We’ve heard Mike Ditka opine on politics many times, and it’s usually staunch conservative. He’s stumped for Sarah Palin, said that he could have beaten Barack Obama in an election, said “if (insert name of Democratic Presidential Candidate in ’92, ’96, ’00, ’04, ’08, ’12) wins it’ll be the biggest step backward this country has ever taken.” So when Mike Ditka arch-conservative says something good about a Democrat, a liberal, or just plain a liberal democrat, it’s news!
Such is the transformative, unifying power of JFK’s legacy.
Mike Ditka on ESPN NFL Countdown yesterday. Talking about his personal experience playing an NFL game 50 years ago today, two days after President John F. Kennedy’s death …
Mike Ditka: “It was a strange feeling. … Let me preface all this by saying the 60s were a pivotal time in America history. There were a lot changes. … Jack Kennedy was the best thing I knew that ever happened in this country because he did provide hope, and when he made the statement ‘ask not what your country can do for you, what you can do for your country’, that was so significant. … I can remember being in the stadium, playing the game – yeah it was our job … They (fans) were there but nobody was making noise. I don’t remember noise. … It’s not about the game. It’s about the loss of a great man.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also an analyst for multiple news talk radio stations across the country; with regular weekly segments on NBC and Fox Sports Radio. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks) and RSS Catch him Tuesdays talking Illini and Northwestern for KOZN 1620 The Zone, Fridays talking Chicago Bears for WAOR 95.7 The Fan