This doesn't make any sense really, but I'm rooting for the Indianapolis Colts to beat the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl in Miami on Sunday Feb. 4, 2007, because of something that happened before my eyes on Sunday Jan. 26, 1986 in New Orleans. Call it the Ditka Result.
While so many Bears fans apparently still revere Da Coach, who managed to take the most talented, most compelling team in the NFL to all of one Super Bowl, I can't stand the guy. I'm sure he'll survive this, but I've got a platform to tell my story and here it is.
I was at Super Bowl XX in New Orleans for The New York Times, covering one of the yearly mismatches that had struck the ‘ultimate' game in the mid-80s. The Bears had blown through the regular season at 15-1, destroyed the Big Blue Team of Destiny in a playoff game at frigid Soldier Field when the hawk blew the football away from Sean Landeta's punting foot and he swung and missed (among other mistakes and great Bears play). Now that was a great day for me. The 21-0 dismissal of the GMen was followed by a 24-0 rout of the LA Rams in the NFC championship game.
Their opponents in New Orleans? The New England Patriots, a wild-card team that barely made the playoffs at 11-5 and won three playoff games on the road--at the Jets, the LA Raiders and the Dolphins. The Bears had scored 456 points and allowed 198 (!) in the regular season; the Patriots numbers were 363 and 290. Tony Eason was the Pats' starting QB for god's sake. This was definitely not the Brady/Belichick team of today.
So when we got to New Orleans, a thumping seemed inevitable. But the Bears made the week interesting. Funny, but I hardly remember anything about the Patriots being there that week. It was all Bears. Jim McMahon and his headband and moon shot at a news helicopter, fearsome Richard Dent, dignified and ferocious Mike Singletary (putting those two adjectives in one description can only be for one player), boisterous Otis Wilson (whom I had covered years before when he played high school football in Brooklyn), Da Coach and his pronouncements, Buddy Ryan, holding court as the Shadow Coach and the ‘genius' behind the Bears 46 defense. There was the carnival sideshow that was William (Refrigerator) Perry and the Super Bowl Shuffle and all the rest.
And then there was Sweetness. Walter Payton. Then and now Walter Payton is one of my all-time favorite athletes. If ever a nickname fit a player it was this one. From the moment you met him you knew this guy had been raised right. He was respectful but not dull, fun to talk to without being silly, insightful about the sport, this game and his place in it. And man could he run. And block. And just flat out play.
Finally, after 11 years in the League in which he had surpassed Jim Brown's seemingly untouchable career rushing record, after he had led the NFL or the NFC in rushing five times, after 109 touchdowns and eight trips to the Pro Bowl, Walter Payton was going to perform in the brightest spotlight of all.
A Payton fumble on the Bears second play from scrimmage helped the Pats take a 3-0 lead. But soon the inevitable result became inevitable and the rout was on.
Fridge, a defensive tackle, was in on offense for three goal-line plays, a move that had caused a sensation around the Nation. Fridge would block or he'd run or he'd sneak his 330-pound body out in a pass "route" and he scored three TDs in the regular season. The first play he was in on, he was supposed to pass to Emery Moorhead but was tackled; on the second, QB McMahon faked and kept it and scored, on the third, Fridge himself got the ball and ‘ran' for the TD. Walter Payton was left to watch the Shuffle in the end zone. ("I thought I was going in to block for Walter," Perry said about that play.)
When the game ended, I called the office in New York to tell them what we had planned for our post-game coverage. I said that our columnist George Vecsey would do a sidebar on Payton. The editor at the other end of the line said, "Why? The Bears won, 46-10, and he didn't even score a touchdown." My response was, "well, that's exactly the point isn't it?"
Here's some of what George wrote that day:
He is the leading rusher in the history of pro football and, for that matter, he gained more yards rushing than anybody in the Super Bowl today. But Walter Payton never reached the end zone in the Bears' 46-10 victory, and that disappointed some fans in the stands who chanted ''Walter, Walter, Walter.''
It also disappointed Payton, he admitted long after the game was over...
Somebody watching from the press box high in the rafters thought he had seen Payton glowering at Coach Mike Ditka after one series, but Payton, when he finally emerged for a postgame interview, scoffed at that.
''You must have been closer than anybody,'' Payton said.
But was he surprised he didn't get the ball at times? ''Yeah,'' Payton admitted.
Was Payton disappointed? ''Yeah,'' he replied. But he quickly added: ''When they're keying on you, you can't mind. I don't mind being the rabbit."
