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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Captain's Quarters Cardinal Caravan conquers storms, captivates capacity crowd. 

Athletic Director Tom Jurich and S.I.D. Kenny Klien
were all smiles after seeing the huge crowd for Louisville's
Cardinal Caravan.

Never underestimate the power of the Cardinal Spirit. Thursday's final Cardinal Caravan stop landed at Captain's Quarters off River Road in Louisville and provided a capacity crowd of over 1600 an hour long show which included UofL coaches, players, LadyBirds and a great venue for catching up on Cardinal Sports. 

UofL womens basketball star Tia Gibbs poses with
Sonja and WBB fans Irv and Peggy Schmidt...

They also beat the weather, which started out hot and humid and turned into strong storms minutes after the  gala affair ended. 


Emcees Drew Deener and Howie Lindsey kept the show moving with the skill of seasoned, professional event organizers as Sandy Pearsall, Ken Lolla, Dan McDonnell, Karen Ferguson-Dayes, Kenny Carter, Anne Kordes and other Cardinal coaches and players spoke to the appreciative crowd.


From what we heard, this could be an incredible season for Cardinal Sports this fall, winter and spring.

Donna Floyd (center) and other eager Cardinal fans
wait to talk to, get pictures with and autographs from
Cardinal athletes. 

Tom Jurich began the festivities with glowing reports on the success and popularity of Cardinal Athletics and told us of his hopes to surpass the record-setting performances of last year's UofL squads in the upcoming season. 


Football, both basketball squads, baseball, softball, both soccer teams...the list seems non-stop for Cardinal teams poised to contend for conference titles, national championship runs. The enthusiastic fans in attendance roared their approval as Tom and the entourage educated the crowd. 

Cardinal Couple's Sandy Walker (left) and Sonja enjoyed the
afternoon activities and interaction with tons of UofL fans 

Tom, you've engineered the perfect example of what excellence in college athletics can be and cultivated a fan base that loves and appreciates it.


If you think Tom is fired up about UofL sports, you should hear his head coaches discuss the subject. It's not hard to see why Cardinal athletes strive to be the best they can be when you hear their coaches and leaders express their passion about their teams, players and philosophies.

The lovely, talented and witty Tia Gibbs

The coaches were a big hit. The players in attendance also drew huge throngs of crowds seeking autographs, pictures and handshakes. Chane Behanan, Gorgui Dieng, Russ Smith, Mike Marra from Rick Pitino's men's basketball team were swamped and surrounded by adoring fans. Tia Gibbs was sporting an ear-to-ear grin as she greeted womens' basketball fans eager to discuss the season, her rehab from surgery ( she's healed and ready to go...look out BIG EAST) and the team. 

Sara, Linda and Chris Stewart had a rail-bird view of
Cardinal Caravan

When Tia informed us her mother reads Cardinal Couple each and every morning, we promised to provide nothing but sparkling and positive coverage of "Butler Bear's"  performances this year.


We understand perfectly. If mama isn't happy, no one's happy. We look forward to writing many rave reviews of #25's domination this season as a part of Jeff Walz's top ten Lady Cards ballers. As Asia and Shoni would say: 


"We are the...CARDINALS!" 


From the beginning of the festivities at 5:30 to the prize drawings one hour later, the event was non-stop, wall-to-wall Cardinal conversation, coverage and   camaraderie. 

"Coach P." Softball coach Sandy Pearsall gives us a smile
as she prepares to address the enthusiastic crowd. 

The skies were threatening, though...and the cold front had dropped the temperature at least 20 degrees by the riverfront stage by 6:15. And, the rains came about 30 minutes later...as autograph signing and other post-Caravan activities were moved indoors.


The crowd got what they came for, though...and the celebration was the first of many that Cardinal fans will no doubt have in the upcoming months.

UofL head baseball coach Dan McDonnell has Omaha
on his mind...with his team hopefully getting to the
College World Series.  

"When you look at the quality coaches and hear them and Jurich talk about their pride and involvement in Cardinal Sports...how can you not be pumped and fired up about Cardinal Nation?" a smiling Caravan attendee told me, displaying his basketball team picture that Chane Behanan and several other players had autographed.


Our sentiments exactly!

Go, Cards, go! 

