Theismann's career ended in a horrific moment

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Even by the often slimy standards of buying and selling sports memorabilia, this one seems outrageous. For a mere $215, you can own an unframed 16-by-20 photograph of New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor reaching from behind to drag down Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann on the night of Nov. 20, 1985, at RFK Stadium.

The photograph, according to the Web site, is "hand-signed" by both dragger and draggee, presumably to allay any fears that either had scrawled his John Hancock with a foot.

L.T. and Joey T?

You might as well have a picture co-signed by Bush and Clinton, Martinez and Zimmer or perhaps Lincoln and Booth.

On the play, Theismann suffered two broken bones (tibia and fibula) in his lower right leg, ending what had been a mostly superb career. He lay writhing on the ground, his shattered leg protruding at a grotesque angle, as the horrified Taylor signaled frantically to the Redskins bench for medical help and fans held their breath.

The usual sellout crowd at RFK Stadium was lucky to be viewing the carnage only from a distance. Discarding any semblance of taste, ABC's "Monday Night Football" crew showed the horrible play over and over until many viewers either turned away and/or rushed to the bathroom.

How sickening was the sight? In a poll taken more than 15 years later on ESPN's Page 2 Web site, the injury was voted the most shocking football moment of all time. Said one respondent, "I still can't shake that image." Said another, sarcastically: "Can we see it seven more times, please, ABC?"

Oddly, Theismann had missed only one game in eight years as the Redskins' No.1 quarterback while leading the team to Super Bowl appearances the two previous seasons. He was the team's all-time leader in passing attempts, completions and yardage, surpassing Redskins icons Sammy Baugh and Sonny Jurgensen. But at 36, his career was on the downslide. As the Redskins split their first 10 games of '85, the cocky quarterback was startlingly awful. He ranked 13th among 14 NFC starters with a pathetic passer rating of 59.6, and his 16 interceptions dwarfed eight touchdown tosses.

A month earlier, the powerful Giants had beaten the Redskins 17-3 in the Meadowlands, holding Washington to a meaningless fourth-quarter field goal by Mark Moseley. But in the rematch, Theismann's passing sparked an early drive that ended with his 10-yard touchdown pass to Don Warren, giving the Redskins a 7-0 lead.