Mike Ditka was one of those guys you could recognize with the TV on MUTE. The mustache, the sunglasses, the sweater vest, that look on the sideline like he was ready to fight the entire stadium.. THAT was Da Coach.
Ditka has passed away at 86, and man, football lost one hell of a personality today.
Before he ever coached the legendary 1985 Bears, he was a kid from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, who starred at Pitt and became a Hall of Fame tight end. He helped change the way the position was played, won an NFL championship with Chicago as a player, and then came back to coach one of the greatest teams in NFL history.
Think about the legacy of those ’85 Bears. People who weren’t even BORN when they played still know about the defense, the Super Bowl Shuffle, Walter Payton, the Fridge, and Mike Ditka roaming that sideline. That team had enough personality for an entire league, and Ditka fit right in!
And I gotta give him some love for Kicking & Screaming too. Nobody thinks of Mike Ditka as an actor, but he was surprisingly REALLY good in that movie! He held his own alongside Will Ferrell, and I think he deserves some credit for that.
There aren’t many coaches who become part of a city’s identity the way Ditka became part of Chicago. He was tough, outspoken, stubborn, passionate, and completely unapologetic about who he was. Whether you loved the Bears or hated them, you knew EXACTLY who Mike Ditka was.
From Western Pennsylvania to becoming the face of Chicago football.. what a life.
Rest easy, Iron Mike. They’ll be talking about Da Coach for generations.
