Friday Cardinal Couple -- Revisited

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Oops!


-What we are...


-Happy Birthday Mercedes!


( Written while looking for my shuttlecock & racquet.)


Somehow, the gremlins ate the earlier post we had up here for Friday. Not sure what happened, hope you got a glimpse at it earlier today and we'll try to re-create some of it. 

(Runs into backyard, shaking his fist and screaming at the heavens..."Why? Why? Why? The best stuff I've written since 1989 and you take it from me?" AARRGGHHHH!)


We thought this was a phenomena that only happened to our writer Sandy Walker. Guess we were wrong. 


Maybe the dingo ate it? Link below:


The Dingo ate...


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IF I recall correctly, we were looking at UofL athletes that were competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Lotta swimmers in that group and our #35 Angel McCoughtry on the hardwood. Carlos Almedia and Pedro Oliveria are swimming for Portugal. Joao De Lucca for Spain and Eszter Povansky for Hungary.

Francisco Garcia and Edgar Sosa were trying to get there for the Dominican Republic men's basketball team but the D.R. failed to qualify. The only silver lining in this cloud is that we don't have to watch their coach (John Calipari) on the sidelines. 


Over 5500 hours of the Olympics on NBC and their affiliates. That's the equal of watching 184 episodes of
Seinfeld. 


Do you have a favorite Olympic event? We've got a poll on the left side of the side you can vote on. 

I like the badminton events. Reminds me of when I won the inter-murals singles tournament in college.
I was pretty ferocious with the shuttlecock and racquet. 


(Insert your joke or wise guy comment here)    


Of course, I also like the basketball, track, swimming...well, I like all of it. Except maybe for rifle events. Not a big gun enthusiast. 


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We had previously discussed the state, art and philosophy of recruiting here at CARDINAL COUPLE. Jenny did a bang up job on this Wednesday and we've had some great e-mails about it. Make sure and read her article if you missed it. 

We also had some comments that I went in and deleted later. 


Just for the record: 

CARDINAL COUPLE is a website primarily dedicated to the joy and excitement of women's college sports at the University of Louisville from a fan's perspective. (Most of the time). We understand that some of our readers and fans are passionate about recruiting. We like to know who's a prospect to come to Louisville also.


What we won't tolerate is bashing, bad-mouthing and cynical, snarky comments about the program or possible additions to the program here. Feel free to e-mail those to us...but please keep them out of the comments section. 

We appreciate you reading CARDINAL COUPLE. We're excited about the upcoming fall sports at UofL. Let's do what we can to promote the joy and excitement of womens'  sports at UofL and stay away from the "Debbie Downer, Curtis Critical and Sammy Slammer" type of stuff. 


Remember that coaches, players, recruits and parents read CARDINAL COUPLE. Let's express to them the great things about UofL, the coaches, staff, players and campus. 


L1C4, baby! 


Thanks. 


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Finally, a very happy birthday to high school girls basketball superstar Mercedes Russell! We hope it's a GREAT one for you!


GO CARDS!


(I had Paul McCartney write and sing this song especially for her. OK...I really didn't...but it's a fun, little birthday ditty to get up and boogie to for a couple of minutes. Consider it a mini cardio-vascular workout.)


Stay seated, Asia...we want that hip to heal.


If it's your birthday today...first of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and show your receipt to our CARDINAL COUPLE cashier when leaving to receive a free toothpick!  


The video below was filmed in the KFC YUM! Center last night when word got out it was Mercedes' birthday. 


(OK...that's not true, either..but wouldn't it be fun to have Paul McCartney come to the YUM?) Maybe for a WBB game.


LINK: BIRTHDAY SONG 


Have a wunnerful Friday everyone and a "tip of the hat and wink" to CARDINAL COUPLE reader and my "bestest, little buddy" J.P....glad the surgery went well and you'll be tossing touchdown passes again in no time. 


Be strong, Live strong, Stay Strong.


--your senile, senior columnist and co-owner
Paulie
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Storm reigns over Dream 90-72

A candid shot of the newest Big East womens' basketball referees to start out Wednesday morning. Or, it could be an example of the defense the Seattle Storm was employing on Angel Tuesday night in Seattle. You decide...it's "hump day" and the Three Stooges make about as much sense to me today as anything else. Why does grass have to grow so darn fast this time of year?

Too much Lauren Jackson last night for the Atlanta Dream in Seatlle. The 6'5" post veteran from Australia lit Angel and company up for 32 points last night in the Key Arena in a game that simply wasn't close after the half.

Who knew a mammoth like that could shoot threes like Kobe?

Angel, swarmed by double teams most of the evening...managed 18 points in the loss...but it wasn't one of those stellar McCoughtry performances. A bit of the old,
stubborn Angel last night..failure to pass out of the traps and weaving down the lane like Otis Campbell on a Saturday night in Mayberry. At least her three looked good last night.

The Dream goes to 6-1. Fourth road game in a row and the bluest skies you've ever
seen definitely weren't shining on the Atlanta bench Tuesday. (Sorry, Andy
Williams).

