“Hey Mark,” joked the sharp-looking lady. “You got the priorities out of order. First and foremost, we like to have fun!”
It was a parting shot at what had been a wonderful luncheon with the Buffalo Belles. It’s a women’s booster club for University of Colorado athletics. This simple dude from Missouri was recently blessed to deliver a Pep Talk to the ladies at their kickoff luncheon. The group was founded in 1970 and continues to thrive. The ladies are a hoot.
In a former life, as a sportscaster at KCNC-TV in Denver, I had the pleasure of being “The Buff Guy” for the station. For almost 20 years, a lucky dude was embedded inside a football program that enjoyed much success from 1988-2005, including a 1990 national championship and a 2001 Big 12 Championship. I hosted the coaches’ shows of Bill McCartney, Rick Neuheisel and Gary Barnett. I’m still close to many players, coaches and their families of the era.
Back in the day, I also hung out often with the Buffalo Belles. There are no bigger CU fans than these women. We were always at the games together, them cheering and me reporting.
We had a grand time over lunch with a theme centered on three wonderful attributes of the group of cool gals: They are united in support of the university’s student/athletes, coaches and staff; they are die-hard fans willing to “fight to the finish” in rooting for the Buffs and as mentioned earlier, they love to have fun along the way.
Can you imagine? How many “teams” would benefit it they had a booster club behind them that was united, unwavering in support, and enjoyable? Home? Work? Neighborhood? Church? Non-profit? School? Dang, where could I sign up for a gig like that? It’s real easy to talk about the importance of that terrific trio - unity, support and fun - but far more difficult to execute. Life gets in the way of our best laid plans, right?
Emotions still stir when sharing the “One Heart Beat” story from the 1989 Colorado Buffaloes’ football team. I use it often when speaking about the importance of unity. It was cool to tell the story to a crowd that included many who had experienced the moment as well.
There was a light mist falling from the sky that late September day in Seattle, Washington. Husky Stadium on the University of Washington campus was jammed. It was one of the weekend’s best college football matchups: Undefeated Colorado on the road against coach Don James’ Huskies.
The media build up before the game centered on the Buffs mental state. A week before, in an incredibly emotional service, the team had said goodbye to its captain, leader and quarterback, Sal Aunese. The senior had been diagnosed with stomach cancer in the Spring of 1989 and succumbed quickly. Everyone wondered how the Buffs would react. Would it be such an emotional drain that victory on the road against a quality team in a hostile environment would be too much to expect?
Right before kickoff, the public address announcer asked the sell-out crowd to rise for a moment of silence in honor of the 21-year-old who left behind an infant son from a relationship with the head coach’s daughter. From a journalistic standpoint, really from any viewpoint, it was compelling stuff. As soon as the crowd rose, each and every member of the Colorado football family knelt on one knee and pointed skyward in honor of its fallen comrade.
Folks, while writing about this moment that transpired a quarter century ago, it still gives me goose bumps. I’ll never forget standing on that field with the light mist falling and thinking, “It’s like tears coming down from heaven for this team.”
How did the Buffs react? Well, they went out there and just kicked the Huskies’ butts. The team went on to win every regular season game, rose to #1 in the country and played for the national championship against the Lou Holtz-coached Notre Dame Fighting Irish. At the Orange Bowl that year the Buffs lost a chance to win the school’s first national championship in a game they should have won.
The 1989 Colorado Buffaloes motto throughout the year? In honor of Aunese? One Heart Beat.
Everybody checked their individual agendas at the door. Egos were not welcome. Behind Aunese’s replacement at quarterback, Darian Hagan, and a host of talented athletes who would later play in the NFL, these young men put together what was arguably the greatest season in school history. The Buffs did share a national championship the following year with Georgia Tech, but it was not without controversy, considering one of their wins was the now infamous “Fifth-Down Fiasco” at Mizzou.
United. One heart beat. It worked for a football team. It will work for us. Join a group this week and be like the Buffalo Belles. Pour heart and soul into the effort with unity, support and fun. It will not be easy. It will require great sacrifice. But the fruits harvested will sweeten our lives forever, and probably give you goose bumps too.
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