Ditka: 238, Facemasks: 0

Mike Ditka is so old, didn’t he play football back when the players wore leather helmuts?

You had better watch your tone when speaking about Da Coach!

;)

If you closely in the background you can see it’s the old home of the Bears.. Wrigley Field.

If you look closely in the background picture of Iron Mike you can see it’s the old home of the Bears.. Wrigley Field.

Hey oh…kenny,

Yeah, Old Man Ditka—what does HE know?
I bet he will never be able to fathom the deep and profound mysteries of life that you have inevitably unraveled while picking your nose and sucking the cheese off of cheetos in front of the latest edition of Grand Theft Auto, right? 

Do you comment on ANYTHING without sounding lika an ignorant punk? 

As for as I’m concerned, even if Ditka WAS serious in his discussion of "helmuts" (they must be German, now), his word is gospel. Let ‘em give it a whirl, I say. 
What’s the worst that could happen? Pretty boys like Romo and Brady get uglified down to the level of the rest of us knuckle-dragging mere-mortals?  

Good idea with the single bar. 

Chiefsters rule!

Actually, as far fetched as it sounds, it makes some back door sense. If you know that your own grill might get re-arranged when you come after some guy, you might think twice. Da Coach might splain it funny, but it makes sense.

i agree whucares… i can see players on the feild trying 2 find out who’s teeth were knocked out of what player.

hahaha, lovely! Ditka is Da Man! I say take da pads off, and issue every player a set of brass knuckles and a pet elephant to train on tackling techniques during their spare time

Let’s forget the single bar as well.  They now wear mouth pieces.  In Ditka’s day they didn’t.  Let’s not forget, in Ditka’s day football was considered a sport.  Today it’s a business.  Ya, let’s change it back to a game and take all the big dollars out of it as well and let these guys go out a get a real job besides.  Let’s complete the arguement.

Seriously, it’s not an unfathomable proposition—rugby (and rugby players) do just find without ANY type of pads (only girls and football players where them, is one old saying…haha).

Of course, there’s a different dynamic involved in tackling in a game with a forward pass vs. a game with all laterals, but still…it wouldn’t bring about half as many problems as people might initially suspect…

Ditka’s idea is brilliant.  A lot of the most dangerous hits in today’s game would not happen if the "hitter" had an equal or greater risk of serious injury as the "hittee".  Of course it will never happen, but Ditka’s point is a very good one.

For the same reason that I watch auto races to see a crash, I watch football to see the big hits. (admittedly, I like it better when my team is doling them out rather than absorbing them).
 I agree that the league should fine/suspend those players that hit to cause injury (like spearing), but football is a violent game and occasionally a player may find himself in a position where his head may be in the wrong place during a hit. That’s the nature of the game. 
 There are already too many "pussy" rules in the game: The hands to the face of the Quarterback penalty is the latest and most ridiculous addition. I saw Justin Tuck sack and strip a quarterback, but because his hand inadvertently brushed the side of the QB’s helmet, he gets called for a personal foul.
 The last thing the game needs are more rules prohibiting the natural course of the game.  That’s when players can truly get hurt.

Ditka is like Madden: when he talks you want to puncture your ear drums, except Madden actually knows football.