Jim Jeffries as an athlete

[JAB5239]

Thorpe was 6'1" and 200lbs he is supposed to have gotten into an argument with Errol Flynn.

"Thorpe got into an altercation one night with actor Errol Flynn in a Hollywood restaurant. The story goes, Jim Thorpe hit Flynn so hard, he lifted his entire body off the ground with a single punch. Flynn fell to the floor and was out cold.2
Of course the story may be apochryphal.

Flynn was a notorious drunk with a big mouth. Im sure he got what he deserved.

[Ivich]

Flynn was a notorious drunk with a big mouth. Im sure he got what he deserved.

Very likely.

[Ivich]

His feats of strength, agility and toughness were legendary and widely known and celebrated in his time. His legacy was very damaged after his ill-advised 1910 comeback; but James J. Jeffries was extraordinary. In the 1st half of the 20th century only Johnson, Dempsey, Tunney, Wills and Louis can be mentioned in the same breath. Sam Langford refused to fight him, and that says an awful lot.

Not to detract from Jeffries, but many of these tales are unsupported by primary sourced proof.
No doubt he was a very strong man for his era, but I have reservations about his so called 100 yards dash times,and stories of him running miles with a full sized antelope on his back.
Similarly stories of him throwing 400lbs bales of hay into carts should be treated with a large pinch of salt imo.
Ask yourself why a farmer would make a bale of hay that size in the first place?
I used to keep horses and bales were generally under 40lbs for ease of handling and stacking.
These tales of what Jeffries could lift are uncannily similar to earlier stories concerning John L Sullivan lifting tram cars up to rescue someone trapped underneath etc.

I read one about Jeffries lifting a fully laden Hay Wagon up so a new wheel could be put on it.
Personally I'm inclined to think these stories are largely BS a publicists imagination running away with him.
As far as Langford not facing Jeffries.
Joe Woodman, Langford's manager made that statement about excluding Jeffries from their challenge to fight anyone when Langford was a middleweight and Jeffries was around 225lbs.

Bearing that in mind ,I don't think that says much really.

[Rosco3387]

Not to detract from Jeffries, but many of these tales are unsupported by primary sourced proof.
No doubt he was a very strong man for his era, but I have reservations about his so called 100 yards dash times,and stories of him running miles with a full sized antelope on his back.
Similarly stories of him throwing 400lbs bales of hay into carts should be treated with a large pinch of salt imo.
Ask yourself why a farmer would make a bale of hay that size in the first place?
I used to keep horses and bales were generally under 40lbs for ease of handling and stacking.
These tales of what Jeffries could lift are uncannily similar to earlier stories concerning John L Sullivan lifting tram cars up to rescue someone trapped underneath etc.

I read one about Jeffries lifting a fully laden Hay Wagon up so a new wheel could be put on it.
Personally I'm inclined to think these stories are largely BS a publicists imagination running away with him.
As far as Langford not facing Jeffries.
Joe Woodman, Langford's manager made that statement about excluding Jeffries from their challenge to fight anyone when Langford was a middleweight and Jeffries was around 225lbs.

Bearing that in mind ,I don't think that says much really.

it is an irony that regarding Hay bales, they are a great Incidental strength builder, but more because of repetition than large weight. They apparently also contributed to max bauer's shoulders, which were immense for his size. I remember doing farm work while in college... One of my martial arts students was a farmer... looked like jeffries, strong guy lol... well his family were tobacco farmers and they had a big crop, needed help collecting and hanging the tobacco, so there we were. Talk about tough work! We were all in great shape and the father and uncle teased us. Two things I take from that memory: For lunch that day... The spread was only characterised by what WAS NOT on that table lol. What a meal! We were so hungry we inhaled it and there was more than enough for a Spartan division! I also remember how the father paid us twice as much as he said he would and bought us a case of beer...

[Dr. Z]

Jeffries was a super athlete for his times. A man out of place like Jim Brown. The times run, length / height jumped and feats of strength were witnessed by others. The man has photos of him lifting two men it the air, one for each arm.

He looks the part and if you get a chance to see his full work out clips in his prime shown in 1899 and 1901 ( 1901 is partly on your tube ), you will see a cat quick man, toying with his 200 pound sparing parter, spinning him like a top in the air and showing quick reflexes as well.

[GhostofDempsey]

Not to detract from Jeffries, but many of these tales are unsupported by primary sourced proof.
No doubt he was a very strong man for his era, but I have reservations about his so called 100 yards dash times,and stories of him running miles with a full sized antelope on his back.
Similarly stories of him throwing 400lbs bales of hay into carts should be treated with a large pinch of salt imo.
Ask yourself why a farmer would make a bale of hay that size in the first place?
I used to keep horses and bales were generally under 40lbs for ease of handling and stacking.
These tales of what Jeffries could lift are uncannily similar to earlier stories concerning John L Sullivan lifting tram cars up to rescue someone trapped underneath etc.

