Fridays with Mac: "Ace was a Par"

A wide smile envelops thy face while sitting down to chronicle this Friday with Mac. It’s such a joy to spend quality time with a guy known for a unique ability to exhort others to success in football, faith and life. Two fellas known as “Mac” dissect many subjects, including a beloved category: sports.

It’s a real pleasure to plop down on the couch opposite the coach’s perch in a comfy chair and hear the command: “Give me the sports news!” Well, dang. Okay, if you insist. When the only coach to lead the Colorado Buffaloes football program to a national title asks an ol’ television and radio sports guy for a sports update? Be still my heart.

The other day we started the living-room sportscast with the Nuggets. Despite many injuries to key players, coach Mike Malone’s team was playing well. McCartney loves basketball. Was a pretty good player himself in high school. So was your southpaw scribe. Once scored 50 points in an eighth-grade 24-minute game. We have an ongoing debate concerning superiority. Coach Mac always bellows, “You couldn’t stop my jump shot!” Well, dunno about that. I do know CU Buffs men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle has offered to settle this war of words, with a free-throw shooting contest, at any future team practice. I’ll keep ya posted.

McCartney had an impressive high school basketball coaching career. In the late 1960’s, the Detroit native won city and state championships at, respectively, Redeemer and Divine Child. Die-hard college football fans know McCartney was the lone prep coach legendary Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler ever hired. Fewer folks know that, at the same time, Wolverine head basketball coach Johnny Orr also offered McCartney a position of the basketball staff.

As I continued with the sports report, chatter centered on the comings and goings of NFL teams hiring new head coaches. We talked a lot about one of McCartney’s favorite topics: Eric Bieniemy. “The most competitive player I’ve ever coached,” comes automatically from the soul of the dude fighting the good fight against Alzheimer’s. As the “Buff Guy” for CBS4 Denver starting in 1988, I have gotten to know Bieniemy pretty well. Talented guy. I can’t imagine, if he wants to leave Andy Reid’s shadow, why some NFL team’s not going to give the Buffs’ all-time leading rusher a deserved chance.

The California prep star played a huge role in the great CU teams of ’89 and ’90. McCartney always recalls the game at Texas in 1990. The Buffs were down in the fourth quarter on a warm night in Austin. The defense needed to rise to the occasion. During a television timeout, Bieniemy darts from the offensive huddle on the bench and runs toward CU’s defensive team gathered at the ‘Horns 20-yard line. From my vantage point just outside the endzone nearest the players, I had a great view of EB’s scamper. A fired-up senior knowing the urgency, bounds into the mass of Buffaloes: “Get us the ball back and we’ll win this thing!” The stout defense, with stars like Alfred Williams and Deon Figures, did its job. Quarterback Darian Hagan, Bieniemy and CU’s powerful offense did the rest as CU snuck out of Austin with a 29-22 victory. The plane ride home was good. I’ll never forget that snapshot. To hear Mac’s version of that night deep in the heart of Texas makes it more special.

Then we talked golf. We always watch golf. A pro at the Farmers Insurance Open nails a hole-in-one. Ace. McCartney asked me, “Ever had an ace?” With truth in my heart, I respond, “Yep.” Counter with, “What about you?” The grandfather to ten hesitates, then mumbles, “Yes.” I can tell something’s amiss. “Really?” Mac’s body language told it all.?The ol’ journalist within bores into a buddy’s eye balls in search of, Paul Harvey’s words, “The rest of the story.”

Mac couldn’t tell a fib. “I hit the first shot on the par three out of bounds.” Grinning ear-to-ear Billy Mac from Hackensack cracked, “My ace was a par.”?#goodbetterbest