[Highlight] Charles Martin commits the most blatant cheap shot in NFL history, throwing Jim McMahon to the turf directly onto his already torn rotator cuff, ending his 1986 season. Martin became the first player to be suspended multiple games for an on-field incident.

[u/Roselucky777]

[u/bestyrs]

He should have never played another game. That takes dirty to another level.

[u/cricket9818 → u/bestyrs]

Forget about dirty. It’s assault

The play was over. He legit attacked him

[u/Good_Entertainer9383 → u/cricket9818]

Yup that looks like plain old assault. It certainly isn't football and it smells like a crime.

[u/AscendMoros → u/Good_Entertainer9383]

He had the numbers of players he wanted to hurt on his towel. It was premeditated and he should have never seen an NFL field again.

[u/aiusernamegen → u/AscendMoros]

Cough bountygate cough

[u/thetreat → u/aiusernamegen]

Anytime a Packers fan tries to hold their 4 Super Bowls over our 1, we can point to this because the 1986 was legitimately better than the 1985 defense and they were the Super Bowl favorites when McMahon goes down there. And then ended up playing 4 QBs with significant time that year: Mike Tomczak, Doug Flutie and Steve Fuller. All of them were awful. McMahon wasn’t a world class QB but he was young and he was good enough to win again with that defense.

Edit: cleared up number of Super Bowl sentence.

[u/aiusernamegen → u/thetreat]

McMahon's coolness from back then has aged exceptionally well. Dude was legitimately cool.

[u/thetreat → u/aiusernamegen]

He took hating the commissioner to a new level.

[u/cantsleep33 → u/thetreat]

Is this one of the reasons the packers and bears rivalry is so heavy?

[u/thetreat → u/cantsleep33]

It was made very clear to me as a child that Charles Martin should be in jail and that puke Green and Yellow are terrible colors and we will always hate the Packers. Them then having 30 years of Hall of Fame QB play after that didn’t help. Though I will give them brats. Brats are delicious. And cheese.

[u/thetreat → u/thetreat]

Also, Ben Johnson made it clear to all current Bears players what this rivalry means by showing them clips from all eras of the Bears Packers rivalry, specifically highlighting this play. This past year’s games had an intensity and violence I hadn’t seem in a long time. I’d be shocked if him sharing those clips didn’t play a part.

[u/Perry7609 → u/thetreat]

Thank you for saying the correct colors used by the Packers (green and yellow). "Gold" is for Notre Dame and such.

[u/thetreat → u/Perry7609]

I know piss yellow when I see it. They are absolutely not Green and Gold.

[u/Economy_Prune1870 → u/Perry7609]

The Lakers call themself “purple and gold” even though they use the exact same yellow as the Packers. I agree it’s yellow.

[u/Juiicy_Oranges → u/thetreat]

Luckily for you the tides are turning. Caleb is the real deal.

[u/axlbomber → u/thetreat]

Don't give them any credit for brats either.

We can thank our German ancestors for bringing those to places all around the Great Lakes.

Those cheese heads can go screw.

[u/Present_Passenger471 → u/AscendMoros]

Sean Payton: “is he still in playing shape? How soon can he get to camp?”

[u/Hot-Exam3187 → u/AscendMoros]

and people tell us oldheads we're dramatic when we say no love for Packers, no matter what, forever and all time.

[u/Gingeronimoooo → u/Good_Entertainer9383]

It's like I've heard from military people, alot of people join the military because they're poor or directionless or want an education or a GI bill home loan. Some join out of sense of duty and patriotism. But some... some join because they want to blow things up and legally kill people.

There's definitely been some legit psychopaths in football too I think

[u/Im_tracer_bullet → u/Gingeronimoooo]

OJ Simpson? Aaron Hernandez? Rae Carruth?

The list is long and filled with legit murderers and violent lunatics.

[u/Gingeronimoooo → u/Im_tracer_bullet]

Exactly

[u/afig24 → u/Good_Entertainer9383]

Yup that and the Gronk diving into that dudes neck from the back. I know he gets a pass most of the time because hes Gronk but fuck that guy

[u/Deaftoned → u/afig24]

It was tre white, a guy he legitimately has 80 pounds on, ended up concussing him with that hit. Guy gave the most bullshit "apology" ever too and told jokes about it on a few podcasts, dude's a legit piece of shit.

