FOOTBALL FOLLIES

In the early 90's , I was a fill-in reporter for the local newspaper's sports dept. Usually my job consisted of answering the phones on Friday nights and or covering games that needed to be covered, that no one else could handle. Coming down towards Christmas, The Bears had a home game that none of the regular reporters could attend, so I got to go. It just so happened that they were playing the Denver Broncos that day. My favorite team at the time with John Elway at QB. So I got to Soldier Field and went up into the main press box. It was very nice with big cushy seats and the whole bit..but unfortunitely I was supposed to be in the auxillary pressbox down in the corner of the stadium, so a nice security guard pointed the way down there for me. As I was walking down the narrow hallway behind the radio booths on the way out, a door flew open and a giant guy came barrelling out and plowed into me, almost knocking me down. "Oh, Sorry buddy ! Are you allright ? " he said as he grabbed me I looked up and it was one of my heroes, Dick Butkus ! I said sure.. and said great ! and he took off down the hall. Well I made it over to the other pressbox,watched the game and ate and generally had a good time. After the game I collected my stats and stuff and went downstairs to the field. With a working press pass I could go everywhere except out on the field and onto the bench area. So I walked around and saw what there was to see, and after the players went in they allowed us into the tunnel to the locker rooms. The players get 15-20 minutes after the games to get their stuff off and shower..etc and at this time Mike Ditka had his press conference to keep the press busy. Then he took a golf cart to the locker room. This was before he had his hips worked on so he had trouble getting around. He went right into his office at the back and never came back out. So while I was waiting I decided to go over to Denver's locker room to see if Elway had come in yet. He was just walking up surrounded by guards. As he was going in I stuck my hand out and said "Hey Elway, nice game !" He grinned ansd shook my hand on the way by and said, "hey ! Thanks buddy !" Needless to say I was impressed ! LOL So my thrill for the day overwith I went over to stand in the crowd of TV reporters waiting to get at the Bears after another loss. All of the Chicago broadcasters were there and I found myself shoulder to shoulder with Chet Coppock on one side and Tim Weigel from channel on the other. Chet Coppock bumped into me and says Oh hey, sorry buddy! This place is like a zoo! and did that laugh of his. Well eventually we got in to the lockerroom . It was pretty basic just lockers, benches and a shower room and a training room in the back. Several players were giving interviews, so I walked up behind Mike Singletary who was sitting on a bench talking to about a dozen reporters. He was so soft-spoken, I could barely hear him and I was kinda bending over his shoulder with my notebook. As I was listening I didnt see the guy sitting on the bench directly behind me about 3 feet away. All of a sudden I hear this giant roar "F---------------------------------CK THIS!!!!!" He yelled and threw his shoulderpads against the wall, naturally they bounced off and drilled me in the back. I flinched and almost fell .. It was Steve "Mongo" Mcmichael. Evidently he didnt want to answer any questions so he was acting like a nut so people would stay away. When the pads hit me he grabbed me and said "Are you ok, Buddy ?" For just a split second he looked worried but I squeaked yea, I'm fine. Ok,good ! he said and winked at me. Everyone else including Singletary stopped for a second, saw who it was kinda smirked and kept right on talking. Mcmichael loudly said "let that be a lesson to you !" He glanced up and winked again. His strategy worked , because while I was there noone else went near him  So my first Bears game as a fill-in was a pretty eventful one. One of my heroes, Dick Butkus, almost knocked me down, I shook hands with John Elway, Chet Coppock called me buddy, and Steve Mcmichael almost brained me with his shoulder pads. All-in-all it was an interesting day to say the least !