The Chicago Bears are finally retiring the number of Mike Ditka, an NFL Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl champion (as player, assistant coach, and head coach). It’s a long-overdue honor for one of the most iconic figures ever to strap on a helmet. Ditka is one of the last active links between the three yards and a cloud of dust era of Lombardi, Halas, and Landry and today’s high-wire aerial circus act known as the National Football League.
Mike Ditka’s life has been one of....