Mike Ditka

[MTK]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

37-3 toward the end of the 3rd quarter, ball on the 1 yard line. That's BS that he got caught up in winning the game

The game was over from the start too. The Patriots got run over by that Bears D, just like everyone else did that year.

[irish]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

37-3 toward the end of the 3rd quarter, ball on the 1 yard line. That's BS that he got caught up in winning the game

Spoken like a true Monday morning QB. Unfortunately Ditka didnt have the luxury of knowing how the game would end. I'm sure he felt pretty good about winning the game but I am certain he didnt want to take any chances.

[Summo]

Originally Posted by irish

Spoken like a true Monday morning QB. Unfortunately Ditka didnt have the luxury of knowing how the game would end. I'm sure he felt pretty good about winning the game but I am certain he didnt want to take any chances.

Are you serious? Everybody knew that the Patriots weren't going to do anything in that game after the first half with their -19 total yards!

[SBXVII]

I think in any given situation you want your RB taking the ball. I agree. Problem was the other team, the Pats, zeroed in on Payton all day and he was unable to run the ball. I think it was just Ditka being innovative. But I will say I can see where being up 37-3 or something like that would piss me off it I didn't get a chance to score.

All I'm saying is the game is over. Da Bears won. At the time I was happy. Who cares who carried the ball and how many times. They all got a ring didn't they? Thats the ultimate end to a season. Say thanks and walk away.

[SolidSnake84]

It was just so awesome every single time Fridge would go in for a TD....most of the time when he would line up, everybody would think he was a decoy, and then every single time he'd rumble right in...damn that guy was huge....

Payton deserved the carry in the SB though.....

[rypper11]

At that time, I thought they'd be going back to the SB many more times. I'm sure Dikta wasn't thinking that it would be the last time Payton would have the opportunity to score in the SB.

[budw38]

It would have been nice for Payton to score , again , the game was almost over by halftime . Payton ending being one of my favorite players of all time . The first time I had seen him , we were playing them in Chicago ... I couldn't believe that we couldn't tackle that "little RB ".... awesome , tough football player , who would have made a great Redskin R.I.P. Sweetness .

[MTK]

Also lost in this was the fact McMahon had 2 goal line sneaks for scores.

Payton was a great short yardage back in his day, I understand using a guy as a decoy at times, but sometimes coaches outsmart themselves a bit and I think that's what happened with Ditka.

Needless to say of course all that matters is they won the game. Payton never made a big deal about it publicly and I'm sure in the grand scheme of his career it wasn't a huge thing to him. Just would have been nice to see him score instead of the circus sideshow that was the Fridge.

[Summo]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Also lost in this was the fact McMahon had 2 goal line sneaks for scores.

Payton was a great short yardage back in his day, I understand using a guy as a decoy at times, but sometimes coaches outsmart themselves a bit and I think that's what happened with Ditka.

Needless to say of course all that matters is they won the game. Payton never made a big deal about it publicly and I'm sure in the grand scheme of his career it wasn't a huge thing to him. Just would have been nice to see him score instead of the circus sideshow that was the Fridge.

Good point about McMahon, I remember thinking that he should have won the MVP for that game and not Dent, but in retrospect, we know the NFL wasn't going to give that to him with the way he defied Rozelle with the whole headband thing.

[Longtimefan]

Courage Summo! Had the Q&A session been allowed to continue, I'm sure someone would have eventually asked him about his love for Ricky Williams.

[MTK]

Great post SS33.

If Ditka was so concerned about the game he would have given it to his best player, period.

This thread has turned retarded, can't believe we're even discusssing this.

[Summo]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

This thread has turned retarded, can't believe we're even discusssing this.

I feel like I should apologize

[BigHairedAristocrat]

i dont see why this is a big deal. then again, it was before my time. unless this was peyton's last season and he was on the verge of breaking some kind of record, I dont see a problem with Ditkas decision.