Mike Ditka’s death at 86 sent a real jolt through the NFL community, and the tributes have been rolling in since his family announced he had passed peacefully last week.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka,” his family said in a statement.
Ditka left his mark on the Chicago Bears first as a player and later as a coach, becoming one of the most recognizable figures in the franchise’s history. On Friday’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Mike Greenberg weighed in on that legacy and made a claim that lit up social media.
“Mike Ditka walked into that old Halas Hall and everything orbited around him. He was larger than life. Michael Jordan was a global icon and certainly beloved in Chicago, but Mike Ditka was the biggest star in Chicago sports,” Greenberg said.
That comment didn’t sit well with plenty of fans, who quickly pushed back in the comments. One wrote, “RIP but I’m sure most kids nowadays don’t know who he is,” while another said, “They always overcompensate with praise and adoration when someone dies.
That man was in no way bigger than Jordan in Chicago. The comparison alone shifts the focus to something meaningless considering the moment.
It’s lazy and disingenuous,” A third fan added, “Stick to your delusional jets takes Greeny,” and another posted, “Go ask a teenager and grandmother from Chicago who Mike Ditka is. Then asked em who Michael Jordan is,”
The Bears honored Ditka during Week 5, and more tributes are expected to keep coming. But Greenberg’s comparison was enough to draw a sharp line from fans almost immediately.
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