Review of "Ditka: An Autobiography," by Mike Ditka with Don Pierson

 Review of

Ditka: An Autobiography, by Mike Ditka with Don Pierson, ISBN 0933893388

Three out of five stars

Too much about Ditka the person

 On the surface, the football career of Mike Ditka is very interesting. His first year with the Chicago Bears he caught 58 passes, an unheard of total for a tight end. Before Ditka, tight ends were almost totally blockers, so he revolutionized the position. He played on the 1963 Bears championship team and in two Super Bowls as a player for the Dallas Cowboys. Ditka’s next gig was as a coach for the Dallas Cowboys. During that time the team reached the playoffs eight times, won six division titles, three NFC championships and a Super Bowl. He was the head coach of the 1985 Chicago Bears, considered by many to be the best team of all time. Ditka also played under Papa Bear George Halas and played two seasons with Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus.

 With all of these professional achievements, the expectation is that this book would be full of insights into the machinations of all of that success. Yet, the book is more about the relatively minor things in Ditka’s life. While those things are obviously important to Ditka because it is his life, they pale in interest compared to all of the other major professional accomplishments and experiences.

 For this reason, the knowledgeable football fan will likely find this book rather dull compared to what it could have been.

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