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Conference 7.286::sports_91

Title:CAM::SPORTS -- Digital's Daily Sports Tabloid
Notice:This file has been archived. New notes to CAM3::SPORTS.
Moderator:CAM3::WAY
Created:Fri Dec 21 1990
Last Modified:Mon Nov 01 1993
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:290
Total number of notes:84103

76.0. "Bo Jackson Topic" by BTOVT::MANDILE_A (Just Do It) Thu Jan 17 1991 13:54

    
                          Official *Bo Jackson* Note
    
    
    
    Does anybody know Bo's status for this weekends title game
    against Buffalo??
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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76.1Bo don't know AFC Championship GameCHIEFF::MACNEALPapa MacThu Jan 17 1991 15:123
    According to a sports report I heard, replies in the Raiders topic,
    replies in the AFC playoffs topic, and replies in the Bill topic, Bo
    will not play against the Bills due to a bum knee and hip.
76.3BOSOX::TIMMONSI'm a Pepere!Fri Jan 18 1991 09:475
    Is Bo gonna play this weekend?
    
    :*)
    
    lEe
76.4Oh, No !!! No Mo' Bo ???SHALOT::HUNTSwatch dogs and Diet Coke headsFri Mar 15 1991 19:467
 There's a radio report out of San Diego today that says Bo Jackson's
 pro career in both baseball and football may be over.
 
 Apparently, the hip injury he suffered in the Raiders playoff win over
 Cincinnati is a lot more serious than first diagnosed.
 
 Bob Hunt
76.5SONG::ASHELeft, around & together w/ the right..Fri Mar 15 1991 19:546
    Yup, and people laughed at OJ when he said the hip problem might affect
    spring training...
    
    I guess it's some disease that takes a jolt to come out and be made
    apparent.  I just saw a newswire story, but I didn't keep it to put
    in here...
76.6RECURS::WAHLSemper GumbyFri Mar 15 1991 19:568
    According to a news wire report in the baseball notesfile, Bo knows
    necrosis.  The doctors suspect he has a condition which starves the
    bone (in his case, a femur) of blood until it dies.  It can be caused
    by a severe impact.  They'll know more next week when he undergoes an
    MRI and other tests.  If that's the case, Bo is out of baseball and
    football.
    
    Dave W.
76.7From the BASEBALL conferenceSHALOT::HUNTSwatch dogs and Diet Coke headsFri Mar 15 1991 20:1741
 
	SAN DIEGO (UPI) -- Bo Jackson may have avascular necrosis, the San
Diego Tribune reported Friday, claiming a career-threatening hip
condition has the baseball and football star on crutches.
	The newspaper cited a source close to Los Angeles-based medical
personnel who know of Jackson's condition, which has prevented him from
taking part in the Kansas City Royals' training camp.
	The condition is a loss of blood circulation to the bone which causes
the bone to die.
	Dr. Gary Losse, the San Diego Chargers team physician, had no direct
knowledge of Jackson's case but told the Tribune that a person can be
born with the condition or it can be brought on by an injury -- such as
the one Jackson sustained Jan. 13, prematurely ending his season with
the Los Angeles Raiders.
	``Usually it is brought on by a trauma,'' said Losse. ``The injury
hinders the blood supply to that part of the bone.''
	The Tribune said it's source reported that the injury was at the top
of the femur bone where it joins the hip.
	``If that is the case, that is not a good place,'' Losse said.
	The condition is not considered life-threatening but could require a
hip replacement.
	The Royals and Raiders have not acknowledged Jackson has the
condition.
	Royals general manager Herk Robinson told the Tribune he was not
familiar with the term ``avascular necrosis,'' but that Jackson was
scheduled for a bone scan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Kansas City,
Mo., Friday. Those results were to be sent to Dr. Jim Andrews, a
prominent orthopedic surgeon, in Birmingham, Ala., for further tests
Monday.
	``By Tuesday we should have a better idea,'' said Robinson. ``Dr.
(Steven) Joyce (the Royals team doctor) said it was best to put him on
crutches to take the weight off of the joint so there would be a better
chance of healing.''
	Jackson's last appearance on a playing field ended when he had to be
helped off of the field during the Raiders' AFC playoff game against
Cincinnati.
	It was at first believed the injury was a routine hip pointer but
Jackson was not able to play in the AFC championship game in Buffalo the
following week.
        
    
76.8BSS::G_MCINTOSHULTRIX NETWORKS, CSC/CSSun Mar 17 1991 00:205
    That's really a shame if it's true.  I'm glad he got in and made his
    mark before this occurred.  I suspect that he's financially set for
    life, but it's a shame anyway.
    
    Live from Charger Central.....Glenn
76.9WMOIS::RIEU_DRead his lips...Know new taxes!Sun Mar 17 1991 00:292
       I heard a report that it's the same condition that Neil Lomax has.
                                            denny
76.11This just in:SHALOT::MEDVIDwild but not lostMon Mar 18 1991 12:106
    Last night on Charlotte's NBC affiliate, the weekend sportscaster who,
    for some reason, has an "in" with the Royals organization said that
    Bo Jackson has announced a press conference for Tuesday in which he
    will announce his retirement from all sports.
    
