Tuesday Cardinal Couple: Lacrosse, WBB Great Eight, 2012 Battle of New Orleans and Watson

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TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:


-Lacrosse to face Cincinnati 


-Two advance to the FINAL FOUR in WBB


-Mickey Clark records update of CARDS NCAA song


-Watson...on UK vs UofL


It hasn't been the smoothest of seasons so far for Kellie Young's Louisville lacrosse squad...but they look to gain their first BIG EAST win of the season this afternoon in Cincinnati against the Bearcats. Game time is 5 p.m. in venerable Nippert Stadium.

Louisville (2-6, 0-1) travels to the Queen City after falling at Notre Dame this weekend. Faced with the rebuilding of the lacrosse Cards after heavy senior graduation, Young has found at least one budding star in sophomore Nikki Boltja, who is second in the nation in scoring average with four goals per contest. 

UC (3-3) looks to rebound after a loss to Iona Saturday. This is their first BIG EAST contest of the season. Midfielder Laura Simanski had five goals for the Bearcats in the Iona loss and is a player the Cards will need to keep tabs on in this one. 


As we mentioned earlier, they'll play this one in Nippert Stadium on the UC campus. CARDINAL COUPLE hopes that the 2013 football game against the Bearcats will return to the cozy, on-campus site instead of NFL monolith Paul Brown Stadium. Some great memories over the years of going to football games at Nippert to see the Cards and Bearcats do battle.


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Stanford and Baylor have punched their tickets to the NCAA Final Four in Denver and both did so with little problems. 

"I'll get you now, my pretty!" 

The Baylor Bears got 27 points out of Odyssey Sims and almost a triple-double from Brittany Griner in the 77-58 defeat of the UT Lady Vols. 


This one got a little scary at the end. With 47 seconds left, Sims and Shekinna Strickland got involved in a loose ball tussle that got chippy. Although no punches were thrown, the two were separated and several Baylor players came off the bench to join the fray. Ejections without suspensions were issued to Griner and a couple of other Bears. A riot is an ugly thing.

We're hoping that Pat keeps making
these walks to the locker room.

We're wondering what the future will hold for UT head coach Pat Summit. Not nearly as involved in the game activities from the sidelines because of her onset dementia and Alzheimer's disease, Pat's case is one of  sadness and sorrow.


WE hope that UT does the right thing here, though, and allows Pat to remain on the bench and contribute whatever she can while she can. You don't retire legends until they're ready to step aside. WE'RE fans. Let the first lady of women's college basketball do her thing until she's ready to stop doing it. WE Back Pat. 


Meanwhile, in Fresno, the Stanford Cardinal moves on after disposing of Duke 81-69. Nnemkadi Ogwumike (a spell-check favorite of ours here at CARDINAL COUPLE) poured in 29 points to send Tara's bunch to Denver. We saw this one as the regional final that had the best chance for a #1 to go down...but the "Og" sisters survive and advance. Out of the teams vying for those Denver slots, Stanford has the shortest trip to Denver from the respective campuses. 

Tonight brings Notre Dame and UConn to the HD screen. The Huskies should send Kentucky back to pollen and allergy land and Notre Dame shouldn't have any trouble with over-achieving Maryland. We're calling tonight's action the "...and down the stretch they come !" feature...since two of the participants (Kentucky and Maryland) host horse racing triple crown events each spring. Notre Dame also has a couple of thoroughbred tracks nearby in Chicago (Arlington and Hawthorne). Nothing near Storrs, CT as far as ponies flying down the stretch..but with the Huskies residing there..don't you think that they could at least muster a dog track?  


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Local folk singer and grand ambassador for Cardinal Sports Mickey Clark has released an updated version of his "Battle of New Orleans" Cardinal hoops song. 


Click the link below to give it a spin....courtesy of Charlie Springer and his fine site...UofL Card Game 


MICKEY SINGS!

Mickey is one of the few folk artists that features
balloons as a part of his back-up band. 

We love Mickey! He's been a rambling musical troubadour around these parts since the Nixon presidency and still performs 2-3 nights a week at various Louisville bars and restaurants. He also toils in the same profession as Paul does...advertising. We try to catch his Friday night performances at Fiesta Mexicana when we can...where the margarita's are almost as strong as Tillie the Tour Guide's.

Mickey's five piece Blue Norther band of performing cronies play a lot of classic and original tunes. Red Velvet Cake, Peytona Waddy and Don't (Mist) on my Boots and Tell Me that It's Raining are just a few of our favorites. You can check out the Cardinal Cannonball crooner at his website.


To paraphrase a line from The world's most interesting man:


We don't listen to folk music often..but when we do, we prefer Mickey Clark.

Mickey's Website

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(Finally, DAVID WATSON checks in with this brief piece on the UofL vs. UK battle taking place Saturday in New Orleans. It's Watson. Proceed with caution.)

It is a reality. The annual battle for state hoops supremacy (no offense, Murray State or WKU) in Kentucky gets a encore performance in the city of hoodoo, voodoo and Bourbon Street. 


The stage is the Superdome and the stakes are high -- a trip to the NCAA Championship game for the winner. These out-of-nowhere, never-say-die Cardinals and the #1 ranked, NBA prospect-filled Wildcats take the grudge match to the biggest showcase in college basketball. The Final Four. 

I do not think Louisville will win this game (get ready Paul and Sonja -- the hate e-mails will be keeping Co-Co busy for the next few days after this remark). Kentucky is way too talented, no weaknesses in their seven-deep juggernaut and they've toyed with and then destroyed all comers in the BIG DANCE. 


Then, again -- I think Louisville could pull one of the biggest upsets in recent NCAA Tournament history. This flock of birds doesn't shoot particularly well, has a point guard who rambles and rolls like Otis Campbell on a Saturday night bender in Mayberry and the shooters can get as cold from three-point range as Uncle Donnie's snow-blower out in his Fargo, ND garage in January. But, they play defense and they find a way to win. That accounts for something. 


I am horribly confused and conflicted. It's a beautiful thing.

The Kentucky Wildcats travel with 15. Seven players and
eight guys who carry luggage. 

It is Pitino vs. Calipari. Two guys who probably won't sit down any time soon over a bottle of house red and discuss deep sea fishing. It is Gorgui and Chane against Anthony and Terrance. A shot-blocking, muscle against bone brawl in the paint. It is red versus blue. The legend of Adolph Rupp vs the legacy of Denny Crum. The Doctors of Dunk vs. the Unforgettables. City Slicker meets Farmer Joe. St. Matthews against Lone Oak. 

This sign should be erected at the state line on
every Interstate leading into Kentucky.

Calipari says it's just another game to his guys. No firm feelings for his Cat players concerning the Battle for the Bluegrass rivalry. He spins about as well as Rick. Rick wants his guys to go out and play basketball. What a stunning strategy, monsieur Pitino!


It is time for Saturday and it is only Tuesday. May the best team win. And, I do honestly hope it is Louisville. GEAUX CARDS! 


(David Watson will watch this battle in his red jogging suit while sipping on a few bottles of Blue Moon Pale Ale. He'll be munching on red salsa sauce and blue corn tortilla chips. After the game, he'll drive the family in his blue van to Red Robin for dinner. 4 1/2 days till tip-off)


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