It's coming, folks. The full-out, intense team practices in August. The opening games for football, volleyball, field hockey and other Cardinal teams. The roar of the red-clad crowd, the fist-pumping, hive-fiving excitement of Louisville's finest participating and winning on fields and courts. 


L1C4.

'The other' Tom and Tilly the Tour Guide double team Sonja

It's an attitude. It's a philosophy. It's big, it's here and now and it's going to be a lot of fun to attend, to cover and be a part of. A great kickoff to the excitement ahead took place Thursday at the Cardinal Caravan at Captain's Quarters and we can't wait for this "Card Party" to get rollin' down the tracks!
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Thursday Cardinal Couple -- Common Myths About Bull Riding

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-No bull about bullriding here...


-Cardinal Caravan in Louisville today!


-A busy fifteen minutes


(CARDINAL COUPLE writer Mark "The Commish" Schneider continues his look at the PBR today. We feature an article that dispels several myths about Bull riding and the participants. We've got him scheduled next to investigate Area 54, Elvis's death and why the Cubs are the worst team in baseball. The "Commish" is on top of it!)

Most people love animals.  Dogs, Cats, Horses, and even BULLS.  However, sometimes animal rights groups seem to go too far.  Nothing wrong with wanting to protect animals from cruelty.  I'm all for that.  But to distribute false information without getting all the facts in order to advance their cause is another story.  At first glance when watching a Bull Riding event some may think, "How cruel" or  "The animals are being hurt."  (Watch more closely and more often than not the riders are the ones getting hurt).  Maybe there should be an organization called AETH. ("Animals for the Ethical Treatment of Humans").  All kidding aside:

PETA has been touting two myths about Bull Riding/Rodeos in general.

Myth #1

"Electric prods, spurs, and bucking straps are used to irritate and enrage animals used in rodeos. Before entering the ring, cows and horses are often prodded with an electrical "hotshot" so that the pain will rile them."

This is simply not true.  Especially in the PBR. That is not to say it has never happened in a small town rodeo, but as far as the PBR?  I do not think so.

During countless events broadcasted on TV the cameras are directly in the chutes.  Every move anyone makes is shown up close.  The bulls are not coerced into bucking.  It is simply what they like to do.  A bull bucks because it is in their blood. Just as race horses are "born to run", bucking bulls are "born to buck".

As far as the spurs hurting the animal, the fact is the spurs are "dulled" and are not sharp.  Also, a bulls skin is 7 times thicker than a humans and when a bull is "spurred",  it does not harm the animal.  No marks are left and no blood is drawn. Does one think the owner of a bull worth $35,000 or more (A bull named Little Yellow Jacket was worth $150,000) would allow a cowboy to "spur" it if he thought for one moment it would harm it? Owning and raising bucking bulls is an expensive proposition. Just like our pets, a stock contractor treats every bull like one of his family.  For example, when World Champion bull MOSSYOAK MUDSLINGER recently died, his owner H.D.Page had this to say: "He's irreplaceable, there's no doubt about it.  I missed him a bunch when I had to retire him from the arena, and now I'm going to miss him even more as a sire. He was part of our family. He's done more for our family than any person."

Myth #2

"The flank (or "bucking") strap is tightly cinched around the animals' abdomens, causing them to buck vigorously in an attempt to escape the pain. The flank strap can cause open wounds and burns when the hair is rubbed off and the skin is chafed raw. Former animal control officers have found burrs and other irritants placed under the flank strap."

Again--not in the PBR. The flank strap is tied loosely around the flank, usually by the stock contractor/owner. Again, if this hurt the bull, would he be doing this? As a matter of fact there are times it will fall off during the ride.  The flank strap is a rope made out of cotton which is tied around the bull's flank. Contrary to popular belief, the flank strap is not tied around the bull's testicles. Without being too graphic--this is a family friendly website--this point must be made:  If a rope is tied around the bulls testicles, I do not think it would encourage him to buck. As one stock contractor said," What would a human do if it was tied around theirs?"  I don't think it would encourage "bucking".  I believe one would see a human lying on the ground crying in a fetal position.  And when a bull is bucking, one can actually see that the strap is nowhere near or tied around it's "privates".  This rope is to encourage the bull to use its hind legs more in a bucking motion.  If tied too tight, the bull would not buck very well.  It has to be loose to cause the bull to want to buck it off.  Sometimes the strap falls off during a ride. When that happens, the bull will usually quit bucking. 

