Mike Ditka Denies Trump Request

Former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka may be a big fan of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, but he denied Trump’s request to speak at the Republican National Convention.

Mike Ditka isn’t shy about endorsing just about anything.  From cigars and wine to male enhancement products, Ditka could be the next great pitchman.  Ditka has been cashing checks that should be dated back to 1985 for more than three decades.  But even Ditka may have his limits.  While Da Coach is supposedly a big fan of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, he’s passing on the chance to speak at the Republican National Convention to back Trump.

Word of a Ditka-Trump alliance started trickling out earlier in the week but when contacting Ditka about it, he said he hadn’t gotten an invitation from Trump, so Sun Times gossip queen Michael Sneed (yes, a woman named Michael) set up a conference call to bring the two together.  The results are clipped from Sneed’s exclusive:

"Trump: “Coach Ditka, I really appreciate everything you’ve said about me. You are a winner. A real winner.”Ditka: “Everything you say about things, about the country, I agree with your opinions. You resonate with my kind of people. I believe in what you say wholeheartedly.”Trump: “You know, [New England Patriots coach] Bill Belichick is a friend of mine. Bobby Knight [former Indiana University coach] loves you. My polling went up 10 points after Bobby came out in favor of me.“And I just got back a Quinnipiac Poll. The numbers are good. I’m doing real well.”Continuing to speak about their mutual respect on a phone line that was interrupted by brief periods of ambient silence, Trump interjected respectfully: “Coach, if you’d like to speak, it would be my great honor.”Ditka: “I’m not big into doing things like that. I’m not going to change opinions, opinions are like assholes. I believe in the way the Constitution was written. But people want to change that. Immigration. Same thing. People want to change things. I believe in you and what you are saying.”"

Ditka isn’t big into doing things like that?  He’s not going to change opinions?!?!  Mike, who YOU crappin’?  As long as the check is hefty enough, there’s nothing you wouldn’t put your caricature on.

This isn’t the first time Ditka’s gotten political but stopped short of actually diving into those shark-infested waters.  In 2004 Ditka almost ran for the Illinois state senate seat that was ultimately won by Barrack Obama.

According to Sneed’s sources, Ditka declined the opportunity to speak “for now,” so stay tuned.