Which decade, do you believe, had the most super athletes? I was thinking about Lebron vs. MJ, Brady vs. Montana, and others. Looking at both pro sports and college sports I am partial to the 80's. What say you?

Ped's or not?

For conversation and debates sake....ill say 90s is a good starting point.......every five years someone just about does something or sets a record of some sort with it being speed or a number to chase of some sort......steroids have changed every game no matter how naive we might be.

?

I'd have to say for overall sports - football to tennis, golf to baseball, hoops to soccer and everything else considered a real, competitive mainstream sport - we're probably amid the best period for top-quality super athletes.

There's more knowledge about strength and flexibility training, rest and recovery, diet, and equipment. Arguments can be made about PEDS or enhancers and things such as super golf clubs and balls or tennis racquets, but just overall across the board we're in a great era.

I think clem got the nail on the head. Not to say there where not super athletes in the past but with out a doubt there are more super athletes these days.

As a collective group, today's athlete is much better than yesterday's. For the reasons listed above by Clem.

Performance Enhancing Drugs

It's got to be the 80's. Both football and baseball were loaded. I never have cared much for basketball, but the 80's saw a lot of good bball players as well.

In MLB it's now , MLB is full of 20 something super players. Just turn on Braves / Astros game now. Houston's young studs are pounding the Braves. But heck, everyone's young studs pound the Braves.

Yankee's super rookie Aaron Judge is putting up triple crown numbers right now.

Thanks IDOT. I didn't even think about PED's changing some athletes abilities.

If you narrowed it down to just running backs, it is hard to fathom Bo Jackson and Hershel Walker on the same field at the same time and I can say that I was there and they were the best two I've ever seen. Bo was for his explosiveness that was going to happen at some point in the game and Hershel because even when the defense hemmed him up, he still managed to fall forward for at least a five yard gain. If hard pressed to pick between the two, I'd probably have to give the slightest of edges to Hershel. For you youngsters that never got to see these two in person, you'll just have to trust us old folks when we say, there are good RBs out there now, but nothing like either of those two.

Have to agree with Jawbone. Bo was the best athlete I ever saw in person. Always heard that Hershel was equally impressive. Bo hit a HR against us in the Diamond Club classic my freshman year. There are huge live oaks about 50-75 ft behind the CF wall at Stanky and it left the bat and less than half a second later it was knocking limbs out of the top of the oak tree behind the CF wall and still rising. Our centerfielder never even moved.
Hardest I've ever seen a ball hit. Nothing else ever came close. And let me tell you, I'd hate to see Bo in pads. He was absolutely huge in a baseball uniform.

I absolutely agree. I will have to say that Barry Sanders was pretty dang good too. I'm still partial to Bo and Herschel.

Bo Jackson, is the best athlete to this day that's ever graced the field of play.

No disrespect to Sanders but he got a whole career to prove his worth. Sadly, neither Bo or Hershel did. Bo because of the tragic injury and Hershel because he chose the cash from the USFL instead of the NFL in what would have been his formative NFL years. I think that just kept him from being the NFL back he could have been, even though he wasn't bad when he joined the Cowboys. Speaking of Hershel and the USFL, wasn't it Trump's team, the New Jersey Generals he played for?

This decade.

And next decade will be better, and the next will be better than that

They're bigger, faster and stronger every year

10 pro bowls in 10 seasons and went out in prime of his career in his own terms. I don't think he left much to prove

Yes, Herschel played for the Generals and that was Trump's team. They played the B'ham Stallions at Legion Field in 1983, I think, to open the season. Hell of a crowd and we were there enjoying every minute.

Bo's explosiveness was unreal. He truly had an extra turbojet and could just pull away, along with being so talented at anything. The Auburn track/field coach, Mel Rosen, was a U.S. Olympic Team coach in 1976 and I think a consultant for them in 1980 (when the U.S. boycotted). Coach Rosen begged Jackson to come run track more than just for funsies and said he could be one of the best, or a possible decathlon champion. Jackson loved baseball foremost and then football, though.

Walker was just a beast. An explosive, good-vision, bulldozing beast. It truly is difficult to imagine him and Jackson on the same field along with the rest of the talent on both teams.