Former CEO of the PBR Randy Benard (now CEO of The INDY Racing League) had this to say about Animal Welfare and the PBR:

"In the 1970s and '80s, PETA did a pretty good job of informing people that bull riding hurt bulls in all kinds of different ways. All those are completely false. We encourage and welcome any animal rights groups to come in and look at how we treat our animals. It's very important to the sport and to the industry that our animals are taken good care of. The other thing is, people are so surprised when they come to an event and see the type of fan base that's there. It's so much more than a western sport."

Here are the PBR's Animal Welfare Facts:

Bulls receive 25-30 lbs of a special blend of mixed grain per day. Blend varies depending on the bull’s needs and the stock contractor.

Bulls receive 20 lbs of Alfalfa or Alfalfa-grass blend per day.

Bulls receive a B-12 complex vitamin shot every two weeks.

Bulls receive a health inspection any time they have to cross state lines.

Bulls are only allowed to travel a maximum of 8 hours per day. After 10 hours, the bulls are rested for 12-14 hours.

Bulls are standing in 6-10 inches of sawdust shavings during transport.

Each stock contractor has a local veterinarian on call for their bulls.

To be fair, as with any sport there are injuries.  This includes the bulls.

According to the PBR these are the facts about bull injuries:

There are approximately 60 bulls at a one-day event, 90 bulls at a two-day event and 110 bulls at a three-day event. A bull bucks only one time per day and no more than two times at a typical event. Approximately 30-40 of the bulls at a typical two-day event will buck only once at that event.

One bull will suffer a minor injury (muscle pull, scratch) every 8 events or 786 outs.

Bulls that are determined to have an injury are not allowed to compete again until fully recovered, which is generally one to four weeks.

One bull will suffer a career-ending injury every 100 events or 9,833 outs.

Bulls that suffer a career-ending injury are retired to stud and live the balance of their lives as healthy, fully capable breeding bulls. Their injuries do not impede the quality of life or ability to function, but do prevent them from competing at the PBR level as a bucking athlete.

Four bulls have been euthanized as a result of injuries sustained over the 960 PBR events held since 1992, which translates to 1 out of every 23,735 outs.

The bulls that have sustained life-threatening injuries at PBR events have been taken to large animal hospitals for treatment and care. Three of the animal athletes that have sustained life- threatening injuries received hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical treatment and lived for extended periods of time (up to two years) before the injuries required euthanization.

A bucking bull has a .004% chance of sustaining a life-threatening injury at a PBR event.

Raising and owning bucking bulls is a full time job.  It is very expensive and time consuming.  Because of this, I seriously doubt a stock contractor would want any harm to come to his bulls.   The following video Breeding and raising bulls for the PBR will drive these points home. Watch as PBR stock contractor, Greg Simano, explains the various aspects of being a stock contractor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7HwzWA6fRE

Commish Mark 


( From the look of things, these bulls are leading a better life than the CARDINAL COUPLE Co-Owners. Good job, today!)


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Thursday brings the CARDINAL CARAVAN to Louisville with an appearance at Captain's Quarters on River Road. Meet the owners and writers of CARDINAL COUPLE at the event...which begins at 5:30. 


You'll get a chance to meet with coaches, players and Cardinal Fans at the annual event...the final stop of a three-day whirlwind tour that takes the participants to Owensboro, Bowling Green and other stops in the state. 


I know, it's supposed to be another scorcher outside on Thursday, but the event is a great chance to hear about the upcoming teams and events for UofL sports and have a little fun in the process. 

Softball coach Sandy Pearsall, women's basketball coach Jeff Walz, the LadyBirds, UofL Cheerleaders, Louie the Cardinal Bird and the pep band under the direction of "Iowa" Al Greener will also be in attendance. We're trying to arrange a three-point contest between our staff chimp Co-Co and Shoni, but UofL isn't responding favorably to the premise...so far. 


Fish, cold beverages and Cardinal Nation! Sounds like a pretty good Thursday! See you there.  No rain, no rain, no rain, no rain...(we hope).

