Who would win: Ditka or God?
Posted on 11/01/2003 6:13:52 PM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John
CHICAGO (AP) -- Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka underwent hip surgery Saturday and was expected to make a quick recovery after a fall in his home, according to a business partner.
``He is out of surgery and doing fine,'' Ditka's Restaurant managing partner Todd Gunderson said.
He was unsure whether the hip was broken or needed replacement.
Ditka, a Hall of Fame tight end who played most of his career with the Bears and coached them to victory in the 1986 Super Bowl, already has had both hips replaced -- one of them twice.
Gunderson said Ditka was expected to be hospitalized at least overnight, though it was uncertain how long he would be kept.
``Knowing the coach, it's going to be shorter than what they'd normally advise,'' Gunderson said.
Ditka's assistant, Mary Albright, said Ditka was taken by ambulance to Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center after a fall in his Chicago home Friday night. She said hip surgery has become routine for Ditka.
``It'll probably improve his golf game, which he's been crabbing about all week,'' she joked.
Hospital officials would not discuss Ditka's condition.
Only Ditka.
Who would win: Ditka or God?
Bears...Polish sausages...Ditka...Bears...
After an All-American senior season at Pitt in 1961, Ditka was drafted to play tight end by the Bears. His presence ws immediately felt. In his first season, Ditka had 56 receptions, introducing a new dimension to a tight end position that had previously been dedicated to blocking. His success earned him NFL Rookie of the Year honors. He continued to play for the Bears for the next five years, earning a Pro Bowl trip each season. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1967, where he spent two seasons, before being shipped off to the Dallas Cowboys in 1969. He spent four seasons with the Cowboys, highlighted by a touchdown reception in the Cowboys' 24-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI.
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