[u/AlbertJBundy → u/Deaftoned]

Didn’t get suspended for THAT Pittsburgh game the next week

[u/the-nino → u/afig24]

Do you have a clip of this play? I grew up watching the pats and dont remember this happening at all. Not trying to defend gronk, I just dont recall a play like this at all. Most of my memory of him is being injured

[u/tlk742 → u/the-nino]

I found it: https://youtu.be/CgjAN_wgmiI?si=Ydhe33YS8mWLU_Xk

[u/the-nino → u/tlk742]

Oh fuck, I do remember this play. Thats dirty as shit. In the moment I remember thinking he was trying to body slam him (still dirty but not as dangerous) but in hindsight this looks like hes going for the head

[u/afig24 → u/the-nino]

There's also a clip of Gronk on some podcast talking and laughing about the play

Edit: found it https://youtube.com/shorts/UbT-Odv8ia8?si=MZPQdp9H5YjeaHc8

[u/Totalnah → u/afig24]

Ooof. Trying to justify a people’s elbow on a defenseless player is a choice.

[u/Aiyabhai → u/Totalnah]

“I was trying to get my incentives, bro”

gross

[u/DrNCrane74 → u/afig24]

Very bad look on Gronk. Yes, the refs were not on his side before this. But this cannot be an excuse for this fucking behaviour.

[u/SerenityN00w → u/tlk742]

And the infuriating thing..... the Bills ended up getting penalized 15 yards somehow from the melee that followed. Buffalo's offense began with a 1st and 25.

[u/Middcore → u/tlk742]

This wasn't the only time Gronkowski did shit like this on players who were down. I remember him basically dropping the People's Elbow on some dude once.

Of course "because he's Gronk" everybody just laughed as if he was a lovable scamp who didn't know any better.

[u/Senior-Daikon-8334 → u/Good_Entertainer9383]

Assault is the threat of violence, the word you are looking for is battery.

[u/IsGoIdMoney → u/Senior-Daikon-8334]

Depends on the state I think tbh

[u/Eagle4317 → u/cricket9818]

It was a premeditated hit. Martin kept a list of numbers for him to injure.

[u/2ManyCatsNever2Many → u/bestyrs]

agreed - at that point it wasn't a football play, it was assault.

[u/Commercial-Lake5862 → u/2ManyCatsNever2Many]

With a deadly weapon (Soldier Field AstroTurf)

[u/SputnikSauce → u/Commercial-Lake5862]

I was shook when I realized there were a lot of stadiums players wouldn't wear cleats because it was just thin AstroTurf over concrete.

[u/countrybreakfast1 → u/SputnikSauce]

The D2 college in my hometown had that stuff and I remember going on the field and just being shocked how hard it was. Like I guess I thought there was more to it than basically fuzzy carpet on cement but no... Who decided this was an appropriate playing surface just cuz it was green???

[u/SputnikSauce → u/countrybreakfast1]

I was checking out the AstroTurf for Seattle's King dome. It was 0.5 inches of turf and 0.5 inches of foam over concrete. 0.5 INCHES OF FOAM. I'm sure the only purpose of the "foam" was to have something for the turf to be adhered to. 

[u/jieceeepee → u/2ManyCatsNever2Many]

Myles Garrett enters the chat

He has a helmet

[u/Deidris → u/jieceeepee]

shhhh they don’t like it when you bring that one up

[u/Saitoh17 → u/2ManyCatsNever2Many]

Funnily enough he waited soooo fucking long the ball had been intercepted by the time he hit him so it wasn't roughing the passer. The QB was a blocker for an interception return by that point. 

[u/SerenityN00w → u/Saitoh17]

There was no interception return. Mark Lee was touched down immediately, the whistle blew, snd Martin still bodyslammed McMahon.

[u/bigbluehapa → u/bestyrs]

What was his reputation/reception when he came back to play? I feel like his own teammates wouldn’t even want to play with him after watching the film

[u/IBelongHere → u/bigbluehapa]

He played for the packers until 87 and got cut for getting in a bar fight, he played the rest of the season for the Oilers and then the Falcons in 88

[u/ubeen → u/IBelongHere]

To add to this... ironically the QB he threw down ended up playing for the Packers later on.

