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Eagles Memory: F-You Rod Martin!

Who'd of thunk I'd run into our Super Bowl XV nemesis 20 years later, in Walmart of all places?

I had just recently moved to Arizona in 2000, when I made a trip to Walmart with the family to pick up a few things for the new house. As i turned the corner and walked past the book/greeting card aisle, I noticed a very large man standing in front of a small kiosk-type book display. From the setup, it looked like a book signing of some sort, and I figured the guy was an ex-jock, so my curiosity got the best of me.

As I got closer, I saw from the display that it was none other than Rod Martin. I was twenty years old in 1980, and I remember SB XV as clearly as if it had been played yesterday. I remember the previous two SI editions; one showing Wilbert Montgomery on the cover, slicing through the Dallas D-Line with the headline "Eagles Ground Dallas" and the other with (I think) Dr. Z predicting an Eagle victory because they were the more disciplined team. I never looked at the edition following the loss. Anyway, I thought it would be healing for me to go and have a conversation with this nice man who played a big part in ruining my life.

There was no line or anything, so I walked up, shook his hand and introduced myself as an Eagles fan. First thing he did was (playfully) shove his SB ring in my face and say "Thanks for this one!" Ok Rod, it's on! We went back and forth with (what I thought was) playful banter for a few minutes. He said things like "I was Jaworski's leading receiver" (he did have a record 3 picks that game) and I responded with "yeah, and now you're standing at an empty book kiosk in Walmart, hoping someone will remember you".

I seriously thought we were having fun, but soon things began to escalate, and I could see the veins bulging in his temples and an increasingly "defensive" (pun intended) posture on his part. Next thing I know, he's waving over a Wally World rent-a-cop, and I'm being asked to leave the store. As I was escorted out, I yelled over my shoulder, "Fuck you Rod Martin", and he replied "Fuck you, Philly fan".

When my wife and kids found me, I was waiting at the car. I explained the whole story, and my wife didn't say a word, she just gave me that same look she does every time I smash a remote on Game Day.

And that's my #1 Eagles memory.