Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Online Petition and an Electric Gridiron Classic

I guess it's time to start taking things in our own hands. If we don't want to see Aaron Rodgers taking snaps, then it's in all of our best interests to sign this thing. There is an online petition that someone started called "Brett Favre Cannot Retire This Year". Pretty catchy name, huh. It has over 3,600 signatures on it so far. So do your part for your country and put your Herbie Hancock on that thing. Hey M.F. Pack, should I start a petition to bring back Sherman? Here is the site link.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/number4/index.html


Electric Gridiron Classics- Charles Martin Hit List



In 1986, Mike Ditka was coach of the Bears and Forrest Gregg was coach of the Packers. The Bears were the defending NFL champions, and they defeated the Packers 25-12 at Green Bay in their first meeting in 1986. In that game, they had The Fridge do a late touchdown plunge, and Bears players were ripping off Packers towels that they had tucked into their pants. Ditka would give a cash reward for every towel he received.

For the rematch, Charles Martin of the Packers took the field on Nov. 23, 1986, wearing a towel displaying the numbers of three Bears offensive stars--9, 34, 83--McMahon, Walter Payton and Willie Gault, respectively, plus 63 and 29 for Jay Hilgenberg and Dennis Gentry. This was Charles "Hit List".

After Packers safety Mark Lee intercepted a McMahon pass in the second quarter of a game, Martin grabbed McMahon from behind and body-slammed him to the ground.

"It was at least 20 seconds after the interception," said Jerry Markbreit, a retired NFL official who worked the game. "I don't think he had an awareness of how late it was, or that the play was over. McMahon was walking to the sideline, had relaxed, and he picked him up and smashed him to the ground."

Markbreit worked 461 NFL games over 23 years. He had never been so shocked by a player's action. To that point in league history, no player had ever been thrown out of a game for anything but a fight.

But Markbreit, bothered by the severity of the hit and a little concerned Bears players "might kill" Martin, ejected the defensive tackle and escorted him off the field. Markbreit's decision ultimately cost Martin a two-game suspension and $15,000 fine.

"There were going to be some late hits and probably some cheap shots," says linebacker Tim Harris, who played for Green Bay from 1986-1990. "We just knew that was part of playing the Bears."

Charles Martin, you will always be remembered.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

God I remember watching that game #9 was never the same.

Anonymous said...

The Packers DID make up for it, though, by giving McDonkey a Super Bowl ring as a backup in SB 31....
If it weren't fo charles--Jimmy probably would have continued a long, painful and undistinguished career in chitown....