    	--dan'l
76.12CAM::WAYSha-WING!Mon Mar 18 1991 12:1128
>    I never thought I'd see the day that a trash rag would have a true
>    story.  Makes you wonder about those space aliens, don't it...  :-)
    

Hawk --

Those space aliens stories are true.  It can now be revealed that
*I* am a space alien.

I was marooned here over thirty years ago when my space ship crashed.

I made my way in an uncorporeal state into the nursery in Hartford
hospital and  assumed the body of a young male child.  Ever since,
I've been stranded in this strange world you people call home.

You humans are truly a strange breed.  Never in all of the known universe
have I ever come across a species so involved with trying to prove
who the best is.  Never had I seen such "debating" of this subject.

Ah, but you humans are truly at your best when the chips are down, 
when your backs are against the wall.  

If I can ever "phone home" I will truly have an interesting report to
file....

Your Space Alien Co-worker,
Chainsaw

76.13Yeah, that's itCST17::FARLEYHave YOU seen Elvis today??Mon Mar 18 1991 13:124
    'splains a lot.....
    
    ;^)
    
76.14Say it ain't so, Bo...NAC::G_WAUGAMANMon Mar 18 1991 13:3213
    
    This Bo Jackson thing confirms the worst fears of all Bo *baseball* 
    fans, multiplied by ten.  It takes a lot to knock a non-pitcher out of 
    the sport, especially in the American League, and if these reports are 
    true this injury doesn't even compare with the devastating 
    football-style knee injury that was in the back of everyone's mind.
    
    Here's hoping that Bo can recover to the point where he's capable of
    meeting the skill requirements that baseball demands, and is smart
    enough to let go of football for good...
    
    glenn
      
76.16PNO::HEISERmusic over my headMon Mar 18 1991 15:145
    Re: Neil Lomax
    
    I heard the same thing here.  Doesn't sound good.
    
    Mike
76.17Lomax had arthritisSHALOT::HUNTSwatch dogs and Diet Coke headsMon Mar 18 1991 15:3010
 Neil Lomax had arthritis in his hip joint.   Bo Jackson apparently has
 this "avascular necrosis" thing where some or all of the bone dies from
 lack of blood circulation.   Thus, I believe their afflictions are
 different.
 
 However, Lomax did have an artificial hip replacement and the rumors are
 that Bo Jackson will need the same procedure.  That's where their
 similarities lay.
 
 Bob Hunt
76.19Who was it?SHALOT::MEDVIDwild but not lostMon Mar 18 1991 16:227
    OK, let's get the trivia out of the way now.
    
    Who was the Bengal that ended Bo Jackson's career (and money-grubbing
    life)?
    
    
    	--dan'l
76.20Does Bo know InsuranceECAMV3::JACOBShe still got his gun in her handMon Mar 18 1991 18:346
    Hope Lloyd's of London can recover from the claim that Bo will be
    filing and the Mega-payoff.
    
    
    JaKe
    
76.21PNO::HEISERmusic over my headMon Mar 18 1991 20:115
    Re: Bengal
    
    David Fulcher?
    
    
76.22I bet Tampa Bay is smiling about all of thisSHALOT::MEDVIDwild but not lostTue Mar 19 1991 12:467
    Jackson was released by the Royals yesterday.  He and his doctor
    confirmed in a press conference that he will play pro sports
    again...some day.
    
    Hang it up, Bo, and enjoy your money.
    
    	--dan'l
76.237210::MGILBERTPaul Tsongas for PresidentTue Mar 19 1991 14:2110
    
    RE: enjoying the money
    
    That will definitely be part of the problem. The reason the royals
    released him was twofold. 1. His release allows the royals to reduce
    it's financial commitment to him to 1/6 of his salary for this season.
    2. Bo lied to royals management about the extent of his injury.
    according to one doctor Bo know the extent of his injury before he
    signed his contract.
    
76.24CHIEFF::MACNEALruck `n' rollTue Mar 19 1991 15:085
    Sometimes money isn't everything.  Can you imagine having to give up
    your career, especially something you enjoy as much as football and
    baseball?  Sure your financially set for life, but what are you going
    to do with your next 40 years?  Not to mention the fact that this type
    of injury can have an impact on normal, everyday life.
76.25Top to bottom as fast as you can blinkSHALOT::HUNTSwatch dogs and Diet Coke headsTue Mar 19 1991 15:1021
 How quickly it goes ...
    
 In my opinion, Bo Jackson is (was?) one of the most remarkable athletes in
 American sports history.  He flew in the face of all the conventional
 wisdom that said he couldn't be successful at two major league
 professional sports.    Not only did he do it but he flourished at it
 being named to the All-Star teams in both sports.
 
 But one pop to the hip and he's looking at a very shaky future.  Is it any
 wonder that the modern pro athlete looks to hyper-maximize his or her
 earnings during their careers.
 