I read one about Jeffries lifting a fully laden Hay Wagon up so a new wheel could be put on it.
Personally I'm inclined to think these stories are largely BS a publicists imagination running away with him.
As far as Langford not facing Jeffries.
Joe Woodman, Langford's manager made that statement about excluding Jeffries from their challenge to fight anyone when Langford was a middleweight and Jeffries was around 225lbs.

Bearing that in mind ,I don't think that says much really.

The irony of you touting primary sourced proof. Something you rarely provide yourself when trying to “win”.

[Willie Pep 229]

The irony of you touting primary sourced proof. Something you rarely provide yourself when trying to “win”.

Whenever I question a quote from a fighter or trainer I get jumped as being a troll - but when others do it, it suddenly becomes good history.

I am exhausted by this BS double standard.

[Ivich]

Whenever I question a quote from a fighter or trainer I get jumped as being a troll - but when others do it, it suddenly becomes good history.

I am exhausted by this BS double standard.

When have I not provided a primary source for my quotes?
Do you believe Jeffries picked up a 400lbs bale of hay and threw it in the back of a wagon without apparent effort?
Do you believe Jeffries ran several miles with a full grown buck antelope on his shoulders leaving his friends way back in his wake?
Antelope bucks go up to145lbs research shows me.
I've carried Muntjac and Roe Deer on my shoulders back to my car and let me tell you ,the thought of running with them on my shoulders was far from my mind!
Muntjac bucks are typically35lbs
Roe around 56lbs
Fallow Deer , are larger,about 200lbs and usually two men take the legs tied on a branch and shoulder it that way, one leading the other,walking in a wood negotiating branches and other obstacles over uneven ground is pretty strenuous stuff believe me.

Do you believe Jeffries, a man weighing around 225lbs could run faster barefoot over 100 yds than the then Olympic record holder?

Years later Dempsey was timed doing the 100 yds in11.2 seconds and it was looked upon as a remarkable achievement for a non pro runner.

I ran 100 yds at college and my time was the same as Dempsey's, that's nearly a second slower than Jeffries supposed time.
Have a lie down and get back to me when you aren't exhausted.


"You believe sources who you want to and often ignore them when links are presented. The double standards you make us ill.

In Jeffries case he didn't have staring blocks, modern starting blocks and a paved track surface like the runner have today or even modern track shoes"

What I don't believe are uncorroborated stories by Jeffries and his then manager Billy Delaney.

Jeffries put his name to a story in his ghost written "autbiography that he only lost to Johnson because he drank drugged tea.
Is that true?
Or was he lying?

Billy Delaney stated Jeffries was always,"leery of Johnson and wanted no part of his game."
Is that true ?
Or was he lying?

Dr Z now has what he has always craved and been denied on other Forums ,a fellow fervent Johnson hater ,and they can now work in tandem,
like Penn and Teller, only in this case it is Prick and Troller.lol


ps. Dr Z you were banned as Dr Z and as Mendoza and still are.

I am not banned on any forum.
NB Whichever way you high jump ,be it the old fashioned way, or using the "Fosberry Flop" technique,your feet still have to clear the bar! lol

[Dr. Z]

When have I not provided a primary source for my quotes?
Do you believe Jeffries picked up a 400lbs bale of hay and threw it in the back of a wagon without apparent effort?
Do you believe Jeffries ran several miles with a full grown buck antelope on his shoulders leaving his friends way back in his wake?
Antelope bucks go up to145lbs research shows me.
I've carried Muntjac and Roe Deer on my shoulders back to my car and let me tell you ,the thought of running with them on my shoulders was far from my mind!
Muntjac bucks are typically35lbs
Roe around 56lbs
Fallow Deer , are larger,about 200lbs and usually two men take the legs tied on a branch and shoulder it that way, one leading the other,walking in a wood negotiating branches and other obstacles over uneven ground is pretty strenuous stuff believe me.

Do you believe Jeffries, a man weighing around 225lbs could run faster barefoot over 100 yds than the then Olympic record holder?

Years later Dempsey was timed doing the 100 yds in11.2 seconds and it was looked upon as a remarkable achievement for a non pro runner.

I ran 100 yds at college and my time was the same as Dempsey's, that's nearly a second slower than Jeffries supposed time.
Have a lie down and get back to me when you aren't exhausted.

You believe sources who you want to and often ignore them when links are presented. The double standards you use make us ill. No I was not banned for multiple forums, rather your bogus ID's and you were banned for boxing 24

In Jeffries case he didn't have staring blocks, modern starting blocks and a paved track surface like the runner have today or even modern track shoes. The back flop technique wasn't around for the high jump in Jeffries day, your feet had to clear the bar.

[QueensburyRules]

- - Never heard half the stuff posted here about Jeff, but overwhelming consensus was he was a good athlete in the traditional sense of early 20th Century.
, not superman.