Ditka Charged With Drunk Driving, Fans Are Upset

Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol early Monday, prompting irate Bears fans to flood state police with calls of protest.

Ditka was arrested about two miles north of O’Hare International Airport shortly after the Bears had returned from San Francisco, where they defeated the 49ers, 26-10, Sunday.

“As I said before, it is an unfortunate situation. I have a lawyer and we are prepared to deal with it,” said Ditka at the team’s news conference Monday.

Bear President Michael McCaskey said team counsel Don Rubin would represent Ditka.

State police answered calls from angry Bears fans all day.

“We’ve been called everything in the book that you can think of,” said Illinois State Police Trooper Louis Jurkowlaniec, one of three troopers handling the telephones.

“If the officer had not done his job, Ditka may have been dead,” Trooper Sandra Mosley said. “We’re doing our job.”

Jurkowlaniec said three charges were placed against Ditka: speeding, improper lane usage and driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor.

State Police Sgt. Charles Roth said Ditka, 45, was stopped just after midnight on the Tri-State Tollway. Ditka posted $100 bond and surrendered his driver’s license before being released.

“There is a very good chance he (Ditka) could lose his driving privileges” for up to a year, Sgt. William Kearney said.

The maximum fine for a drunken driving conviction is $3,000, he said.

Ditka said he had no comment about the incident except to call it a “disappointing situation.”