A Bear of a man
“Da Coach” is angry and he spent all day Tuesday letting Washington know about it.
Legendary Chicago Bears player and coach Mike Ditka came to town to discuss the plight of retired NFL players, many of whom have late-onset health problems that stem from the violence of the game.
Ditka, who now provides commentary on CBS’s “NFL Today,” participated in a morning news conference at the
National Press Club with the Gridiron Greats organization, which assists ex-players. Then it was on to Capitol Hill, where he testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee with New York Giants’ Hall of Famer Harry Carson, former Viking Brent Boyd and former Raider Kurt Marsh.
They’re asking the players union to streamline and liberalize the process for granting disability benefits, and asking Congress to investigate the situation.
“The players who play today are not the makers of the game; they’re the keepers of the game,” a red-faced Ditka said. Later, after hearing testimony from pension-law experts, he added, “I’m not intelligent enough to know all that stuff. I just know right and wrong.”
That was enough for Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, the subcommittee’s ranking member, who jokingly implied that he wasn’t going to be challenging Ditka any further.
Also joining Tuesday’s efforts: former Dolphin Eugene “Mercury” Morris, Sam Huff, Johnny Unitas’ widow, Sandy, and Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Webster’s son, Garrett, as well as many lesser-known former players who told their tales of physical debilitation and poverty since their careers ended.
Ditka also privately met with Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., and subcommittee chair Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., and breakfasted at the Four Seasons with his pro-bono Washington team of James F. Green from Mercury Strategies, Jeffrey J. Kimbell of Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates and Bob Krebs, a close friend of “Da Coach.” Kimbell, Krebs and Green are all Chicago natives. Also joining them was Mike Pyle, a Yalie and former player who played center for nine seasons between 1961 and 1969 for the Bears.
He did not meet with his state’s freshman senator, Barack Obama. In 2004, Ditka briefly — but publicly — toyed with the idea of running for the open seat that Obama won that fall.