I'm not sure how or if you could honestly say one was better than the other. They're so damned close that it's scary.

All of today's white noise web bullchit about someone today being the best ever or this or that? Eh. I don't want to be the old man yelling at the kids on the lawn, but unless you saw Jackson and Walker then you really can't know to compare. I'd put Sanders right behind them. I'm glad he walked away when he did, too.

Aaron Judge tied Dimaggios rookie home run record today. (Half way through year). Take a look at him, 6'7" 285lbs, they didn't make them like him years ago.

Same with the other sports.

Julio Jones would be a left tackle 70 years ago.

Lebron James would be a center, not a point guard

I don't think I could say Barry Sanders is a better "athlete " than neon Deon Sanders. Bo was and is over rated! If he played today he would be a good ball player but he wouldn't stand out like he did. Just watch some of those games in the 80's. It's in slow motion. To me the legion of bo is similar to chuck Norris.

That is the only Pro Football game I've ever been to.

You are entitled to your opinion, but with respect, that is crazy talk. You haven't done your research and you surely didn't see him play to say Bo excelled because others were in "slow motion".

Bama fan here no disrespect to anyone's opinion...you can read alot of my posts on sports in general i try and speak with my brain and not my heart....not knocking Bo but there are so many what ifs with his career......his baseball numbers are similar to Jeff francouer? Didn't know he was a stud.......speed was no doubt electric to say the least and brute strength and power as a running back...but I do not think he was the caliber running back that Barry Sanders was or Walter Payton....and this is coming from am emmit Smith fan...very unfortunate that Bo got hurt either way....just go to YouTube and watch some of the old homerun derby videos....the ones that were a tv show.....these guys were fouling balls backwards! Yes backwards! Whether we like it or not...technology and steroids have changed the game like none other...a rising senior threw the football 77 yards at the opening the other day!

That is my point about Bo and Hershel. We'll never know what they would have been with complete NFL careers. They were the best I ever saw in college, but we can only speculate as to the rest. We know Sanders and Payton were great because they got to play a whole NFL career, and for the record, once again, no disrespect for Sanders, but I think Payton was the better of those two.

True that jawbone!

Yeah slow motion is definitely an exaduration but over all team speed is the biggest difference between the Bo's day and now. When you have athletes performing like Michel Phelps,tiger woods,(bad as I hate to say it) cam Newton, etc etc against better competition it's no contest that athletes are better today.

I'm sure bo was great. But it is hard to believe there has been a better auburn player than Cam. He carried a mediocre team to a national title.

In my life (born in 64) and in my opinion - Bo Jackson is the best overall athlete the world has ever produced (Top-3 American sports football, basketball, and baseball).

I'm sure arguments could be made that swimmers, marathon runners, long distance bicyclist, and so forth are better conditioned - but, for the short bursty nature of American sports - I'd take Bo. I would rank Hershel Walker a close second. I am sure that my opinion is slanted given my love for football.

And this coming from an Alabama fan.

Dude are you 20. Bo is way faster than the majority of todays athletes also. I saw bo play many many times including over the top and I believe with all my heart that Bo would have rushed for 3000 yards in the offense that Malzahn runs If he had the same carries as Trey Mason in 2013. The holes are huge. In Bo's day they played about 11 people at the line to stop the run almost for every play. A true Great is that just great.

Bo and Hershel were 1A and 1B as the top athletes. Their speed and size still would stand out on the field.

Dude no I'm I'm 36. I saw bo play. Just because he was unstoppable on tempo bowl dosent mean he was that good in real life. The naritive with no is always "if bo". The point I'm trying to make is bo wouldn't be as much of a stand out player these days as he was in the 80's.

For the record this is sports talk so don't take things personally. The beautiful thing about sports talk is you can say what's on your mind or be knee jerk. It's not politics ,religion or vaccination shots for your kids... I have respect for you guys and the teams you pull for. That being said Roll Tide and play ball.