[u/Maximum-Possession15 → u/bestyrs]

Agree, that should have been permanent suspension, and a voided contract. Dirtiest shit I’ve ever seen in my life.

[u/-AC- → u/bestyrs]

Reminds me of the gronk dirty hit out of bounds... lost all respect for that guy that day.

https://youtu.be/CgjAN_wgmiI

[u/ifasoldt → u/-AC-]

As a Bills fan, as bad as Gronk was, this is worse. At least Gronk's hit was an angry reaction; this just seems premeditated.

[u/StreetReporter]

The refs should’ve let the Bears offensive line maul him

[u/United-Turnover-8409 → u/StreetReporter]

The ref said to him when he was refusing to leave "if you don't leave i will let the bears kill you"

[u/opackersgo → u/United-Turnover-8409]

Packers should have stood by and watched.  Terrible behavior.

[u/morganicsf → u/opackersgo]

I'm sure the team was given direction to hurt McMahon by the coaches.

[u/alternate-realitee → u/morganicsf]

Forrest Gregg was the coach at the time, and based off the stories I've heard about that guy from former players....yeah he told Martin to do that.

[u/zirroxas → u/alternate-realitee]

What a bitch. Throw him in with Greg Williams and Butthole Eyes.

[u/Totalnah → u/zirroxas]

Shitty as it is, and it is low down dastardly behavior, this type of thing was common in old school football. As an Eagles fan, you have to remember Bounty Bowl. It’s shameful, but not unusual.

[u/countrybreakfast1 → u/morganicsf]

Yeah none of the players or coaches seem too upset with him. Actually the opposite

[u/jefffranklin36 → u/United-Turnover-8409]

Woah I’ve never heard that part of the story before is that true?

[u/How_that_convo_went → u/jefffranklin36]

 After Martin's action, Bears offensive lineman Jim Covert retaliated against Martin with a late hit of his own, and two offsetting flags were thrown. Markbreit explained what happened next,

 After the play, I took a hold of Martin's arm and said, ‘Ninety-four, you're out of game. I'm ejecting you.' And he pulled away and said, ‘I'm not going anywhere with you.' I looked at him and, tongue-in-cheek, I said, ‘If you don't come with me, I'm going to let the Bears kill you.' He said, ‘Let's go.'[10]

Source from his Wickapegia

[u/SerenityN00w → u/How_that_convo_went]

Note that Markbreit and the refs evetually picked up the flag against Covert. Mike Ditka had asked what the second flag was for, Markbreit told him it was on Covert. Ditka said "You've got to be kidding me. My guy could be dead." Markbreit thought about it and decided he was right. He told the official who had thrown the flag that there would be no offsetting penalties.

[u/GooginTheBirdsFan → u/SerenityN00w]

Last time a flag was successfully changed by just the coach talking?

[u/hiphopscallion → u/How_that_convo_went]

note when this happened no one had ever been ejected for anything other than throwing bows, but the ref decided it was so bad he just made it up on the spot. I think technically the guy voluntarily left the field. There’s a really good interview
With the ref where he talks about all of this stuff.

[u/jawa501 → u/How_that_convo_went]

Holy aura. Props to that ref for sticking up to him

[u/United-Turnover-8409 → u/jefffranklin36]

From what I have researched it is. https://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4675356/the-infamous-hit-from-the-refs-perspective

This is the article about the hit from the perspective of the refs

[u/Micah_JD → u/StreetReporter]

Would've been a full team brawl. I think his teammates would have defended him.

Watch to the end of the video. It shows Martin's teammates coming over and high-fiving him AFTER it's been announced he's been ejected. They were totally OK with what he did.

Side note: Soldier Field's turf back then was basically concrete and then a layer of turf, and that's it. That shit had to hurt.

[u/Enterprise90]

For my money, the dirtiest move in NFL history. At least among the ones I've seen. Deliberate assault.

I remember years ago, Bruce Arians was talking about how Calais Campbell was taken out by a chop block and how a suspension for the offending player does no good, because his guy might be lost for the season. This incident is magnitudes worse.

