‘Selling Sunset’ star Jason Oppenheim paid an astonishing $470k for Washington football legend John Riggins’ 1983 Super Bowl-winning jersey this week.
Oppenheim – whose high-end real estate brokerage firm, the Oppenheim Group, has been the subject of the hit Netflix show since 2019 – was desperate to get his hands on the iconic memento after growing up idolizing Riggins as a young Redskins fan.
As well as the jersey, he also purchased the Hall of Fame fullback’s Super Bowl ring for another $105,750 at the 18th Super Bowl Live Auction on Saturday, which was conducted by Hunt Auctions.
‘I would have gone higher,’ he said about the jersey, via ESPN. ‘A decent amount higher.’
The jersey and ring are both from Washington’s famous triumph at Super Bowl XVII, where Riggins helped them defeat the Miami Dolphins before sweeping up Super Bowl MVP honors. It was the first of the franchise’s three championships.
In the game, he broke a fourth-and-1 tackle attempt by corner Don McNeal before scoring a 43-yard touchdown that moved the Redskins 20-17 ahead with 10 minutes to go.
‘Selling Sunset’ star Jason Oppenheim (left) paid $470k for the 1983 Super Bowl-winning jersey worn by Washington legend John Riggins (right)
He also paid $105,750 for Riggins’ Super Bowl ring from the Redskins’ famous win over Miami
That specific moment was the shot on a poster Oppenheim, who grew up in Northern California, had on his bedroom wall after opting to support Washington merely due to the fact they played in burgundy.
While he was only five years old at the time, Riggins’ legendary run in Pasadena still brings back special memories for the reality TV personality.
‘For people like me who grew up idolizing Riggins, that 70-chip play is the most important single play in the history of the franchise,’ Oppenheim explained. ‘Unquestionably. It won us our first championship. The other thing that speaks to me so much, probably more than any other piece of memorabilia I’ve ever seen is all the mud on it. I know John says it’s blood, sweat and beer all over 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 Hogs’ blocking.’
‘I’ve been a lifelong Redskins/Commanders fan since I was probably 4 years old,’ he continued. ‘My dad always told me, “You pick a team and stay with it for life.” I’ve been a die-hard from age 4 and never looked back… It wasn’t tough being a fan then; I thought it would always be like that.’
It hasn’t always been like that for Oppenheim, who still attends games yearly in Washington and when the newly-named Commanders play in Los Angeles despite their 35-year championship drought.
At 1am on the morning of the Riggins auction, he was so excited he stayed up until 3:30am rewatching Super Bowl XVII.
Oppenheim, pictured with girlfriend Jessica Vargas, has been a Washington fan all his life
Initial estimates suggested the jersey would command around $200k, but once it hit the $250k mark Oppenheim went to $350k.
‘Just to shut the auction down,’ he said. ‘I was going all-in to win this jersey. But at the last second someone bid $360k. So I threw out $400k.’
That bid was enough to win him the prized possession, with another $70k thrown on top for a buyer’s premium.
After also buying the ring, Oppenheim says he would like to somehow include both items on Selling Sunset.