 The Royals, no doubt, are extremely pissed.  I think we saw their anger
 spill over in their decision to release him.   They're perfectly justified
 in releasing him but it sure as hell doesn't solve their new problem in
 leftfield.
 
 If Bo's career is truly over, I, for one, will miss him very much.  He was
 a stud.
 
 Bob Hunt
76.26QUASER::JOHNSTONLegitimateSportingPurpose?E.S.A.D.!Tue Mar 19 1991 15:2911
Poor little Bo-ster. Imagine if it were you.

Imagine, having to spend the rest of your life making 10 to 20 times per
year what you make now. And having to play golf, and work out, and
travel, and make a few commercials, maybe do a little acting, pursue any
hobby that struck your fancy. No more working unless you felt like it.
Talk about your horrible life! Maybe I'll send him a sympathy card.

Maybe not....

Mike JN
76.27Bo's "hobby" is what got him into trouble...NAC::G_WAUGAMANTue Mar 19 1991 15:3914
    
    I'd agree with you, Bob, that Bo is (was?) unique, but personally I
    would have preferred greatness in either in sport than just goodness in
    both, which is where I'd have classified him even before he got hurt.
    The two-sport thing was fun for the first year or two, but after that I
    was longing for more.
    
    I would have loved to have seen what he could have done if he devoted
    himself to baseball, but I can also see where a football fan could have
    said the same about his sport with equal justification.  Now, we may
    never know for certain either way.
    
    glenn
    
76.28Bo knows...SALEM::LEVESQUE_TOh, yeah! The boy can PLAY!!Tue Mar 19 1991 15:437
    A lot of envy in this note.  Bo is special and perhaps some folks
    resent it.  I respect him.
    
    Point of curiosity...was the injury sustained on an artificial surface?
    Never did like that stuff.
    
    	Ted
76.297221::JHENDRYJohn Hendry, DTN 297-2623Tue Mar 19 1991 15:4930
    Adjustment to retirement from any sport is difficult no matter what the
    age.  In Bo's case, it's probably going to be doubly difficult since
    he's been so busy at two sports that he's never had time to develop
    himself in any other direction.  In addition sports is so demanding and
    so time-consuming and so exciting that anything else anyone pursues is
    going to seem dull.  All Bo's ever done has been to do endorsements, he
    sure as heck has never prepared himself for anything else and the
    endorsements are going to dry right up now, unless Nike comes out with
    a "Bo knows rehab" campaign.
    
    To give an example, consider the difference between Woody Hayes and
    Bear Bryant.  Hayes lived a long and fulfilling life after his career
    as Ohio State's coach because he was a man of many other interests.  He
    was well-read in military history and he was considered an expert on
    the life and works of Ralph Waldo Emerson.  In fact, in the early
    eighties, there was a symposium on Emerson at Harvard with many of the
    leading experts on Emerson from the academic world and Hayes was one of
    the speakers.  On the other hand, Bryant never seemed to have any
    interests, other than gambling, off the football field.  When Bear
    stepped down after the 1982 season, a friend and I both agreed that
    Bear would be dead in 6 months.  How unfortunately right we were.
    
    John
    
    PS - the most amazing athlete I've ever seen in terms of adjusting to
    retirement has been Mike Eruzione.  Here's a guy who reached the top of
    the athletic world in the 1980 Olympics, has never worked at a full
    time job since, and has parlayed it into lectures, guest appearances,
    motiviational speeches, celebrity golf tournaments, part-time TV work,
    celebrity hockey games and so forth, and supports his family doing it.
76.30The tackle was very unspectacular...NAC::G_WAUGAMANTue Mar 19 1991 15:5010
    
    > Point of curiosity...was the injury sustained on an artificial surface?
    > Never did like that stuff.
    
    Nope, on the grass surface of LA Coliseum.  I also believe that the
    injury was caused by the action of the tackler (Walker?) pulling on 
    his leg and not the contact with the ground.
    
    glenn
    
76.31I like him and I hate himSHALOT::MEDVIDwild but not lostTue Mar 19 1991 16:1423
    I'm going to contradict myself here, but that goes with my mixed
    emotions about Bo Jackson.
    
    The man impressed me.  He is/was one of the greatest all around
    athletes I've ever witnessed.  And he (or his manager) was a marketing
    guru.  I'm sure that with the money Bo has made in the past four years
    off of two professional contracts and endorsements, he can live out his
    life very comfortably...if he invests correctly which I would think his
    advisors would have him doing already.
    
    But I've always resented Bo Jackson for shunning Tampa Bay.  It's not
    his fault, I guess, but rather the NFL's for having the rule that if a
    player is not signed within a year, he's back on the market for the
    likes of Al Davis to grab him.  Tampa used their first rounder on him
    and got nothing in return.  (Please correct that statement if I'm
    wrong.)  The Bucs might have been a better football team in the last
    few years with Bo Jackson in the backfield.  
    
    Bo Jackson's decision to play baseball hurt Tampa Bay football.  Bo
    Jackson's second decision to play football as a hobby hurt Tampa Bay
    hearts.
    
