Mike Ditka

I couldn't disagree more.

Linemen never get to score? So that's why Perry should have gotten the ball at the goal line to run it in for a Super Bowl TD instead of arguably the best running back of all-time? That's like saying WRs never get to kick field goals so David Patten should have gotten the chance to kick the winning SB Field Goal instead of Adam Vinatieri.

Secondly, the Bears were up 37-3 in the 3rd quarter when Perry scored the TD so this wasn't some big strategic move on the part of Ditka.

I get the whole team is bigger than the player aspect but there's no reason for Payton, after everything he did for that franchise, not to get the ball in that situation. If anything, Ditka bought into the Fridge hype and by giving him the ball made him bigger than the team


I think it was Payton's to have and it seemed like a marketing move to sell more Fridge GI Joe figures.

http://beargoggleson.com/files/2009/08/fridge-side-by-side-300x270-copy.jpg

I think Ditka got caught up in the Fridge hype.

Payton definitely should have gotten that carry when you consider what he meant to that franchise.

Some people say bad move on Ditka's part, who the heck cares. At the time I thought it was awsome, innovative, and creative thinking giving the ball to someone who no one would have expected to be out there on offense and expect to be carrying the ball. I can remember at the time the announcers thinking Fridge was going to be a decoy, but instead he got the ball and rumbled in.

Personally Payton scored many times throught out the season. Lineman never get to score and to me it was awsome seeing a player who hardly gets to score ...get to score. It doesn't trivialize Payton's work, it was his hard work that got them to the SB, and as Ditka said the other team kept stuffing Payton everytime he saw the ball.

It just goes to show Ditka would do anything to win the game instead of worrying about stats and feelings. Lets look at it another way.... Payton got a ring didn't he?

No one player is bigger or better then the team as a whole.

I would normally agree with that notion, but in that situation where you had Payton who carried that franchise for so long when they were at the bottom of the league, besides the fact that he was then considered the best player in the league and everyone knew he was nearing the end of it, you take that opportunity to pay him back for all he did and give him an opportunity to score and not some side show freak.

I think in any given situation you want your RB taking the ball. I agree. Problem was the other team, the Pats, zeroed in on Payton all day and he was unable to run the ball. I think it was just Ditka being innovative. But I will say I can see where being up 37-3 or something like that would piss me off it I didn't get a chance to score.

All I'm saying is the game is over. Da Bears won. At the time I was happy. Who cares who carried the ball and how many times. They all got a ring didn't they? Thats the ultimate end to a season. Say thanks and walk away.

I think Ditka got caught up in the Fridge hype.

Payton definitely should have gotten that carry when you consider what he meant to that franchise.

I think Ditka got caught up in making sure he won the game.

Its impossible to coach when you have to worry about getting players stats. Ditka was focused on winning the game not making sure everyone (no matter how great) got a TD. I suspect WP would take the win without getting a TD instead of a loss and 3 TDs. Winning is all that mattered.

I think Ditka got caught up in making sure he won the game.

Its impossible to coach when you have to worry about getting players stats. Ditka was focused on winning the game not making sure everyone (no matter how great) got a TD. I suspect WP would take the win without getting a TD instead of a loss and 3 TDs. Winning is all that mattered.

37-3 toward the end of the 3rd quarter, ball on the 1 yard line. That's BS that he got caught up in winning the game

It was just so awesome every single time Fridge would go in for a TD....most of the time when he would line up, everybody would think he was a decoy, and then every single time he'd rumble right in...damn that guy was huge....

Payton deserved the carry in the SB though.....

At that time, I thought they'd be going back to the SB many more times. I'm sure Dikta wasn't thinking that it would be the last time Payton would have the opportunity to score in the SB.

37-3 toward the end of the 3rd quarter, ball on the 1 yard line. That's BS that he got caught up in winning the game

The game was over from the start too. The Patriots got run over by that Bears D, just like everyone else did that year.

37-3 toward the end of the 3rd quarter, ball on the 1 yard line. That's BS that he got caught up in winning the game

Spoken like a true Monday morning QB. Unfortunately Ditka didnt have the luxury of knowing how the game would end. I'm sure he felt pretty good about winning the game but I am certain he didnt want to take any chances.