Bears great Jim McMahon still holds grudge against Packers for dirty hit

Bears great Jim McMahon still holds grudge against Packers for dirty hit.

Former Pro Bowler and Chicago Bears legend, Jim McMahon, spoke out on Twitter Monday night about his stance on this all-time dirty play:

He says that he believes it was the dirtiest play in NFL history, and marks it as the time “when everything started.”

McMahon has previously been on the record discussing his struggles with symptoms which have been shared by former players in connection to CTE. Since going public with his concerns about chronic headaches and even suicidal thoughts, he has become a face for retired NFL players seeking relief and support from the league for its greatest downfall — hiding the dangers and potential of progressive brain damage.

Bears: Jim McMahon discusses dirty Packers hit

In regards to the hit — or post-play body slam, more like — it certainly may be the dirtiest of all time. As McMahon watched on for the results of a pass he had just thrown, Packers defensive lineman Charles Martin stalked the Bears quarterback and threw him to the ground, leading his head directly into the turf.

There never is, and never has been an excuse for malicious intent like that on the football field, regardless of the intensity of a rivalry. Sure, the game has evolved, and monster hits are far less regular on Sunday afternoon’s in today’s game, but what Charles Martin did after this play would be considered completely out of line in any era.

NFC North rivalries run as deep as any others across sports, and the events of the 1980’s were paramount in creating such bad blood between the Bears and Packers. For instance, on that exact day, Charles Martin suited up in his Packers road uniform and stuffed a white towel into his belt with numbers written on it — one for each player he intended to get a hit on.

McMahon’s No. 9 was on the list, and that moment may have been the closest that Martin got to him all day. Although the game resulted in a Chicago victory, McMahon went for a measly 12-of-32, for 95 yards and three interceptions. Why exactly he was the target of such a dirty play, particularly on a day like that, nobody will ever understand.

Martin is remembered infamously for this one play, and McMahon will likely never let it go.