Mike Ditka Debuts Nakesake Hot Dog At Al’s Beef

Mike Ditka has unveiled a new hot-dog at Al’s Italian Beef that has been named after himself.

The Chicago based restaurant showcased the Spicy Jumbo Ditka Dog to the world in honor of National Hot Dog Month, which will run throughout July.

The latest addition to the eatery’s menu is priced at $6.95, and it is served on a poppy seed bun and comes covered in grilled onions, mustard and chillies. A spokesman for Al’s confirmed that this is the biggest hot dog that the establishment has ever offered.

You can check out an image of the gargantuan hot-dog in all of its glory below:

Ditka also chimed in regarding his namesake hot-dog, and he made the announcement in his usual bravado style.

“The Spicy Jumbo Ditka Dog is a taste to experience,” Ditka declared, “and you better be prepared to tackle it with an appetite. This is the best sausage I’ve ever had, which is exactly why I put my name on it.”

Ditka is now the official spokesperson for Al’s, which was founded in 1938 and has 15 outlets across the Chicago area, as well as one outlet in both Nevada and California. In 2013, he also created Ditka Sausages with Vienna Beef. The eight-inch long sausage come in two types; either Hot Beef Polish Sausage or Chicken Sausage with Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

For most people though Ditka will always be remembered for his football career. He coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years, as well as the New Orleans Saints for three, and, alongside Tom Flores, he is the only person to have won an NFL title as a player, an assistant coach, and a head coach. He is the only individual to have won a championship with the same team as a coach and a player in the modern game too.

He is also known for his exuberant personality. In 1983 he broke his hand after punching a locker during a halftime speech to his players, while he almost came to blows his his defensive co-ordinator, Buddy Ryan, in 1985.

In 1986 and 1987 he had altercations with fans who had started to heckle him from the sidelines. In the first instance, Ditka returned the favour by gesturing to one of them with his hand and saying, “See that? That’s your IQ, buddy. Zero,” and he then followed this up a year later by throwing a piece of chewing gum at a San Francisco 49ers fan.

[Image via Bing.com]