Mike Ditka had his number retired by the Chicago Bears on Monday night during what was one of the coldest games in team history. The temperature was in the single digits all game with a sub-zero wind chill. The Bears legend gave a great speech during halftime, despite the fact that his face looked like it would have shattered if someone flicked it with their finger.
Like everyone else at Soldier Field, Ditka appeared to be frozen right to the bone. His face was about as red as Tom Coughlin’s was when the New York Giants took on the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game a few years back — and you can’t get much more red than that. Here’s a video that a fan shared where you can hear Ditka’s speech.
As someone who spent six seasons as a player and 11 years as a coach in Chicago, Ditka probably felt the weather was fitting. Sunny and 75 would have been more comfortable, but it wouldn’t have been the Windy City.