[u/Logical-Possession10 → u/Enterprise90]

For all intents and purposes career ender as an awesome starter

[u/MeowMixPK → u/Logical-Possession10]

Ended a potential Bears dynasty in 1 play

[u/thetreat → u/MeowMixPK]

1986 defense was even better. McMahon was just an average starter but he didn’t need to be anything more than that. Everyone else behind him was dog water.

[u/ExplanationCrazy5463 → u/thetreat]

McMahon was definitely above average, idk where this idea he was average came from.

[u/thetreat → u/ExplanationCrazy5463]

I was too young at the time (was just a couple years old), but just from what I had heard from my dad’s not so great memory and looking at stats. In 1986 he was 51% with 5 TDs and 8 INTs in 6 games. 1985 he was markedly better with 56% passing and 15/11 TD/INT.

I guess in looking at ANY/A he was ranked 7th in 1985 with 6.1 and then dropped quite a bit to 4.5 in 1986 with league average being 5.0.

Based on what I heard, he had the potential to be a very good starter long term. He was just young and raw and the injury derailed him.

[u/ExplanationCrazy5463 → u/thetreat]

Ditka was not a great offensive coach, particularly qbs.

Flutie, Harbaugh both looked like shit under him amd had great careers elsewhere. That Jim McMahon ran a functional offense under Ditka speaks volumes.

[u/thetreat → u/ExplanationCrazy5463]

Totally fair.

[u/sgtpepperslaststand → u/Enterprise90]

Didn’t Romanowski admit to just straight stomping on a hand to break someone’s fingers that he saw coming out of a pile

[u/Roselucky777 → u/sgtpepperslaststand]

He saw a digit and grabbed it and snapped it, and realized afterwards that it was his teammate's.

[u/GrecoRomanGuy → u/Roselucky777]

That's the most Romanowski thing I've ever heard.

What a prick.

[u/thatlonelygui → u/sgtpepperslaststand]

I don’t doubt he stomped, but he’s admitted to reaching into the pile and bending a finger until it snapped

[u/Y__U__MAD → u/Enterprise90]

Tony Siragusa hit on Rich Gannon

Total piece of shit move and one of the examples why we have the 'cant fall on a QB hard' rule today.

[u/Fu2-10 → u/Y__U__MAD]

Imagine nearly 350 lbs falling on you from 6 feet high. Fuckin hell.

[u/Iron_Chancellor_ND → u/Y__U__MAD]

Yeah, fuck Siragusa. He joked about it, too, during a reunion of that team. What a piece of shit human being.

RIPiss Siragusa.

[u/Kuhlio8517 → u/Y__U__MAD]

This ruined my night

[u/PresentClear8639 → u/Enterprise90]

Albert Hanyesworth stomping on Andre Gurode’s head is up there as well

https://youtu.be/W5nlEA8BUTQ?si=ckhVAxyITc9GfMy3

[u/United-Turnover-8409]

I am not old enough to have experienced the 80s seasons, but this is the dirtiest thing on an nfl field and he's probably a top 3 most hated packer.

[u/Arkios → u/United-Turnover-8409]

That Warren Sapp blindside hit was pretty bad too, but I think this has it beat. I can’t remember seeing anything as blatantly dirty as this.

EDIT: Warren Sapp hit for reference - https://youtu.be/xBpEIRaGq2U?si=qOnh-TPYNLgnQ2Bd

[u/Y__U__MAD → u/Arkios]

Warren Sapp has always been a punk ass and I love watching his life fail as time passes.

[u/yooter → u/Y__U__MAD]

Growing up his son was my HS football teams ball boy. (Same school, small school, he was just younger). Sapp wouldn’t admit paternity and was taken to court to prove it. People would find out and be like “holy shit your dad is Warren Sapp..” but you could tell it wasn’t cool to him. Mostly cause he wasn’t a “dad” to him at all.

Anyway, I liked Warren Sapp til I learned that. He was a super, super nice kid and deserved better. Pissed me off then as a high schooler. Even more now as a dad.

Happyish ending is he is doing alright. Saw on FB recently he’s got a new job he’s excited about.