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CARDINAL COUPLE thinks that college womens' golf should extend into the summer months
instead of ending around graduation time. It just makes sense, right?

After all this is the time of the year when a lot of you are out there walking thru knee high rough looking for that steamer off the tee. The UofL womens' golf team looks absolutely fabulous for 2010-11 and I'm sure they're getting in a lot of rounds during the summer break. We've been trying to get an interview with someone over there connected with golf but the only takers we've had so far is one of the security cops that drives a golf cart around campus at night.

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So, let's say you have this radio station in town...let's call it CARDS RADIO... but
UofL athletics are rarely ever heard on it. You get Cincinnati Reds baseball, some yapping flamer called Jim Rome, loveable Joe B. and Denny and that disc jockey turned sports host named Vanetti (who needs a tag team partner on AFTERNOON UNDERDOGS).

No UofL baseball, softball, volleyball or even Tom Jurich singing his favorite Doobie Brothers songs.

Clear Channel Communications at it's finest.

I wonder how many communication majors at UofL would love to get a little on the job practical experience by announcing games, hosting talk shows, writing copy or even interviewing on campus athletes?

Oh, for the days when WXVW and WTMT were on the air. Local programming, crazy sports talk shows hosts with local ties and opinions and zero coverage of the Stanley Cup.

Sure, there will be football, men and women's basketball later this year. Why can't there be other sports? Is UofL so far up Nelligan Sports waste eliminator that they can't devote a little air time to Leonard Yelin, Pam Bustin, Sandy Pearsall or Dan McDonnell?

Turn the whole mess over to Bisig Impact, Cox Radio or Bill and Ted's Excellent Communications (dude) and let's give a little air time to "the best college sports town in America". I could care less about mixed martial arts, Ben Rottenburger or Rampage Jackson.

Ooops, I forgot. It's all about the 'benjamins" these days. Oh, well. It was a nice dream while it lasted. Maybe I'll take a couple of tin cans, a lot of string and do my own play by play of softball, volleyball and field hockey this year.

Let me know if you want info on a "premium subscription". Commercial free, unless Paul staggers in and starts talking about Bud Select.

End of sermon...go in peace.

Adam Neft leaving Afternoon Underdogs

Co-host of the Afternoon Underdogs Adam Neft, pictured on the right, is leaving Louisville and WKRD to pursue a job opportunity in Columbus, Ohio. I swear I had nothing to do with his decision...

The popular and occasionally cantankerous Louisville sports talk host revealed yesterday on the WKRD drive time show Afternoon Underdogs that he will be leaving the show and the Louisville area to accept a job in Columbus, Ohio. Neft has been a driving force on the Louisville airways since his arrival after graduating from Indiana University and helped raise the show to the top of the radio ratings in the Louisville area, a position long dominated by WHAS's Terry Meiners. His off the cuff banter with co-host Tony Vanetti and his devotion to Louisville sports coverage made for informative and sometimes hilarious afternoon radio listening.

Neft also hosted the show Cardinal Insider, an hour long look at Louisville athletics and aired many interviews with the players, coaches and staff of the University of Louisville women's athletic teams. Neft provided candid and revealing interviews with Louisville women's basketball coach Jeff Walz, softball skipper Sandy Pearsall and field hockey's Pam Bustin. He offered an unequalled look and access to the efforts and accomplishment of the UofL women's sports teams...something that will hopefully not disappear with his leaving.

Neft related to me this morning that:

"I'm headed to Columbus, Ohio. It really has more to do with a great opportunity that I felt was a good chance for me to take than anything here. I love it here. I really do. The decision was tough. I won't go into the entire story, but I didn't apply for the job. Heck, I haven't applied for a job in years.

The guy called me, the more we talked the more it sounded like maybe it was worth taking a chance. So I decided at 27 years old, may as well take a shot and go for it! I'm sure they'll replace me with someone better, not that that is too tough a task."

Neft's contributions to Cardinal Athletics will be greatly missed. Tenative plans are for Vanetti to go solo on the show until a replacement for Neft can be found.

I'll miss my e-mail buddy and fall afternoons at the Parrish House won't be the same with out his part in the pregame UofL football shows that he and Vanetti did live there.

Opportunity is what you make out of it, though...and Neft will undoubtably continue the groundbreaking and excellent work that he graced the Louisville airwaves with during his way too short time as a popular and intelligent member of the Louisville sports talk show community. Neft was never prejudiced in his opinions, a Louisville fan but never a blatant "homer" and allowed callers to make their points without overriding them or responding too negatively. Many felt the show would be a suitable replacement for WHAS's evening Sports Talk program with controversial host Lachlan McClain but they have done well in the afternoon drive time slot against one of the most popular radio personalities in the history of Louisville radio in Meiners. Low wattage AM radio isn't exactly the giant of media popularity and probably not too many knew of Neft's work outside the Kentuckiana area but there is no doubt that the Louisville experience will be one that will help spring Neft onto bigger and better things, given the accomplishments and popularity he garnered while here.

Best of luck to you, Matman...and thanks for the hard work, brilliance and contributions. At least you're going to a town that has a university with red colors...

Written by Sonja
3/23/10