Mike Ditka, the 1985 Bears, and Football’s Toughest Era
While Mike Ditka’s coaching career didn’t end in a dynasty, his impact on Chicago—and the game—remains undeniable.
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Some conversations feel like stepping into a smoky backroom where legends swap stories, and this episode of The Chicago Smokehouse with John Howell and Rick Telander is exactly that. If you love football, Chicago sports history, or just great storytelling, this one’s for you.
Rick Telander, longtime Chicago Sun-Times columnist, author of 10 books, and a member of the American Sports Writers Hall of Fame, joins John to talk about his book In Life, First You Kick Ass—co-written with the legendary Mike Ditka. From Ditka’s golf course antics to the raw, unfiltered stories of the 1985 Bears, this episode is a deep dive into a team and an era of football that can never be replicated.
Mike Ditka: A Larger-Than-Life Legend
Rick first met Ditka during his time covering the Bears, and their conversations over cigars at Ditka’s Cigar Lounge turned into an unforgettable book project.
“I just said, ‘Hey, how about doing a book?’” Rick recalls. “And he said, ‘Yeah, yeah, OK.’”
That simple exchange led to In Life, First You Kick Ass, a book filled with Ditka’s reflections on the 1985 Bears, his coaching philosophy, and his hard-nosed approach to life.
One of the most memorable images of Ditka is him playing golf—right after hip surgery. He ignored doctor’s orders to rest, took a swing, fell, and dislocated his hip. How did he handle it?
“Mike Lucci, the middle linebacker for the Detroit Lions, popped it back into place,” Rick says with a laugh. “Not a doctor. Just a fellow tough guy.”
The Roof That Trolled the Bears
Rick shares one of the best pranks in Bears history—painting 46-10 on the roof of his house, the score of the Bears' dominant Super Bowl win over the Patriots. Ditka loved it… until the following season, when the Bears lost in the playoffs.
“He said, ‘You gotta get that goddamn score off your roof!’” Rick remembers. After painting over it with the Bears' playoff loss to Washington, Ditka demanded that score be removed, too.
The Bears eventually took matters into their own hands—using their practice facility’s cherry picker to roll black paint over Rick’s scoreboard.
The ’85 Bears: The Greatest Team That Should Have Been a Dynasty
The 1985 Bears were a force unlike anything the NFL had seen. Their defense terrorized quarterbacks, their offense ran over teams, and their swagger was unmatched.
But despite their dominance, they only won one Super Bowl. Why?
“They had the talent, but they couldn’t hold on to the magic,” Rick explains. “The friction between Ditka and Buddy Ryan, McCaskey’s influence, and key trades kept them from becoming a dynasty.”
And then there was Jim McMahon—the heart and soul of the offense, but a quarterback who could never stay healthy.
“You need a quarterback,” John adds. “And McMahon just couldn’t stay on the field.”
The Evolution of Football: From Brutality to Rule Changes
The stories of the ’85 Bears sound like something out of a war movie.
Players getting blindsided after the whistle.
Cheap shots that would get you suspended today.
A Packers-Bears rivalry so intense that Green Bay players allegedly kept a hit list.
“It was a different time,” Rick says. “Now, if you hit a guy like that, you’re suspended. Back then, it was just football.”
Even Ditka’s famous sideline outbursts and physical altercations would be unthinkable today.
“The things that team did off the field wouldn’t fly now either,” John says. “There were no cell phone cameras, no social media. You can’t have that kind of team today.”
Ditka’s Cash-Only Mentality
One of the funniest stories in the episode is about Ditka’s preference for paying in cash. John recalls a time when he played a gig at Ditka’s private party.
At the end of the night, Ditka handed him a set of car keys and said, “Glove box.”
Inside? A bank bag filled with cash.
“Don’t ever leave me a receipt,” Ditka told him months later.
Classic Ditka.
The Lasting Legacy of Ditka and the ’85 Bears
While Ditka’s coaching career didn’t end in a dynasty, his impact on Chicago—and the game—remains undeniable.
He was tough, intense, and unpredictable. He created a team that will forever be one of the most dominant in NFL history. And, as Rick and John prove in this conversation, he left behind enough stories to last a lifetime.
If you love football, sports history, or just great storytelling, check out In Life, First You Kick Ass. It’s as unfiltered as Ditka himself.
Get the Book
📖 In Life, First You Kick Ass by Mike Ditka & Rick Telander is available at Amazon.
