Ditka Says "NO" to football!

[Deleted]

When people think of toughness, in football terms, Mike Ditka is a name towards the top of that list. You don't earn the title "Iron Mike" by shying away from contact.



But even Ditka re-thinks the effects the sport can have on the body. The Hall of Fame tight end and Super Bowl-winning coach recently told HBO's Real Sports that playing football isn't worth it.



During an interview with Bryant Gumbel, Ditka asked Gumbel if he would want his hypothetical eight-year-old son to play football.



Gumbel responded with a no, and Ditka agreed.



"Nope — and that’s sad," Ditka said in the piece. "I wouldn't. My whole life was football. I think the risk is worse than the reward. I really do."



Gumbel interviewed Ditka as part of an upcoming piece on the 1985 Bears, who Ditka coached. The Bears went 15-1, winning their only Super Bowl to date with a team featuring Hall of Famer’s Walter Payton, Mike Singletary and Richard Dent.

    

[oldtimer]

Mike Ditka is one of the most over rated NFL coaches of all time.

[OutlawwithaSnipeSniper]

Everyone has an opinion, I would loved to have played for Mike.

I agree with him as well, I didn't let my boy play either, if you do it right, by age 40 you know it.

[Family Man]

Jan 19, 2015 19:16:36 GMT -6 Masked Man said:

Jan 19, 2015 17:18:21 GMT -6 oldtimer said:

Mike Ditka is one of the most over rated NFL coaches of all time.

11 Seasons coaching the Bears:

CHI 1982 3 6 0 .333 12th in NFC - - - -
CHI 1983 8 8 0 .500 3rd in NFC Central - - - -
CHI 1984 10 6 0 .625 1st in NFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to the San Francisco 49ers in NFC Championship Game
CHI 1985 15 1 0 .938 1st in NFC Central 3 0 1.000 Super Bowl XX Champions
CHI 1986 14 2 0 .875 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to the Washington Redskins in Divisional Round
CHI 1987 11 4 0 .733 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to the Washington Redskins in Divisional Round
CHI 1988 12 4 0 .750 1st in NFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to the San Francisco 49ers in NFC Championship Game
CHI 1989 6 10 0 .375 4th in NFC Central - - - -
CHI 1990 11 5 0 .688 1st in NFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to the New York Giants in Divisional Round
CHI 1991 11 5 0 .688 2nd in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to the Dallas Cowboys in Wild Card Round
CHI 1992 5 11 0 .313 4th in NFC Central - - -

only 3 losing Seasons, none of them back to back.
6 Division Champs
7 trips to the playoffs
1 unforgettable Super Bowl Championship

I would take that in most any Coach not named Lombardi.

Please note they fired him after not making the playoffs just one Season. He was replaced with Wanstedt....really poor Coach...only pleasure I had in Wanstedt is that he screwed up the Dolphins too.

Ditka was one of the best coaches in NFL history with the exception of Belechic. 

Almost all retired football players say the same thing. Once those symptoms appear, they refuse to let their kids participate and with good reason. 
Have you noticed though, there is a massive amount of retired players who have no problem being on NFL Network as "analysts", but will tell you not to let your kids play the game because their one step away from drooling on themselves and being confined to a wheelchair from the punishment they took? 
Seems to me like they wouldn't endorse the game at all....Just sayin'. 

[OutlawwithaSnipeSniper]

I will say this, if the NFL would get serious about busting them for banned growth substances, you would see the injuries subside to a large extent.

Go back to the 60's and look at the size of players and contrast it to now.

[dumdave]

Sniper is right. Today's players are bigger and stronger than ever. How come? They work on their body conditioning, diet and skills, 365 days a year. Pro sports pay more money to player every year. Basball pitch just got a ....210 million buck contract w/a 50 mil up front payment.

[OutlawwithaSnipeSniper]

Jan 20, 2015 11:29:42 GMT -6 dumdave said:

Sniper is right. Today's players are bigger and stronger than ever. How come? They work on their body conditioning, diet and skills, 365 days a year. Pro sports pay more money to player every year. Basball pitch just got a ....210 million buck contract w/a 50 mil up front payment.

And they ingest HGH by the wheelbarrow full............. They have been doing so since at least the 70's.

[oldtimer]

Jan 19, 2015 19:16:36 GMT -6 Masked Man said:

Jan 19, 2015 17:18:21 GMT -6 oldtimer said:

Mike Ditka is one of the most over rated NFL coaches of all time.

11 Seasons coaching the Bears:

CHI 1982 3 6 0 .333 12th in NFC - - - -
CHI 1983 8 8 0 .500 3rd in NFC Central - - - -
CHI 1984 10 6 0 .625 1st in NFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to the San Francisco 49ers in NFC Championship Game
CHI 1985 15 1 0 .938 1st in NFC Central 3 0 1.000 Super Bowl XX Champions
CHI 1986 14 2 0 .875 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to the Washington Redskins in Divisional Round
CHI 1987 11 4 0 .733 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to the Washington Redskins in Divisional Round
CHI 1988 12 4 0 .750 1st in NFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to the San Francisco 49ers in NFC Championship Game
CHI 1989 6 10 0 .375 4th in NFC Central - - - -
CHI 1990 11 5 0 .688 1st in NFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to the New York Giants in Divisional Round
CHI 1991 11 5 0 .688 2nd in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to the Dallas Cowboys in Wild Card Round
CHI 1992 5 11 0 .313 4th in NFC Central - - -

only 3 losing Seasons, none of them back to back.
6 Division Champs
7 trips to the playoffs
1 unforgettable Super Bowl Championship

I would take that in most any Coach not named Lombardi.

Please note they fired him after not making the playoffs just one Season. He was replaced with Wanstedt....really poor Coach...only pleasure I had in Wanstedt is that he screwed up the Dolphins too.

Only three losing seasons and none of them back to back? I guess you want us all to just forget about his last year in Chicago which was followed by his HORRENDOUS run in New Orleans? He is one of the worst all time coaches in Saints history!

Just one Super Bowl Championship for Ditka? Most coaches would take that, but to say he is one of the best coaches of all time is extreme. Add up his record overall and look at his last four years. Regular season record: 121-95, playoff record: 6-6. He should have went deeper into the playoffs with all the talent he had on that team after winning the Super Bowl in 1985. He only won two playoff games after that Super Bowl year when he had all the talent that even I could have coached. When you factor in his playoff record and look at the job he did in New Orleans... not one of the best of all time!


Career Coaching Record:
1982 CHI 3 - 6 - 0 -
1983 CHI 8 - 8 - 0 -
1984 CHI 10 - 6 - 0 1 - 1
1985 CHI 15 - 1 - 0 3 - 0
1986 CHI 14 - 2 - 0 0 - 1
1987 CHI 11 - 4 - 0 0 - 1
1988 CHI 12 - 4 - 0 1 - 1
1989 CHI 6 - 10 - 0 -
1990 CHI 11 - 5 - 0 1 - 1
1991 CHI 11 - 5 - 0 0 - 1
1992 CHI 5 - 11 - 0 -
1997 NOR 6 - 10 - 0 -
1998 NOR 6 - 10 - 0 -
1999 NOR 3 - 13 - 0 -

He's a legend in Chicago because the Bears haven't won a Super Bowl since he was there!

[Blue Star]

WTH??

Do we not have a Sports board??

[dumdave]

That would be correct on this thread.