If Bo Jackson never would have been injured... (1 Viewer)

[Jeffrey Noel]

how good do you think he would have been? He was one hell of an athlete until those damn Bengals took him out. I think he had the potential to be a Hall of Fame running back, but unfortunately that's not the case now.
I know, kind of random but I miss seeing my all-time favorite Raider playing, even after all of these years. :frowning:
BTW, I was even in the Bo Jackson fan club. Had the T-shirt and all!

 

[Steve Clark]

Yea, I am a big Raider fan and because of this injury, the 1990s was mostly a bust decade for the Raiders legacy. His combination of speed, acceleration and power may be unparalleled for running backs. Another "What If" scenario I suffered through was the death of Len Bias right after he was drafted by the Boston Celtics. I think this cost the Celtics at least two championships as he would have added must needed depth to the Bird led teams as the stars became older. Bird would have gotten more rest and would not have worn down as quickly as he did.

 

[DavidY]

Luv his power and speed. I still remember his run over the Boz (Bosworth).

IMO, the best pure RB was Barry Sanders. Too bad that his career was cut short....not exactly sure if it was his or the club's decision. He was on pace to shatter Sweetness' all time rushing record.

Dave

 

[Kevin T]

bo knows auburn

 

[Jed M]

Bo could have been the best their ever was, and thats not being dramatic. When he would break his bat over his knee (and head) after he would pop up or strike out it would remind me of a giant snapping a toothpick. Awesome strength and power with speed to match, and this is coming from a Chiefs fan.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I was just talking about him the other day and told a friend of mine that Bo Jackson was the best power and speed running back I've seen since I watched Jim Brown during his last few years in the NFL.




Crawdaddy

 

[Jeff_A]

Best combination of speed and power - EVER - and I do mean EVER!

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Bo was amazing to watch. I'll never forget him running over Bosworth.

IMO, the best pure RB was Barry Sanders. Too bad that his career was cut short....not exactly sure if it was his or the club's decision.

It was definitely Barry's decision. He left the Lions high and dry by retiring right at the beginning of training camp.

 

[Brian Perry]

"If Bo Jackson would never have been injured..."

...he would be known as the greatest running back in history.

I think the Len Bias comparison is a bit off. Bias showed great promise, but hadn't done anything in the pros. Bo Jackson made an impact immediately and was headed for Canton. (I think he's still the only player to have more than one 90+ yard run in his career.)

I think Herschel Walker could have also made a run at the "best ever" title, but he spent much of his prime in the USFL.

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

>>>Luv his power and speed. I still remember his run over the Boz (Bosworth).

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

If my aunt had testicles...
It is idle speculation. The great ones(like Payton) work extra hard keeping in condition to not get injured. I'm not saying that Bo did not keep in condition. There is also a certain element of luck involved.

 

[Michael Fennessy]

Didn't Bo have a degenerative Bone condition in his hip? I seem to remember that the injury was inevitable. There was talk of him having the hips of a 90 year old man. There is not a lot that conditioning (or anything else) cold do for that. I always think of his homerun in the Allstar game in Minnisota. Man was he amazing or what?

 

[Patrick Sun]

I remember seeing Bo play for Auburn, and in a tight game at Ga. Tech, it was his long TD run that made all the different in the 17-14 win for Auburn. He just rounded the corner and just flew down the field for his game winning TD. And to think he was also an all-star in baseball (being able to hit that little round ball with the round barrel of the bat, while also being able to run over linebackers with aplomb - that's quite a combination).

 

[KeithH]

If Bo Jackson never would have been injured...

...we would still be seeing "Bo Knows" commercials plastered on TV. :frowning:
Seriously though, Bo was an incredible running back. As others have said, he had a mind-boggling blend of speed and power, plus he had instincts. He simply was a great back. In my ideal world, Bo would never have gotten hurt and would not have tried his hand at major league baseball. I would have liked to see him focus on football, as he was a better football player than baseball player. Still, I enjoyed his home run in the 1989 All-Star Game and always enjoyed watching him break a bat over his leg.

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

I miss Bo :frowning:
I'm also a Royals fan - unfortunately
Who can forget this classic Nike Poster and also a 1988 Score baseball card:

 

[Brandon_T]

When I think of Bo, I think of the first perfectly sculpted athelete. Never before had I seen a body shaped that way. I think that was a trend he set that we are seeing the effects of today.

In baseball for the longest time, lifting weights was frowned upon by many managers, especially Sparky Anderson. When Bo stepped on the field or up to the plate you just knew something was going to happen.

I also don't like to play the what if game, I mean, what if Sanders didn't retire, what if Reggie Lewis didn't die, what if Ali didn't go to Jail. You just don't know, but he was a hell of a player, and it would have been nice to see him have a whole career.

 

[Jeffrey Noel]

Michael, I have that very card. It's in my collection of 8000+ sports cards ranging from 1987 to 1994. I'll have to find it!

BTW, I looked on e-bay for that poster just a second ago and it's going for $66 with 3+ days left. :eek)

 

[KeithH]

Michael, I had that poster way back when, but I don't think I have it any longer. However, based on the eBay auction Jeffrey mentioned, I hope I still have it. I definitely have a few of that card somewhere. As I recall, I also have the factory set.

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

Gooogily Moogily (sp?)
I used to have that two of those posters...now I wish I still had just one!
I used to also manage a sports collectibles and baseball card shop in Indianapolis, In. I have long since sold most of my baseball cards...except for a small collection of favorite players and rare cards...looking back I wish i would have kept them now...but oh well.
Bo Knows Hobbies

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

I probably bought 50 wax boxes of 1988 Score baseball cards one weekend back in 1988, when that BO card came out....the card itself was going for ~$30....and you could buy a wax box for around $35-$40 in those days (If I remember correctly anyway).

I would end up usually getting 3-4 BO's in a box...sell a couple of them to the baseball card shop I frequented for $15 each...and would proceed to buy another box of Score wax packs.

I think I still have 20-30 of that card - somewhere...