Who is the greatest athlete of all time?
1. Roger Federer
2. Michael Jordan
3. Lionel Messi
Neither of these? Fret not because for LeBron James, it seems to be Kyrie Irving. When LBJ stated, “I would call Kyrie ‘The Wizard’ all the time. Like, all the time. There was nothing on the basketball floor that Kyrie couldn’t do… He’s the most gifted player the NBA has ever seen,” he didn’t know he was starting a war and the world of football would get involved.

As James’ comments on his former teammate went viral, Skip Bayless could not help but agree with him. But there was a caveat. “I’m with LeBron, though with a qualifier: Inch for inch, at 6-2, Kyrie is the NBA’s most gifted player ever. But most gifted ever in any sport, making him the greatest all-around athlete ever, was Deion Sanders,” the American sports columnist wrote on X. Bo Jackson’s fans did not agree. But why?

Well, Jackson is revered as one of the greatest all-time athletes across sports. Who is an All-Star in both baseball and football? Yes, it is Bo.

Moving further, even Deion Sanders commented on this debate. In an April episode of the ‘All the Smoke’ podcast, Sanders acknowledged the impact Bo Jackson had on his career. Sanders had thanked Jackson for the creation of his Prime Time facet. “If it wasn’t for Bo, it wouldn’t be no prime. I love him to life.” Coach Prime also spoke about the missed opportunities to engage in public conversations involving the two.

“Bo played against me,” Sanders went on to reminisce. “Man, Bo was something else, man. You ain’t want none of that. We’re about 230, 225 running, four threes, four twos. He ain’t want none of that. Ain’t nobody want none of that. Yeah. Bo was unbelievable, but we did things different.”

But wait a minute. Didn’t Deion Sanders also play baseball? Yes, he did. Anyone who followed sports back in the 80s and early 90s would have seen them compete in MLB. On July 17, 1990, Jackson’s Royals clashed with Sanders’s Yankees. Both the players got the opportunity to start in the center field of their respective teams. Bo hit three home runs. His second one was one of the longest at the Yankee Stadium-  464 feet.

While Sanders wasn’t anywhere close to how Bo performed in that game, he brought in his own flair. His inside-the-park home run had Bo Jackson running and diving. This resulted in a painful shoulder injury and, hence, Bo was sidelined for the next six weeks. In the end, the Royals won 10-7. But that hardly mattered, did it? During the NFL’s off-season, two of their best players were enjoying their time in MLB!

However, for the fans, Skip Bayless started a war.

Fans will not back down over Bo Jackson versus Deion Sanders!

Sanders and Jackson were both at the top of their respective games during their tenures in the NFL. Jackson was a star running back ahead of his time, while Sanders turned out to be one of the best cornerbacks and special teams contributors in NFL history. Jackson played just four years in the NFL, where he recorded 2,782 yards and 16 touchdowns with an exceptional 5.4 yards per carry average. Being so versatile allowed Jackson to be a threat in the passing game as well, where he recorded 352 yards and two scores in the same period.

Jackson spent nine years in the MLB outside of the NFL, where he recorded 598 hits and 141 home runs with a career .250 average. He also used his electric speed to steal 82 bases. On the other hand, in his 14-year-long career, Sanders was a jaw-dropping performer, hence his nickname- Prime Time.

As the NFL’s best cornerback for most of his career, he intercepted 53 passes, which he would then almost always turn into a big return. He tallied 1,331 interception return yards and returned nine of them for touchdowns.

As for the MLB, like Jackson, Sanders also notched a career .263 batting average with 558 hits and 39 home runs. His elite speed translated well to the majors, allowing him to steal 186 bases. Therefore, both are indeed legends when it comes to both MLB and NFL. But for fans, it looks like Bo Jackson has the edge.

“Bo Jackson was he dominated MLB and the NFL more than Deion,” a fan on X opined.

Therefore, fans clearly have a strong preference for Jackson, celebrating his unparalleled combination of speed and strength and wondering what might have been if injuries hadn’t cut his career short. Do you agree?