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Whatever happened to George Martin?

Edgy DC Nov 01 2007 07:53 AM

I don't care about the NFL anymore, but I can name every member of the Giants defense, probably from 1980-1989. I got this press release in my inbox this morning. RETIRED NY GIANTS GREAT GEORGE MARTIN NEARING 500th MILE ON “a JOURNEY FOR 9/11” CHARITABLE WALK ACROSS THE U.S. 3,200+ Mile Cross-Country Trek from New York to San Francisco to Help Fund Healthcare for Thousands of Ailing WTC Rescue and Recovery Workers Super Bowl Champion Will Pass 500 Mile Mark in Virginia Tomorrow New York, NY, October 29, 2007 – Retired New York Giants co-captain and Super Bowl champion George Martin will tomorrow walk the 500th mile of his 3,200+ mile trek across the United States to benefit seriously ill Ground Zero rescue and recovery workers. His walk from New York to San Francisco, called “a Journey for 9/11” (www.ajourneyfor911.info), began on September 16, and continues in southern Virginia today as Mr. Martin nears mile 500 -- anticipated to be just south of Christiansburg, VA -- on Tuesday, October 30. Mr. Martin seeks to raise several million dollars to provide healthcare for 9/11 responders and increase awareness about the illnesses now affecting those who are suffering from lung disease, post traumatic stress disorder and other serious medical conditions stemming from their efforts at Ground Zero after the attacks of September 11, 2001. From Virginia, Mr. Martin will head toward Tennessee. He anticipates reaching Kingsport, TN, on or around November 7, as his Journey bends from south to west across the nation. Averaging 20-30 miles per day on foot, Mr. Martin has already passed through portions of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia during this first leg of his Journey. His trek began at the George Washington Bridge in New York City and will end at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco in Spring 2008. Mr. Martin’s path can be tracked online daily via a GPS system accessible at www.ajourneyfor911.info. ''I am inspired and energized by the people I meet along the way -- their enthusiasm for our mission is astounding,” said Mr. Martin, vice president of sports marketing for AXA Equitable. “There are thousands of true national heroes of 9/11 who are now suffering medically, and I believe we owe them our support for helping our nation survive and heal after such a horrific tragedy. Six years after the attacks, many are now seriously ill from the trauma and the toxins they were exposed to at Ground Zero, and they deserve the best medical care available. While reaching the 500 mile mark feels great and is a proud moment in this long Journey, the true measure of our success will be when we can substantially raise the national awareness about and funds needed to provide proper care. Most of these rescue and recovery workers are not adequately covered for or are able to obtain the medical care they simply must have.” The Medical Problems of Working at Ground Zero Medical studies now substantiate what many had suspected and claimed for several years – that working at Ground Zero led to serious, long-term medical problems for thousands of people. Studies indicate that 3.6 percent of WTC rescue and recovery workers reported developing asthma after exposure to dust and debris from working at the site, 12 times the rate of the normal adult population. And according to the NYC Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, one in eight of nearly 30,000 WTC rescue and recovery workers developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a condition found to be highest among WTC volunteers http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr2007/pr076-07.shtml. Hackensack University Medical Center (NJ), North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Systems (NY) and the Mt. Sinai Medical Center (NY) will match in medical services the total funds Mr. Martin’s Journey raises. The Route and the Journey Team The 15 states on Mr. Martin’s Journey include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California. He has also walked through Washington, DC, where the Journey received a substantial donation from the NFL Players Association in a ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial. On October 4, Mr. Martin participated in an event on Capitol Hill with federal legislators who are sponsoring legislation to provide healthcare funding and compensation for sick and injured 9/11 workers and others who have fallen ill from exposure to toxins at Ground Zero. On October 13, Mr. Martin jumped ahead of his route to participate in the NASCAR Foundation Track Walk at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, NC (he then traveled back to Charlottesville, VA, to continue his walk). Mr. Martin, 54, trained more than three months for this trek. Throughout his Journey, he is accompanied by one security officer and a support team that includes an advance person; a technology advisor who is documenting and routing the Journey; and a medical technician. George Martin was a star defensive end and co-captain of the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants (1986). In Super Bowl XXI, he famously tackled Broncos quarterback John Elway for a safety in the end zone. During his 14 NFL seasons (1975-1988), Mr. Martin scored seven touchdowns (three on interception returns), which set a record for defensive linemen, surpassed this season by Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Jason Taylor. Mr. Martin is a former president of the NFL Players Association. Support from Business, Medical, Education, Sports and Charitable Community Sponsors of the Journey include Hackensack University Medical Center; North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Systems; Mt. Sinai Medical Center; AXA Equitable; Fairleigh Dickinson University; United Parcel Service; Bear Stearns; Proskauer Rose LLP; Nike; Tana Seybert Printing; Hunter Douglas; the New York Giants; the National Football League; the National Football League Players Association; General Motors; Sprint; World Wrestling Entertainment; Big Blue Travel; CV Technologies; ESRI; Intelligent Design; KeySpan Energy; Lou Hammond Associates; MAN Etc., Inc; MBT Physiological Footwear; Nautilus; Proforma Associates; SJI Associates; S& L Services; and Valley National Bank. Beau Dietl & Associates is providing security for the Journey. Philanthropists Joseph H. and Dr. Carol F. Reich have pledged a substantial donation as well. ''I am walking every mile of the route, and it is a very gratifying challenge,'' said Mr. Martin. “Outside of family, this is the most important thing I have ever done in my life.” Donations To make an online tax deductible financial donation to “a Journey for 9/11,” visit http://www.active.com/donate/aJourneyfor911; or mail a check to “a Journey for 9/11,” c/o Valley National Bank, P.O. Box 707, Wayne, NJ 07474-0707; or call 866-808-2553. For general information about “a Journey for 9/11,” visit www.ajourneyfor911.info.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 01 2007 08:02 AM Re: Whatever happened to George Martin?

