Should Bo Jackson be in the baseball or football Hall of Fame?

[RangeFinder]

Just watched that 30-30 bio for about the 10th time in my life, and that guy has done what others never could have dreamed.

I know, he doesn't have the numbers, or championships, but he was such an incredible athlete and played at such a high level in both the NFL and MLB, made both the Pro Bowl and MLB All Star game.

If his career wasn't cut short at 28 years old, he makes it easy. I think both committee's in both leagues should consider him as a nominee, he deserves it. One guy I will always pull for to make it to at least one of them. Hopefully, he makes it to both in the same year.

[Roscoe_Word]

I think so, brother................

[texhooper]

Definitely needs to be in the video game hall of fame

[TheMoneyShot]

Well.... if you think he never used steroids.... you crazy. As a kid growing up.... we thought he was a BEAST. He was different from the rest.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

No. But he has a TON of consolation prizes:

1) Steamrolling Boz into the endzone.
2) Same game he blazed down the sideline and left Seahawks in the dust.

If his health had been better...he really would have wound up one of the five best RUNNING RBs ever. Not sure about his all-around game on blocking/receiving.

Purely on RUNNING the ball, his power/speed were almost unmatched. His Yards per Carry stat was really high. Really only a few guys (like Jim Brown) in his speed/power category.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Well.... if you think he never used steroids.... you crazy. As a kid growing up.... we thought he was a BEAST. He was different from the rest.

Shot...I think you're way off there. I don't think Bo was linked to steroids at all. He really was that gifted, a natural thoroughbred.

[Four33]

Yes over bonds.

[TheMoneyShot]

Shot...I think you're way off there. I don't think Bo was linked to steroids at all. He really was that gifted, a natural thoroughbred.

But you're in an era that they never checked.... media never knew... but the players did. Of course he will deny it. Guy was built like a tank.

[TheMoneyShot]

Top 10 Athletes Who "Allegedly" Used Steroids. (Old News Story)

Bo Jackson comes in at #10. Look how ripped he is. Mack Truck

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Shot, fair enough. I normally don't spend a lot of time on the "Steroids or Not" debate. I actually think some guys use something briefly but aren't habitual users. Are guys in that category "steroid abusers"? Sort of like Andy Pettite, who claimed to use it to recover from injury.

I feel like my instinct is pretty good on these guys. Of the top 10 on your list:

...my selection of "99% clean" =
*Ryan Howard, Frank Thomas. Just unusually big + strong men.
*David Wells. No way (imho) that he used steroids. Pretty good athlete in unusual body-frame. Great P.
*Bo Jackson. I really don't think so. Great genetics and maybe some hard-working upbringing that carved out his frame. He wasn't even known as a big workout/weight-lifting. Generational talent who was that way naturally.

PS, I really don't think Thome was a steroid guy. Home-run hitter. Somewhat of an all-or-nothing batter who hit HRs and struck out a lot, too.

[19th Hole]

4. David Ortiz

This lying creep should never have been voted in. Period.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

I really don't give that Kurtzman article any credence. That's from 2009, back when sports-writers would look at a picture. They'd say "I don't look like that. They must be on something."

Have read a good bit about this stuff. Of course, I don't have any 1st-hand knowledge.

I just categorize guys into "raw and real" vs "product of PEDs". Back in the late 1980s...I would have thought Howie Long was on PEDs for sure. He was dominant, too good.

Then I looked into it more. No, he was a great athlete in multiple sports. Basketball, track, boxing...athletic enough to be successful at different sports.

I read about his training regimen. He didn't train weights til later than normal. He did a lot of running, which you didn't always see from linemen. But it's a great way to stabilize to your natural weight.

He also did karate and played basketball to a later age. And his upper body was not oversized. Howie actively questioned steroid use among the lineman groups...so I'm convinced the wasn't a PED guy.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

4. David Ortiz

This lying creep should never have been voted in. Period.

Exactly. I said this b4. He effectively admitted his use by not denying.

But the media finds him to be a likable guy, so they voted him in. Tell that to Schilling.

Unreal, the baseball HOF has become a joke. I mentioned that Kaat/Oliva made it via the Veterans Committee basically b/c they had been around so long and were well-liked. Dick Allen was better than Oliva but just not well-liked.

[flyingillini]

Yes, of course!

[eidolon]

I don't think he would have made in for baseball, but football, I believe he had a good chance.

[eidolon]

Top 10 Athletes Who "Allegedly" Used Steroids. (Old News Story)

Bo Jackson comes in at #10. Look how ripped he is. Mack Truck

Frank Thomas juiced? that is the first time I've heard those allegations.

[19th Hole]

Bo Jackson was an incredible athlete...undeniably a treasure to behold.
Unfortunately, his career was too short to be eligible for the Hall.

I would love to see him in the NFL Hall but he was too mortal to make the climb.
His hip injury ended his gridiron wonders at age 28.

Anyone think that Jack Tatum, another Raider, should be enshrined in Canton?
His hits were too old-school wicked for the NFL to consider.
Poor Daryyl Stingley paid dearly.

