4 DOWNS WITH DITKA
Why are the NFL’s TV ratings down?
Football is the greatest game there is, although the Cubs are making that look a little bad. Iwas always taught one thing— the game is bigger than the individual, and the individual has to respect the game. He can’t act like a fool. It’s a team game. So when a guy makes a play and he acts like a fool, it kind of bothers me. Act like you’ve done it before. When you get into the end zone, hand the ball to the official and move on. It’s not the first touchdown that was ever scored, and it won’t be the last. These guys now, some of the actions are ridiculous. It’s not enough to turn me away because I love the game and I love to watch the game. But to a degree, this stuff is turning people away. It’s hard for common people to get excited about guys who are making that kind of money acting like idiots. I’m sorry. You’ re celebrating Ditka we en this week. What’s the most important part of a Mike Ditka costume? Most of the people go with the sunglasses and the mustache. Now? I got ’ em fooled because I’m in disguise. They’ve got to put on a full beard if they want to pull it off.
Are the Bears snake bit this season?
They’re a much better team than their record. But that’s the only thing you’re judged by. The guys are playing hard. When you keep getting injuries to key players, it’s hard. The reason the guy’s a backup is because he’s not as good as the guy starting. So even if you put a backup in there and he does perform, it’s never going to be at the same level. Now with Jay Cutler coming back, if he gets hurt, what the hell are they going to do? Offensively, everything has to go through the quarterback. I thought they would be OK with
BrianHoyer because he’s a gutty kid. But then he breaks his arm, so they really have been snakebit.
Have the new practice policies affected how many injuries we see?
I maintain that it’s the biggest reason. I know that you must practice at a certain tempo because you play at a tempo. And if the first time you have contact is in a game, then something could happen and what happens is probably going to be bad. I’m not saying you’ve got to tackle and scrimmage. What I’mtalking about is practicing with a pretty good tempo. You’ve got to be able to put pressure on your legs and your knees. A lot of people disagree with me, and I can understand why. I know you can’t afford to have an injury in practice. But what the hell’s the difference if they have it in practice or if they get injured on the first play of the game?