] Da Coach is thinking of running for office.
]
] Illinois is abuzz over a fledgling effort to draft Mike
] Ditka, legendary coach of the Chicago Bears, to fill the
] Republican slot in the U.S. Senate race against Democrat
] Barack Obama.
]
] The opening was created last month when investment banker
] Jack Ryan said he was quitting the race over claims in
] his divorce records that he took his wife, actress Jeri
] Ryan, to sex clubs and asked her to have sex in front of
] other people.
]
] Many prominent Republicans have declined to step in, most
] citing a lack of financial backing from the party.
]
] Ditka met Tuesday night in Chicago with Sen. George
] Allen, R-Va., head of the National Republican Senatorial
] Committee. Allen is the son of another legendary football
] coach, the late George Allen Sr., the man who picked
] Ditka in the first round of the 1961 NFL draft. Allen sat
] down with Ditka not to recruit him but to make sure his
] family friend was aware of what might lie ahead.
]
] Ditka, who has never held elected office, has said he
] will make a decision by week's end.

Being from the Chicago area, Ditka is worshiped there and a shoe-in if he runs. I liked him as coach, but the US Senate?? He is not the brightest crayon in the box and his anger management problems are legendary. It's just a series of bad jokes that write themselves for Leno and Letterman if he makes the bid. -LB