Resurfaced video of Chicago Bears icon Mike Ditka singing during the seventh inning of a baseball game is giving something to smile about for many fans grieving the death of the football great.
The video features Ditka singing the classic song “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” during a game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field in July 1998. And he definitely puts his own spin on the song.
In the clip shared by MLB, Ditka sings the words out loud, losing his voice several times throughout the song. Adding to his undeniable aura, Ditka also speeds up, leaving the organist trying to keep up with his pace.
Controlled chaos, just like the beloved football icon himself.
Ditka’s family announced his death on October 9. Ditka was 86 years old.
The Bears icon, who led the team to its only Super Bowl victory in 1986, was known for his big personality as well as his prowess on the field. And that charisma absolutely shined during the Chicago Cubs’ game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1998.
This wasn’t even Ditka’s only famous rendition of the ballpark song. During a game between the Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field in 2005, Ditka was joined by comedian Will Ferrell to man the stadium in song. The duo, who starred in the comedy movie “Kicking & Screaming,” are not singing exactly in sync.
Ditka, who was inducted into the professional football Hall of Fame in 1988, has long been a source of comedy. He even became the focus of a recurring skit on “Saturday Night Live,” in which a group of superfans who look like Ditka himself hail the legendary coach as a kind of god.