Saturday Cardinal Couple - A discussion

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SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-We gather around the discussion table


-Who's on the web?


( Welcome to the Saturday Cardinal Couple. We asked our writers and special guest Mort Thomas to participate in a open discussion on a couple of UofL topics of recent interest. Feel free to join the fun in the comments section or by e-mailing us at: cardinalcouple@insightbb.com.)


Paul: Thanks to everyone who has joined me today for this discussion. I sent you the two topics of discussion a couple of days ago. Hopefully, you've got opinions by now...so let's get started. Our first topic was about billboards being in the news lately. UofL and UK billboards. What's your take on these? 


Mark: I'll start by saying I don't think a UofL fan seeing a UK billboard in Louisville or a UK fan seeing a Louisville billboard near Lexington will convert them to the other side. I'm not sure they even attract new fans. Both schools are spending money for this type of advertising, though, so they must feel they're getting some sort of return on investment.


 Mort: The bulletin boards are legal and both sides are playing by the same rules and NCAA Guidelines, right? Schools have to promote their programs. 

Jenny: The short answer is, as long as these aren't NCAA violations, I think it's brilliant marketing. Especially the Oregon one that UofL put up. If they do a second one, what I'd love to hear is that it's going up in New York, where Bria's from and we're looking at Chong who is going to high school in New York.. It would maximize the "coast to coast" concept and there may be more New York players besides her interested in Louisville. It's also in BIG EAST country. 

David: I agree with Jenny. It's great marketing. I'm not offended by a Kentucky billboard in Louisville. I love the "Miles Ahead" UofL billboard on I-64 West after you leave Lexington. 


Sonja: I don't like UK billboards in UofL territory. I don't like billboards as a whole, though. There's too many crazy drivers out there already. Why create another distraction for them? 

Sandy: Billboards are just the new thing that will become no big deal if left alone. For awhile, player's homes interstate exits might look like a tourist attraction exit but as long as the boards are generic, why not?


Paul: Good points from all of you. I guess it's safe to say that billboards aren't going to convert fans, might influence potential players and definitely can be creative. I'll chime in by saying I'm a fan of different and multiple advertising venues. Location and the message content are keys. UofL has done well in both areas. 


Our second topic concerns the University of Louisville women's basketball team. Which player is a "can't do without, have to have her in there" for the upcoming season? 

David: I'll offer Monique Reid as a player that needs to get 20-25 minutes a game, if she's back to 2010-11 form. She's a proven scorer. Points are good. You score more than the opponent, you win. Mo knows points. 


Jenny: This is a hard question, because UofL has so many outstanding players. I could make a case for any number of them. I'll make a case for Shawnta Dyer, though. The second half of last year Dyer came into her own and became an anchor in the paint. Absolutely, by far, UofL needs a dominant, strong paint presence. While they have a true center in Sherrone Vails, she wasn't dominating. Dyer is your player, even though she is not a true center. If she's up to last year's form, Dyer is dominating and UofL can't do without her. 

Mark: Shoni. Leadership skills. The way she can take over a game. The team seems to play better when she is in playing under control. Sometimes she may try to do too much but more times than not she helps the team win games. She is the nucleus of the team. 


Mort: Teams win games, not individuals. 

Sonja: I'll agree with Mort. Even though it was Angel McCoughtry who carried the team on her back to the NCAA Championship game, she had four other players out there with her. If forced to choose a player that Louisville has to have night in and night out, I'll go with Shoni. She creates, great skills sets and can do so many things. I'm a big Asia Taylor fan, most of you know that...and if she rehabs well from her hip surgery and can give UofL 15-20 strong minutes on the boards and scoring...I'll choose her, too. I know, that's two players...but that's my answer. 


Sandy: I'm with Jenny. I go with Dyer also. The center spot has been Louisville's weakest spot for awhile. Strong forwards have been assigned the task. Offenses have been designed with no true center in mind in order to dodge the weakness. Dyer came on strong at the end of the season from this spot after the Warren experiment failed and it made a huge difference. 


Paul: Looking back, Hines and Rucker were functional centers, not spectualar. Tise Wright could score, wasn't much of a rebounder, a liability in the transition game. You have to go back to Jazz Covington to find a center that drew a lot of national attention and she was probably better designed to be a power forward at 6'1".


Sonja: I'm going to add Tia Gibbs to my list also. Before her injury, she was the best defender on the team, could score from anywhere on the court and hustled. If she's able to come back and to those things again, she's a "gotta have" for 30 minutes.  


