Ditka Would Spit on Payton Bio Author

By Chuck Sudo in News on Sep 30, 2011 6:10PM

Jeff Pearlman's biography of Walter Payton is rapidly becoming an indictment on established journalists in Chicago than it is one against Pearlman. At least that's what we're divining from the tea leaves.

Here's John Kass' latest attempt to establish his blue collar credentials.

"So what do you think?" my friend Deuce asked me.

I think that's just about the most awful writing I've ever seen outside a 12-step Rod McKuen program.

If I ever write like that, you have my permission to approach me quietly from behind and club me in the back of the head with a blunt object, repeatedly, until I lie quite still. That way my editor can get in a few thwacks too.

Where does the line start?

Pearlman was interviewed by WSCR-AM morning hosts Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley. Both of them parroted the "why did you write the book" narrative while admitting they knew of Payton's issues Pearlman writes about. Mully and Hanley's position, one we assume is shared by other local sportswriters, is that what was buried should stay buried and Pearlman broke some sort of local sportswriter omerta of which he was unaware.

Then there's NBC Chicago, which was the first with a camera and microphone to interview Mike Ditka at his restaurant about Pearlman's book. Ditka responded with what we're absolutely certain is a health code violation.

View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.

The photo we here at Chicagoist are mandated to run every time a post involves Mike Ditka makes us wonder how a bio of "Da Coach" would read.