Mike Ditka, on his Women's Football League and National Anthem Debate

New Orleans Saints former Head Coach, Mike Ditka, spoke to TMZ Sports about his new Women's football league, X League, and National Anthem kneeling debate.

Former New Orleans Saints Head Coach, Mike Ditka, spoke to TMZ Sports about his role as Chairman of the new women's football league and opinion on the national anthem protests. The football legend remained firm in his beliefs for players to be respectful of the national anthem. The interviewer asked Ditka, "...you're the chairman of this thing [X League, formerly the Legends Football League]. Is that going to be allowed if they women want to take a knee during the [national] anthem? What's the policy on that for you guys?"

On March 20, 2013, Pro Football Hall of Famers Mike Ditka, left, and Don Shula give a radio interview before a dinner to feature Ditka's wines at Shula's Steak House at the Hilton Naples. Shula, the former Dolphins coach, died on Monday, May 4, 2020. Don Shula

Iron Mike replied,  If it was up to me, I'd say no. If you can't respect our national anthem, Get the hell out of the country." Coach added "Then that's the way I feel. Of course, I'm old fashioned. So I'm only going to say when I feel. I think there's a way you protest, and there's a way you don't protest. You don't protest against the flag, and you don't protest against this country has given you the opportunities to make a living, playing a sport, you never thought would happen. So, I don't want to hear all the crap. You want to try it, try it. You don't, it's okay."

The Hall of Fame player and coach sharply contrasts the views of many of the current players in the National Football League. New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees once held similar sentiments of Coach Ditka's but has modified his stance after listening to the plight of his fellow teammates and other sports figures.  

Mike Ditka is the Chairman of the X League is encouraging women to take-up sports once dominated by men. He believes women playing football "appeals to so many people, and seeing women play the game and play the game, not only with skill. It'll be fun to watch."  

Springfield Syndication

The X League's website states, Mike Ditka will fulfill the role as X League's Chairman and has ownership in the operations. The new women's tackle football forum will begin in April of 2021 with eight teams. The teams are the "Seattle Thunder, Los Angeles Black Storm, Austin Sound, Denver Rush, Chicago Blitz, Kansas City Force, Omaha Red Devils, and the Atlanta Empire." The goal is to penetrate international markets and grow the new entity in sports under Ditka's leadership.

In Ditka's three seasons as head coach in New Orleans, he guided the Saints to only 15 wins in 48 games. The Ricky Williams trade became his downfall in the Big Easy. Ditka believed Williams would transform the franchise and decided to exchange his whole draft picks with Washington's #5 overall spot in the 1999 NFL Draft for the Heisman Trophy-winning running back. Williams set the NCAA Division 1-A all-time rushing record (6,082) his final year at the University of Texas. Unfortunately for Ditka, the Saints did not have stability at the quarterback position and fell to a 3-13 record in the 1999 regular-season. The Saints fired Coach Ditka in 1999.  He went on to have a successful career in broadcasting before taking on the challenge of the X League.