    	--dan'l
76.33What a life!NRADM::GALVINo..........|||| CandlepinsTue Mar 19 1991 16:213
    re: .29......Eruzione
    
    And don't forget the "Goofy Games"!
76.34More ...SHALOT::HUNTSwatch dogs and Diet Coke headsTue Mar 19 1991 16:3016
 I didn't say I sympathized with Bo.  I said I'll miss him on the playing
 field.   Face it, each one of us can only dream about playing one
 professional sport.  This man excelled at two.
 
 Dan'l, I can understand your opinions about what Bo did or did not do for
 Tampa Bay.   But, I'd be curious to know what you thought of John Elway's
 snub of the Baltimore Colts and Frank Kush, their coach at the time.   For
 those who don't recall, Elway used baseball as a similar "threat" to avoid
 playing for the Colts.   The Colts traded him to the Denver Broncos as a
 result.
 
 For the record, I don't have a problem with either Bo or Elway in this
 regard.   Drafts are questionably legal anyways.  Why shouldn't they sell
 their services to the highest bidder ???
 
 Bob Hunt
76.35Baltimore compensated; Tampa got squatSHALOT::MEDVIDwild but not lostTue Mar 19 1991 16:4418
    Disliked Elway for the same reason, but at least Baltimore had the
    option to get something in return.  Not as much harm done as losing
    your number one just because...
    
    That highest bidder analogy is very accurate, but only if you compare
    it to real life (i.e., I choose to be employed by the highest bidder if
    the situation is right).  However, professional sports has this aura of
    not being real life.  These guys get big money and should have to take
    things like playing for a team other than the one of their choice. 
    That's the breaks (no pun intended on Bo's part).
    
    But I think we're getting into an old argument here, so let's not
    rehash it.
    
    Back to the point, Bo Jackson set Tampa Bay football back five years if
    not more.
    
    	--dan'l
76.36FDCV06::KINGJesse's Jets!Tue Mar 19 1991 16:555
    No one forced Tampa to draft Bo, and Bo made it clear that he was going
    to play minor league baseball that year. Tampa took a gamble and
    lost...
    
    REK
76.37CHIEFF::MACNEALruck `n' rollTue Mar 19 1991 16:567
    Didn't Tampa have the same options that Baltimore did?
    
    If that hotshot high school pitcher the A's drafted decided to go to
    Texas and play college ball, were the A's "screwed"?
    
    Did Bo refuse to play for Tampa, or did Tampa refuse to let Bo play
    football and baseball?
76.38only for a few days though, I'd miss the dish and laundryCHIEFF::CHILDSDean and Chris-Life's 13 pt underdogsTue Mar 19 1991 17:548
You guys are underestimating modern medicine...look at Tommy John, Bernard
King...then again it is Bo who wouldn't play with a bent hangnail...Bottom
line is I don't think they'll be any comeback cause i don't think he'll have
the drive to make it...can't say I BLAM him either, I wouldn't mind having
his life....

mike
76.39Bo knows painLEAF::MCCULLOUGHLindsey is walking!!Tue Mar 19 1991 18:2615
I have a friend who has a similar problem as Bo, but for a different reason.  
There is a lot of disagreement amoung his doctors about the problem's 
"treatability".  His problem is with his knee, and some doctors want to replace
it, or fuse it, while others say rest and light exercise for a while will allow
it to come back.  Also, the problem with joint replacement is that most 
artificial joints are designed to last about ten years.  Have something done
in your thirties, and you are looking at having to got through it several more 
times.  Bottom line is that if Bo can come back, it will likely be a long road, 
and a real test for him.

BTW - My friends problem stems from being forced to take Steroids for a couple
of years to treat a particularly nasty case of colitis.  Nasty drugs, those 
'roids.

=Bob=
76.40Life your life to the fullest - I plan to !LUNER::BROOKSIt's 25 or 6 to 4 .... Tue Mar 19 1991 19:0010
    Some people think Bo doesn't deserve sympathy for having to retire
    (assuming that he has to, of course), because he has  pile of money,
    and he should have played one sport.
    
    Hey, you live your life on your terms if possible. Bo did what many of
    us would love to do, but lack guts, opportunity, talent or whatever.
    
    More power to him. I hope this isn't The End for him.
    
    Doc
76.41LUNER::BROOKSIt's 25 or 6 to 4 .... Tue Mar 19 1991 19:0211
    re .31
    
    
    Bo wouldn't have shafted Tamp, except that Hugh Culverhouse (the jerk
    that ran off Doug Williams) tried to play chicken with Bo over $$$'s.
    He thought that Jackson would 'use' baseball the same way that Elway
    did, but would eventually fold and play football.
    
    Suprise.
    
    Dan'l, put the blam (tm) where it belongs - on the Tampa front office.
76.42BOSOX::TIMMONSI'm a Pepere!Wed Mar 20 1991 09:5226
    I'll miss his performance on either field.  The man is an athlete!
    To make All-Star in two major sports is a *MAJOR* accomplishment.  
    
