While the Bears were pleased with the appearance of Mike Ditka at practice this week, they are expressing concern now that the ex-coach had gotten the wrong idea as to his role with the team.
It has been reported that Ditka has shown up every day since his visit earlier this week. Coach Marc Trestman told reporters that when he arrived at work on Wednesday, a sweatshirted Ditka was already in the weight room, riding a stationary bike, and going over game plans he had written up in a notebook.
“I was a little shocked,” said Trestman. “I’m not sure if he understood why we had asked him to address the team. Maybe he didn’t know it was a one-time thing.”
Players were also taken aback when a severely limping and out of breath Ditka tried to take part in tight end drills. He was heard shouting what some players referred to as gibberish, and he was seen throwing a clipboard at several players.
After a meeting with team officials in which Ditka was told he was not wanted around the practice field, he told Phil Emery it was okay because he had to meet Johnny Morris to go over content for this week’s edition of The Mike Ditka Show.
