Bear of a coach almost gave Obama a run for his money

Here he is at the Norfolk Naval Station, the man who might have squashed the Barack Obama sensation before it ever started, the man who might have prevented Obama from becoming more than a small-time local politician with one big speech to his name.

Dressed in all black, he bounds into a room, as if he's bursting through the offensive line.

It's the coach. The indomitable leader of Da Bears! Ditka! Mike Ditka!

As he takes the microphone with an oversized hand sporting an oversized championship ring, he removes his giant tinted aviator glasses and his giant black leather coat. He's ready to talk to 100 sailors and soldiers about serving during wartime. He scoffs at an introduction to the audience.

"I know who these people are and what they're doing and where they're going," Ditka's mustache growls at the crowd.

He goes on to tell them they're appreciated.

And here's the first question: Coach Ditka, were you glad to see the Giants knock off the Patriots so the '85 Bears can still be the greatest team of all time?

"You gotta understand, I'm not a Patriots fan," the coach says. "But I'm a patriot."

Applause.

In 2004, when the Republicans were looking for a candidate for Congress against a little-known Illinois state senator named Obama, they courted Iron Mike, the revered former coach of the Chicago Bears. Virginia's former Sen. George Allen was reportedly among the suitors trying to persuade Ditka to run for the Senate seat Obama now holds.

If you listen to Ditka talk to sailors, the spine of a stump speech is there.

Ditka on the war: "I understand what you do is thankless."

Ditka on drugs and alcohol: "You can't hide behind drugs and alcohol.... You can't out-drink everyone in the city."

Ditka on leadership: "You gotta try and inspire people by the way you live your life.... I'd never ask anybody to do anything I wouldn't do."

Ditka on the press: "The media has a tendency to distort things."

Ditka on his values: "I'm old-fashioned. I'm very conservative. I've always believed what I believe."

Ditka on the United States: "the greatest country on Earth." He repeats the idea over and over again, as if that too were up for discussion among Bill Swerski's Superfans: "Who do you like in an apocalyptic battle? Ditka or the United States?" Gotta say... it would be close... Ditka.

But the competitive fire that led to game day speeches is gone after decades in the over-testosteroned football locker rooms.

"That king of the hill stuff, it's dead," Ditka said Friday, as he wound up his speech. "It doesn't mean anything to me anymore."

At age 68, he doesn't even care who beats him at golf.

But you can see why the Republicans thought about him. There's a certain charm.

Let's say you had a campaign staff of the '85 Bears versus all the precinct chairmen from Naperville to Peoria? Whose candidate do you like in an election?

Friday, Da Coach took a question about who would win the presidential race come November.

"Ya know, that's what makes this country great. I'd just say, 'Be careful what you wish for.' "

After his speech, I asked Coach Ditka whether he thought about political office.

"I did," he said. Then paused. "For about 10 minutes."

Laughter. The timing! Ditka can work a room.

"Not that I would've won," he said. "Not that he's not a good man."

But politics is so invasive. You have to lead a nearly perfect life, he said. "A lot of good people don't want to get into it." He's a professional motivational speaker now, and he was in town to do some charity gigs for the military.

After he signed all the autographs, posed for all the iPhone photos and answered all the questions, even the ones about the Redskins, then reprimanded Washington for all its negativity, he climbed into a giant red Expedition, off to visit a group of SEALS and give a speech for a Navy foundation later that night, just like any candidate who never stops.

Mike Gruss, (757) 446-2277, mike.gruss@pilotonline.com