    While he may be financially set for life, I still have some sympathy
    for him in that he may become somewhat crippled for life.  Here's a guy
    that's actually accomplished what others dream of, and he *MAY* end up
    with a disability that could severly limit his ability to enjoy the
    simple things in life.  Of course, we won't know for some time, and he
    is even saying he'll be back in baseball this season.  But if he has to
    have a major joint replaced, that's no joke.
    
    A friend of mine, on LTD from DEC, is awaiting a hip replacement.  Bill
    was very active, playing hockey into his late 40's.  Now, he is out and
    is waiting until he can't stand the pain anymore.  Then, he will have
    the replacement.  Why wait?  As previously mentioned, replacements have
    a time limit for effectivity.  The longer one waits for the operation,
    the further out is the next one.  So, Bill has been waiting for almost
    a year, and is getting pretty close to it being time for the job.
    If he had had it done last year, then he'd have to have another around
    the year 2000.  Waiting this past year, he will probably not have to
    have it redone until 2001.  Thay may seem like a long time, but just
    reflect back to 1981.  Not so long ago for us older folks.
    
    Anyway, I hope he makes it back, even if it's with the Yankmees!
    
    lEe
76.44ISLNDS::WASKOMWed Mar 20 1991 13:4013
    Bo is, quite simply, a phenomenal athlete.  I hope that he's able
    to come back and play more baseball, but I'm not hopeful.  (Please,
    forget more football, Bo.  It ain't worth it.)  In our perennial
    debates about the athletic ability required to play baseball, I've
    been a doubter of the first magnitude.  Bo's outfield catch where
    he ran up the outfield wall changed my mind.
    
    For *anyone*, being forced to give up the activities that have given
    you your reasons for getting up in the morning can be devastating.
     He's going to have to do it in the spotlight.  I hope he can do
    it with dignity and grace.
    
    A&W
76.45NAC::G_WAUGAMANWed Mar 20 1991 13:4010
    
    Excellent points, Lee.  A lot of athletes, especially ex-football
    players, might even find themselves later in life at the point where
    they'd give up all the money to have their health back.  Football
    players seem to have the nasty habit of dying young, even.  Bo
    shouldn't be in that position with his injury, but as concerns overall
    health it's hard not to be sympathetic...
    
    glenn
     
76.46Or belt the Dean with a yard marker ?EARRTH::BROOKSIt's 25 or 6 to 4 .... Wed Mar 20 1991 15:5510
    re .29
    
    John, did Woody Hayes lose it during the symposium and punch another
    professor ? :-) :-)
    
    On a serious note, thanks for the note - I never knew that about Hayes.
    As for the Bear, I often wondered if retirement meant The End, or if it
    was vice versa ....
    
    Doc
76.47Don't buy the theory so nicelyVAXWRK::SCHNEIDERThe crux of the biscuitWed Mar 20 1991 16:423
    Doesn't seem to me that Hayes enjoyed a long life after he was fired.
    
    Dan
76.487221::JHENDRYJohn Hendry, DTN 297-2623Wed Mar 20 1991 16:525
    Woody was fired in 1978 and he was in his mid-sixties at the time.  He
    didn't die until 1987.  That's 9-10 years.  At that age, that's doing
    pretty well.
    
    John
76.49CHIEFF::MACNEALruck `n' rollThu Mar 21 1991 12:002
    I heard a report on the radio this morning that Jackson has the hip of
    an old man.  His condition is causing arthritis and his career is over.
76.50CARROL::LEFEBVREBorn at the right timeThu Mar 21 1991 20:205
    You heard it here first...
    
    Bo knows comebacks.
    
    Mark.
76.51STAR::YANKOWSKASPaul YankowskasFri Mar 22 1991 12:375
    A note in the BASEBALL conference reports that the Yankees have 
    claimed Bo off the waiver wire.
    
    
    py
76.52CHIEFF::MACNEALruck `n' rollFri Mar 22 1991 12:395
76.53REFINE::ASHEYou're watching 3CP1, All-Russian TV...Fri Mar 22 1991 13:003
    Yeah, yeah, and they laughed when the Bullets were interested in
    Bernard King... and that took how many years?
    
76.54Dont underestimate desireBTOVT::MANDILE_ABAM-BAM Does SteroidsFri Mar 22 1991 13:169
    
    The Yankees picked up Bo Jackson and his 2 million dollar a year
    contract. IF Bo came back in a Yankee uniform you can bet he'd be
    packing them into Yankee stadium.
    
    Its a risk, but the doctors once said a guy named Montana would never play
    again either.
    
    Al
76.55Put it into perspective somewhatSHALOT::MEDVIDwild but not lostFri Mar 22 1991 13:303
    
    Montanna and King never needed their hips replaced either.
    
76.56FTMUDG::REEDSutton+Houston=1992NCAAChampsFri Mar 22 1991 13:337
    and Montana doesn't run over people for a living either
    
    It's a real let down about Bo.  Especially since he's been
    a real positive hero for the kids.
    
