Ditka
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by Chuck Norris » Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:33 am
hmmmmm i didn't hear that but I did hear that he would like to get back into college coaching when they asked him about the SMU job. I don't really want to talk about it because of the 0% chance that this would actually happen but could you imagine recruiting.
Hey mom will you make some bagel bites Mike Ditka's coming over to toalk to me about SMU football
Hey mom will you make some bagel bites Mike Ditka's coming over to toalk to me about SMU football
The sole export of Chuck Norris is pain
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by Italian Mustang » Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:09 am
They may have to hold off on the brats and bagel bites because he's already had one heart attack. Maybe make some sausage-flavored rice cakes.
Ditka has nothing to lose at this point and it's not like we can get any worse.... come on, Steve and Mike, why not?? I know it's not going to happen, but it's something to keep us entertained during this miserable situation.
Ditka has nothing to lose at this point and it's not like we can get any worse.... come on, Steve and Mike, why not?? I know it's not going to happen, but it's something to keep us entertained during this miserable situation.
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by Ponymon » Fri Dec 21, 2007 2:59 pm
http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDA ... e=20071220
Ditka Rode Passion To The Top
BY MICHAEL MINK
FOR INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 12/20/2007
Mike Ditka, who reached pro football's pinnacle as a player and coach, had a basic formula for doing so.
"Excellence in football and excellence in life is bred when men recognize their opportunities and then pursue them with a passion," Ditka said at his 1988 induction to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Ditka was voted into the Hall for revolutionizing the tight end position with his pass-catching skills and for coaching the team he primarily played for, the Chicago Bears, to the 1985 National Football League title.
That championship Bears squad was one of the most dominating in league history, going 18-1 behind a stifling defense.
In his 14 years as an NFL coach, Ditka compiled a 121-95 regular-season record for a .560 percentage.
Before he joined the coaching ranks, Ditka played with future Hall of Famers Gale Sayers and [deleted] Butkus in Chicago and Roger Staubach in Dallas.
As coach, he led future Hall of Famers Walter Payton, Mike Singletary and Dan Hampton.
That star power, in addition to his own, gave Ditka his perspective on what it takes to reach the top.
"I don't think physical ability has that much to do with it," Ditka, 68, told IBD. "I think a lot of people have physical ability. I think it's the initiative, the drive. I think it's what's inside a person, the heart, the soul, the character. I just know if you're going to do something, my whole philosophy was to do it the best I could."
The Push
John Johnson, a Ditka teammate in Chicago, said: "I think the skill sets for Ditka were very similar for to those of [deleted] Butkus and Doug Adkins, Gale Sayers, etc. Athletes that are able to make that next step and be great have an ability to concentrate and focus. I think they're able to push themselves further than the average athlete who makes the professional ranks, because they demand more of themselves."
Rarely has a sports figure been so identifiable with the city in which he made his mark. If New York has Namath and Los Angeles has Magic, Chicago most certainly has Ditka. His style as a player and coach embody the city's image of hard work and tough people.
And it took that to win again in pro football.
The Bears won big in the league's early years, with seven NFL titles from 1921 to 1946. But after tacking on an eighth crown in 1963, with Ditka starring on that team, the Bears hit a rough patch.
To get them back to the top, owner George Halas interviewed Ditka about coaching the team in 1982. When Papa Bear asked the young Dallas assistant coach what his philosophy was, Ditka replied it was the same as his: "to win."
Ditka got the job.
He immediately combined the best from the two legends under whom he'd played  Halas in the 1960s and Tom Landry with Dallas in the late '60s and early '70s.
"I think probably in a lot of ways I was like Halas," Ditka said. "I stayed with things, he stayed with things. I was a pretty strong disciplinarian; he was that. He made people walk the line, and I felt I did that too. I think that's important. I believe there's a right and wrong way to do things. You do things the wrong way, you're not going to have good results. You do things the right way, you've got a chance. Football's not about X's and O's; it's about people."
To deal with them, Ditka prided himself on being honest and straightforward.
"Everything in life is based on people," he wrote in "Ditka," his 1987 autobiography. "There's a sign in my office that says one word: 'Communication.' I don't always do the best job of that, but I know it's the most important thing you can do."
His players might not always have liked what the volatile Ditka said, but no one doubted his passion or sincerity. His emotion worked because he wasn't putting on an act; he was being himself.
"Mike treated his players with respect," former Bears defensive back and current Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher told IBD. "He told them the truth, whether they liked it or not. Mike was just so competitive. He hated losing and didn't deal with losing very well. He was motivated by winning, by competition."
Singletary, a cog on the '85 Bears and now San Francisco's defensive coordinator, told IBD: "What I learned from him is that when you follow your heart you're always going to be right. What makes him an effective leader is he has within him a spirit. You have to have something in you that drives you to lead from the heart. That's what he does.