Sometimes, like now, I have to realize that I have a big advantage in that I saw Bo everyday for a couple of quarters at AU except the week he was in Miami getting his picture taken for the Playboy All American Team. I got to see how big and muscular he really is and then add the speed to it, it is unbelievable. Just an amazing specimen of a human, and a really nice guy to top it off.

This is laughable. Bo would be fine today and just as good. Herschel would be, too.

MDP, like you said everyone has an opinion but you were 4 yrs old when Bo left college and you were 10 when he had his career ending injury so you cant really say you saw him play. I've seen him play baseball in person on the same field. When Jawbone says he's an imposing figure in person, you dont understand just how put together that guy was and his speed had to be seen in person to full appreciate how fast he really was. Trust me, he would still be more than relevant today if he was a 18-20 yr old. He'd be even more dominant in today's spread offenses not allowing the defense to walk 8 or 9 up into the box. My son is a D1 college football player so I am still around today's athletes and trust me, Bo was a special athlete that comes along once or twice in a century and by the way, I strongly dislike Auburn so there is no bias in my opinion. He'd be a 2000
yd rusher. Just stating facts.

Yes, Bo would have been very good today and there no question he is a top 10 best athlete of all time. Does he take the #1 spot. It's debatable.
Muhammad Ali
Michael Phelps
Michael Jordan
Jim Brown
Jim Thorpe

I think you could make legitimate arguments for all the names I listed plus several more. Heck I don't even have any golf, tennis, track and field, or soccer players listed. So throw in Pele, Usain Bolt and tiger woods too.

As much as I believe Jackson is among the best ever, I don't know if I'd put him in a list of Top 10 athletes IF it includes criteria such as championships and titles. We could see what might have been if his career had not been cut short AND if he had picked one sport to fully commit to. As it is, we only got a few years and a glimpse of his greatness.

Phelps? Hell yeah. He's the GOAT for swimming, especially after laying out a year or two and coming back.

Jordan? Different era, but he was the best in the NBA. Kobe is right behind.

Boxing would be tough. Ali was great but how about Leonard?

(Side note: For those of us old enough to remember, weren't the 1980s great for boxing with Ali, Hagler, Leonard, Hearns, Duran, Boom Boom, Foreman and the others? Just a fun time to watch. Those days are gone forever for boxing.)

Bobby Jones in golf? What he did with wooden shafted clubs, chitty balls and on courses that weren't like today's manicured layouts is remarkable. Was he as dominating as Woods in his prime? No. Woods was an intimidating, boot-on-the-throat beast and had almost everyone cowered while being a likely PED-helped performer who ran roughshod.

But in golf I'd still take Nicklaus as the GOAT. Not just for majors, but look at his 2nd and 3rds and Top 10s during the 1960s and '70s. Through great play and focus he put himself in contention so often to win, won a bunch, and IMO that's the mark of a great one. Just like Kevin Van Dam in the Bassmaster Classic - he's won four but has a litany of Top 10 finishes, meaning he was there on the final day with a chance.

Lot of fun debate, for sure.

Bo Jackson was born with several gifts that couldn't be coached or conditioned. He'd be a stud now too. Anyone who doesn't believe that is only fooling themselves.

BTW, wasn't he the NFLs leading rusher when he got hurt, after spotting the other backs 4 or more games while finishing the baseball season? I'm pretty sure he made both MLB All Star and was elected to the Pro Bowl same seasons, but of course he went down and couldn't play in the Pro Bowl.

Bo was not a great MLB player. Anyone who thinks he was is kidding themselves. He has some power for sure and a great arm. But, he was never an elite player. Yes, he made the all star team, but that is based on fan vote.

Bo was a great running back.

Define athelete. I don't add swimmers, golfers, or boxers to that category.

Bo hit 22,25,32, and 28 hone runs in his first 4 full years in the majors. Oh, and he was playing football at a high level as well.

You don't believe Olympic swimmers are athletes? Or anyone at the top level of their sport?

Why is a football player an athlete but not a swimmer? How about gymnasts?


Someone who trains their body and skills for physical exertion in a competitive event recognized widely as a true sporting activity is an athlete.