    Cowboy
    
76.57RIPPLE::DEVLIN_JOUn Rosalind der schplatFri Mar 22 1991 13:4818
    First, Bo can comeback - first he has to ditch football.
    
    Second - he's playing in the American League, and thanks to the
    Designated Gimmick, Ol Bo can simply sit on the bench all year, and 4
    times a game, get up and take some mighty swings.  If he loses some
    speed, so what?  Mickey Mantle lost his speed with his knee problems,
    yet was highly effective (imagine if the Mick had the benefit of the
    Designated Gimmick to rest his knees...)
    
    Yankee Stadium is natural turf, so if the Bo-ster did comeback and be
    able to play in the field, he wouldn't have to deal with artificial
    turf.
    
    Yankees can afford to take the risk.  It's a no-lose proposition.  
    
    Bo Jackson in New York - a Madison Avenue wet dream.
    
    JD
76.58REFINE::ASHEYou're watching 3CP1, All-Russian TV...Fri Mar 22 1991 13:493
    True, but King was told he might not really run again, let alone
    play any kind of basketball.  You might not see Bo run over people,
    but I wouldn't count out him hitting that Royal Stadium scoreboard.
76.59$2 million is nothing to the YankeesPENSAR::LAZARUSDavid Lazarus @KYO,323-4353Fri Mar 22 1991 15:033
    $2 million is nothing to the Yankees. I agree with JD;it is a no-lose
    situation. The positive PR they have gained ,plus Bo's commercial
    appeal will pay for his salary. 
76.60CARROL::LEFEBVREBorn at the right timeFri Mar 22 1991 15:513
    What JD said.  
    
    Mark.
76.61Hope KC is proved wrong, but...STAR::YANKOWSKASPaul YankowskasFri Mar 22 1991 15:5513
    If "it's only money", then why didn't a team that paid eight figures
    for two stiff pitchers named Davis after the 1989 season, and almost
    that much to sign Mike Boddicker this past winter, merely eat Bo's
    $2 million salary for this year and hope for the best?  You don't
    outright release a player of Bo's athletic ability and drawing power
    unless you're pretty damn sure you're making the right decision.
    
    Don't get me wrong, my best wishes and prayers are very much with Bo.
    But if even half the reports that have been surfacing are true, I'm not
    optimistic about the chances of Bo ever playing pro sports again...
    
    
    py
76.62VAXWRK::NEEDLEMoney talks. Mine says "Good-Bye!"Fri Mar 22 1991 16:078
I think everyone is missing the point here.  The Yankee's claiming of Bo
Jackson is strictly a PR move.  He'll assuredly turn them down and let the 5
days pass and become a free agent; the Yanks couldn't lose by claiming him. 
Besides, given the sorry state of the Yankees' organization, this is a gamble
they absolutely had to take.  In the worst case scenario, they wasted
$2,000,000.  That's like you or me buying a newspaper.

j.
76.63Up off the mat, and on their feet again.FDCV06::GARBARINORed Sox in '_enter_current_year_Fri Mar 22 1991 16:509
>Besides, given the sorry state of the Yankees' organization, this is a gamble
>they absolutely had to take.

Hey Jeff, in case you missed it, the "sorry state of the Yankees' organiza-
tion" was kicked out last summer by Com. Vincent.  They're coming back,
count on it.

As for Bo turning the guaranteed money down: the Yanks took their risk,
now let's see if Bo has the stones to walk away from them.
76.64VAXWRK::NEEDLEMoney talks. Mine says "Good-Bye!"Fri Mar 22 1991 17:0019
>> >Besides, given the sorry state of the Yankees' organization, this is a gamble
>> >they absolutely had to take.
>>
>> Hey Jeff, in case you missed it, the "sorry state of the Yankees' organiza-
>> tion" was kicked out last summer by Com. Vincent.  They're coming back,
>> count on it.

Didn't mean this the way it sounded, I guess.  But you've got to admit that
there's nowhere to go but up.  And the Yanks outfield could certainly find room
for Bo Jackson (didn't hear anyone saying "yes, but where would we play him
;-)).

Trust me, Joe.  Not everything said about the yankees by someone who is not a
Yankees' fan is anti-yankee.  With me, I'm just plain indifferent to them.  And
I wish them the best of luck this year and would love to see a big comeback. 
Now that Dan has moved back into the building, it would make him easier to live
with ;-).

j.
76.65Now I can root for him in earnestVAXWRK::SCHNEIDERThe crux of the biscuitFri Mar 22 1991 17:0413
>I think everyone is missing the point here.  The Yankee's claiming of Bo
>Jackson is strictly a PR move. 
    
    You missed the point.  The Yankees don't need PR.  They need a strong
    right-handed bat in the lineup to replace Steve Balboni.  There's also
    probably less risk than some might think, as Jackson's agent intimated
    that they'd talk about the contract if a team gave him a chance.  You
    can be sure that the Yankees will talk.
    
    It's a risk that's well worth taking from a purely baseball point of
    view.
    
