Saints, Ditka Make It Official: He’s Their Man

Mike Ditka returned to the city of his greatest football triumph, taking over as coach of the New Orleans Saints, the second-worst team in the NFL.

There were tears in his eyes and a catch in his voice as Ditka, who symbolized the tough, no-nonsense style of play that endeared him to Chicago’s blue-collar fans, was introduced Tuesday as Jim Mora’s replacement.

“Life to me is about challenges and climbing mountains and that’s what I intend to do, try and climb another mountain,” said Ditka, whose Chicago Bears beat the New England Patriots 46-10 in the ‘86 Super Bowl in New Orleans.

Ditka, back in the NFL after a four-year stint as an analyst for NBC, is the latest coach to leave the broadcast booth. Earlier this month, Dick Vermeil returned as coach of the St. Louis Rams after 14 years, and last year Jimmy Johnson replaced Don Shula in Miami after a two-year stay at Fox Sports.

“I’m severing a lot of ties, a lot of things that have happened in my life,” Ditka said. “Thirty years, and it’s tough.”

Can he turn around the Saints after four straight non-winning seasons?

“I don’t believe in miracles, but I don’t think it’s going to take a miracle,” he said.

The 57-year-old Ditka signed a three-year contract. Terms were not disclosed, but Ditka said the deal did not include team ownership.

Parcells, Kraft air differences

With Bill Parcells’ future at stake, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue presided over a conference call in which the coach and the New England Patriots aired their contract differences.

The dispute involves a provision added to the contract in 1996, which the team claims gives it the exclusive right to employ Parcells for 1997 if he wishes to continue as the team’s coach or in a comparable NFL job.

Parcells claims other parts of the contract entitle him to leave the Patriots and coach another NFL team next season.

Tagliabue said he would rule as soon as today. Meantime, he has barred Parcells from negotiating with any other club.

Reports have speculated that Parcells has already decided to take over the New York Jets.

Dallas police change policy

Dallas police, criticized for naming two Dallas Cowboys as suspects in a rape complaint by a woman now charged with perjury, now say they’ll wait until suspects are arrested or charged before identifying them.

The decision is “an interim change,” pending a formal review of the department’s policy, Sgt. Jim Chandler said.

Police were concerned about releasing suspects’ names before they have a chance to investigate the validity of the allegations.

Police were criticized after holding a Dec. 31 news conference to say that Cowboys players Michael Irvin and Erik Williams were being investigated. A woman had told police that Irvin held a gun to her head while Williams and another man raped her.

Their accuser, Nina Shahravan, was later accused of fabricating the complaint and charged with perjury.

Bungee crew poorly trained

Volunteers given life-or-death responsibility for a crew of bungee jumpers received only 2 minutes of instruction before the Super Bowl rehearsal in which one acrobat was killed, one of the volunteers says.

Lora “Dinky” Patterson, 41, of Sarasota, Fla., was one of eight bungee jumpers who were to drop toward the field and bounce twice at the end of their cords, and then be lowered to the floor by the two-member teams of volunteer rigging handlers.

But Patterson, a former circus aerialist, hit the ground on her second dive during Thursday’s rehearsal for the Super Bowl halftime show and died of a head injury.

Personnel

Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson has announced that team president Mike McCormack will return for 1997, although the future of general manager Bill Polian is unclear… . Reggie Brooks, Tampa Bay’s third-leading rusher last season, signed a two-year contract to remain with the Buccaneers.