Edgy DC wrote: I don't care about the NFL anymore, but I can name every member of the Giants defense, probably from 1980-1989. They had a guy named Jeter. I remember that.

sharpie Nov 01 2007 08:19 AM

From the post heading I thought you were referring to the Beatles' producer. Nothing much is going on with him, the occasional interview, retired. Art Garfunkel has been walking across the country in this fashion for a while now. Don't know where he's at at this point. The missus and I recently completed a walk around the perimeter of Manhattan in this fashion (i.e., picking up at the same spot you left off the last time). It was an interesting exercise. Our rules were that you had to stay as close to the perimeter as possible without climbing fences and you had to double-back if need be. Some stretches were easy (almost all of the west side) and some were hard, most of the east side about 96th Street). We did manage to get all the way through the subway rail yards before a security guard spotted us. Anyway, what George Martin is doing is pretty cool.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 01 2007 08:40 AM

]Art Garfunkel has been walking across the country in this fashion for a while now. Don't know where he's at at this point. He's gone to look for America.

Frayed Knot Nov 01 2007 09:00 AM

- I saw a TV news piece on Martin's walk sometime in the last week or so. - I remember a similar story on Garfunkel's trek from a number of years ago. He would go with a driver who was instructed to drop him off at some random location and then pick him up later that day whenever Artie got tired or bored. They'd then crash at some nearby hotel and do the same thing the next day. He admitted it was the rich man's way to hike but made no apologies for it. - There's actually an organized 1-day version of what Sharpie did: a hike around the perimeter of Manhattan but I don't remember the group who organizes/leads it. That would make for a full day. My brother roller-bladed around the island once, although probably had to cut a few more corners than walkers since you pretty much need paved path all the way to blade. * Grote to the Max!

sharpie Nov 01 2007 09:13 AM

]There's actually an organized 1-day version of what Sharpie did: a hike around the perimeter of Manhattan but I don't remember the group who organizes/leads it. That would make for a full day. Don't know how you could possibly really do it in one day. We'd do about 60 blocks at a time and it would take several hours. They surely won't be as hardcore as we were, going way off paved paths and weaving block by block through areas like Sutton Place where there is no multiblock outlet. There is a path on the water side of the Harlem River Drive that leads from Dyckman (200th) Street to 155th Street that is quite thin at times and has no outlets during that 45 block stretch. I can't imagine taking a group through that.

Edgy DC Nov 01 2007 09:46 AM

They'll Take Manhattan, One Step at a Time.

sharpie Nov 01 2007 09:52 AM

The fact that they go through Highbridge Park (thereby avoiding the Dyckman-155th Street path I described) means they're wussier than we were. Still pretty impressive that they did what they did in one day.

DocTee Nov 01 2007 01:08 PM

Try this: http://www.newyorkcitywalk.com/ That's every street in Manhattan.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 01 2007 01:16 PM

We musn't forget the famous Hell's Kitchen to Shea Stadium Hooferpalooza of 2000.

sharpie Nov 01 2007 01:35 PM

I don't know about that. Tell.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 01 2007 01:47 PM

I walked to Shea from my apt on 9th ave, only to see them lose to the Reds. It was an adventure for me because, at the time, I knew very little of what lied between 9th ave and Flushing and wasn't quite sure how long it would take, whether I'd get stabbed, how exactly to get there, etc. But it was all cool. I was there in plenty of time. I took the 59th st. bridge, then up Crescent Ave., to Astoria, down, I think, Broadway, then east on 37th (??) I think, through Jackson Heights, etc. until I could see the building. I recall posting about it on the old mofo, only to draw a cuastic response like "just take Queens blvd. to Roosevelt Ave. Loser!!"

sharpie Nov 01 2007 02:10 PM

A friend of mine walked from Fort Greene to Shea through some pretty sketchy areas of Bushwick but he also made it in plenty of time (this before Bushwick became somewhat trendy). Maybe I'll try it next year.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 01 2007 02:29 PM

I've done variations on the walk several times since and it got easier for me when I moved to Queens/Brooklyn of course.

Edgy DC Nov 01 2007 02:35 PM

Yeah, but did you wear your hair like Martin?

Edgy DC Nov 01 2007 02:43 PM

Here's your boyfriend Gary Jeter, sacking Danny White while taking advantage of the psychological warfare of forcing the Cowboys to wear blue: