At first, the image of Mike Ditka in a Green Bay Packers jersey is jarring. You might know that Ditka led the Chicago Bears, the Packers’ most bitter rival, to the Super Bowl XX title during the 1985 season, but casual NFL fans might not know that Ditka spent the most productive portion of his Hall of Fame playing career as a Bears tight end.
Either way, when you think Ditka, you think Da Bears, and because of that, you can’t possibly think of him cloaked in Green Bay’s color scheme. Yet, here he is in a McDonald’s commercial wearing that green and gold sweater-vest.
Aside from the aesthetic problems of seeing Ditka in those colors, the Packers have tanked since the commercials began airing on Oct. 27. At the time, Green Bay was 6-0 and playing solid football.
But since this Ditka ad arrived on the scene, the Packers have been bad—really bad—getting stomped by the Broncos, losing a tough road game to the Panthers, and falling to the Lions at home (the game against Detroit last Sunday was particularly egregious, since the Lions hadn’t beaten the Packers in Green Bay since 1991).
All of it has led to the Twitter hashtag #DitkaCurse, and some users make good points—like, did Ditka wear the Packers jersey just so he could railroad Green Bay’s season?
https://twitter.com/Lukapher/status/666438410140184576
#DitkaCurse Thanks Coach!! pic.twitter.com/h1ffon0ktt
— Brian Hurley (@brianrhurley) November 15, 2015
And from Bears legend Walter Payton’s son …
The #Packers haven't looked so good since Ditka put on a Packers sweater. #Ditkacurse #Bears pic.twitter.com/tZUqBcB4oC
— Jarrett Payton (@paytonsun) November 15, 2015
All of which is to say that a McDonald’s product has made a slew of Packers fans uncomfortable. Maybe not as uncomfortable as seeing someone stack 10 McRibs into one enormous unholy sandwich, but uncomfortable nonetheless.
H/T CBSSports.com | Screengrab via McDonald’s/YouTube