***********************************************************


The stat line for Angel McCoughtry against Great Britain made us do a double take. Talk about a busy fifteen minutes!


--  Two for three on shots
--  Three for four from the foul line
--  Seven points
--  Six rebounds
--  Three assists
--  Five steals
--  Three fouls
--  One turnover


Obviously, she wasn't standing over in the corner signing autographs during her time on the court. #35 representing! 
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Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Cardinal Caravan rolls along

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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Cardinal Caravan to make five stops in July

Cardinal Caravan, the yearly summer stops for the University of Louisville sports programs, has announced five stops over three days in July. UofL coaches and players address the crowds and the LadyBirds, UofL Cheerleaders, Louie the Cardinal Bird and Al Greener and the UofL Pep Band are expected to appear. 


Louisville head women's basketball coach Jeff Walz is schedule to appear at the caravan stops...along with football coaches and members of UofL's men's basketball team. Sandy Pearsall will represent the 55-win softball team. Here's the schedule:


TUESDAY, JULY 17th:


Frankfort, KY. - Buffalo Trace Distillery. 11:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.


Newport, KY. - Newport Aquarium. 4:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.


WEDNESDAY, JULY 18th:


Bowling Green, KY. - National Corvette Museum. 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.


THURSDAY, JULY 19th:


Owensboro, KY. - River Park Center. 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.


Louisville, KY. - Captain's Quarters. 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.


You can RSVP your intent to attend to: 


CARDINAL CARAVAN   (LINK)


www.uoflalumni.org/caravan2012  (WEBSITE)


Looks like Southern Indiana doesn't get a stop this year. Never attended the ones at Huber's or by the Ohio but heard they were a good time. Maybe later? Maybe it's time to hold one in Lexington. Calipari's front yard would be a idea. 


************************************************************************

I can't help but wonder what will come out of all these women's basketball recruits that are suppose to be showing up in 2013 at UNC?  Seven, so far, and they are still chasing after Mercedes Russell. That, coupled with recent academic scandal on campus, have Chapel Hill ready for a reality series on TV. Russell won't (or will...depending on which news source you check) attend the UNC skills camp that is taking place before the one-day Louisville elite skills camp on the 28th. 


Louisville had six recruits show up at the same time a couple of years back. It was the 2008-09 season and Louisville had Gwen Rucker, Becky Burke, Monique Reid, Janae Howard, Mary Jackson and Tiera Stephen on the roster as freshmen. 


We all know how that turned out. 


Hard to believe that Mo is the only one left on the 2012-13 roster that went to St. Louis for the final four. I wonder if her teammates will call her 'grand ma-ma' or 'the old lady' this year? Becky was one of the ones who made it as well. She's busy studying up on her Polish. Gwen settled on just one net after her sophomore year. Turned out pretty well for her, too. 


Last we heard, Janae Howard was playing for St. Catherine (KY) College. Mary Jackson was at Memphis for awhile but we've lost track of her. Tiera Stephen ended up at Wisconsin. 

Walz probably felt like Happy Gilmore (right)
at times during the 2009-10 season.

One wonders if any of the three that left would have had a helpful impact on the 2009-10 season. the Cards went 14-18 and had a short roster. Howard had a pretty good outside shot and Jackson might have been helpful inside. Stephen's guard play might have spelled Burke, Harper, Rachel Story and Raddie.


It's all conjecture, of course.


Injuries played a huge role in that season. Dez Byrd, LaToya Johnson, Nikki Burton, Chauntise Wright, Laura Terry all on the shelf. Ashley Rainey left. The hard work, dedication and effort that those who contributed to that season...against great odds...will never be forgotten. Shelby Harper, a walk on freshman, took on the best that the BIG EAST had to offer night after night. 


I don't doubt that UNC will have similar outcomes with the seven that arrive in the fall of 2013. Especially when you're already calling the class the "Fab Five."


Have a nice Sunday!


-Sonja
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Pitino, Lolla, Kordes and Ferguson-Dayes headline Cardinal Caravan

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE



-Coaches, Jurich headline Cardinal Caravan



-Soccer at EKU tonight



-Walz pleased with Canada trip



A large crowd of Cardinal fans enjoyed Thursday afternoon/evening at Captain's Quarters...hearing athletic director Tom Jurich and several other coaches speak.



