Fridays with Mac: "Blessed Rumbles"

This Friday with Mac was Christmas Eve. The skies outside darkened with the threat of much-needed moisture for the parched Centennial State landscape. It was early afternoon but seemed much later. We needed light as I reached for the switch to illuminate the Christmas tree inside the home of Bill McCartney. It was beautiful, colorful and bright.

For whatever reason, it inspired two wacky dudes to sing Christmas carols. We ran the gamut between classics like, “Silent Night” and “Deck the Halls” before finishing with “Mele Kalikimaka.” Legendary crooner Bing Crosby made this Hawaiian-themed song a big hit long ago and its popularity remains strong today. I LOVE singing it. Anytime of year. Apparently Coach Mac does too.

Two ol’ farts belting out a song about, “That’s the island greeting that we send to you from the land where palm trees sway” transported the conversation to the Colorado Buffaloes appearance in the Aloha Bowl, Christmas Day 1993. As a long-time sports guy for CBS Denver and designated “Buff Guy”, trust me, there have been tougher assignments. Even a pale Scotsman, who never tans, can figure out a way to enjoy a week on Waikiki. The Buffs beat Fresno State and its talented quarterback Trent Dilfer, 41-30 to finish the season 8-3-1. It could have been better.

The Buffs were loaded with quarterback Kordell Stewart, eventual Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam and a host of other standouts who would play in the National Football League. Talent was abundant. It would be McCartney’s second-to-last CU squad before the only coach to ever lead the Buffs to a national championship resigned after the next season.

I shared with Billy Mac from Hackensack one of my favorite stories. It had nothing to do with a certain play of the game. It revolved around an encounter with Michael Buffer. Who’s that? Sports fans, especially boxing, know the Pennsylvania native as the “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble” announcer. Well, Aloha Bowl organizers had hired the Vietnam veteran turned ring-announcer superstar to belt out the, now, quite-familiar creed before the game as 44,000 folks basked inside Aloha Stadium on, as the song suggests, “A Bright Hawaiian Christmas Day.”

Buffer, now 77, and a curious TV sports guy struck up a conversation while standing on the field moments before a friendly and handsome fella raised by foster parents got paid a whole bunch of money to showcase his talents for about five seconds. Buffer is smart and trademarked the phrase and reportedly has made more than $400 million from it. Not bad. I shared with McCartney what was so impressive about a guy who exited military service at 23, held various jobs, including car salesman and modeling, before becoming the beloved ring announcer at 38. What was so impressive? His humility.

We had never met but Buffer made me feel valued and appreciated in the fleeting moments we visited before the star was announced, marched to midfield and boomed to the Buffs, Bulldogs and everyone assembled, “LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!” As usual, the crowd was whipped into a frenzy as Buffer exited the field and walked past me. I gave him a nod of approval. He smiled and offered, “I am blessed.”

I was animated and standing before McCartney while sharing this story. Sitting comfortably in a favorite chair, the father, Hall of Fame coach and buddy fighting the good fight against Alzheimer’s, was grinning ear to ear. A trip down memory lane to football success in tropical paradise on the day the world celebrates the birth of Jesus and being reminded, kudos Michael Buffer, to give thanks, despite difficulty and turmoil? To the blessings life does bring our way? The grandfather to ten was beaming like a school-aged kid Santa blessed for being nice and not naughty. “That is awesome” fluttered from his lips.

Here comes 2022. Let’s get ready to rumble in ways that honor us, nurture those dependent upon us and add value to the communities we serve. A cord of three strands not easily broken. We, and others, will be blessed if we can pull that off! #goodbetterbest