The Green Bay Packers, the only NFL team to be a public company, have been selling common stocks in the football club since 1921. In a recent shareholders meeting, it was disclosed that former Chicago Bears coach and player, Mike Ditka, has owned 21,450 shares in the rival team worth $321,750.
Ditka, who changed the way tight ends played the game and won the Super Bowl in 1985 for the Bears, recently participated in a McDonald’s commercial where he sported his classic sweater vest but with the Packers across the chest instead of the infamous Bears stitching.
The commercial has sparked outrage and disdain among Chicagoans for Ditka displaying affection for the hated rivals for a little bit of money. Chicago journalist then began investigating other ties the local legend had with their nemesis, the Packers. Their findings seemed too hard to believe.
In 1979, Ditka purchased 5,000 shares of Packer common stock and the other 11,450 in 2002. He receives company annual statements as any other shareholder and is even a voting member. Apparently, he has even had influence in the Packers Boardroom ran by CEO Mark H. Murphy.
Ditka has made no apologizes and puts money ahead of anything. “I’m a businessman,” Ditka told Crain’s Chicago. “I got my restaurant in Chicago. Own equity in golf courses across the country and am a partner in a cigar import company. My new Cuban line of cigars is going to be a big hit.”
As the City of Chicago lets this now know fact settle in, people’s opinion of the once great Chicago legend is yet to be determined. All we know is that Ditka “don’t give a fuck.”