Bears vs. Jets Tonight On MNF – A Look Back At A More Entertaining Post-Game Culture

Early in my radio career I covered the Chicago Bears Training Camp in Platteville, WI. It was the tail-end of the Mike Ditka era. Four years post-SuperBowl Shuffle.Some of the main 1985 players still were around, but Harbaugh had replaced McMahon, Sweetness and his purple Lamborghini were missed by the locals and "The Fridge" was nearing the end of his effectiveness as a Bear.

My favorite quotes captured on my little cassette recorder were of "Da Coach." Ditka rode around on a golf cart in that swampy summer heat and was pissed off most of the time. He had little patience for the geeked out media dorks. It was fantastic.

This tone continued into the regular season, as this classic clip shows.

One summer, after William Perry showed up late for camp and way out of shape, my favorite Ditka quote was born.

Someone in the media elite [WGN] asked, "Coach, what are your thoughts on The Fridge?"

"He's eating himself out of the league."

Classic Ditka. I doubt if that former CFL coach the Bears now have will bring such a quote tonight after the game between Chicago and the New York Jets. Both teams are 1-1 coming into the game at Met Life Stadium. Jets are favored by a point-and-a-half.

So, if you put Ditka in a utility van with re-treads up against Mario Andretti in an Indy Car at the Brickyard...who ya got?

Ditka.