"If something is wrong or not right, he's not afraid to speak out. He will stand when others will fade out because they don't like conflict. To him, it is more important to challenge areas that are not right rather than letting those things slide. People are drawn to the truth, to someone who will speak it even when it's not a popular thing to do."
As much as Ditka learned from Halas, he says the great mentor of his life was Landry, under whom he played on the 1971 NFL champion Cowboys.
"Coach Landry changed my life. He made me understand what was important not only in football, but in life," Ditka said. "I learned all the strategy of football from him. I'd never been a great detail guy until I got to Dallas. Coach Landry helped me become one. He helped me understand studying, the nuances of defense, offense and how you game-planned for different situations."
When Ditka took over the Bears, he aimed to change the culture of what had been a losing organization. He was used to coming through. Born in Carnegie, Pa., he was an All-American at Pitt and NFL Rookie of the Year with the Bears two years before their 1963 championship season. At his first meeting with his Chicago players in 1982, he set the goal of winning a Super Bowl.
Singletary, a rookie on that '82 team, recalled: "(Ditka) was not going to tolerate anything less than your best. He was not going to tolerate anything less than greatness. The expectation was there."
Fisher said: "Mike was able to identify the kind of players that he wanted. Mike wanted tough, smart, aggressive football players that wouldn't back down from anything. It became a very, very aggressive, tough football team, which kind of reflected the way he played."
Ditka, who today does commentary for ESPN, says he was more demanding than tough as a coach.
The Help
People who know him best, such as Johnson and Ditka's longtime secretary, Mary Albright, laud his commitment to helping people.
"Mike is a very generous person, and he would do anything for anyone and does it, but doesn't want the world to know it," Albright said.
Johnson said, "He's a very quality human being in terms of giving back to the community."
Ditka has been an advocate for retired players who sacrificed their bodies in the days before megamillion-dollar contracts. These players helped build the league, and Ditka wants the NFL to donate more toward their medical bills.
Looking back at his coaching days, Ditka doesn't see himself as a motivator, instead believing people can only inspire themselves.
"Life . . . is about setting goals," he said. "You must determine where you're at in life and where do you want to be in life. . . . Self-motivation is the only thing there really is.
Ditka Rode Passion To The Top
BY MICHAEL MINK
FOR INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 12/20/2007
Mike Ditka, who reached pro football's pinnacle as a player and coach, had a basic formula for doing so.
"Excellence in football and excellence in life is bred when men recognize their opportunities and then pursue them with a passion," Ditka said at his 1988 induction to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Ditka was voted into the Hall for revolutionizing the tight end position with his pass-catching skills and for coaching the team he primarily played for, the Chicago Bears, to the 1985 National Football League title.
That championship Bears squad was one of the most dominating in league history, going 18-1 behind a stifling defense.
In his 14 years as an NFL coach, Ditka compiled a 121-95 regular-season record for a .560 percentage.
Before he joined the coaching ranks, Ditka played with future Hall of Famers Gale Sayers and [deleted] Butkus in Chicago and Roger Staubach in Dallas.
As coach, he led future Hall of Famers Walter Payton, Mike Singletary and Dan Hampton.
That star power, in addition to his own, gave Ditka his perspective on what it takes to reach the top.
"I don't think physical ability has that much to do with it," Ditka, 68, told IBD. "I think a lot of people have physical ability. I think it's the initiative, the drive. I think it's what's inside a person, the heart, the soul, the character. I just know if you're going to do something, my whole philosophy was to do it the best I could."
The Push
John Johnson, a Ditka teammate in Chicago, said: "I think the skill sets for Ditka were very similar for to those of [deleted] Butkus and Doug Adkins, Gale Sayers, etc. Athletes that are able to make that next step and be great have an ability to concentrate and focus. I think they're able to push themselves further than the average athlete who makes the professional ranks, because they demand more of themselves."
Rarely has a sports figure been so identifiable with the city in which he made his mark. If New York has Namath and Los Angeles has Magic, Chicago most certainly has Ditka. His style as a player and coach embody the city's image of hard work and tough people.
And it took that to win again in pro football.
The Bears won big in the league's early years, with seven NFL titles from 1921 to 1946. But after tacking on an eighth crown in 1963, with Ditka starring on that team, the Bears hit a rough patch.
To get them back to the top, owner George Halas interviewed Ditka about coaching the team in 1982. When Papa Bear asked the young Dallas assistant coach what his philosophy was, Ditka replied it was the same as his: "to win."
Ditka got the job.
He immediately combined the best from the two legends under whom he'd played  Halas in the 1960s and Tom Landry with Dallas in the late '60s and early '70s.
"I think probably in a lot of ways I was like Halas," Ditka said. "I stayed with things, he stayed with things. I was a pretty strong disciplinarian; he was that. He made people walk the line, and I felt I did that too. I think that's important. I believe there's a right and wrong way to do things. You do things the wrong way, you're not going to have good results. You do things the right way, you've got a chance. Football's not about X's and O's; it's about people."
