Mike Ditka, a true titan of the gridiron, passed away on October 9 at the age of 86, after spending over two decades calling Naples home. Imagine a legend like that chilling in the same city for 20-plus years, living in the Wilshire Lakes community. Ditka had his own steakhouse in Naples for a while, but it closed a few years before one of the coolest meetings in NFL history went down.
When Two Absolute Legends Met Up For Wine and Laughs
Picture this: it’s March 2013, and Ditka is rolling up to Shula’s Steak House in Naples, only about a mile from where his own place used to be. Why? To debut his new wine label at a restaurant owned by none other than the legendary Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula! Ditka told the Naples Daily News it was a real honor to have his wine at Don’s place. He was super excited for the exposure, knowing Shula had this huge nationwide business. Both of these guys are Pro Football Hall of Famers, by the way. Shula was 10 years older and passed in 2020, but on that day, it was all laughs. Servers were even rocking orange T-shirts with “89” on the back, Ditka’s number from his playing days with the Bears and Cowboys. His playing career ran from 1961 to 1972, can you believe that? Ditka’s wine labels even featured him through different stages of his career, from that brush-cut Bears look to his Hall of Fame bust. His reps actually approached Shula’s people to make this happen, and a portion of the proceeds from the event went to United Way of Collier County. You know it was a memorable night for everyone who shelled out to be there.
Ditka on Wine, Life, and That Infamous 1985 Showdown
Tom Donahue, the general manager at Shula’s Steak House back in 2013, confirmed that Ditka wanted to sell his wines there. Shula, who was 83 at the time, was all about it. He even cracked a joke that Ditka might try to avoid talking about *that* 1985 game. You know the one: Shula’s Dolphins absolutely pummeled Ditka’s undefeated Monsters of the Midway in the Orange Bowl, handing Da Bears their only loss that season. But hey, Chicago still went on to win the Super Bowl with one of the most dominant defenses ever, so it’s all good. Ditka himself was proud of his wine, telling the Daily News it wasn’t fancy but “pretty solid.” He then dropped a classic Ditka line: “Most wine is good. If you get a bad bottle of wine, it’s your own fault.” The man knew how to keep it real. He clearly enjoyed those public get-togethers, too. He famously said, “Right now, if I wasn’t doing this, I’d be getting ready to go to bed,” summing up his no-nonsense charm perfectly.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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