Former NFL coach Mike Ditka expressed surprise Wednesday after reports surfaced that he and other sports stars would appear at the Republican National Convention next month on behalf of Donald Trump.
Bloomberg reported Tuesday that Ditka, along with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, legendary basketball coach Bobby Knight and NASCAR’s Brian France were set to to appear. However, that was news to the former Chicago Bears coach, who said he has not been in contact about appearing at the four-day long GOP confab.
“No one’s ever talked to me about it. I have no idea where it’s coming from,” Ditka told the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday. The former coach, who supports Trump, said that the first he heard about the news was in text messages from friends who saw the report.
“If [Trump] asks me, I’d be happy to do it. I’ve said before that I like him,” Ditka said. “I’m not the type of guy to give a big speech. My speeches are short and to the point.”
In a radio interview Wednesday Ivanka Trump confirmed the possibility of iconic sports stars appearing in Cleveland, which kicks off in less than three weeks.
“We’re putting together the lineup of speakers now and the interest is incredible,” she told radio host John Fredericks. “So I think it will be a convention unlike any we’ve ever seen. It will be substantive. It will be interesting. It will be different.”
“It’s not gonna be a ho-hum lineup of the typical politicians,” she said. “It’s gonna be a great combination of our great politicians, but also great American businessmen and women and leaders across industry and leaders across really all the sectors, from athletes to coaches and everything in between.”
Trump himself poured cold water on the possibility of Tyson attending the convention, tweeting that the former heavyweight was not asked to speak or appear despite his support for the presumptive nominee.
