Bo Knows Lawsuits?

It appears that at least one former major league player will test the legal waters over an allegation of steroid use, but it is not who most would expect. Bo Jackson, the famed two-sport star of the late 80s and early 90s, has filed suit against a group of newspapers in southern California after the papers insinuated that his career-ending hip injury stemmed from "anabolic use" (Foltman, "Jackson sues paper over steroids story," Chi. Trib., 4/7/05).

As I have discussed (2/28), professional athletes accused of steroid use will have a tough time making a legal case. As a public figure, Jackson must prove that the newspaper acted with "actual malice" or with "reckless disregard" for the truth. Thus, filing the lawsuit (and more importantly, holding the press conference that announced the suit), may just be a way for Jackson, who is now out of the public spotlight, to publicly deny the allegations that he used steroids.

Also: I tried to find a link to the famous "Bo Knows" commercials for this post, but was unsuccessful. If anyone knows of a link and can send it along, I would appreciate it.

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