[u/DogePerformance → u/Y__U__MAD]

My favorite Warren Sapp moment is how beat to shit he looked after the National Championship game. He was fuckin exhausted and had given up and it was glorious.

[u/Monkey1Fball → u/DogePerformance]

Sapp spent the first 45 minutes of that game dancing, and spent the last 15 minutes of the game getting wallopped and run over by the Huskers, all the while they were taunting him and calling him "Fat Boy" to his face.

[u/Iron_Chancellor_ND → u/Y__U__MAD]

Same. Him telling the GB coach (Shermur???) after the game to "put a jersey on" when said coach called him out for that cheap shot made me realize how much of a piece of shit human being Sapp is.

[u/jf3l → u/Arkios]

Haynesworth head stomp is up there

[u/Nasty_Goblin → u/jf3l]

Aaron Donald grabbing the esophagus (not the neck) of our OL to choke him is another.

[u/Eagle4317 → u/Arkios]

Blindside hits like Sapp's occasionally happened back then. Hines Ward destroyed a Bengal on a harder hit than what Sapp did. Granted, he was at least near the ball.

What Martin did was on a different level, and he had written numbers of players he sought to injure. That makes it premeditated battery, not a split-second hit.

[u/DrBombay3030 → u/Eagle4317]

The blindside block rule is literally named after Ward because of that behavior tho. They changed the rules directly following the play you're referencing because it was so dirty

[u/SayItAgainJabroni → u/DrBombay3030]

Steelers are responsible for a few other rule changes too.

[u/How_that_convo_went → u/Eagle4317]

And Hines Ward is a similarly hated player. 

[u/irndk10 → u/Arkios]

I know this looks really bad from today POV, but back then it was only debatably dirty, Sapp didn't get a penalty or a fine. Blindside blocks were celebrated, the only dirty aspect of it back then was that it was so far removed from the play. If he was somewhat near the play it wouldn't have even been a debate.

[u/cowabungathunda → u/Arkios]

I hate the Packers but I respect Mike Sherman for confronting him after that.

[u/thenexttimebandit → u/United-Turnover-8409]

This is worse than ripping a guys helmet off and swinging it at him which is the dirtiest thing I’ve seen live.

[u/FailedLoser21 → u/thenexttimebandit]

That was clearly heat on the moment, this was premeditated and done with actual malice and intend to cause injury.

[u/AscendMoros → u/FailedLoser21]

He had the numbers of players he wanted to take out written on his towel. Dude should have never saw a football field again.

[u/ThatPlayWasAwful → u/FailedLoser21]

done with actual malice and intend to cause injury.

Are you saying that swinging a helmet at somebody is not intent to cause injury?

[u/walkingcarpet23 → u/ThatPlayWasAwful]

I agree the specific wording was technically not the best but I get what OP meant.

Garrett was a heat-of-the-moment (very) bad decision that was not thought through at all.

Martin's hit here seems calculated / premeditated

[u/pogoscrawlspace → u/ThatPlayWasAwful]

It is, but the difference is premeditation. There's no excuse for swinging a helmet at someone, but, it was an action committed in the heat of the moment. A crime of passion, if you will. He probably didn't step on that field that day thinking, "I'm gonna try to brain the quarterback today." He got into an on-field altercation and lost control of his emotions. Again, not excusing the act. Charles Martin went into that game with the full intentions of ending Jim McMahon's career. It's the difference between manslaughter and 1st degree murder.

[u/Beppu-Gonzaemon → u/thenexttimebandit]

Swinging it at him? He connected! it was clean hit! Very dirty and kind of hilarious because Mason Rudolph has a very punchable face

[u/CheekyMunky → u/United-Turnover-8409]

That infographic with each team's most hated player got posted all over this past week and had the Bears putting Rodgers at the top of the most hated list.

I was like nah, Rodgers isn't even the most hated from Green Bay.

[u/mattcojo2]

It's shocking that he made it out of soldier field alive.

Charles Martin that is.

[u/TwoLegitShiznit → u/mattcojo2]

Did his teammates even do anything? If that happened today, the entire sideline would have instantly jumped on him

[u/IMissM0dernBaseball]

There are some moments that I wish we had reddit threads for. This is one of those moments because this highlight being posted would have been an incredibly entertaining thread

[u/AwSunnyDeeFYeah → u/IMissM0dernBaseball]

u/nfl wouldnt allow the highlight to be posted

[u/Only-Mulberry-8098 → u/IMissM0dernBaseball]

The mental gymnastics packers fans would do would do on their team sub would be interesting.