WE like the coverage and photo Charlie Springer, over at UofL Card Game came up

with at the event and encourage you to check out his story of it at http://www.uoflcardgame.com/







No football coaches at the meet and greet...understandable since the season begins in two weeks

and preparation is at Defcon 5 to get ready for the home opener. Charlie Strong probably didn't

want to discuss the brewing issue with assistant coach Clint Hurtt and his days at Miami anyway.



Karen Ferguson-Dayes made the trip despite women's soccer opening tonight at EKU and

volleyball coach Anne Kordes, a never-ending first year ball of energy, relayed information on her squad...which is ranked #1 in the BIG EAST.



Reports back to us indicate that the food was plentiful and delicious, the beverages a welcome relief on a hot afternoon by the Ohio River and the Ladybirds dance team are as alluring as ever.



WE like the comment Rick Pitino made when on stage...indicating that he thought it might be possible that the women's basketball team might win a national championship before his players. No pressure, Coach Walz...just keep 'em healthy and motivated.

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UofL women's soccer kicks it off tonight in Richmond, KY. to face Eastern Kentucky University. Let's hope the possible rains and thunderstorms hold off. Up to 6 inches of rain in St. Louis last night and Louisville usually gets what they do...straight down I-64.

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The Courier-Journal's Jody Demling with some nice tidbits via conversation with Jeff Walz about the Canada trip in Friday's Courier Sports section. We've said it for awhile now...and Walz confirmed it when the topic turned to freshman Jude Schimmel. She may have been the least heralded of the three freshmen arriving on campus but the younger sister of Shoni definitely has game. Jeff Walz isn't a coach that pleases easily...enjoy the read at the link below:

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110818/SPORTS02/308180089/Louisville-women-s-basketball-team-s-trip-Canada-met-all-Walz-s-expectation?odyssey=nav%7Clead

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Cardinal Caravan begins tomorrow, 'Off The Rez' feedback

TUESDAY with CARDINAL COUPLE

-First Cardinal Caravan is Wednesday in Elizabethtown

-"Off The Rez" still generating lots of comments

-David Watson weighs in on "Off the Rez"



Three Putt Willie's at Pine Valley in
Elizabethtown, KY is the first
Cardinal Caravan stop



The 2011 edition of Cardinal Caravan kicks off Wednesday in Elizabethtown, KY. at Three Putt Willie's. This annual event features University of Louisville coaches, players, athletic administrators, the Cardinal Pep Band, the LadyBirds and Louie the Cardinal Bird interacting with fans over food and drink. Louisvillle athletic teams have a significant fan base in the Elizabethtown area and, although we don't know the exact list of coaches and players schedule to address the crowd and mingle yet...you can be assured that Tom Jurich and his staff have lined up a good cross-section for the Cardinal faithful.

Still no mention yet of a Louisville appearance for the Cardinal Caravan.

The event has been held at Captain's Quarters, off River Road, in past years and has proved to be a popular and well attended venue. We do know that the Caravan will land in Jeffersonville, IN. (right across the Ohio River from the KFC YUM Center at Buckhead's) and maybe the Cardinal Caravan planners figure that's close enough for Louisvillians to travel. No harm in gathering with Southern Indiana Cardinal fans at all. Same cause, same team.

The caravan is also scheduled to hit the Shelby County Fairgrounds in Shelbyville.

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We are getting plenty of e-mails and comments about Saturday night's TLC showing of "Off the Rez"..the documentary about the Schimmel family and their move off the Umatilla Reservation to Portland, Oregon.

The documentary was watched all over the nation and we've received responses and comments about it from East Coast, West Coast, Hawaii and many other locations here in the United States. The vast majority of you liked and enjoyed the documentary. It has spurred several of you to go about obtaining UofL women's basketball season tickets for next year. "Off the Rez"  has certainly enlarged the Lady Cards Basketball fan base and even rival BIG EAST bases like Rutgers and Connecticut have had kind words to say about the documentary.