Putting Bo in the top 10 athletes is a statement I just can't agree with.....way too many variables....you say what if he didn't get hurt...i saw what if got burnt out etc.....we don't count the guys who were phenomenal who got on drugs etc...ao why count the guy who got hurt...that would like me saying Josh Hamilton is on of the greatest players to ever play...bo had less than 20 touchdowns in the NFL

100% fact. He was a much better football player than he was a baseball player. He was a legit dual sport athlete though. Nothing was given to him in either sport.

He also hit .207, .235, .246, and .256 his first 4 years in pro ball. His career average was .250. His strike out to walk rate was 4-1.

Phelps is a great athelete in his sport, but it is laughable to put him in the same conversation with Bo or Hershel. Same with gymnasts.

Golfers/race car drivers don't belong in the conversation either.

Think of it like this. To me a great athlete is an athlete, not a one sport specialist. Phelps couldnt play another sport at the pro level, neither could Tiger. Jordan tried baseball and was a miserable failure. Bo played pro baseball, and pro football. If he would have wanted to, he could probably have done track & field at an olympic level. With his speed, strength and size, look at all the sports he could have excelled in that he never played; rugby, basketball, track, soccer, etc. He was not just a one sport wonder. He had the body type and natural athletic ability to excel in whatever he tried. That is why I would rate him in the top athletes of all time.

Agree, but how many MLB players could have those numbers and play in the NFL as well? Bryce Harper is hitting 284. after six full years in the MLB.

You are missing my point. He was a very gifted athlete. But, he wasn't a great baseball player.

It's laughable to NOT include phelps in the conversation. Football isn't the apex end all be all sport. How do we know Phelps couldn't have been an all star basketball
Player? We don't know because he is a swimmer. How about we put Bo Jackson in a pool and see what happens?
We have 2 things going on here. American sports bias, and specifically SEC football bias. Folks in Europe would probably argue with you that the top 3 athletes in the world are soccer players. Would bo and Hershel have been good soccer players. Probably not.

Where is the love for Deion Sanders. He may not have been as likable as Bo, but he damn sure was a baller.

Sanders is the only man to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series, to hit an MLB home run and score an NFL touchdown in the same week, and to have both a reception and an interception in the Super Bowl.

True, Deion was a great football player and was an above average baseball player. He was a better hitter (not for power) than Bo. But, I think Bo had a better arm.

Forgot about Deion...The only difference to me, is that I wanted to watch Bo play both sports. Really didn't care to watch Deion play baseball.

Bo on SEC Network now FYI Bo fans

Yeah, watch Bo go, wait, that is Jelks that it the top back that day.

Jelks was incredibly fun to watch, as was Bobby Humphrey.

Deion is career .263 Bo .250, so Deion has him by only.013 . Bo has 141 HRs to Deion's 39 and 415 RBIs to Deion's 168. Bo had only about 250 more ABs.

Sanders definitely was a primo athlete, too. Knew how to cash in with the Noles boosters and make it in the pros.

What I liked about Sanders was his confidence and how he played heads-up. Read once where when he watched film he would look at the linemen's stances and hands to cheat a half-step or more if they were in pass-block or run-block setups. He said at least one or two always changed stances for run or pass and he could figure it out, determine or guess the play/route, and edge in a little to try to get the advantage. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. That was IMO smart play, though.

Deion was a great defensive back and was lock down on receivers that's for sure. Liked his style of play. I would have hated to try to take a ball away from Hershel or Bo in soccer. Ask the Boz why.

He was one of the greatest of all time. Randy Moss was good, as well.

Deion could shut down the pass on his side but they'd run it at him all day long because he hated contact. Poor tackler because he just didn't like to hit.

That's true. I heard him say one time if everyone did their job he should be tackling anyone. He was right. Corners and safetys shouldn't be making tackles unless it is a blitz.

Saw Bo a couple of years ago. He is built like he could still play, except for his hip.
Also, he said he didn't hunt much anymore. Sure would have been nice to talk to him longer.

I believe Hershel could carry the ball 10-15 times a game right now.

That makes 2 that believe that.

You and Hershel

Bo has the fastest college 40 time ever clocked.... There is absolutely no doubt he would be dominant in today's ball as well.