Fridays with Mac: "Mulligans"

Mulligans. Darn good to possess, right? Reflecting on two painful divorces and the challenge of slogging through the debris but realizing the blessing in darling third wife, Kathy? Absolutely grateful for an extra shot at matrimony.

Mulligans. The main topic of conversation this Friday with Bill McCartney was sharing with the Hall of Fame coach highlights of a wonderful “Celebration of Life” for long-time CBS4Denver fellow sports journalist Les Shapiro. The Chicago native passed at the tender age of 65 from lung cancer. The talented and hard-working dude had few equals in skills, tenacity and relationship building. Nobody broke more stories and few matched “Leslie’s” devotion to our craft. For the Denver market? One of the best ever. The crooner could sing too. Shapiro leaves behind an incredible wife Paula and two adult sons. Life ain’t fair sometimes.

Anyway, I was sharing snapshots about the warm, loving and highly entertaining event held at Blake Street Tavern. Despite tough circumstances, a time to celebrate Les and see old friends from the wacky world of Denver and Centennial State sports.

One of the highlights was a story of event co-host Vic Lombardi playing golf with Shapiro in Arizona. It’s where Les and Paula moved a few years ago to help fight a nasty foe. Shapiro was new to the game. He and I used to talk occasionally about golf but the good athlete expressed, almost, disdain for the game. “It’s not really a sport,” was I recall, Shapiro’s thoughts about a tricky game Scottish ancestors birthed centuries ago. McCartney and I talk and watch golf constantly so your knucklehead scribe thought the coach might enjoy a story Lombardi shared about Les always taking mulligans. In his usual wonderful story-telling ways, Lombardi said Shapiro would hit a bad shot, drop another ball, and perhaps another, without hesitation.?

Golf fanatics know extra shot-taking is a tad frustrating. There’s a practice range for that. But Les had a way of making it okay. Lombardi shared, “Les would always say, Hey, I’m just taking up the game. There’s no way I’m gonna get better without practice.” He’d say that to playing partners and, when necessary, drive a cart back to the following foursome to explain.?Somehow, the Arizona State graduate was able to convince everybody to be okay with “Extra Shot Shapiro” despite flouting golf etiquette.

McCartney had a big ol’ grin while hearing this tale. It didn’t take long for the only coach to lead the Colorado Buffaloes to a national title to mutter, “Les, he could be persuasive.” Yes indeed. Shapiro courted his darling wife for 12 years before they married in the early ’80’s.

“Billy Mac from Hackensack,” I fired across the living room from a comfortable couch to the coach in a Barcalounger. “What’s your best mulligan story?”

I didn’t even wait for a response. The best football mulligan the Detroit native ever received? No debate. Fall of 1990. Columbia, Missouri. KCNC was televising the game with Shapiro and Dave Logan in the booth and your scribe trolling the sidelines. CU’s supersub signal-caller Charles Johnson falls backward into the Mizzou Tiger end zone for the winning score in the final seconds. Only problem? It was fifth down. Ooops. Talk about a good mulligan.

We two Mac’s are Mizzou graduates. Went there on football scholarships. To this day, when we’re out, folks want to talk about that infamous moment. I’ll never forget McCartney after the game. To the gathered media, including yours truly, a frustrated coach was going off on the field conditions and avoiding talk of the egregious officiating goof. “McCartney, remember you’re a Christian. Don’t lie. You know you got five downs,” came cascading down from a clever Mizzou fan exiting the stadium from a?ramp about fifteen feet above us.

It broke the tension and cracked up McCartney. 32 years ago and today. Lots has happened in between but a guy battling memory issues remembers the Mizzou mulligan quite well.

Life is fleeting and unpredictable. I guarantee Shapiro didn’t plan on prematurely passing. Mac didn’t plan on Alzheimer’s. Me, you and others? Didn’t plan on??

Mulligans. Use ‘em when you can.