdle 42 inch hurdles if his life was at stake? of course not...is a 340lb nosetackle a great 'athlete'? how do you personally determine that?

not angry

not jealous

don't have discussions to get people to 'side with me'

the thing that started this was i said bo had 'weaknesses'...every athlete has them...when bo did his decathlons in alabama he never went to a national meet, he did the alabama state meet (not texas or california or florida or a strong state) - some of his events were strong...some of them were weak...he was - in track - like a lot of athletes...not perfect..had flaws...

that's what started this whole thing...worshippers didnt like hearing their hero wasn't perfect...that's all...i think the anger is from people who trip if you bring facts into a discussion that makes them insecure about their stance or view

Like I said mike, I don't think everybody has the same definition of athletic as you do.

Being as capable as he was at multiple and distinct sports given the level of competition impresses me more than the decatheletes when it comes to overall athleticism.

That's not to take away from the decatheletes. None of them could do what he did and they didnt.