Free Republic

ESPN has a nasty habit of suspending people who they hire to share opinions. Stephen A. Smith was recently suspended for daring to suggest a woman shouldn’t antagonize her violent husband. You would think this is common sense. If a woman knows her man is violent and knows what will trigger him, it’s probably not a good idea to antagonize him. That doesn’t let husband off the hook of course and Smith so much as said so. Max Kellerman admitted on the air he hit his girlfriend years ago (it was in context of the NFL’s Ray Rice suspension, which...

Ditka tackles ban on smoking - Proposal's foes bring in Da CoachBy Delroy Alexander Tribune staff reporter Published July 13, 2005Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka on Tuesday became the public face of the opposition to a sweeping new measure that would ban smoking inside almost all public places in Chicago, from bars and restaurants to train platforms....

Former Bears coach Mike Ditka robbed May 4, 2005 — Chicago police are looking for the person who stole a big chunk of money from former Bears coach Mike Ditka. Police say someone took $30,000 in cash from a black bag inside Ditka's condo in the city. He and his wife had been out of town since November. They returned home Monday to find that the money was gone.

FLASH: Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka will announce this morning at 9:30am he intends to run for senate in Illinois, says well-placed source...

Ditka Meets With Topinka About Senate Run 'Da Coach' To Make Decision By End Of Week POSTED: 9:56 am CDT July 13, 2004 UPDATED: 10:51 pm CDT July 13, 2004 CHICAGO -- Last week, the news of former Bears coach Mike Ditka possibly running as a Republican candidate for the United States Senate was greeted in some quarters with a polite chuckle. "Da Coach", though, isn't laughing. NBC5's Marion Brooks reported on Monday that Ditka is talking about taking the place of Jack Ryan, who withdrew from the race amid allegations of forcing his wife to go to sex clubs....

'Democrats are shaking in their boots' July 14, 2004 BY SCOTT FORNEK Political Reporter Does Iron Mike know what kind of game he could be getting into? That is more or less the question a top Washington Republican was planning to ask Mike Ditka. Virginia Sen. George Allen, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and son of a Hall of Fame coach himself, flew into Chicago Tuesday to personally huddle with Ditka, one day after the Bears legend said he was thinking about running for the U.S. Senate. "Sen. Allen is planning on meeting with Coach Ditka tonight in...

State warms to idea of Ditka candidacy By Kathryn Masterson RedEye Published July 13, 2004 Could it happen? Could Mike Ditka really be the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Illinois? When the news broke last week that a group had started a "Draft Ditka" Web site urging the former Bears coach to run for the U.S. Senate, it seemed like the quirky wish of Da Coach's fans. But Monday, a Ditka candidacy edged closer to becoming-well, a possibility. He talked on TV about running, state GOP leaders said they had discussed the opening with Ditka, and Gov. Blagojevich declared...

Could "da coach" pursue a new title as "da senator?" A group of grassroots GOP loyalists are trying to recruit former Bears coach Mike Ditka to run for U.S. Senate or Illinois Republican Party chairman in December. But are they serious? "Dead serious," said Tom Pence of Oswego, a Kendall County GOP committeeman who co-founded the Web site www.draftditka.com. The goal of his group is to gather 10,000 signatures to convince Ditka to lead the Republican Party after Chairwoman Judy Baar Topinka ends her term. "I think Judy has done a great job bringing new people to the party," Pence...