# Best athlete ever. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 1, 2019, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-athlete-ever/844245 "2019-12-01T21:10:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-athlete-ever/844245/61 "2019-12-27T01:18:57Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I’m going with Bo Jackson. The dude once ran up a wall. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Lk3l_L-VJ3w/maxresdefault.jpg "Bo scales the wall in Baltimore") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3l_L-VJ3w) Now, I want you to imagine running full speed towards a wall. Then, I want you to imagine that, instead of stopping when you get to it, you _run to the top_. How far do you think you’d get? Maybe a step, and then you’d push off? It’s a laughably absurd thing to do. But Bo Jackson ran up a fucking wall. It’s nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-athlete-ever/844245/62 "2019-12-28T00:01:33Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > The dude once ran up a wall. > > [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3l\_L-VJ3w](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3l_L-VJ3w) > > Now, I want you to imagine running full speed towards a wall. Then, I want you to imagine that, instead of stopping when you get to it, you _run to the top_. > > How far do you think you’d get? Maybe a step, and then you’d push off? It’s a laughably absurd thing to do. > > But Bo Jackson ran up a fucking wall. It’s nuts. I thought that’s what the video would be of. Bo Knows Walls. In their primes, Bo Jackson would kick Jim Thorpe’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-athlete-ever/844245/63 "2019-12-28T01:49:58Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I thought that’s what the video would be of. Bo Knows Walls. > > In their primes, Bo Jackson would kick Jim Thorpe’s ass. In searching for the Bo up the wall video, I also came across video of his first career major league hit. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2QDROdrv-Xw/hqdefault.jpg "1986 Bo Jackson 1st hit") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QDROdrv-Xw) It’s interesting for several reasons: 1. He’s facing Steve Carlton, a hall of famer (admittedly at the end of his career) 2. The announcers keep pointing out the insanely far spots in the stadium where he’s hit batting practice home runs (they are downright giddy) 3. He hits a ball into the outfield bleachers that is juuuuust foul. The fans give him a standing ovation. For a foul ball. 4. The hit is an infield grounder that forces Carlton to cover first. He easily beats out the pitcher by several footsteps. 5. It’s hit first major league at bat. In just one at bat, we get a beautiful display of his raw ability and the excitement it generates. Bo is also the only NFL player with two 90+ yard rushes for touchdown. His combination of speed and power in one athlete was unprecedented. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-athlete-ever/844245/64 "2019-12-28T06:42:58Z")
The ESPN 30 for 30 episode on Bo Jackson is fantastic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-athlete-ever/844245.md?page=3)