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AND ONLY MIKE DITKA.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A SUPER FAN
TO KNOW THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT
THE BEARS.
I HAD A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN
COLLINS TO SIT DOWN AND TALK
ABOUT THE MAGIC OF THAT STORIED
SEASON.
HERE'S HOW YOU DESCRIBED THE
LEGENDARY COACH MIKE DITKA FOR
THE BOOK.
HE LOOKED LIKE A BEAR AND
BEHAVED BY A BEAR.
HE WAS A KODIAK ROOTING THROUGH
TRASH.
HE WAS A GRIZZLY ENRAGED BY A
SWARM OF BEEZ.
DITKA WAS THAT GUY FOR THE
ENTIRE CITY OF CHICAGO.
THAT'S QUITE LOVELY.
WHAT DID DITKA MEAN TO YOU AND
THE *** OF CHICAGO?
>> I FELT LIKE WHAT THE CITY
NEEDED WAS SOMEBODY TO SORT OF
SNAP YOU OUT OF THIS FUNK THAT I
KNEW GROWING UP IN THE '70s IN
CHICAGO WAS KIND OF NATIONWIDE.
AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE
WINDING DOWN AND GETTING WORSE.
AND ALL THE SUDDEN, DITKA WITH
THIS CRAZY PERM AND CRAZY
SHORTS, YOU COULD SEE HIM CRUSH
REPORTERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.
>> ORPHANS.
YOU WRITE ABOUT A WOMAN WHO WAS
HECKLING HIM AND HE TOOK OUT A
BALL OF BUBBLE GUM AND THREW IT
AT HER AND IT GOT STUCK IN HER
HAIR.
>> WE STUDIED IT ON THE FILM.
BUT IT WAS -- HE FAMOUSLY SORT
OF WENT LIKE THIS FOR A FAN AND
SAID THAT'S YOUR IQ, BUDDY,
ZERO.
AND HE HAD HIS QUARTERBACK JIM
MacMAHON WHO WAS THE FIRST
FOOTBALL PLAYER ON THE COVER THE
"ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE.
HE DIDN'T CARE WHAT DITKA SAID.
IT ALWAYS GAVE YOU SOMETHING
ELSE TO WATCH THAN WHAT WAS
GOING ON ON THE FIELD.
>> EVEN THOUGH I'M AN EAGLE'S
FAN AS A KID, I HAD PICTURESS OF
McMAHON UP IN MY ROOM.
HE WAS COOL.
>> FOOTBALL WHEN I WAS A KID IT
WAS SUCH A BUTTONED UP ALMOST
MILITARY SORT OF ENVIRONMENT.
THE GUYS WERE VERY, VERY
STRAIGHT.
AND CHICAGO THEY WERE VERY
STRAIGHT AND STIFF.
AND McMAHON SHOWS UP WITH A SIX
PACK OF BEER AND CHEWING SKOAL
LONG CUT AND SAYING I'M DRY,
WHERE CAN I GET ANOTHER DRINK?
>> AND I COULD SPEND THE WHOLE
TIME TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THE
'85 BEARS, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE
TIME TO DO THAT.
THERE'S STILL WALTER PAYTON AND
THE REFRIGERATOR.
QUICKLY, WHY SHOULD SOMEBODY WHO
ISN'T A FAN NECESSARILY OF THE
BEARS READ THIS BOOK?
>> THIS GROUP OF GUYS WHICH WAS
TRANSSEN DENT IN THEIR SPORT, IT
BECAME POP CULTURE HISTORY AND
AMERICAN HISTORY.
THE BIG PART TO ME IS WHAT
HAPPENED WHEN YOU HAVE A DREAM
AND IT COMES TRUE WHEN YOU'RE 28
YEARS OLD?
WHAT'S THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
LIKE?
AND I MET WITH MANY OF THEM AND
TO ME THEY'RE A MODEL HOW
EVERYBODY FACES THE BIG
TRANSITIONS EVEN AT THE END OF
THEIR LIFE.
THE PRO FOOTBALL PLAYER KIND OF
DIES TWICE.
THEY DIE WHEN THE REST OF US DIE