Logan Hamack
Mr.Wicklund
Research Paper
April 9, 2014
The Impact of Bo Jackson
Athletes come and go, but there are a great few that are remembered for having made a bigger impact than normal on the sporting world. A few of those athletes names are Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, and Bo Jackson. Many people don’t know very much about Bo. This is because he wasn’t playing for very long. Although his career came to an abrupt end, Bo Jackson is still considered one of the best athletes ever because of the impact he was able to make while he was healthy. Knowing what he accomplished in his short time in professional sports makes many wonder, what more could he have done?
Bo grew up in a town named Bessemer Alabama and was born on November 30th, 1962. For Bo, life was all about making it to college. That was so because out of the 10 children his mother, Florence Bond, had, not one had made it to college. Bo was the only child to attend college. As a child he excelled in baseball, Football, and Track, two of which he went professional in. Having been such a freak athlete Jackson earned a choice of almost any college in the country on an athletic scholarship. He knew he had a lot to choose from and could attend any college or university, but he wanted to stay within his home state so it was down to two schools, Auburn University and the University of Alabama.
Eventually a choice was made and Jackson would attend Auburn University, this is where his name began to mean something. Bo’s biggest accomplishment throughout his career, you could say, was winning the Heisman trophy in his senior season of football at Auburn University. Other than that he didn’t really accomplish much, he never won a Super Bowl or Wor...
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...t. It looked like any other tackle from behind is what was thought but it turned out to be way more than just a tackle.
When Bo hit the ground his hip popped out of socket and as he rolled over he managed to pop it back in. The doctor that he told this too told him that it was not possible, but it turns out that it was. Bo’s injury has been pinned as one of the worst sports injuries ever. Dislocating a bone from its socket is one of the worse things that you can do before breaking a bone, but putting it back into its socket by yourself is going to be immensely painful. “When I stood and took a step, the pain was like someone stabbed a ice pick into my pelvis.” was what Bo said about the pain he felt after the hip went back into socket and he tried to walk. Jackson had to be helped off the field. It was the last time he ever played professional Football ever.
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana to parents Katherine and Joseph Jackson. He was the eighth child born out of ten living in a two-bedroom home. Jackson 's father, Joseph Jackson, a former boxer, worked as a crane operator in the steel mill. His father also played the guitar in a rhythm and blues with a band called The Falcons to support the family.
Andrew Jackson was born along the boarder between North and South Carolina in 1767. Jackson spent most of his life as an orphan, which probably caused him to express the common man’s importance in America. Jackson went on to become a war hero, being the hero of the battle of New Orleans. Jackson’s unjust loss to Adams in the 1824 election shifted his focus to bringing down Adams. This allowed Jackson to go on to win the 1828 election, where he started his presidency.
Born in 1782 in upcountry South Carolina, Calhoun grew up during the boom in the area's cotton economy. The son of a successful farmer who served in public office, Calhoun went to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1801 to attend Yale College. After graduating, he attended the Litchfield Law School, also in Connecticut, and studied under Tapping Reeve, an outspoken supporter of a strong federal government. Seven years after Calhoun's initial departure from South Carolina, he returned hom...
...eaven for many blacks as their performances proved they are no different from their white counterparts. Not only did they rally white troops from their athletic performances, they were able to do so from their voices and personal life. They began to voice their displeasure through various media outlets. Their public outcry to end social injustice and race based discrimination came started to become a popular topic of discussion all over the country. They took a stand and were rewarded for their actions as race based discrimination is abolished and blacks have the same status as whites. Black athletes are becoming more and more recognizable all over the world as some become the faces of their sports. Sports came as a form of entertainment for many, but for black athletes it ended up being the most treasured source to reconstructing their race’s lives in America.
Without Jackie Robinson entering the game of baseball, there may have not been a Muhammed Ali, Arthur Ashe, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, or even Tiger Woods. Of course the possibility of another African American taking the throne and leading the fight for African rights through the game of baseball is justified but Jackie’s timing in the movement was impeccable. So impeccable, that it empowered others to stand up in a time of oppression. “All of us had to wait for Jackie,” said pitcher Joe Black. Joe Black says it well, Jackie Robinson is more than an African American baseball player, he was the beacon of light that sprouted the growth of blacks in the game of baseball, and sports nationwide. Even President’s gave credit to Jackie’s accomplishments. President Ronald Reagan stated, “He struck a mighty blow for equality, freedom and the American way of life, Jackie Robinson was a good citizen, a great man, and a true American champion.” Once his career was over, he did not quit pushing for Black American success. He became a vocalist for Black rights and became an analyst for major league baseball. He was hired by ABC to go on television for miscellaneous things and was the first Black vice president of an American corporation, Chock Full O’ Nuts, and helped establish the Freedom National Bank. Jackie also joined the board
The Jacksonian Period from 1824 to 1848 has been characterized as the era of the “common man.” Jackson’s election to presidency was based on the fact that he himself did not come from a wealthy background so in return, during his presidency he openly advocated for the rights of the “common man”. Although the era did not always stay true to its name, both economic aspects and reform movements caused the Jacksonian period to mostly live up to its characterization as "the era of the common man.”
Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, in the Waxhaw settlement, a community of Scotch-Irish immigrants along the border between north and south Carolina. As far as I know they are still disputing his place of origin. he claimed that his place of origin was actually south Carolina though in my opinion if he said he was from there he was from that location. His father had died before his birth Andrew’s mother had three sons and was living with her Crawford relatives. Jackson was attending local schools and received an elementary education.
President Jackson was a different kind of president compared to his predecessors (George Washington-John Quincy Adams). He had different views and ideas about how the government and the country should be run. Some might say that his ideas were little more radical than what the people were accustomed to in the 19th century. Many people could consider him being a king while others might think he was taking his executive powers a little too far. President Jackson could be viewed somewhat innovative, but good president. However, it seems like he was more like a commanding president. Just because a president is tough doesn’t mean he isn’t progressing the country forward at least in some way.
Since his debouchment into American politics in the early 19th Century, nearly every American has had an opinion about Andrew Jackson. His legacy defined an entire age of American history and has resided with us in our wallets for nearly nine decades. American identity has rapidly changed throughout the last few years. Naturally, the meaning of Andrew Jackson in American history is the topic of many of these discussions. I believe that while Old Hickory was one of the most important presidents in our history, it is time to leave that legacy behind. We as Americans are gradually reaching out to the margins of our society. Diversity and inclusion are now among our most sacred values. A reasonable next step in the definition of contemporary American identity would be to reevaluate who we honor on our currency.
Bo knows what it takes to be an epic hero. Battling through great struggles Bo knew what he had to do in order to make it to the top. He would put in the work day in and day out 24/7. There was no one more committed to his two sports, baseball and football, than Bo Jackson. From an early age Bo knew he was blessed with tremendous power from God himself and it was up to him on how he would put that power to use.
Andrew Jackson’s legacy has proved many things about him, his ambition, talent and ability to get the job done has shaped a future for America although not necessarily in a good way. Along with the highlights of his legacy the downfalls may over shadow them, his actions alone with the trail of tears were detrimental to the Native American people, along with his ill temperament and controversial acts of racism. His inability to follow the guidelines that we still use and respect today, a man who is a poster boy for all those things isn’t fit to personify what it means to be an American.
John C. Calhoun (1782-1850) was an American politician and political theorist. He was secretary of war, secretary of state and soon resigned to become a senate. Calhoun was the Vice president under both John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) and Andrew Jackson (1829-1832). He was born in South Carolina and graduated from Yale with a law degree. John Calhoun was a very active politician which helps develop the relationship between Jackson and Calhoun.
The concept of a two-sport or multi-sport athlete enormously filters the list of great athletes throughout history and, if used as a measuring rod, leaves us with the best of all time: Bo Jackson. “Bo Jackson is not known in Spain, despite starring in Bo Knows Nike brand campaign that remains today, the most successful of the multinational” (Williams). “In these famous ads, which have Jackson first playing football and baseball, two sports that are professional, he then tries his luck at basketball with Michael Jordan, tennis with John McEnroe, ice hockey with Wayne Gretzky and track and field with Sea and Decker” (Williams). The first ad was so successful that Nike decided to produce more ads featuring Bo Jackson as the “all-star athlete”. These new ads featured him playing and participating in cycling, football with Welshman Ian Rush, who are professional athletes, cricket, surfing, weightlifting, and horse riding. Nike used Bo Jackson’s athletic abilities to form a gold mine “The first athlete in history to be selected as an All Star in two different sports” (Askew). Bo Jackson’s work as America’s greatest athlete of all time shows him to be a representative of American culture because he changed both the American past times of baseball and football, he helps Alabamians with fundraisers that benefit tornado victims, he represents American strength along with persistence, and he set a new height to sports that still haven’t been achieved today by any other athlete. According to Martin:
Although Jackie Robinson was not the best African-American baseball player of his time, his attitude and ability to handle racist harassment led the way for the rest of his race to play Major League Baseball, amongst other sports. Being accepted into professional sports also helped African-Americans become more easily accepted into other aspects of life. Jackie's impact in the world for the black population is enormous.
Narrative: Michael Jackson was born and grew up in a strict working family in Gary, Indiana, USA on August 29, 1958. Jackson showed an early interest in music as did most of his family. His mother sang frequently, his father Joseph Jackson played guitar in a small-time R&B band, his older brothers often sang and played with their father’s guitar. Soon the family singing group started, with Michael as the main puppet and four of his older brothers. “After all it seemed to be the simplest way to earn money to feed so many kids said Joseph Jackson”. If you can't feed your kids teach them how to feed themselves. Anyway Michael soon outgrew his brothers with his unique talent not just for singing but for dancing as well. Jackson’s father, who is a controlling supposedly abusive father. "My father beat me. It was difficult to take being beaten and then going onstage.