ABSTRACT
According to Nexis, the computer-accessed information service which was employed to scan the 650 newspapers, magazines, and wire services it carries, Bo Jackson represented the eighth most written about sports topic of the 1980s. Much of this coverage was devoted to Bo's unique status as a genuine star performer in two major professional sports. A television ad by Nike sportswear in heavy rotation during 1989 helped spread awareness of his status; it exhibited Bo engaged in a succession of physical activities, each one punctuated by comments from representative athletes (e.g., Bo playing baseball has Bobby Valentine stating, “Bo knows baseball”; Bo playing football has Howie Long exclaiming, “Bo knows football”; etc.).
