Mike Ditka Was No Fan Of Minnesota’s Metrodome

Legendary Chicago Bears player and coach Mike Ditka passed away on Friday, October 9th at the age of 86. Ditka won Rookie of the Year with the Bears the same year he was drafted fifth overall and was the first tight end to pass 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.

Ditka was a part of three championship teams: as a player with the 1963 Bears NFL Championship, Super Bowl VI with the Cowboys and as head coach of the 1985 Bears.

MIKE DITKA AND THE ROLLERDOME 

Of all the places Ditka saw in his days in the NFL, you could probably make the case that the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome was his least favorite- after all, he wasn't shy when giving his opinion on what he described as "the RollerDome" due to the building's offering of the space as an exercise area on non-event days.

'The only I thing I think is maybe they could convert it into a national armory, and that way they could get more use for it,' Ditka said according to a 1988 UPI article. 'If they could grow grass, then I know they could use it for livestock.'

The Vikings famously had their cheerleaders in roller skates following the 'Rollerdome" comment, then placed large plastic cows on the sidelines after the subsequent livestock quote.

MIKE DITKA RECORD AGAINST VIKINGS

In the end, Ditka had the last laugh over Vikings fans by posting an 8-4-1 record against them in his coaching career.