The recent passing of Chicago Bears Super Bowl winning coach and tight end Mike Ditka will be a loss felt for all time, according to Sun City’s sports expert who knew “Da Coach” well.
Ditka’s Chicago legacy was honored at the Chicago Bears’ first home game at Soldier Field since he died Oct. 9, which was against New England Oct. 22.
“Ditka was from Pittsburgh but became a Chicago guy,” ESPN-1000 radio personality North said. “He will always be a Chicago icon, bigger than Michael Jordan in Chicago. Winning a Super Bowl here was bigger than Jordan’s six NBA Championships with the Bulls.”
Most of Sun City’s Chicago fans remember where they were on Jan. 16, 1986. The Bears had a 13-1 regular season, had easy playoff wins over the Giants and Rams before facing New England at the New Orleans Super Bowl in Super Bowl XX. Led by QB Jim McMahon and the offense, and the defense designed by Buddy Ryan, the Bears cruised, 46-10. The celebration in some ways never has stopped four decades later.
North has followed Ditka since he was 11-years-old as a young Bears fan. Professionally, he began to know “Da Coach” in 1992, Ditka’s 10th and final year with the Bears and the first year of WSCR-The Score.
According to biographies on Wikipedia and others, Ditka, who was born and raised in Aliquippa, PA, was a tight end on the Bears from 1961-69, adding pass receptions to a blocking position which he played for 11 years, retiring after 471 catches for more than 5,000 yards. He was hired by owner Bears George Halas in 1982 and served 10 years as head coach in that role. He was inducted into both the Pro Football and College Football Hall of Fames.
“The biggest surprise to me was the reaction by the national media,” North said of the reaction to Ditka’s passing at age 86.
“He demanded toughness and loyalty from the players, and he didn’t have any ‘bums’ on the 1985 team, as he had cleaned house, throwing equipment of one player away,” North recalled. “I think he had a relationship of mutual respect with (the late) Walter Payton.”
“Ditka was always great to me, and the radio station,” North said of his WSCR days. “People say I latched on to him, but he latched on to me – I always had his back. In 1992, after one losing season, the owners McCaskeys fired him, but I always opposed that. They didn’t remember the (bad coaches) such as Jack Pardee, Jim Dooley, Neill Armstrong, they had before him. He coached for 10 years, won a championship and 63 percent (112-68) of his games. I remember in 1992, after some negotiations with management, that we went to La Crosse, WI to cover the Saints training camp when he was head coach there. We had as big an audience there as at the Bears’ camp.”
Ditka fared well against the hated Packers, going 15-5, and was undefeated against former defensive coordinator Ryan.
“He and Forrest Gregg (former Packers coach) did not get along, and he was also 4-0 against Ryan as head coaches,” North said.
North hosted “The Mike Ditka Show”, which drew huge in-person audiences, one time, North’s parents were there for one broadcast.
A couple of stories show Ditka’s, who was known as “Iron Mike,” whirlwind schedule in his decade of running the team.
“I remember one time when Ditka asked me to meet him at Palwaukee Airport in Wheeling,” North said. “Myself and my wife BeBe got on the plane, and Mike took us to an appearance in Mississippi. We got there at 4 p.m. and were back home in Chicago by 11 p.m. Then there was the time when he sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at Wrigley Field, and got there at the last minute, rushing through the song.”
Ditka was “massive marketing” in everything from movies to other avenues and philanthropic efforts.
“He was the one that did all that,” North said. “I worked with him on some of that, but he did the work, with occasional help of a former football star.”
One day, at Ditka’s house, North received a special gift a jacket. “It read, ‘keep giving them heck’,” North said.
Where to hear North’s shows
North has a podcast on Bears Barroom Network. He’s also on ESPN-1000, Saturdays at 8 a.m., with co-host Carmen DeFelco.