[Foxx]

Guy was in a class of his own on Super Tecmo Bowl

[jjgold]

Nobody close to him 2 sport start

He would of been Mickey Mantle in baseball and greatest RB of all times NFL

Nobody had his speed, strength and power EVER

[pologq]

Guy was in a class of his own on Super Tecmo Bowl

if he played football consistently he might have had a shot if injuries did not come into play. his yards per carry is crazy.

baseball he was solid. 4 years over 20 homeruns, one year over 30. one year over 100 rbi. his projected avg hr in a 162 game season is 33 but that doesn't account for injuries and such.

[d2bets]

Nobody close to him 2 sport start

He would of been Mickey Mantle in baseball and greatest RB of all times NFL

Nobody had his speed, strength and power EVER

Deion Sanders

Had a better NFL career, more durable.
Jackson better baseball career, but not by that much.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

No.

He was a generational athlete but his numbers do not stack up in either sport for the HOF.

[RangeFinder]

No.

He was a generational athlete but his numbers do not stack up in either sport for the HOF.

As I mentioned in my original post, he doesn't have the numbers, but do the numbers matter in his case? I say no. He is the only athlete to ever make the Pro Bowl and the MLB All Star game in one year I believe.

Go back and watch the 30-30 ESPN documentary. I know you've probably seen it a few times, but after watching that I think a strong case can be made for him even though he doesn't have the numbers.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

As I mentioned in my original post, he doesn't have the numbers, but do the numbers matter in his case? I say no. He is the only athlete to ever make the Pro Bowl and the MLB All Star game in one year I believe.

Go back and watch the 30-30 ESPN documentary. I know you've probably seen it a few times, but after watching that I think a strong case can be made for him even though he doesn't have the numbers.

Agree to disagree.

He only played in the NFL for a few years.

He was a good player in baseball but should never sniff the HOF.

[TheMoneyShot]

I think the human body is quite interesting. When we were like 18-24 did we ever think about testing our own Testosterone and IGF-1 levels in our blood? No. It was unheard of. Our own parents weren't educated enough. We were just taught... hey... you're young... enjoy life now... it gets tougher when you get older. Really?

When an athlete reaches 25.... the IGF-1 levels do start declining....

We start feeling these effects right around 30.

My point is... Bo Jackson still has to give effort while lifting weights and staying in shape... also eating right. To me.. it appears he is on an additional substance.

Anyone who's around 35 or so... get your Testosterone and IGF-1 levels taken. If you were smart enough to have labs drawn at 25... consider yourself lucky. You now know a template of what your "natural" body produced. And you can do your best to keep those numbers stable with Testosterone and HGH. Or you can just get old. Your choice. But remember... when you go "synthetic" you'll have to be on it... the rest of your life. No turning back.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Guy was in a class of his own on Super Tecmo Bowl

That's what I was going to say. Tecmo Bowl legend.

Bo is in the Video Game Hall of Fame. Sort of like Jeremy Roenick for his NHL '93 stardom.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Shot...I just don't think so on Bo. He did extensive rehab to come back to baseball after the hip injury.

Before the hip injury, project out his stats for three more years. Probably would add up to HOF #s. More important than Hall of Fame, we were robbed of witnessing a great RB that could easily have led his team to the Super Bowl.

[DrunkHorseplayer]

He made some spectacular plays in baseball but on a long term basis, there's no way he was at a HOF level even if he had played long enough, which he didn't. One thing never mentioned is his incredibly high strikeout rate in an era when strikeouts were nowhere near what they are today and in which putting the ball in play was considered highly important. His K/AB ratio was .351; by comparison, Reggie Jackson, the all time K king, was at .263.

[RangeFinder]

To everyone posting, go back and watch that documentary on him on 30/30 ESPN or YouTube it. He was an incredible athlete and human being. Things he did will never be repeated in our lifetime.

[3PtShooter]

Bo Knows Football & Baseball !!

[Roscoe_Word]

No. But he has a TON of consolation prizes:

1) Steamrolling Boz into the endzone.
2) Same game he blazed down the sideline and left Seahawks in the dust.

If his health had been better...he really would have wound up one of the five best RUNNING RBs ever. Not sure about his all-around game on blocking/receiving.

Purely on RUNNING the ball, his power/speed were almost unmatched. His Yards per Carry stat was really high. Really only a few guys (like Jim Brown) in his speed/power category.

Right on as usual, Chuck.

I remember those plays.................

[Roscoe_Word]

I think I remember him making a running catch and running sideways against the wall........

[JAKEPEAVY21]

To everyone posting, go back and watch that documentary on him on 30/30 ESPN or YouTube it. He was an incredible athlete and human being. Things he did will never be repeated in our lifetime.

I don't need to, I remember watching him during his career.

So because of a 30/30 episode and being a great athlete and person makes him HOF eligible?

Had he stayed healthy, he would've been a HOFer in football, possibly baseball too.

I guess you are a democrat and voted for Biden being that you want to give out participation trophies?

You have to EARN your way into the HOF though, no free passes sorry.

[Foxx]

He's in the College Football HOF for what it's worth

[KVB]