Payton also said he dedicated the game to three running backs ''who gave up their lives.'' He would not elaborate, but writers from Chicago believe he was referring to Joe Delaney, a Kansas City back who died trying to rescue a drowning child; Brian Piccolo, the Bears' back who died of cancer, and Ricky Bell, the pro back who died of severe muscular disease of the heart.
Payton did not look as happy about the victory as most of his teammates did, but he reminded Chicago writers, ''You've known me for 11 years. I'm happy but I don't know how to express it, so I just sit back and enjoy it.'' Most of those around Payton would have to take his word for it.
The day after the game, McMahon had this to say about his great teammate: 'It's a shame that Walter didn't score a touchdown, but that's not my decision.''
The decision was Ditka's. And he decided to let Refrigerator Perry score a touchdown in the Super Bowl and not Walter Payton; he decided to let Matt Suhey score a touchdown in the Super Bowl and not Walter Payton; he decided to let Jim McMahon score a touchdown in the Super Bowl and not Walter Payton.
Now, like those three running backs he honored in New Orleans, Walter Payton is gone, dying far too young from liver disease. I wish he were here for lots of reasons. but one definitely is to talk about the one piece of honor missing from his glorious career.
Of course, he would have been too sweet to say it, so I will: If the Bears lose on Sunday, let's call it Walter Payton's Curse. And you have Ditka to blame for it.
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Comments (26) Add A Comment
No! Arthur! Don't tempt Cubs fans with another curse, much less one in the name of Sweetness. I think Chicago likes Ditka because he's an obnoxious, out-spoken, ********, and so is most of our city. You have to give him respect for being the only analyst that scares the crap out of Michael Irvin (if you really watch closely you can see Irvin do a mental double-take before he says something in Ditka's presense)... all that said, agreed that Payton was disrespected.
chicago al
Total Comments (336)
Welcome Arthur to the winning side....we appreciate the support, even if it is only because Ditka screwed over Sweetness. At least no one ever made the suggestion the Sweetness wasn't one of the best ever because he didn't score a touchdown in that game...
loosemonkeys
Westminster, CO
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Chicago: I have to take your word (which is good) that Ditka scares Irvin. Watching those two guys would be one of the circles of hell for me.
I have heard your reason for why Chicago likes Ditka; I think Chicago can do better. (need i remind you of Ditka in his dreadlocks?)
As for Cubs fans taking this as another curse that excuses ineptness....well, what would you expect! Sweetness is better than a Goat!
Arthur Pincus
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Loosemonkeys: I'm rooting for the Colts but they have a lot to live down, too. Think Mayflower Moving Vans, Bob Irsay, trading Johnny U to the Chargers. But Sweetness trumps all.
Arthur Pincus
Total Comments (783)
Oh come now Arthur. Ditka was absoloutely positively wrong in not putting Payton in the endzone. You'd be surprised at how many people in Chicago still complain about that. It's not a big revelation. It was the wrong call. But as for this curse? Sweetness never would want anything like that taken out in his name. Never would have wanted to wish harm on the Bears or anyone for that matter. So you can't sell me this curse stuff. And why root against the 06 Bears who are connected to the 85 Beas only by title. Ditka and the entire 85 coaching staff is gone. We have a new GM and new president. I mean come now, hate Ditka, not the Bears.
Lilwound
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Lilwound: First it may come as a surprise to you but not EVERY member of FanNation is either a resident of Chicago or a big fan of Chicago teams. So maybe, just maybe, not everyone knows the story. That's why I told it. Someone had to tell it to you, too, at one time.
I said that Sweetness would be too good a person to want that curse in his name. So if you want to call it the Ditka Result that's up to you. But if they lose on Sunday, as a true Chicago fan you'll probably be looking for a bigger reason than the Colts played better.
You think the Babe approved of the Curse of the Bambino? Do you think the Goat said ok?
And it seems you conveniently overlook how much connection many Bears fans on the site and Bears fans in general try to connect this team to 85. You've done it, too I bet.
I'm rooting against this team because I was and still am unhappy about what I didn't get to see in New Orleans in 86 (and what I did get to see; Fridge dancing. ugh). It's my right. You don't have to agree. That's your right.
Arthur Pincus
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Arthur: You'll love this... so five days before the Bears played the Saints Ditka goes out & says he won't cheer for one team or the other. Upset a lot of people who don't know better than to be upset by Ditka. THEN two days before the game he changes his mind and says something along the lines of Of course I'll cheer for the Bears. You think his endless endorsements in the Chicagoland area had any influence on that decision? Maybe he realized he couldn't be the face of Majestic Star Casino in GARY!
Go Bears.
chicago al
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I couldn't be more shocked. Like when Reynaud found out that GAMBLING was going on at Rick's.
