Ditka won’t be in D. C., but he’s celebrating
Da coach ain’t going. “There is no bigger Trump fan in the world than I am,” chirped the legendary Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, who tells Sneed he received an invitation to attend the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as president of the United States.
“But I’ve chosen to watch Trump’s inaugural sitting at home in front of the TV set!”
Sneed reached Ditka on Thursday in the middle of his daily golf game on links near his home in Naples, Florida.
“I’m so sick of all those celebrities crying and moaning and carrying on about Trump being elected — and who think the world is coming to an end,” he said. “Get over it. “So seeing as how my wife, Diana, is such a great cook — we are going to eat cheeseburgers while watching Donald Trump become president of our country.
“And I’m going to smoke the biggest cigar I can find.
“And I’m going to blow a whole bunch of smoke celebrating the coming in and going out,” referring to Trump and President Barack Obama.
“That’s just what I’m gonna do, and I’m going to enjoy every bit of it.”
◆ Backshot: Trump is such a fan of coach Ditka, he personally invited him to speak at the Republican National Convention via a three- way phone hookup with Sneed last year.
◆ Party favor: Ditka, who opted not to attend because he does not like to travel long distances “at this time of my life,” did attend a Trump fundraiser at the posh lakeshore home of Bill and Shelly Farley shortly before Trump’s election last year.
It was there Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, gushed about her father’s admiration for da coach.
“Yeah, she is a pretty impressive woman,” chirped the Great Grabowski.
Getting Trumped . . .
The Donald is telling folks he intends to spend very little time at his Trump hotel in Chicago during his time in office. “He thinks Chicago has not been very nice to him,” chirped a Sneed source.
The Jackson Divorce . . .
Pssst! Gulp! And good grief! Sneed hears two more possible subpoenas are hovering in the sensational stratosphere held in check by lawyers handling former U. S. Rep. Jesse Jackson’s Jr.’ s divorce from former Ald. Sandi Jackson. Is one a Chicago pol? Yipes. Stay tuned.
Rahm ’ em . . .
. . . and Read ’ em: Mayor Rahm Emanuel, an avid book reader, tells Sneed his favorite novel in 2016 was “The Noise of Time” by Julian Barnes; his favorite biography was “American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant” by Ronald C. White; and his favorite non- fiction book: “At the Existentialist Cafe” by Sarah Bakewell.
Blimey!
He’s such a royal dickens! ◆ Explanation: So it should come as no surprise that among the list of 2016 gifts to the British Royal family — naughty Prince Harry, who is the rascally heir to the British throne — received a hot eye compress.
The gift can be worn and used — and comes free of tax . . . and accompanied by a box of mangoes.
Now what else can I tell you?
Pull that throttle!
Donald Trump continues to stick Ford in reverse!
◆ Translation: First lady- to- be Melania Trump may have been a quiet presence at her husband’s side in Washington, D. C., on Thursday while awaiting his inaugural Friday — but it didn’t keep the Trumpster from continuing his tirade against designer/ bon vivant Tom Ford, a Hillary supporter, who claims he “refused” to design an inaugural gown for Melania.
“He [ Ford] was never asked,” chided Trump again and again and again at the Leadership Luncheon on Thursday at Trump International Hotel, where the Trump Cabinet designees and uber Illinois fundraisers Ron Gidwitz and Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar were in attendance.
Sneedlings . . .
Pssst! Sneed is told singer/ actor/ activist Harry Belafonte is heading to St. Sabina’s Catholic Church soon to celebrate his birthday. . . . Happy 43rd wedding anniversary to Tom and Carol Carroll, parents of Kevin, my “second son.” . . . Today’s birthdays: Bill Maher, 61; Buzz Aldrin, 87, and Paul Stanley, 65.