Fridays with Mac: Bullseye

There’s a dart board within your scribe’s neighborhood watering hole. It’s a popular spot for Congress Park Taproom patrons. I’ve never played but memories always come flooding back.

Memories? Of shooting darts? Yep.

Years ago while working for what is now CBS News Colorado , this retired sports television guy was assigned to spend a week in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Why such a heinous assignment in the dead of winter? It was the first week of the two-week break between the NFL conference championships and Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XXXII featured the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers battling for pro football supremacy. Broncos’ fans will remember the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory and the one signature moment when quarterback John Elway leaped toward the Packer end zone and was pin-wheeled to the ground after picking up a key first down. Great play.

What I’ll remember about the moment? Sure, that play was big for the underdog Broncos against the defending Super Bowl champs led by quarterback Bret Favre. But what is remembered vividly was the build up to the game when station management assigned this young sports guy to visit Green Bay and give the Colorado audience, “A flavor of Packer football.” For a week, when the team’s remain in their respective cities before heading to the Super Bowl site? Green Bay was home.

In winter it gets dark early in Green Bay. Heading to the pub after work is common. So too, throwing darts. What the heck, in an attempt to immerse myself in the “flavor of Packer football” how could I not participate in two cultural staples of winter time in northern Wisconsin? Beer and darts?

The usual routine was cover the Packer practice, put together a story and front the piece with live shots for the early evening and late evening broadcasts. I give credit to Favre for being so welcoming to an out-of-town reporter. The Hall of Fame signal caller was always curious about the story angle and would instruct teammates to cooperate. Forever grateful for such graciousness. Favre was unquestioned team leader. When an unknown journalist walked up to other Packers and introduced himself and mentioned their quarterback suggested cooperation? Interviews unfolded without hesitation. Favre’s endorsement made things much easier.

Throwing darts and staying hydrated between work duties each evening became routine. Through the years, I’ve thrown darts a few times but this was like a week-long fantasy camp of firing the darn things. What fun. This southpaw had some success too. One time, on a particular good run, I had to apologize for sprinting out of the bar and abandoning the match because my photog was shouting, “Mac, we’re two minutes away from our hit!”

We’d perform the live shot from outside the bar. Then KCNC-TV sports anchor, the late Les Shapiro, would always ask the same question upon introducing my segment. “Mac, how cold is it tonight in Green Bay?” I’d sarcastically give a weather update from the upper Midwest frozen tundra, it was always well below zero, and then launch into an attempt to educate and entertain the audience.

Three minutes later, it was back in the bar to shoot more darts.

My spot at the Congress Park Taproom bar provides a perfect perch to watch the dart action. Never have I been tempted to challenge those dominating play. Apparently I received enough of the sport in that brief moment in time a quarter of a century ago.

The next week, the Packers headed to San Diego to defend their title. Elway and teammates ruined any hopes of a repeat. After five Super Bowl losses Denver had finally climbed to the top of the pro football world. “This one’s for John,” proclaimed a triumphant Pat Bowlen as the Broncos’ owner accepted the Vince Lombardi trophy from NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

A handful of Super Bowl disasters finally destroyed. Today? A 66-year-old dude takes another sip and watches folks throw darts at the Tap and reminisces of January 1998. That moment in time when the Broncos hit the bullseye.