To deal with them, Ditka prided himself on being honest and straightforward.
"Everything in life is based on people," he wrote in "Ditka," his 1987 autobiography. "There's a sign in my office that says one word: 'Communication.' I don't always do the best job of that, but I know it's the most important thing you can do."
His players might not always have liked what the volatile Ditka said, but no one doubted his passion or sincerity. His emotion worked because he wasn't putting on an act; he was being himself.
"Mike treated his players with respect," former Bears defensive back and current Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher told IBD. "He told them the truth, whether they liked it or not. Mike was just so competitive. He hated losing and didn't deal with losing very well. He was motivated by winning, by competition."
Singletary, a cog on the '85 Bears and now San Francisco's defensive coordinator, told IBD: "What I learned from him is that when you follow your heart you're always going to be right. What makes him an effective leader is he has within him a spirit. You have to have something in you that drives you to lead from the heart. That's what he does.
"If something is wrong or not right, he's not afraid to speak out. He will stand when others will fade out because they don't like conflict. To him, it is more important to challenge areas that are not right rather than letting those things slide. People are drawn to the truth, to someone who will speak it even when it's not a popular thing to do."
As much as Ditka learned from Halas, he says the great mentor of his life was Landry, under whom he played on the 1971 NFL champion Cowboys.
"Coach Landry changed my life. He made me understand what was important not only in football, but in life," Ditka said. "I learned all the strategy of football from him. I'd never been a great detail guy until I got to Dallas. Coach Landry helped me become one. He helped me understand studying, the nuances of defense, offense and how you game-planned for different situations."
When Ditka took over the Bears, he aimed to change the culture of what had been a losing organization. He was used to coming through. Born in Carnegie, Pa., he was an All-American at Pitt and NFL Rookie of the Year with the Bears two years before their 1963 championship season. At his first meeting with his Chicago players in 1982, he set the goal of winning a Super Bowl.
Singletary, a rookie on that '82 team, recalled: "(Ditka) was not going to tolerate anything less than your best. He was not going to tolerate anything less than greatness. The expectation was there."
Fisher said: "Mike was able to identify the kind of players that he wanted. Mike wanted tough, smart, aggressive football players that wouldn't back down from anything. It became a very, very aggressive, tough football team, which kind of reflected the way he played."
Ditka, who today does commentary for ESPN, says he was more demanding than tough as a coach.
The Help
People who know him best, such as Johnson and Ditka's longtime secretary, Mary Albright, laud his commitment to helping people.
"Mike is a very generous person, and he would do anything for anyone and does it, but doesn't want the world to know it," Albright said.
Johnson said, "He's a very quality human being in terms of giving back to the community."
Ditka has been an advocate for retired players who sacrificed their bodies in the days before megamillion-dollar contracts. These players helped build the league, and Ditka wants the NFL to donate more toward their medical bills.
Looking back at his coaching days, Ditka doesn't see himself as a motivator, instead believing people can only inspire themselves.
"Life . . . is about setting goals," he said. "You must determine where you're at in life and where do you want to be in life. . . . Self-motivation is the only thing there really is.
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Ponymon 
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by ponydawg » Fri Dec 21, 2007 3:39 pm
couch 'em wrote:Not that I think Ditka would ever come here, but just to clarify Ditka said he would be interested in coaching college, not the Ticket people.
To clarify some more, "in Coaching College" not "at SMU".
Happy Holidays
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by LincolnHawk » Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:54 pm
http://www.mikeditkawines.com/
I can tatse it already. He has a wine named Kick [deleted] Red. He was meant for SMU.
I can tatse it already. He has a wine named Kick [deleted] Red. He was meant for SMU.
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LincolnHawk 
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by ThadFilms » Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:57 pm
LincolnHawk wrote:http://www.mikeditkawines.com/
I can tatse it already. He has a wine named Kick [deleted] Red. He was meant for SMU.
I'll take a bottle of the Kick [deleted] Red, please.
Wonder if Ditka would be allowed to give them as gifts to parents of players he recruits. Thanks for inviting me into your home, here's some Kick [deleted] Red.
Eric Dickerson in Pony Excess
"I've love winning man, it's like better than losing." - Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh
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ThadFilms - Posts: 6607
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by davidsmu94 » Fri Dec 21, 2007 7:17 pm
SmooBoy wrote:davidsmu94 wrote:We'll be living Levitra Loca
C+. Was C-, but felt generous on a Friday.
Ahh come on, I thought it was a solid B
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by RednBlue11 » Fri Dec 21, 2007 7:24 pm
DITKA? HE IS THE OTHER SON OF GOD! he doesn't get hired he blesses you with his presence.
"There ain't nothing you can't solve with one more beer"
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