Two big names missing from the list, of course, but unless I am mistaken, John Elway never played MLB and George halas, while preceding Babe Ruth as the NYY RF, never played in the NFL though he is in Canton as a coach.

Am I seriously the only one who's going to vote for Brian Jordan? He's the only guy other than Bo Jackson to play in both the NFL Pro Bowl and in the MLB All-Star Game. He started at the "other" corner when Deion was with the Atlanta Falcons -- and was better. They missed being teammates with the Braves by a few years, but Jordan was better in the OF, too.

The "right" answer is probably Bo, of course - if he'd stayed healthy, he could've made the HOF in either, though probably not both, baseball and/or football. But Jordan's relative durability gets my vote.

If someone like, say, Lou Gehrig had also played in the NFL, and had played sporadically as a reserve over parts of six seasons, moderately well but not with any distinction, would he be the best combo player?

Because Jim Thorpe was that good as a football player. He was Cap Anson good, Lou Gehrig good, Ted Williams good, Walter Johnson good. He was so good that he was also the coach, and he was so good he was also the NFL's president. He was the leader and star player on five of the first seven championship teams in professional football.

So I'm voting for Thorpe. Without Thorpe, there might not *be* an NFL.

It's hard to pick against Jackson, or Jordan who was a fine player. But Brian Jordan is like unflavoured ice cream next to someone like Thorpe.

I voted for Thorpe too. Bo knows, but Thorpe thunders!

69 MLB layers have also played in the NFL. Who is/was the best *combo* player in the lot?

I think there's only one answer, the San Diego Chicken!

I think there's only one answer, the San Diego Chicken!

Now, now...let's not start calling the Chicken the best mascot, because this guy has something to say about that.

I voted for Jackson, but was thinking Jordan. Thorpe didn't play long enough in MLB for my consideration.

Now, now...let's not start calling the Chicken the best mascot

I wasn't, I was calling the SD Chicken the best 2 sport *layer* (although the SD Chicken seems more like a rooster then a hen, but that ruins the joke).

I don't know, Mick. Deion Sanders' self-promotion and late-career decline have earned him an "overrated" perception of late, but he was (once upon a time) a hardworking practice player and a superior cover corner -- definitely better than Brian Jordan over his career.

Deion had a peak of Pedro Martinez-like quality on the football field. He was basically a one-man double team, allowing the opposition's #2 receiver to get actually double-teamed. Then, of course, there was his excellent kick returning capability.

Back to the question at hand, though. I agree that Thorpe wins if it's total NFL contribution + total MLB contribution, because his NFL contribution was so massive. Another way to look at it, however, is to consider how good a player was at his second-best sport. To me, that comes down to Bo's baseball vs. Jordan's football. And it's close -- but I'd give it to Bo.

I wasn't, I was calling the SD Chicken the best 2 sport *layer*

Oh, I ignored Mick's typo. I have plenty of practice in doing that; it just comes natural to me now.

It's too bad none of us saw Thorpe play. By all accounts he was likely one of the greatest athletes ever. It seems he excelled at literally everything he played. I gave him my vote, but it is a thinking man's vote, at that. Jackson over Sanders in any vote for players I saw play.

I voted for Thorpe.

I think Deion deserves more credit though. He was a great football player. (i used the term 'was' since now he is a shawdow of his old self) and i think if he committed to baseball more, he would have been a heck of ball player. He is a tremendous athlete, but i think because of his personality, some people would vote against him.

I personally liked it when he poured water on Tim McCarver. I wish more players did the same.