Ditka suffers heart attack
Hall of Fame tight end and former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka is recovering from a mild heart attack.
Steve Mandell, Ditka’s agent, said that physicians inserted a pacemaker. He said Ditka is “doing much better,” and the iconic coach “appreciates the outpouring of support and expects to be home soon.”
The 79-year-old Ditka played 12 seasons in the NFL and made the Pro Bowl five times. He finished with 427 receptions for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns.
Ditka might be best known for his coaching career. He coached the Bears and the New Orleans Saints, finishing with a 121-95 record in 14 years, and he led Chicago to the Super Bowl title after the 1985 season.
Fines issued: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been fined $10,026 by the NFL for taunting after he flashed a peace sign at the end of a touchdown catch.
Hill was running into the end zone during a 73yard reception in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs’ 5451 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last Monday night when he turned back at a pursuing defender and raised two fingers at him – a gesture he has done previously without being fined. He was assessed a 15-yard penalty for taunting.
Hill was penalized but not fined last week when he jumped into the stands after a touchdown and started operating a television camera.
Chiefs safety Eric Murray was docked $26,739 for unnecessary roughness during the opening drive of the game.
Denver safety Justin Simmons was fined $53,482 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on a defenseless receiver in the Broncos’ 23-22 win over the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday.
The Chargers’ Jeff Richards was docked $26,739 for unnecessary roughness on a hit during a kickoff return. Los Angeles teammate Derwin James has to pay $10,026 for a facemask penalty.
Mariotta is expected to start: Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota is expected to start Monday night’s road game against the AFC Southleading Houston Texans.
Mariota suffered a stinger last Sunday in a 38-10 loss at Indianapolis and didn’t play in the second half.
He was limited in Wednesday and Thursday’s work but got the green light from head coach Mike Vrabel to start, barring an unforeseen setback.
“He felt better,” Vrabel said. “We’ve got to keep working. … He looked good today, but that’s why you practice. You try to always improve and get better and fix the things you didn’t have right. He was not limited.”
Mariota missed the first meeting between the Titans and Texans on Sept. 16 in Nashville. The Titans won that game, 20-17, with backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert under center.
Bonamego fired: Former Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator John Bonamego is out as Central Michigan’s coach after the Chippewas finished 1-11 this season.
Bonamego coached CMU for four seasons and went 22-29, with a 15-17 mark in the Mid-American Conference.
He was with the Packers from 2003-’05.