Former Chicago Bears coach and ESPN
analyst Mike Ditka has said an openly gay NFL player would not bother him.
Ditka was asked his thoughts on San
Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver's anti-gay remarks.
(Related: Brendon
Ayanbadejo to Chris Culliver: Love, accept everybody.)
The 73-year-old Ditka, who coached the
Chicago Bears for 11 years and the New Orleans Saints for 3 years,
called being gay “a choice” that needs to be “tolerated.”
“I know what my beliefs are,” Ditka
said on ESPN's SportsCenter. “I believe in my beliefs. I
don't question any one else's beliefs. Whether it's religion or
anything else. That's why this is America. We have these choices to
make. We don't live by the same choices. But, you know, you gotta
tolerate other people's choices. It wouldn't bother me at all.”
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“Well said,” replied ESPN host
Hannah Storm.