Former player and coach Mike Ditka is making it known these days that he’s upset with Gene Upshaw – who many current and former players loath – and the NFL Players Association for the way they refuse to take care of former players. Teamed with Joe DeLamielleure, Ditka recently spoke about the issue at a restaurant in Chicago and introduced former offensive lineman Brian DeMarco, who is unable to work because of several football-related injuries.
“This is unacceptable,” Ditka thundered at a news conference organized by Gridiron Greats at his Chicago restaurant.
“We are past having committees. It’s about right versus wrong. Do the right thing. Just do the right thing.”
While the health of former players vs. the NFLPA has always been an issue (especially when the topic of concussions are brought up), this particular battle with Ditka is interesting because of what former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson recently told to the Chicago Tribune:
“[Ditka] was not one who [cared] about the players or their injuries when he was coaching. He was very disrespectful of guys who got hurt and now he’s trying to champion for a couple of guys. The fact of the matter is he’s way off base and he’s late in the game.”
If Duerson is spot on about the way Ditka used to be, than the former coach is being hypocritical. However, how many other current and former coaches have/had the “tough it out” attitude with their players? In all their bikering, these guys can’t miss the point that there are former players like DeMarco who are walking around crippled because of the way the game left them. It seems like there are more players coming out (like Ted Johnson of the Patriots) saying that their former coaches ignored their health concerns so they would play. This situation is likely to get uglier before it gets better.
