HAROLD KELLER / L’Observateur / January 8, 2000

Mike Ditka was hired by the Saints three years ago and, on Wednesday, was fired as their coach. In my opinion, Tom Benson, the owner of the Saints,did the fans, the people of New Orleans and Ditka a favor. When Mike Ditkawas hired three years ago I voiced my opinion in this newspaper (Feb. 1,1997). Please allow me to repeat the article.*** “We have a hell of a deal,” said Tom Benson. “I just can’t believe how hefell out of heaven to us.” This statement was made in reference to thehiring of Mike Ditka as new head coach of the New Orleans Saints. CoachDitka said he wants to climb the mountain one more time. Evidently, thefirst mountain climb didn’t satisfy his ego.

The reaction of his accepting the challenge to coach the Saints has been mostly positive. Ticket sales are looking good. Saints souvenirs areselling well, even in Chicago, where Ditka last coached. One sportswriterdescribed Ditka as a scotch-drinking, cigar-smoking, gin rummy-playing, dice-shooting football coach, oozing compulsive charisma from every pore.

(No mention of character was ever made.)This is the same guy who is on record as breaking his hand punching a truck after a post-game tirade. (Even Jim Mora was smart enough not topunch a truck.) He once threw a wadded-up piece of gum at a hectoring fanand threatened to whip the #%$ out of a critical caller on a radio call- in show. I don’t know about you, but I don’t consider that a prize fromheaven. Maybe it came from somewhere else, but let’s not blame God onthis deal.

Will he turn the franchise around? Could be. Will the Saints eventually wina playoff game? The law of averages will soon catch up with them. Willthey win the Super Bowl? With the parity in professional football today, even that could happen.

The bottom line is that even if all these things happen, Mike Ditka, in my opinion, is a bad choice as head coach. He definitely will fit in with thecity and the majority of the fans. (Doesn’t speak well of either) Maybe theworst thing that could happen to the Saints, Ditka and the fans is to win the Super Bowl and reach that so-called mountain top.

If that is accomplished, all interested parties will soon realize that a void still exists in most of their lives.”*** I, like most people, enjoy bragging when I am right. In this case, eventhough I was right, it saddens me to think of all the damage that has been done over the last three years.

Ditka came here a bitter man from a bad deal in Chicago. His three yearshere didn’t help. Ditka was a great football player. He evidently was a goodcoach – he won the Super Bowl in Chicago to prove it. He also professed tobe a Christian. I’m not questioning his heart, but his actions over the pastthree years I’m sure left doubt in most people’s minds, especially the non- Christians.

Only a couple of months ago, at halftime of another poor performance by his team, he “shot the bird” to local fans. After the game he grabbed hiscrotch as a “get lost” gesture to the same fans.

Frustration? Yes. Maturity, class, Christian-like? Definitely not.When people have disappointment as Ditka had in Chicago, they either get better or bitter. Evidently, Ditka got bitter.I think we can all agree that football is a business and Christianity is a lifestyle. Mike Ditka was a failure at both.

Copyright © 1998, Wick Communications, Inc.

Internet services provided by NeoSoft.

Best viewed with 3.0 or higher