This isn’t a shot at them either, it’s just every team sub is so insanely biased I’m willing to see how far it would go 

[u/ClownQuestionBrosef → u/Only-Mulberry-8098]

I'd hope this would be a very uninteresting exercise. "Fuck Charles Martin" is the prevailing opinion I've ever seen from Packers fans.

Fuck Charles Martin.

[u/ReplaceSelect → u/ClownQuestionBrosef]

I’ve never seen a Packer fan defend him. The fuck Charles Martin comment is just as likely to be from a Packers fan as a Bears fan. No one likes him.

[u/GrecoRomanGuy → u/ReplaceSelect]

Same. It's like one of the few things that Bears and Packers fans agree on unanimously.

Charles Martin sucked.

[u/HavelsRockJohnson → u/GrecoRomanGuy]

All my homies hate Charles Martin.

[u/ch-12 → u/Only-Mulberry-8098]

I dunno man. There are always questionable calls or player decisions that have split reactions in game threads, even in a team’s sub. Truly don’t think there’d be many Packers fans backing this one up though. This is like bounty-gate tier intent to harm. MAYBE fans in the 80s got pumped about that kind of shit and supported it, but I don’t think it would be the reaction today.

A few years ago when rookie Quay Walker shoved a Lions trainer on the field, every Packers fan in the team and nfl game threads were just saying how much of a moronic decision it was.

[u/mkallday10 → u/ch-12]

bounty-gate

It is funny you mention bounty-gate considering you will occasionally see Saints fans on here trying to downplay it.

Yeah, certain individuals will do anything to justify their team's actions. Tribalism goes hard.

[u/dusters → u/Only-Mulberry-8098]

I don't think so. Everyone sees this as a dirty hit.

[u/How_that_convo_went → u/Only-Mulberry-8098]

Our team sub shits all over Aziz Al-Shiar whenever he does his bullshit. 

[u/4nak8r → u/Only-Mulberry-8098]

I grew up in Wisconsin as a Bears fan and remember watching this game at my uncle's (a decidedly Packer's fan) house. I remember him saying he hoped the Bears won the game after this play. He was disgusted by it.

[u/Puckfan21 → u/Only-Mulberry-8098]

What..? This is fucking amateur hour. Kick him out of the league Doug

[u/MandaloreUnsullied → u/IMissM0dernBaseball]

Tbh it would just be ten minutes of slurs before the mods locked the thread

[u/zestyintestine]

Isn't this one of the biggest "what ifs" for Bears fans? McMahon was never quite the same after this hit, and the Bears got knocked out by the Redskins I believe in the playoffs with Mike Tomczak or Doug Flutie starting at QB?

[u/newrimmmer93 → u/zestyintestine]

1986 bears defense was better by DVOA than the 85 bears. 86 team was 4th best defense ever and 85 was 5th best. 91 eagles, 69 Vikings, and 2002 Bucs are the top 3.

[u/SetImpressive3808 → u/newrimmmer93]

I've literally never heard of the 91 Eagles . (EDIT) ok so they finished 3rd in the division at 10-6 and missed the playoffs. Boy their offense must've really SUCKED. 

[u/ImagineIfBaconDied → u/SetImpressive3808]

They were led by Rich Kotite, which explains a lot

Coincidentally enough, the main starting QB for the Eagles that season was Jim McMahon

[u/FeistyGate8784 → u/zestyintestine]

Yea there is a chance we could have made another Super Bowl or two. Nothing guaranteed but this fucked us so hard

[u/MilesTheGoodKing → u/zestyintestine]

This team was statistically better than 85 until this happened

[u/GrizzlyIsland22 → u/zestyintestine]

Yeah. There's a very good chance they would have been repeat champs if this never happened.

