It has been nearly 21 years since Mike Ditka led the Bears to the Super Bowl, and 14 years since he last walked the sidelines as their coach.
Yet on the eve of the Bears’ biggest game since 1989, “Da Coach” has his unique grip on this town again.
Many Bears fans were in an uproar over Ditka’s comments that he doesn’t have a rooting interest in the NFC Championship game Sunday between the Bears and the New Orleans Saints at Soldier Field.
He has ties to both teams, having spent three forgettable years as coach of the Saints from 1997-99 and compiling a 15-33 record.
Ditka reiterated his neutral stance during radio interviews Wednesday. He told Mike North of WSCR-AM 670 that “I won’t be sad if either one of them don’t win.”
Ditka then took it to another level by taking a swipe at former Bears President Michael McCaskey, who fired Ditka after the 1992 season, during an interview on WMVP-AM 1000. Ditka also blasted New Orleans owner Tom Benson, calling him “a stupid cheat.”
“I dealt with a sneak in Chicago, so I don’t really respect people who do those things, you know,” Ditka told WMVP hosts Steve Rosenbloom and Sean Salisbury. “When I have the job as the head coach, and you talk to somebody behind my back (his successor, Dave Wannstedt) when I’m still the head coach about that job, then I think that’s a little disgusting.”
Ditka declined further interview requests Wednesday, telling his assistant he was “done talking about it.”
Ditka’s comments caused a furor, as angry fans ripped the former coach for not being loyal to the team. It was as if they felt abandoned by the man many consider to be the ultimate Bear.
“Everyone understands he has an argument with the McCaskeys; he can’t get past that,” North said. “But they don’t understand how he can’t pull for the blue and orange.”
BEARS HITS
– QB Rex Grossman grew visibly irritated with questions Wednesday implying that the Bears’ best course of offense might be to play defense–that the goal was just to keep the mighty Saints offense and Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees off the field. “I’m looking to score more points than they do,” Grossman bristled. “We look at it as we’re a pretty good offense ourselves, so we’re going out there ready to attack.”
– Angered by the decision to raise parking rates around the stadium by 50 percent for the playoffs, Mayor Daley said Wednesday that he has ordered Chicago Park District officials to rescind the increase for the Bears’ playoff game with the New Orleans Saints. “When I read about it, I was very upset,” Daley said. “It went from $40 to $60. No one likes to be taken advantage of. Let’s be realistic.”
