In Honor of Steve "Mongo" McMichael Finally Getting Inducted Into The Pro Football Hall of Fame, Let's Revisit The Time He Told Angel Hernandez To Go Fuck Himself During His Epic 7th Inning Stretch Performance at Wrigley

NBC Sports - Steve McMichael announced in 2021, at the age of 63, that he was battling ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Since he couldn't get to Canton for Saturday's enshrinement ceremony, the Hall of Fame took the ceremony to him.

Hall of Fame president Jim Porter and several of McMichael's Bears teammates, including Hall of Famers Richard Dent and Jimbo Covert, joined McMichael's bedside in his home in the Chicago suburb of Homer Glen. McMichael's wife, Misty, and their daughter, Macy, unveiled the bust.

"That's you, baby, forever," Misty said.

First off, what an incredible moment and honor for Mongo and his family today.

If watching that doesn't make you tear up, you must have no soul. Damn man. 

The NFL doesn't often get much right (see- rampant domestic battery with no repercussions, Deflategate, Bountygate, the pain killer ring that got totally swept under the rug, the latest anti-trust Sunday Ticket fallout, and of course ignoring and downplaying the whole CTE thing). But THIS, this they got right. 

It's always a shame to see people get inducted or honored posthumously. It sucks when they aren't alive to hear all the great things people say about them and get their moment on stage, surrounded by family, friends, and their former colleagues. It's going to happen with Pete Rose, because MLB and the baseball writers couldn't be a bigger bunch of fucking morons if they tried, and it's going to be criminal. Baseball is Pete Rose's life, the Hall of Fame was at the forefront of his mind (aside from betting) his entire career, and those fucks are gatekeeping him on some holier-than-thou bullshit. They're going to wait until he passes away, and the world reminisces about what a legendary career he had, and then they'll get their heads out of their asses and induct him. But I digress... End Rant.

Back to Mongo- 

I didn't get to see McMichael play because I was a baby at the time, but watching 85 Bears highlights, it's apparent that #76 was a cornerstone of that defense. He was involved in every play it seemed. He was so fucking fast, so fucking big, and hit so fucking hard. I have no idea how opposing players got up after some of these hits.

The guy terrorized QBs. Flattened lineman, and punished running backs. 

A well deserved honor indeed. Congratulations to Steve and the McMichael family. Keep fighting, and fuck ALS!

Now for the point of this blog. 

People forget that Mongo did "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch at Wrigley Field back in 2001. Angel Hernandez, at the height of his powers, was behind the plate umpiring, and made a typical horrendous call in the 6th on Ron Coomer. Before launching into the song, Mongo let Hernandez have it on the mic, and in classic Hernandez fashion, he ejected him. 

Now how you eject a guest conductor from a ballgame is beyond me, but that's just Angel being Angel.  (Remind me to tell the story sometime of how he almost ejected me when I was DJing for the Cubs at Wrigley.)

Thank God he's gone. Good riddance.