Mike Ditka & Cigars
Before he was the hero of the superfans of the Chicago Bears (Da Bearssss!) on Saturday Night Live, Mike Ditka (born Michael Dyczko) was a hall of fame – college and pro – football player. Of course, Ditka was revered in Chicago more for his accomplishment in coaching the now-troubled football franchise to a Super Bowl victory in 1986 over the New England Patriots. To this day, the former tight end is hailed in the Windy City. As so often happens with sports legends, Ditka opened a restaurant near Michigan Avenue in Chicago. It had the distinction of having a second floor that served as a cigar lounge. That was before Chicago’s laws changed and made indoor smoking very difficult. Today, Ditka’s restaurant is in the Chicago suburbs. One thing that has not changed is Mike Ditka’s love of cigars.
Mike Ditka & Cigars
Tough guy “Iron Mike” Ditka likes his cigars strong. He has shared that his favorite smoke these days is the Camacho Triple Maduro Robusto. He does try a variety of brands and sizes, he said, as long as they’re powerful.
“I will give a try and smoke just about any kind. Half of the time, I don’t know the name, but I always prefer a good full-bodied cigar,” Ditka told Cigar Aficionado. “I smoke a cigar every day. I smoke them in the car, I smoke them at home and my club.”
Ditka, 85, explained that he’s been enjoying cigars for a long time.
“I just like smoking them, it’s something I have done for about 30 years now, so I really like it.”
Ditka’s Cigar Brand
Interestingly, Ditka’s namesake cigar, the Camacho Ditka Signature, is a medium-bodied Honduran cigar, that was made by Davidoff. The cigar comes in a reddish-brown Honduran Criollo wrapper leaf that holds a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. There’s a lot of black pepper, raisins, and hints of wheat evident before transitioning into an earthy, zesty finish. Before Davidoff, Ditka had partnered with Graycliff to produce a cigar bearing the coach’s name.
The Camacho Ditka Signature is no longer in production, but it’s still available if you look hard enough. I recommend the Toro, 6 inches by 50 ring gauge, around $9.50, if you want to get a representative sense of the line.
Ditka, Football Star
Mike Ditka redefined the position of tight end in football. What had previously been a position dedicated to blocking, became a more potent offensive weapon with Ditka’s speed and ability to catch passes. In his first season, Ditka had 58 receptions, including 12 receiving touchdowns, a Bears rookie record. In 1961, he was named Rookie of the Year in the NFL and in the next five seasons was selected to the Pro Bowl team. In 1963, Ditka was on the NFL champion Bears and won the Super Bowl three times. Once as a player for the Dallas Cowboys, and once as an assistant coach with the Cowboys, and finally as head coach for the Bears.