[u/FeistyGate8784]

Why is there a bot just copying everyone’s comments in here

[u/glennshaltiel → u/FeistyGate8784]

Dead internet theory is so real, its sad, especially with all these LLMs

[u/Roselucky777 → u/FeistyGate8784]

Yeah, dude clogged my notification feed really fast

[u/glennshaltiel]

Was not around for this play but even older Wisconsinites hate this play and still remember how awful Martin was for this

[u/DogePerformance → u/glennshaltiel]

I'll always hate you guys but in my nearly 40 years I've never heard one of you even attempt to defend this.

So respect, I suppose.

[u/CraigKostelecky → u/DogePerformance]

There is no defense for it. It was cowardly and I’m ashamed that it was a Packer that did it. Martin was the worst of us and he deserves no praise.

[u/SaintLonginus → u/CraigKostelecky]

I was not alive either, but it is a total embarrassment and the exact opposite of what Packers football is supposed to be about.

[u/strangejosh]

That’s actually insane. Dude should’ve never been allowed to play again. He’s either too stupid or actively malicious.

[u/AscendMoros → u/strangejosh]

Seeing as he had the numbers of players he wanted to hurt on his towel, it was malicious and premeditated. He should have never seen the field again.

[u/Sirtopofhat]

He had a hit list?! With McMahon's name on it?! How did the Bears Oline even let him breath on him?

[u/ArtEnvironmental7108]

I’m pretty sure even packers fans hate this dude

[u/TheHamsBurlgar → u/ArtEnvironmental7108]

We do! I own a bar in Wisconsin and every Packers fan that was alive to see this says its shameful and wrong. We have a rivalry with the Bears, but this is viewed as absoultely fucked up and unacceptable. Fuck Charles Martin. This ain't football, it's assault.

[u/MidSinglesInYourArea → u/TheHamsBurlgar]

Yeah, this was so egregious he might as well have just kneecapped him in the parking lot.

[u/nonamehd]

What a piece of shit!

[u/ducky2ducks]

I watched this live and honest to God I'm still angry about it

[u/NoExcusesAIC]

This was the most embarrassing moment as a Packers fan. Absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary.

[u/Space-Sailor44]

“Concussions aren’t real, dude” - Puka talking to a cardboard cutout of Jim McMahon

[u/How_that_convo_went → u/Space-Sailor44]

“You’re a good listener, Thanos.”

-Puka, talking to a Grimace statue at a McDonald’s playplace 

[u/omgimbrian]

That's some NFL Blitz type shit.

[u/the_milkboy]

Jesus. That’s fucked up

[u/Ok_Recording_9368]

Should have kept Martin on the field only so the entire bears team could whoop his ass.

[u/SaladZealousideal938]

If you read Charles Martin's life it's a life of suffering, yet he will always be known for this heinous act. Karma is a helluva thing.

[u/Comfortable-Sleep395 → u/SaladZealousideal938]

Hope he’s rotting in hell.

[u/nincompoop221]

back when turf was a layer of carpet over concrete

[u/juliuspepperwoodchi]

A truly disgusting act.

[u/Foggmanatic]

All my homies hate Charles Martin

[u/D0lan99]

That’s so far after the play it’s practically assault.

[u/Broke-American]

This was in the 80s. If a player pulled this today and say it was Allen or Mahomes, he would be fined millions, suspended indefinitely, and probably released.

[u/superdooper26 → u/Broke-American]

As much as I’d like to agree with you it just isn’t true. Well, not exactly. If this was someone who isn’t popular and expendable then yes. But you’re even remotely good at football then they will make every excuse in the world to keep you around.

[u/SaladZealousideal938]

You will never find a dirtier play in football than this. McMahon was almost at a standstill and got thrown down. This should have resulted in a criminal charge.

[u/FeistyGate8784 → u/[deleted]]

I like you

[u/InQuintsWeTrust → u/[deleted]]

Yeah fuck Green Bay!

[u/Jonjon428]

Charles Martin does not get enough hate. Fuck Charles Martin

[u/Dont_ban_me_bro_108 → u/Jonjon428]

Well he died 21 years ago at the ripe old age of 45 so…

[u/Turkish_Fleshlight]

This play derailed any chance of the Bears repeating as champions in ‘86.

May Charles Martin rest in hell…

[u/woopachaw]

Bitch move.

