Fridays with Mac: "Finding Litch"

It was like two college buddies whooping it up as Bill McCartney and your scribe drove away from an amazing visit with good buddy, Bob Litchard. “That was absolutely incredible,” bellowed the only coach to ever lead the Colorado Buffaloes to a national football title. “It was divine design!”

What follows is another example to the truth that sometimes in life you just gotta “go for it” and ya know, see what happens. Why? Well, often what transpires is nothing short of miraculous.

This tale begins with several morning calls to Litchard’s cell phone. “Litch” and McCartney have known each other since the late 1960’s. The East Coast native was a standout collegiate player, played in the NFL for the NY Giants, coached college football for years before coming to Colorado and serving several, over two decades, University of Colorado presidents through CU Foundation major gifts fundraising.

As the “Buff Guy” for CBS4Denver back in those days, Litch and I got to know each other on road trips since we flew on the team plane. The night before competition in hostile territory many traveling party members ended up in the hotel bar. Count Litchard and McIntosh among them.

Anyway, this Friday with Mac had yours truly dialing Litchard’s cell phone all morning trying to set up a visit. The golf fanatic lives in a retirement/assisted living facility near McCartney’s home. No luck. So, we decided to arrive unannounced, go for broke and solve the mystery, “Where in the heck is Litch?”

As we walked toward the facility’s entrance, two “Mac’s” were discussing strategy to persuade facility personnel to allow us entry. In these COVID times, access to elderly facilities ain’t easy.?“Hey, that looks like Litch,” McCartney mentioned. There was a man emerging from a car and walking toward the front door. I hadn’t seen Litch for perhaps a year. This guy McCartney thought was the 88-year-old looked too tall and thin. “Nah, that ain’t Litch” I countered. Suddenly McCartney barks out loudly, like yelling at a player across the field, “LITCH!”?

Sure enough, the subject of our attention whips his head around, sees two knuckleheads approaching and shouts sarcastically, “McCartney and McIntosh. Now that’s double trouble!” The search was over. No need to fret about persuasive embellishment to gain entry. We walked in as his comfort team. The timing could not have been better. Once settling into his stylish two-bedroom apartment, it’s discovered the now fit-as-a-fiddle fella had fallen, while walking to get his phone fixed. One tough ol’ helmet-head went face first, knocked a noggin and was taken to the emergency room for treatment. Litch got stitched and resembled a hockey player after a fight: sutures across the forehead, scab on the nose but, overall, no worse for wear.?

The fun began. We spent the next 90 minutes telling one tall tale after another from years of brotherhood built around the Colorado, as McCartney would say, “Golden Buffaloes.” Nobody tells a story better than Litchard and he has plenty. For 88? Litch is still sharp. As Litchard held court, Coach Mac more than once cackled, “You got some sleep last night. You still have your ‘A’ game!”

What a thrill to be present. Two men in the final quarter of life. Widowers missing their incredible wives greatly and battling like heck to preserve quality of life against the march of Father Time. Admired warriors.

The 81-year-old McCartney was playing investigative journalist when asking his handsome, smart and charming buddy, “How many girlfriends you have here?” A big grin spread across the personable man’s face as Litch sheepishly held up one finger. We accused him of lying considering elderly venues like this skew heavily in favor of many women and few dudes. This much we know as truth. Sometimes in life you have to throw caution to the wind and go for it. Where in the world was Litch? Right where needed. A bit bruised and battered but alive and well. We waltzed through the lobby as subjects to the king.

Then spent wonderful time together. Blessed. Billy Mac from Hackensack, you’re right, it was divine design!