    Dan
76.66CHIEFF::MACNEALruck `n' rollFri Mar 22 1991 17:1414
76.67FTMUDG::REEDSutton+Houston=1992NCAAChampsFri Mar 22 1991 17:1531
    from the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph:
    
    	Bo's Agent Optimistic: Bo Jackson's future should not be judged by
    doctors who haven't seen his medical reports, his agent says.
    	"All of these quacks around the country have not examined Bo's
    records and have no idea what they're talking about," Richard Woods,
    Jackson's agent, said in Mobile, Ala.  "When I see doctors in San
    Diego, San Francisco, or New York or Washington commenting, it makes
    you wonder what sort of ethical medical standards they have."
    	An Alabama medical center where Jackson was examined this week said
    the two-sport star would be tested again in 30 days.  It said it would
    not comment on Jackson's condition until then.
    	Meanwhile, Woods said the New York Yankees are serious about
    claiming Jackson by today's noon MST deadline.
    	"Bo and the Yankees could be a match made in heaven."
    
    	Can I see your ID?  The Live Oak, Fla., Gray Ghosts, a Little
    League team, sent the minimum $1 waiver fee to the Kansas City Royals
    and put in a claim for Bo Jackson.
    	Gray Ghosts coach Daniel McKeever raised the $1 from his squad.
    	McKeever said Jackson must follow the same rules as his other
    players.
    	"Please advice Mr. Jackson that practice is on Mondays, Tuesday and
    Thursday and a missed practice means he will not start in Saturday's
    game," he advised in a letter to the Royals.  "He will have to supply
    his own jockstrap, cleats, glove and one baseball."
    
    Hope this clarifies things
    
    Cowboy
    
76.68Like it or not, I think Bo's stuck with the Yanks...NAC::G_WAUGAMANFri Mar 22 1991 17:3615
    I agree 100% with the last reply.  I really have to wonder about these
    doctors who for a little bit of publicity are putting their
    professional reputations on the line.  No doctor who has examined Bo
    has yet flat out said that without a doubt Bo has avascular necrosis.
    That much remains in doubt, and it's amazing how these doctors with the
    same lousy newspaper reports we're getting can reach their conclusions.
    
    Does Bo have the right to turn the Yankees down?  I didn't think so.
    I thought that was what the waiver wire was all about.  He's got a
    valid contract, and whoever agrees to pick that contract up owns it.
    He's not eligible to become a free agent until after 1992, either.
    
    glenn
    
76.69He's still on the wire...SALEM::DODASleep, who needs it?Fri Mar 22 1991 19:013
Just heard NY passed on Bo.

daryll
76.70VAXWRK::NEEDLEMoney talks. Mine says "Good-Bye!"Fri Mar 22 1991 19:1412
>>    Does Bo have the right to turn the Yankees down?  I didn't think so.

As far as I know, he can.

As for the PR move, Mac stated it eloquently.  I had the pleasure of being one
of 14,000 at a game at the Stadium last year.  Pretty empty.  Bo couldn't help
but fill seats, even if it's to see him sitting in the owner's box.

But it's a moot point.  The Yankees spinelessly backed down and decided not to
claim him.

j.
76.71Bo's choiceISLNDS::WALSHHowie @BXCFri Mar 22 1991 19:158
    >Does Bo have the right to turn the Yankees down?  I didn't think so.
    >I thought that was what the waiver wire was all about.  He's got a
    >valid contract, and whoever agrees to pick that contract up owns it.
    >He's not eligible to become a free agent until after 1992, either.
     
    They either get him with his current contract or he can turn it
    down and become a total free agent (and possibly risk a smaller
    contract.)
76.72CARROL::LEFEBVREBorn at the right timeFri Mar 22 1991 19:324
    Where's Dan with the obligatory "ahh, where would he play...we don't
    need 'im."?
    
    Mark.
76.73Ahh, where would he play...we don't need 'im.VAXWRK::SCHNEIDERThe crux of the biscuitFri Mar 22 1991 20:021
    
76.74CARROL::LEFEBVRERather be trout huntingMon Mar 25 1991 15:4118
        <<< Note 76.65 by VAXWRK::SCHNEIDER "The crux of the biscuit" >>>
                     -< Now I can root for him in earnest >-
    
>    You missed the point.  The Yankees don't need PR.  They need a strong
>    right-handed bat in the lineup to replace Steve Balboni.  There's also
>    probably less risk than some might think, as Jackson's agent intimated
>    that they'd talk about the contract if a team gave him a chance.  You
>    can be sure that the Yankees will talk.
>    
>    It's a risk that's well worth taking from a purely baseball point of
>    view.
>    
>    Dan
    
    That was a quick switch.
    
    Mark.
    
76.75Bo knows ChicagoCHIEFF::MACNEALruck `n' rollWed Apr 03 1991 17:262
    It was reported in the Baseball conference that Bo Jackson has signed
    with the Chicago White Sox.
76.76KICK HIM when he's down! (Sigh)ANGLIN::KIRKMANYeah, I get StarTrek jokes.Thu Apr 04 1991 11:457
    Well, it had to happen...
    
