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NFL Honors Mike Ditka at Lambeau

· Fact-checked before it aired. Unconfirmed claims from this segment are not shown.

Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame tight end and coach who led the 1985 Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl XX championship, died on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at age 86. His family announced the death via Jarrett Payton, son of Bears legend Walter Payton. On Sunday, Oct. 11, the Bears-Packers game at Lambeau Field opened with a moment of silence for Ditka before the national anthem, with fans dressing as Ditka and tributes on the field and in the stands.

Ditka was one of the most iconic figures in NFL history — a five-time Pro Bowl tight end, 1963 NFL champion with the Bears, Super Bowl VI winner with the Cowboys, and later the mustachioed "Da Coach" who defined the Bears' 1985 Super Bowl season. He is one of only two people (with Tom Flores) to win Super Bowls as a player, assistant coach, and head coach.

Mike Ditka died on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at age 86, and the Bears-Packers game on Sunday, Oct. 11 featured a moment of silence for him at Lambeau Field before the national anthem. This is a speculative prediction about UFC 333 outcomes, not a checkable factual claim. Alexander Volkov, a Russian heavyweight, is on the UFC 333 card, but whether the event ends with three Russian champions is a forecast, not a fact. Personal anecdote/joke about a boxing match; no factual claim to verify.

Fact-check

VERIFIED TRUE

Mike Ditka died on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at age 86, and the Bears-Packers game on Sunday, Oct. 11 featured a moment of silence for him at Lambeau Field before the national anthem. This is a speculative prediction about UFC 333 outcomes, not a checkable factual claim. Alexander Volkov, a Russian heavyweight, is on the UFC 333 card, but whether the event ends with three Russian champions is a forecast, not a fact. Personal anecdote/joke about a boxing match; no factual claim to verify.

A moment of silence for Mike Ditka ❤️ @ChicagoBears https://t.co/jXWG0RE3EG

Original post · @NFL

nfl.com / chicagobears.com NAMES: Mike Ditka = Hall of Fame Chicago Bears tight end and Super Bowl-winning coach ("Da Coach"). POST 2113422766363791669: NOCLAIM

Sources

What the hosts said

MMike Ditka is gone, and the NFL just gave him a moment of silence at Lambeau.
LDa Coach. Eighty-six years old. The man WAS the Bears.
MThe league posted it three minutes ago. Bears-Packers, Lambeau, before the anthem.
LAnd Packer fans stood for it. That tells you everything about what Ditka meant.
MHe's one of only two guys to win a Super Bowl as a player, an assistant, AND a head coach.
LTom Flores is the other. But Ditka did it with that mustache and that scowl.
MThe '85 Bears defense gets all the love, but Ditka built that whole identity.
LHe was a five-time Pro Bowl tight end before he ever coached. People forget that.
MGoodell said Ditka 'epitomized football.' The Packers called him one of the fiercest competitors in NFL history.
LYour biggest rival saying that about you? That's the whole resume right there.
MAnd the fans showed up dressed as Ditka. Mustaches everywhere at Lambeau.
LThat's the Chicago way. You honor Da Coach by becoming Da Coach.
MRest in peace, Mike. You were one of one.
LNow let's get to some fights, because that's what he would've wanted.
MSpeaking of fights — UFC 333 could end with THREE Russian champions at the same time.
LThat's a big 'could.' Who's actually on the card?
MAlexander Volkov, the number four heavyweight. He's Russian. But the rest is speculation.
LSo one Russian heavyweight and a dream. That's not a story, that's a wish list.
MThe account's just throwing it out there. But three Russian champs at once would be wild.
LIt would be. But I need names, not vibes. Who else is even close to a title?
MThat's the thing — nobody's confirmed. It's a forecast, not a fact.
LThen it's a barstool debate, not a headline.
MDifferent world entirely: Sensible World of Soccer is playable in your browser now.
LSWOS? The Amiga classic? That's a deep cut.
MA fan project put it online. Works on desktop and phone. Free.
LThat game was way ahead of its time. Career mode, management, the whole thing.
MAnd now you can play it on your phone while pretending to work.
LDon't tell my boss. But seriously, that's a fun little time machine.
MAlright, one more from the internet: a guy says his girlfriend and her best friend greeted him and his friends after a boxing match.
LAnd? What's the punchline?
MThere's a video attached. I'm not clicking that at work.
LSmart man. Some things are better left unseen.
MAlright, let's wrap on the real story. The league lost a giant today.
LAnd Lambeau gave him a proper send-off. That's how you honor a legend.

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