In the 80s and 90s, few sports stars loomed as large as Bo Jackson. A Kansas City Royal and an Oakland Raider, he was the rare athlete to play two professional sports. His strength and power seemed supernatural. He soared into end zones, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.13 seconds, hit meteoric home runs, and broke baseball bats over his head for fun. And those were just his documented exploits. Because Bo played in an era before smartphones, stories circulated — that could never be entirely proven or disproven — that he was capable of even more impressive feats. The guy was the stuff of legends.
For this reason, Jeff Pearlman has entitled his new biography of Bo: The Last Folk Hero. Today on the show, Jeff and I talk about Bo's Paul Bunyan-esque stature, and the real life behind the legend. We discuss both the flaws and the strengths of Bo Jackson, and how natural talent can be both a hindrance and a help, as we trace his life from an impoverished upbringing as one of ten kids, to how he managed to secure an arrangement where he got to play two professional sports. Jeff explains how Bo never liked to practice — because he was so naturally gifted he didn't need to — why Bo didn't take the deal when the Yankees tried to draft him out of high school, the flash-bulb moments he achieved in college and the pros, how a hip injury ended his football days but didn't entirely finish him off for baseball, and why, after such a neon career, Bo has largely disappeared from the public eye.
Bo Highlights Mentioned in the ShowBeyond Mere Politeness — The Art of True Civility
The Science of Swole — How to Grow Your Muscles
A Cure for Existential Boredom
The Real Reason You Procrastinate
Break Your Bad Habits by Escaping the Scarcity Loop
Can You Trust Happiness Studies?
For a Better Work Out, Think Like a Kid
Beyond Lazy Learning — The Keys to Gaining and Retaining Knowledge
The 5 Shifts of Manhood
When the Game Was War — Lessons From the Greatest NBA Season of All Time
How to Develop Rugged Flexibility
Take Back the Weekend
Leadership Is Overrated
For Whom The Bell Tolls
How to Use the Principles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to Overcome Obstacles in Business and Life
Is Cannabis a Safe Drug?
Advice on Making Love Last . . . From a Divorce Lawyer
Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind
The Life We're Looking For
The Psychology of Effective Weight Loss
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