Ultimate Buffalo Tournament: Bill McCartney vs. Emma Coburn

One championship spot has been set. Chauncey Billups defeated Rashaan Salaam in a clash of the titans. Now we need to determine the other. This matchup is a bit more unorthodox.

The case for Bill McCartney

Listen: I could bore you with stats and figures that show McCartney as a singular coaching figure in Colorado athletics and college football as a whole. I could spout numbers that show just how impressive his run is. But I won’t. Because at its heart, the appeal of Bill McCartney, whether watching from home or playing on his team, is his stirring of emotions. I present the quote, “Big dreams create the magic that stir men’s souls to greatness.”

McCartney knew how to create the magic. His teams played harder, not for him, but for each other. His teams were extremely mentally tough, because he shaped them to be. Time and time again, his players mention entering Boulder as a boy and exiting a man. McCartney did more than win football games, he affected lives for the better, constantly. To be short, he was a transcendental coach, the likes of which most programs have never seen. And that’s my emotional pitch.

The Case for Emma Coburn

Bill McCartney knew how to create magic and how to stir emotions, but what’s more magical and more emotional than Emma Coburn being the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in steeplechase?

Coburn’s every step is faster than any American woman before her. Her competitive drive is a marvel in itself, as she runs an average of 80 miles every week among her many other elite-level workouts. There’s a reason she has been a world champion in high school, at CU, in world competitions, and at the Olympics. Emma Coburn is an elixir of greatness.

This vote is more than just about Emma Coburn. A vote for Emma is a vote for Jenny Simpson, her fellow Buffalo runner and Olympic medalist. A vote for Emma is a vote for the State of Colorado, this perfect state Emma calls home. And last but certainly not least, a vote for Emma is a vote for America, the country she proudly represents each time she dominates on the world stage.