Except for the part-time journalists among them, the Bears took the day off Sunday to recuperate from Saturday`s 19-6 victory over the New York Jets. Jim McMahon worked the New York anchor desk of CBS-TV`s ”NFL Today”
with host Brent Musburger and Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas, who was not wearing sunglasses.
McMahon was asked to comment on a brief sideline confrontation with coach Mike Ditka in the first quarter of the Jets game.
The tape showed McMahon walking off the field toward a ranting Ditka.
”I had changed the previous play because I didn`t think it was going to work against the defense,” said McMahon. ”The one that I changed, not everybody heard it, and Walter (Payton) got killed in the backfield, and Mike here is not too happy with me.
”The feeling was mutual at this point. That`s why I turned around and walked away and just went about my business.”
Musburger: ”Jim, what is your relationship with coach Ditka?”
McMahon: ”I think that summed it up there. No, we have a lot of respect for one another, and if things happen like that, it`s forgotten usually right after it does happen. I hope that continues.”
McMahon complained after the game that crowd noise, the gusting 19-28 mile-an-hour winds and a quick start on the 30-second clock prevented him from calling audibles.
McMahon was introduced by Musburger as the man ”in the Foster Grants.”
The quarterback`s wrap-around shades may have kept viewers from noticing that his hair was shorter than the once-crewcut Unitas.