Paul: I'll finish by saying that the "game changers" we've seen in women's college basketball over the past couple of years have been in the paint. Brit Griner = National Championship. Danielle Adams = National Championship. Tina Charles = National Championship. In Louisville's case, it looks like the paint could be "by committee"..with several players sharing time in there. If Walz can develop an effective rotation of his paint players...Dyer, Vails, Walton, Taylor, Hammond and Reid, then this is the "can't do without, have to have" scenario. My phiosophy is this: You have to have the ball to score. If you can rebound effectively on the ends of the court, you control the ball.


On a good night, a team will make four out of every ten shots it takes. If you can control where the ball ends up the other six times, it gives you a decided advantage. Maybe it's because I played center and forward...but I believe rebounding leads to the essential things that lead to wins...like ball control, second-chance opportunities and domination of the paint. Your transition game begins with getting the rebound and getting down the court in most cases. If you miss the shot, having someone that can get the rebound for you and either take another shot or get it to a shooter is a definite plus in your favor. If you have two strong players at the "4" and "5"...you can go with a good shooting guard at the "3". 


Great discussion today, gang!   


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With all the transfers, changes and moving of a couple of Louisville sports websites lately and the Courier-Journal, I decided to go back to the classic comedy routine "Who's on First?" by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and see if I could get a rational explanation. Here's a guess on how the boys would discuss the chaos. Below is a link to the original routine:


Who's On First


Lou: Hey, Abbott! I hear you're starting a website!
Bud: That information isn't supposed to be out yet..but I am considering it. 
Lou: What's the website going to be about?
Bud: Sports! You know how big a sports fan I am!
Lou: Do you have a name for the website yet? 
Bud: Certainly! What kind of website would it be if it didn't have a name?
Lou: What's the name, Abbott?
Bud: You Asked
Lou: Yes, I did. I'll ask again. What's the name of the website?
Bud: You Asked
Lou: I most certainly did! All I want to know is the name of the website. 
Bud: I told you. You Asked.
Lou: What did you tell me? I asked the name of the website.
Bud: Yes, you asked and I gave you the website's name. You Asked. What's so difficult about that? 
Lou: Yes. I asked you the name of the website, right? 
Bud: No. You Asked. I asked is incorrect.
Lou: You didn't ask. I asked. I asked the name of the website. 
Bud: You Asked.
Lou: So I asked you the name of the website. You say you asked. But you didn't ask. I asked you the name of the website but you keep saying You Asked. 
Bud: Exactly. 
Lou: (throwing his hat to the ground) I want to know the name of the website. I asked you, you say You Asked. I asked. If I wanted to go to the website, what would I type in my browser? 
Bud: You Asked.
Lou: I know I asked! OK? You say you asked but I asked the name of the website and you say...
Bud and Lou (in unison): You Asked. 
Lou: Arrrghhh! OK, let me ask this. Will you be the only writer on the website? 
Bud: No. I've asked May Bee about writing.
Lou: Who did you ask maybe about writing? Why would you ask maybe about writing when it's your website? Why have a website site if you're not going to write? 
Bud: May Bee might write. I'm not sure yet.
Lou: Maybe will write, you don't know?  If you don't write, will there be another writer is what I'm asking!
Bud: I just told you. May Bee!
Lou: I go to the website. I asked the name of the website. I asked who else would write. Maybe will be another writer. 
Bud: No. You Asked . The name of the site is...and May Bee maybe writing. 
Lou:  ( throws hit hat again). My mother calls me from Philly. I tell her you're starting a website. She asks the name of it. What do I tell her?
Bud: You Asked.
Lou: NO! She asked!
Bud: I know. She asked and You Asked will be what she's looking for!
Lou: That's right! Now we're getting somewhere! 
Bud: I certainly hope so! You're wearing me out with all these questions. 
Lou: I talk to my mother. She asked what she's looking for. I asked you what she's looking for. You Asked is what you said. I tell my mother I asked and you asked is what you told me she should be looking for if she asks...
Bud: Exactly! 
Lou: I need an aspirin...
Bud: Well, that doesn't surprise me...with all these silly questions you asked about You Asked.
Lou: My mother goes to her computer. She looks for your site. I asked what she should type in the browser and you say You Asked. I'm confused.
Bud: Why are you confused? You asked about You Asked. I told you to tell your mother You Asked. 
Lou: I asked, she asked, you asked...who's got the answers? Who? Do you know who? 
Bud: May Bee. Ask May Bee if you don't believe me. 
Lou: I ask, maybe, about the site. I ask you who I ask and you say maybe. I asked about the site and you say You Asked. My dear sainted mother, just recently on the internet, wants to read your site and she asks, I ask, you say You Asked and maybe might be a writer...
Bud: Exactly! 
Lou: I hate the Internet...
Bud: That's my next project.



( The domain name youasked.com is available if anyone is interested in it. Have a great weekend!)