A few people have wondered why more wasn't included about the Jeff Walz recruitment of Shoni and why Walz didn't have a significant role in the film. Remember, coaches can't comment publicly on recruits until they've sent a letter of intent (LOI) to the school or enrolled on campus. The vast majority of "Off the Rez" 

Shoni Schimmel is not a Wildcat...as one
misguided e-mailer to CARDINAL COUPLE
suggested. She's a CARDINAL!  

was filmed before Shoni announced she was going to Louisville. Even though it wasn't shown until after the completion of her freshman year at Louisville. Also, this was a story about the Schimmel's... not the recruiting prowess of Coach Walz. We don't need a documentary to highlight Walz's expertise on bringing talented basketball players to campus...but it would be something fun to watch for Cardinal fans...

There are always a few 'negative Nellies' and 'stupid Steve's' out there, as well. "Off the Rez" was certainly NOT a UofL propaganda film..as one e-mailer insisted. And, let's get one thing straight...the proper spelling of her name is SHONI SCHIMMEL. We've seen that butchered several times. One e-mailer came up with the preposterous theory that Schimmel's decision was "made for her by the Umatilla Reservation tribal council" and she would have gone to Stanford if she had been able to...but her grades were too low to gain admission there. Whatever. We should note that Shoni made the Honor Roll at UofL her first year academically. 

Several of you have lamented the fact that you missed the documentary and wonder when it will be shown again...or if it is available on DVD yet. TLC has not announced a rebroadcast time or date for the documentary yet. We're hoping they do...it has to be more gripping and rating-worthy than "Say Yes to the Dress" or some of the other TLC staples...

We'll end with this communication from Sarah P., of Nashville:

"My daughter and I watched the show "Off the Rez" Saturday night and were so impressed we watched the rebroadcast also that directly followed it. My daughter Karen now has a hero and role model in Shoni Schimmel and wants to be a basketball player. We hope that Louisville's basketball team plays in the Nashville area sometime before Shoni graduates and we plan on driving to Louisville a couple of times in the upcoming basketball season to see her and the Louisville team play.  What a wonderful story and remarkable young lady!"

We have a feeling that "Off the Rez" has created a lot of new Schimmel and Cardinal women's basketball fans across the nation, as several of you have indicated. We can only tell you that you need to catch the Cardinals live in the KFC YUM Center if you get the chance. The fan base is over 10,000 per game, loud and frenetic and the rest of the team beside Shoni is pretty darn good as well. Wonder when the Asia Taylor

documentary is coming out...or the Shelby Harper or Monique Reid? As we've told you since this site was first started..."see the show".

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David Watson is a special correspondent for CARDINAL COUPLE. He recently watched the documentary "Off the Rez" and comments on it:

I didn't get to see "Off The Rez" until Monday night. Was involved in a weekend golf tournament and the less said about that the better. My clubs will soon be appearing at a yard sale near you. Those that are still intact. In watching "Off The Rez"(which goes so much faster when you can fast forward through the commercials) I came up with several thoughts. I wondered about the life on the reservation and how I - as a middle class, white American- would adapt to it? I have travelled in areas of our nation where American Indians are not held in very high regard. I have not known the slanders, slurs or experienced the discriminations that still occur to ethnic citizens in the United States. Would I have a chip on my shoulder? Would I distrust the outside world off the reservation? Would I lapse into alcoholism and despair over my situation?

I've had it pretty good so far in life. I've never known hunger, poverty or racial hate. I am sympathetic to all of these and tried to do things in my life to combat them. I will continue to do so. I guess what I wonder is whether one has to experience these things directly to fully know them? Is throwing money, man-hours and unused clothing and appliances at the problem enough of a
contribution to gain understanding and sympathy for the plight? 

I come from a family of five other siblings, so I can identify with a large family. My parents are devout Catholics and did not believe in birth control methods that were not authorized by the church. I have three children, I remain Catholic in name, but not so much in practicing philosophy. I don't know how others feel about the aspect of large families, but I do know that you learn a lot about child raising, responsibility and life when you are the oldest of six children who have two full time working parents. One thing about large families is that you never have to worry about having someone to play with. 