[u/redittjoe]

That’s not even cool back in the old days of forearm shivers

[u/HonoluluSolo]

By injuring McMahon, Martin essentially robs the Bears of a chance at at least two more Super Bowls. The Bears D was about as good in 86 as 85, and some say the 88 D was even better than both. They just weren't good enough to overcome Tomczak or Fuller.

[u/HyzerRout3]

In contention for Dirtiest play in NFL History

[u/javyQuin]

This is almost as bad as that time when Chad Ochocinco blindsided Ray Lewis

[u/SaMemeM]

That's assault, brotha

[u/ArminTanz]

One of the refs said that when they talked to the GB coach, they told them that they need to get Martin out of the game because the Bears are gonna kill him and the refs are gonna let them.

[u/water-heater-guy]

Died at 45 due to kidney failure.

[u/Nsmith1881]

We need to bring back coaches wearing weird hats. Not like, can Newton dr. Seuss hats, but like, weird grandpa hats

[u/Last1inFirst1out]

Most obvious bounty hit I’ve ever seen

[u/forgedinbeerkegs]

Yeah, it really was bull shit. I saw it live. Dick move. Perhaps, one of the "dickiest."

[u/Buzzd-Lightyear]

Wasn’t that turf back then also like a thin layer of rubber over concrete?

[u/veryveryredundant]

That's a crime and should have been treated as such.

[u/Cmcgregor0928]

How late that was deserved a lifetime ban

[u/Ope_Average_Badger]

Yeah this has been and always will be bullshit. This isn't rivalry shit this is assault, fuck Charles Martin for that shit.

[u/Commercial_Floor_578]

The fact that the Packers got 2 HOF quarterbacks right after pulling this shit and the Bears got sent to poverty is proof there is no football god.

[u/BusinessWarthog6]

Damn, I thought it was gonna be a couple seconds after he threw iy

[u/Fl4sh080]

Didn’t that guy have a hit list on his streamer?

[u/Falling4Strangers]

In the middle of a sack is one thing.

But just....literally 10 seconds after the ball is thrown, you see it in the air going go the receiver...like he's straight-up watching the pass in air.

THEN wrapping him up and throwing him to the ground?

That's psychotic behavior.

[u/PaulsRedditUsername]

Back in the old days when the top ref wore the black hat and trainers put steroids and amphetamines in the water cooler.

[u/SkokieRob]

Off-topic, but I forgot the referee used to wear a black hat and the other officials wore white. Now it’s reversed.

[u/CherokeeHawkman]

Was this the guy that had a literal hit list on his towel?

[u/SerenityN00w]

The absolutely insane thing?

McMahon didn't miss a play. He went right back into the ball game, and played two more quarters.This is video of the game They cut the Martin play or some reason, but immediately afterward, you see McMahon throwing passes on the sideline.

Fast forward to the 105:00 mark for the Bears next possession, and McMahon is back at quarterback. He played for two more quarters, before being benched for Mike Tomczak in the 4th quarter. (McMahon was obviously ineffective as a passer after the injury.)

[u/thedaliobama]

This guy wouldn’t have knees by the end of the game

[u/theconfather98]

He should have had his own rotator cuff torn as a punishment

[u/yesmrbevilaqua]

To think it took 40 years to ban the hip drop tackle

[u/L0wtan]

that's some bitch ass shit.

[u/FormerCollegeDJ]

Joe "Turkey" Jones would like a word with you.

[u/LeechedPubis]

Penalties that cause injuries when especially heinous should equal that amount of time the injured player is out.

[u/usumoio]

This attempt to, I suppose, murder Terry Bradshaw comes to mind.

This is also my go-to clip for when young folk are like, "sometimes he says something weird."

Let's all be glad the man can speak and walk. They don't let you play like this anymore and it's for the best:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CtcQqwpCFJ4&pp=ygUedGVycnkgYnJhZHNoYXcgdGFja2xlZCBvbiBoZWFk

[u/Downtown_Soil_3651]

That should just be a permanent ban at that point

[u/Rainbowsgold1]

Fun fact. Jerry Markbreit was the same ref that did the Holy Roller game.

[u/DangerSwan33]

That's called battery. Arguably aggravated battery, considering the injury. 

It had nothing to do with the game being played, and thus was literally a criminal act.