Arthur Pincus
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Arthur: I never said you weren't aloud to have an opinion. I would just say A) Yes the Babe would most likely have approved of the curse as he did not much care for Boston ownership while he was playing for them and even more so after they traded him. B) The Goats owner was the one who put the curse on the team if you believe in the folklore.
As I said in my rant, I am all about seperating the 85 and 06 bears as seperate teams with the ability to set their own legacy. And as a true Bears fan, if the colts win it won't be because they played better it's because the Bears will have sucked.
But that won't happen. BEARS!!!
Lilwound
Total Comments (6387)
Oh and I agree that Ditka is grubbing for every cent he can so he'll use his image in Chicago as Da Coach to kiss the **** of every sponsor.
Lilwound
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LW: You did in fact call to separate these two Bears teams recently. So my apology. But for you to have to make that call there must be a lot of people out there in Chicagoland who think the connection belongs. So to those fans who think that: If The Bears Lose, Blame Ditka. Not you Lilwound.
Tks.
Arthur Pincus
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Not that it's necessarily any consolation, but his own negligence eats Ditka up too.
http://chicago.comcastsportsnet.com/view_content_1p.asp?ID=44293
Another point to add that's brought up in the article I linked is that many assumed the Bears would go back to the Superbowl. Seeing how rare that is it may be an idiotic assumption in hindsight, but the cockiness and self-confidence that was characteristic of the players and COACHES on that team may be a good indication that that assumption was probably in the back of Ditka's mind too.
But like Lilwound said, hate Iron Mike, not the 06 Bears team that's been pleading its fans for separation from the 85 team all year.
GO BEARS!
SeekerofTruth
East Valley Of The Sun, AZ
Total Comments (31)
Thanks for providing that link. You live up to your screen name. But I'm not sure he's eaten up with remorse.
Even the great Gale Sayers says: ?You would have thought (Payton) would have gotten 2-3 touchdowns. William Perry got a touchdown. But then again, that?s Mike Ditka. He wanted to make headlines.?
I don't hate the Bears. Ditka, another story. Now he's showing 'remorse' but as Chicago Al points out, it's probably advice he got to help his endorsements.
My deadline on his remorse passed that evening in New Orleans or the next morning. Give him the hook.
Arthur Pincus
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No Ditka curse. Don't be ridiculus Arthur. This Bears team couldn't have less to do with the legacy Ditka.
Payton was a hero of mine - but to be honest, I knew in my heart that Payton's tribute, Payton's appreciation from the city of Chicago had happened from the first day he stepped on the football field. He did not need a Super Bowl "token" touchdown to make his career complete. There is no doubt in my mind, that Payton was - and will always remain, the best human being to ever play the game.
krish
New Hartford, CT
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C'mon Krish too many of you Bears fans are now ducking and running from Da Coach now that you're reminded what a dope he was. (not you Chicago Al, your picture's too tough; and not you Seeker, you've got the gun).
But let me remind you of an exchange on FanNation earlier this month:
Question in comment: Who would win in a fight, a Tornado or Mike Ditka?
Answer: Ditka!
Another answer: im with josh. my money's on ditka
Another answer (form a Colts fan of all things): does the tornado get a tsunami with it? ok in that case, Ditka by 7!
And a last answer from your weekend's Wingman: Tornado + Tsunami? Forces of nature 3....Ditka 879.
It pains me to say this (and to repeat that fool stuff) but where were you putting 'distance' between this Bears team and Ditka back then. And it's still the Bears and Ditka was still the coach of the team who didn't do the right thing and never owned up to it---not until he got called on it again this year.
Payton may have been the best guy ever to play the game. Couldn't agree more. And that's what makes the Ditka Effect so right. Deal with it.
Arthur Pincus
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I'm not trying to put distance between Chicago and Ditka - just this years version of the Bears and Ditka. Did I like da coach? Hell yeah - the 70's were so god awful for the Bears - and Iron Mike turned it around with Buddy on a dime.
krish
New Hartford, CT
Total Comments (406)
The facts of Super Bowl XX remain the facts. Had he managed to somehow get the best team in football back into another Super Bowl we might not have this conversation. But he didn't and we do.
Arthur Pincus
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Very true. It was heartbreaking. But the post Buddy Ryan years were a tough act - plus Otis and Wilbur being gone was bad. This was the real dawn of football free agency - and it was just bad timing for the Bears.
krish
New Hartford, CT
Total Comments (406)
The Ditka Result!
Arthur Pincus
Total Comments (783)
I hope Rivera leaves. I don't understand why anyone would think he is head coach quality.
chicago al
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