    I caught a spoof the local radio did on "Bo Jackson Aspirin".  Ya know,
    it kills career-ending pain, and numbs you to the fact that you've just
    lost millions of dollars.
    
    Commander Scott
76.77Just Do It...CAM::WAYHWRFC ClydescaleThu Apr 04 1991 12:0912
I think it's a big reaction to all of the Bo Knows stuff that was
shoved down our throats when he was on top.

Bo's a helluva athlete.  But I got so SICK of seeing the Nike commercials
after a while.

FWIW, I think the Nike ads with other top athletes (especially Patty(?)
Welch, the woman marathoner) were much better.

So, it is inevitable that someone would take a shot at Bo....

'Saw
76.78BoSOX! ;^) COMET::WADEI won't....back....down.Thu Apr 04 1991 14:181
    
76.79RIPPLE::DEVLIN_JOThen Came BronsonThu Apr 04 1991 14:2117
    I don't like Nike commercials at all.  The Bo Knows ones were a breath
    of fresh air.
    
    Saw, the Welch commercial, and others like it, were Nike's attempt to
    go back in time to their magazine advertising in the 1970's.  They had
    some great ones.
    
    One was "There is no Finish Line" - it showed a solitary runner on a
    road that simply stretched forever into the horizon.
    
    Another was "Man vs. Machine" which showed a solitary runner on the
    Golden Gate bridge during rush hour.
    
    THere were others.  This was when Nike was an athletic shoe company -
    not an athletic fashion shoe company.
    
    JD
76.80 Bo knows recovery......WLDWST::RILUSTREWed Aug 21 1991 16:1618
    
         I'm not really a fan of Bo Jackson but it was tempting to reply on
    this topic about him. These are the things that I know about Bo so
    please bear with me:
    
    *According to S.I. about 2 weeks ago, there is a possibility that Bo
    might come back to baseball in time of the playoffs once he has
    recovered from his injury. It is further stated in S.I. that his doctor
    was surprised to the extent that Bo is way ahead of his schedule in re-
    covering from his injury. And it was also stated that Bo told Al Davis
    of the Raiders that once he is fully recovered he'll try to come back
    to the team playing both football & baseball again.
    
    *Bo still has some endorsements under his belt to keep him busy during
    the time of his injury. His latest endoresement is that of a Pepsi
    commercial where he is seen dancing with 2 beautiful ladies on each side
    and the other was he is on the beach sitting on a chair doing that
    "you got the right one baby, uh-huh" stuff.  
76.81Bo's (come)BackCNTROL::MACNEALruck `n' rollWed Aug 21 1991 16:308
76.82But WAIT.....there's more....CST17::FARLEYHave YOU seen Elvis today??Wed Aug 21 1991 16:3610
    
    Bo's also at/going to the White Sox minor league team to brush up
    on his game.  For some time he's been participating in hitting
    practice and pre-game warm up drills.
    
    He won't be there long though, he's got to be on the roster by Aug. 31
    to be eligible to play in the post season events.
    
    Kev
    
76.83MCIS1::DHAMELI'm not distorted. Reality is.Wed Aug 21 1991 19:186
    
    I know the guy really enjoys his hobby, but IMO he's stupid to
    jeopardize both careers by going back to football.
    
    Dickstah
    
76.84Bo never said he was retiring from footballCNTROL::MACNEALruck `n' rollMon Nov 25 1991 14:228
    Bo was interviewed on Good Morning America this morning.  He said that
    he was misquoted about retiring from football.  What he said was after
    conferring with his doctors they agreed that he will not play football
    in the forseeable future.  He hopes to be able to play football again
    some day.  In the meantime he will start his winter training schedule
    to get ready for baseball season.
    
    Anybody pick up Bo's autobiography on video cassette?
76.85Football is too demanding. Can't see it...GUSHER::WAUGAMANMon Nov 25 1991 16:0710
    
    Bo's going to milk the spotlight for as long as he can.  As long
    as someone out there believes he's still a two-sport athlete (once
    much better at football than baseball), he's still something special.
    As far as baseball goes, he's the most overrated phenomenon to ever
    hit the game, and if that's all he's got the lustre might quickly
    wear off...
    
    glenn
    
76.86MCIS1::DHAMELForgot to cut my imbecilical cordThu Mar 05 1992 14:177
    
    Reports are that Bo isn't doing too well, hobbling badly because of
    the hip thang.  Could sideline him forever, as was speculated when he
    first got the injury.
    
    Dickstah
    
76.87ROYALT::ASHEOk, but I'm really leaving soon...Fri Mar 06 1992 16:361
    Saw him on Sportscenter.  He looked awful...
76.88RUGBY1::waySon House RULES!Fri Mar 06 1992 16:409
He has the same problem that Neil Lomax has, right?  A degenerative
disease which attacks the hip joint?


My question is, while it would probably preclude athletics, would hip
replacement be a viable option to allow him to walk normally?


'Saw
76.89Bo knows Bye,ByeCSC32::FARRAHERSend lawyers, guns &amp; moneyMon Mar 09 1992 06:391
    He's on waivers