"Off the Rez" reinforced my belief that there are still many problems we need to fix here in our own country before we try to solve the rest of the world's problems. Indian, Jew, African-American or Hispanic...we are all Americans and despite the political rhetoric and 'me first' philosophy that is so prevalent these days...we need to care about each other. Shoni Schimmel made it. So will Jude. How about the rest? Who will do documentaries on them?
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UofL Sports Banquet, D'Ana McCarty and Cardinal Caravan dates

Monique Reid was named junior class
athlete of the year along with Carlos Almedia 

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Welcome to Wet Wednesday @ CARDINAL COUPLE:

-UofL Sports Banquet

-We look at D'Ana McCarty

-CARDINAL CARAVAN dates announced

The soggy Louisville weather couldn't dampen the spirits last night at the All-Sport Banquet held in the South Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center last night. Keynote speakers were seniors Bergan Foley (lacrosse), Simone Attles (field hockey) and Doug Beaumont (football). Nineteen awards were presented to student/athletes by Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich. The recipients:

-SPRING SPORT ATHLETE AWARDS
-D'Ana McCarty (Track and Field)
-Matt Hughes (Track and Cross County)

-CARDSCARE AWARDS (Commitment to community service)
-Michael Eaton (Track and Cross County)

Shoni Schimmel received Freshman of the Year honors

-Sarah Fiske (Rowing)

-The Rowing team

-FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR

-Shoni Schimmel (Basketball)

-Hakeem Smith (Football)

-SOPHOMORE OF THE YEAR
-Hannah Gadd (Diving)
-Peyton Siva (Basketball)

-JUNIOR OF THE YEAR
-Monique Reid (Basketball)
-Carlos Almeida (Swimming)

-THE ED KALLAY SENIOR OF THE YEAR
-Austen Chiles (Tennis)

Amanda Simmons was selected for the
Central Cardinal Club leadership award 

-Therese Bergstrom (Swimming)

-Bergan Foley (Lacrosse)

-THE CENTRAL CARDINAL CLUB LEADERSHIP AWARD

-Amanda Simmons (Volleyball)

-THE CUNNINGHAM FAMILY AWARD (Male athlete leadership)

-Drew Haynes (Baseball)

-Michael Eaton (Track/Cross Country)

-THE ADIDAS HIGH PERFORMANCE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD
-D'Ana McCarty (Track and Field)
-Colin Rolfe (soccer)

-INSPIRATION AWARD
-Bilal Powell (Football)

A sincere CARDINAL COUPLE congratulations to these...and all...the student/athletes at UofL!

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D'Ana McCarty is the best women's
college weight thrower in the nation 

D'Ana McCarty has had an impact on Louisville field events since she arrived on campus back in the fall of 2007. The daughter of Indianapolis Pike High School track and field coach Terry McCarty, she was one of the first Cardinal athletes to advance to the IAAF Junior World Championships. Her freshman year at UofL, D'Ana qualified for the BIG EAST League Championships in the hammer, shot put and weight throws. The Cardinal women's throwers are recognized as one of the best groups in college track and field and D'Ana helped build that reputation her sophomore year with winning the BIG EAST and NCAA Indoor Championships Weight throw titles. She finished second in the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships in the hammer and discus. No one defeated her all season in the weight throw.

D'Ana continued her spectacular performances as a junior, winning the NCAA Championships again in the weight throw and winning 7 of 8 of her regular season competitions in the event. She also competed in the discus, shot put and hammer throws...winning at each event at least once during the season. As a senior this year, she's the odds on favorite to take the NCAA Championships weight throw title again and has won the event several times this year in meet competition. The Big East and NCAA Outdoor Championships await this talented group over the next several weeks. WE feel confident they'll put a few more trophies in the showcase.

When looking at D'Ana McCarty's accomplishments, one's first thought is that such dominance in a event is rare. Especially for four years. Along with teammates Khadija Abdullah and Patrice Gates...D'Ana and the Cards weight, discus, shot put and hammer teams are the best combined unit in the BIG EAST and perhaps the nation. Our hats are off to these high-achieving women "outstanding in their field" .

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CARDINAL CARAVAN dates have been announced. The annual "reach out" to UofL fans from the coaches, staff and players from the University of Louisville has been scheduled for Elizabethtown, KY., Shelbyville, KY., and Jeffersonville, IN.

