Mike Ditka is said to have changed his fiery ways since becoming the Saints' coach, but don't believe it for a minute // Same old, same old

METARIE, La. When Mike Ditka returns to Chicago on Friday, we aretold to expect a different man from the one who cussed out players,asked assistant coaches to step outside, punched lockers, climbedinto the stands after fans, ignored the owner, ripped into writersand goaded opponents.

They tell us that the Ditka who could bring out the fight in aTrappist monk is gone forever. "Mellow Mike" is what the talkingheads are calling him.

But it doesn't seem that long ago when Ditka was biting off theheads of quarterbacks as if they were sticks of beef jerky.Remember when:He was so disgusted with one practice that he called his team offthe field?During a scrimmage against another team, he called out a player fromthe opposing team for clipping one of his players, even though Ditkaadmitted it wasn't his place to do so?He roused his team to a preseason victory with a fiery speech?Ditka told his players that the opponent had rubbed their noses inthe dirt in a previous meeting, and he implored them to "hit the guyacross from you in the mouth before he hits you."He made fun of his injured players? He told one to treat hisbruised sternum by putting a pad on it, taking an aspirin, wearing asign with an arrow that read, "Don't hit me here," or by visitingLourdes. He got fed up with the way tight ends were blocking inpractice one day and hit the sled himself?He personally saw to it that his players ran the nutcracker drillevery day in a grueling training camp, then made sure they wereforced to run after each and every practice?He yanked a couple of defensive linemen out of a preseason gamebecause one roughed the quarterback and the other jumped offside?He cursed the host of a radio show who tried to interview him beforea game and ranted at team public-relations men for setting up toomany interviews?Don't remember these scenes? Well, maybe it's because theydidn't happen in Chicago. They happened since Ditka has beencoaching the Saints.A new Mike Ditka?"That's bull," said Danny Abramowicz, Ditka's offensivecoordinator. "Smell it, don't eat it."The new Mike Ditka is the old Mike Ditka.If there's a difference in Ditka, it's that he knows where todraw the line. Passion still is what defines Ditka, but he says itwill never again consume him to the point where he loses control.Ditka chuckles at his new image."I am me, first of all," he said. "I'm not trying to foolanybody. And I'm not unhappy with that person. I like that person.I don't like some things he does in life. Like everybody else, I'vedone some things I wish I could change, but I can't change themnow."Several Saints players already have felt Ditka's bite."He found out he has to get some players' attention, and theonly way is to be vocal with them," quarterback Heath Shuler said.The more familiar Ditka has become with his players, the morevociferous he has become."He's certainly asserting himself," cornerback Eric Allen said."When you don't perform, he lets you know. It goes a long waymentally. We're not making as many mistakes as last year because ofthe emphasis on technique."More than just a temper remains from the old Ditka. The samequalities that made Ditka popular enough to win an election inChicago have enchanted New Orleans. Three games into his firstpreseason, he is as ubiquitous as crawfish on the bayou.There is a demand for Ditka, and he is happy to supply. Ditkahas not one, not two, but three local television shows and a radioshow. The TV shows pay him $300,000 per year.His face adorns the cover of New Orleans magazine. He appearsin ads ordering the locals to drink Big Shot pop and demanding theybuy Saints tickets.More fans bought tickets for the Saints' first preseason gamethan attended any game last season. The Saints, who finished 3-13 in1996, have sold 3,034 more season tickets this year.The New Orleans Times Picayune quoted one 5-year-old fanpredicting a perfect record for the Saints, including a victory overthe opponent of the week by a 61-0 score."There's so much hype right now," Ditka said. "It's like we wonWorld War III or something."It's only going to intensify.So will Ditka. With the regular season more than one week away,Ditka hasn't seen a single round of enemy fire yet. And if Ditkashould show some of his familiar rage?"So what?" Ditka said. "It's not the end of the world. Itworked for one Super Bowl and a lot of wins. If it has that muchsuccess down here, we'd all be tickled."Not to mention entertained.