Fridays with Mac: Amor Fati

Your scribe had a long overdue gathering recently with a cherished friend and mentor, Hall of Fame football coach Bill McCartney. The 84-year-old is fighting the good fight against Alzheimer’s and it’s always a pleasure to hang with the father of four, grandpa to many and great grandpa to a few.

The only coach to ever lead the Colorado Buffaloes to a national title (1990) was once an intimidating figure who has grown into a dear friend over the years. The relationship started in 1988 when your correspondent began covering the Buffs for Denver’s KCNC-TV, now CBS News Colorado and then, “Home of The Buffs.”

I became known as the “Buff Guy” and traveled on the team plane, hosted McCartney’s, Rick Neuheisel’s and Gary Barnett’s coaches shows and developed life-long friendships that, blessedly, continue five decades later.

McCartney will forever have a special place in my heart. For the wonderful memories of being embedded inside one of the nation’s most successful football programs during the best run in school history from 1988-2001. The last time CU won a conference championship beating Texas in the Big 12 Conference title game. This knucklehead cherishes a championship ring from the last title team.

But it’s what McCartney did far away from the football gridiron that will forever be etched in the mind of this 66-year-old dude who has a new lease on life after a kidney transplant three months ago. In earlier challenging moments of my life, two divorces, nobody stepped up in support like the guy known as, “Billy Mac from Hackensack.”

The Detroit native was constantly calling me and writing heartfelt notes of encouragement while a wounded dude fought the emotional and financial pain of divorce. Twice. I have two beautiful children, a 34-year-old son from the first and 27-year-old daughter from the second. Blessed beyond measure they’re healthy and living with purpose. McCartney’s exhortation in those seasons of change to “Hang in there and believe God has a plan to prosper and not harm you, to give you hope and a future” will never be forgotten till McIntosh no longer draws a breath. Forever grateful.

As we gathered recently, the ol’ sports guy within was giving the coach an update on the beginning of the college football season. Coach Mac got the scoop on the Buffs opening game victory over North Dakota State, Travis Hunter’s big game and also a bit of news about the Michigan Wolverines, where McCartney was Bo Schembechler’s top assistant before taking the CU job in the summer of 1982. Listening intently, McCartney asked several questions and then barked, “Football’s here, GOODBYE DEAR!”

My buddy really liked a story about former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who led the Wolverines to last season’s national championship, was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the tenth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft and had misfortune hit when injuring a knee in the Vikings’ first preseason game. McCarthy will miss the entire season.

I was sharing with McCartney the attitude McCarthy is taking toward this unexpected and unwanted turn of events. The 21-year-old showed wisdom beyond his years when posting on social media about the injury, “Amor fati.” McCartney’s eyes brightened when I went on to describe what the Latin phrase means. It may be translated as "love of one's fate". It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one's life, including suffering and loss, as good or, at the very least, necessary.

McCartney was rising from his chair upon that definition. It should resonate with all of us. Whether the challenges come from Alzheimer’s, divorce, kidney disease, job loss, knee injury and other calamities far and wide, the spirit we embrace to overcome the adversity will play a huge role in our future. Stuff happens. To all of us fogging a mirror. Life doesn’t always go as planned. It’s a roller coaster with all kinds of unexpected and unwanted twists and turns.

The question always is, and always will be, how are we gonna handle it? J.J. McCarthy’s attitude is one worth emulating. Amor fati!