One thing about Jim McMahon? He’s never short on hilarious things to say. The guy is a machine when it comes to stories that will make your sides hurt. The Chicago Bears legend had one nobody had heard before ready for the 100th anniversary celebration in Rosemont. Something that helps illustrate how “dirty” things can get for a quarterback in the NFL.
It took place during the Legacy quarterbacks panel. McMahon was there with Mitch Trubisky. The two got things off to a great start when the young Bears starter received his very own headband and shades from McMahon. Properly dressed, the hijinks moved forward. At one point Trubisky called out to a Ditka impersonator stating he should’ve let McMahon throw more often.
“Damn right,” the former QB said.
It wasn’t until Tom Thayer, one of the lead interviewers and former teammate of McMahon brought up the process of center exchange though that things really got going. Bears fans were soon regaled with one of the funniest and grossest stories of the entire celebration.
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Jim McMahon had a “crappy” experience in San Diego
People often forget McMahon had a long career after his time in Chicago. One of his stops as a journeyman was in San Diego with the Chargers. It only lasted for one year in 1989, in which he went 4-7 as a starter. Based on what he told next, it isn’t hard to understand why he left.
“This one game I get a rookie center and he’s also on the kickoff return team. So we get the opening kickoff. I think we get the ball about the 20-yard line. I go into the huddle. And we didn’t have the shotgun formation in San Diego. The coach didn’t believe in the shotgun. So the center grabbed me and he says, ‘Hey, uh, if your hand starts to smell, it’s because I just crapped my pants.’ True story, folks. True story.
So I burn a timeout before the game starts. I call timeout. I’m walking over to the sideline and Coach (Dan) Henning, the head coach is all over me. ‘What are you doing!?’
I said: ‘This is exactly why we need the shotgun.’ I said: ‘Your boy just crapped his pants and I’m not sticking my hand in there until he cleans it out.’ So (the center) had to leave the game for a little while and freshen up.
But that’s how centers will do you sometimes. You have to watch out for that.”
Wow. A whole lot of cringe in that one. Indeed football can be a beautiful game at times. Yet some people forget how many fluids can get involved with it as well. Not just blood, sweat and tears. There’s also rain, mud, urine, puke, and even fecal matter. McMahon experienced them all during his career. Not every quarterback can say that.
