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john keem
multiple authors
ASHBURN, VA – As a kid in Northern California, Jason Oppenheim wanted one thing more than anything else: a John Riggins jersey. When he was about 8 or 9 years old, he finally received one as a gift. This matches well with the poster of Washington Hall of Fame fullback on his bedroom wall.
As an adult, the “Selling Sunset” star wanted Riggins Jersey. This time, the price didn’t matter – he paid $470,000 to get it.
“I would have gone higher,” he said, “a lot higher.”
Now, he’ll pair that jersey with something more than a poster: He also bought Riggins’ Super Bowl ring for $105,750. Oppenheim purchased him on Saturday at the 18th Super Bowl Live auction conducted by Hunt Auctions.
The jersey was exactly the same as the one Riggins wore in Super Bowl XVII to earn Super Bowl MVP honors along with the ring. Then he broke up a fourth-and-1 tackle attempt by corner Don McNeil on the way to a 43-yard touchdown, giving Washington a 20–17 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining. It was instrumental in the franchise’s first of three Super Bowl victories.
That was also a shot of a poster that was once owned by Oppenheim.
For Oppenheim, Riggins’ run represented much more than a touchdown to give Washington a 20-17 lead. It doesn’t matter that he was only five years old at the time and that he remembers his love for Riggins more than playing or watching sports.
Oppenheim said, “For guys like me who grew up idolizing Riggins, the 70-chip play is the most important single play in franchise history.” “Without a doubt. It won us our first championship. The other thing that speaks to me a lot, probably more than any other piece of memorabilia I’ve ever seen, is the mud on it. I know John says there’s blood, sweat and beer on that jersey – those are his words.
“That jersey represents more than just a play and his MVP performance. It represents the grit of the franchise, the hard work, the blocking of the Hogs.”
Oppenheim, who grew up in Northern California, adopted Washington as his favorite team for a simple reason: His favorite color was burgundy.
“I’ve been a lifelong Redskins/Commanders fan since I was probably 4 years old,” he said. “My dad always told me, ‘You pick a team and stick with it for the rest of your life.’ I’ve been a fanatic since the age of 4 and I’ve never looked back… It wasn’t hard to be a fan then; I thought it would always be like this.”
Of course, it hasn’t always been this way, as Washington has not won a Super Bowl since the 1991 season; It also did not return to the NFC Championship Game until the 2024 season.
But Oppenheim, whose high-end real estate brokerage firm, Oppenheim Group, has been featured on Netflix since 2019, has retained his fans. He attends games in Washington every year and also goes to games when the Commanders play in Los Angeles.
In 2022, he participated in a walk-through practice before the Week 5 game. tennessee. Oppenheim attempted a field goal on the practice field. trace path Serving as holder. And he participated in a ceremony for Hall of Fame receiver Art Monk when the team retired his jersey last season.
That’s why he was determined to keep Riggins’ jersey after Hunt Auction announced it was available for sale. At 1 a.m. the morning of the auction, Oppenheim said he was so excited that he stayed up until 3:30 a.m. to watch Super Bowl XVII reruns.
Early estimates suggested the jersey would probably sell for $200,000. Once it reached $250,000, Oppenheim said he announced a bid of $350,000.
“Just to close the auction,” he said. “I was trying my best to win this jersey. But at the last second someone bid $360,000. So I threw in $400,000.”
That’s where it stopped, with an additional $70,000 paid for the buyer’s premium.
“I thought I was bidding against ownership,” Oppenheim said. “But I guess I was just bidding against people like me.”
After this he bought the ring for $105,750. He would like to somehow incorporate those items into “Selling Sunset.” He told Riggins that if he ever needed to wear the ring to an event, he would lend it to him. And Oppenheim said he has talked to the team about finding a way to display the jersey so more fans can see it.
He said, “I wanted to make sure that these items weren’t controlled by someone who would hoard them, keep them away from the fan base and hold it out as some kind of investment opportunity.” “I don’t think I own these things; I think they’re owned by the fans. It’s an honor to be a patron.
“It’s the fulfillment of a childhood dream, to be the custodian of a part of my childhood.”