Wednesday, May 19th. @ Three Putt Willie's at Pine Valley. 850 Pine Valley Drive, Elizabethtown.
Thursday, June 9th, @ Shelby County Fairgrounds Pavilion. 1513 Midland Trail, Shelbyville
Thursday, June 16th, @ Parking lot between Rocky's Sub Pub and Buckhead Mountain Grill, 711 West Riverside Drive, Jeffersonville, IN.

Apperances by the 2011 national champion LadyBirds and Louie the Cardinal Bird will occur at each location and prizes to the first 100 fans at each site will be distributed as well. Having attended the event for quite a few years now, with the exception of last year...when the BIG EAST Softball Tournament was taking place at Ulmer Stadium...I can tell you that's it's a great chance to interact and get photo opportunities with Cardinal coaches, players and meet Cardinal fans.

It was at this event several years ago that Angel McCoughtry assured me that the Lady Cards basketball squad would be a Final Four team and might win the national title. They made it through a couple of rounds in the NCAA Tournament that year and finished as national runner-ups to UConn the year after that. I also talked to a very pleasant and friendly young lady one year who hoped to get the chance to show Lady Card basketball fans her skills on the court. Chauntise Wright got that opportunity and thrilled the Cardinal faithful for several years on Denny Crum court. 

"This annual tour is a terrific opportunity for our coaches and staff to interact with our loyal fan base." Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich comments about the event. Shelbyville resident and long time Cardinal fan Sam Johnson looks forward to the annual caravan stop in his hometown and comments:

"I like the accessability of the players and coaches at this event. We've got a strong UofL fan base here in Shelbyville and one of our highlights each year is the caravan event."

No Louisville date has been listed yet. The event has taken place at Captain's Quarters off River Road in eastern Jefferson County in previous years. How about those loyal fans in Louisville, Tom? A little interaction with them too, perhaps? If not at Captain's Quarters...maybe at the brand new Louisville rowing facility near downtown?

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RAIN, RAIN...GO AWAY!!!

All this wet Louisville weather recently has made it the wettest April on record. The old adage..."April showers bring May flowers" should produce a bumper crop of floral delights this year. Ran across this insprirtional quote..."When it rains on your parade..look up instead of down. Remember that after the rain there's always the promise of a rainbow."

How much has it rained? I saw a duck in a Sporting Goods store being fitted for a raincoat and water resistant boots..

Legendary baseball coach Casey Stengel hits the nail on the head with this one:
"There are three things that can happen in a baseball game. Someone's going to win, someone's going to lose or it gets rained out."

Cardinal Sports Report dignitary Howie Lindsey quips : "They're thinking of renaming Fern Creek to Fern River. "

Local meterologists are getting more airtime lately than Viagra commercials. That might be a good thing.

Finally, this from an unknown source....
"When the rains subsided, we decided to drain part of the swamp. We went about this very methodically and scientifically. We had a plan and had thought it out carefully. Sometimes, though...it's tough to remember what your original intention was when you're up to your ass in alligators."
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Bemis named Player of the Year in Big East Softball

UofL third baseman Chelsea Bemis was voted Player of the Year in Big East softball for 2010. The award for the junior slugger was announced last night at the Big East Championship Banquet. Her selection was no surprise to Cardinal softball fans who have watched her safely swat almost everything that was tossed to her this year for Sandy Pearsall's softball Cards.

Bemis also was a unanimous selection to the 1st Team All-Big East squad. Cardinal pitcher Tori Collins and catcher Melissa Roth joined Bemis on the first team selections. First baseman Alicja Wolny was selected for the second team and Kristin Austin and Colby Wherry got third team honors.

Big East Tournament play begins Thursday morning with a 10 a.m. start pitting #4 Villanova against #5 Syracuse. The rest of the quarterfinal round is as follows:

12:30 p.m. #1 DePaul vs. #8 Rutgers
4:00 p.m. #2 Notre Dame vs. #7 Providence
6:30 p.m. #3 Louisville vs. #6 Pittsburgh

First round action will be available on Big East TV and the Thursday quarterfinal package can be purchased for $7.95 if you can't make the games. Go to BigEast.org and click on the link to register and purchase what looks to be an exciting first day of Big East softball action.

The Friday semifinals and Saturday final will be shown on CBS College Sports. A 5 p.m. first pitch is set for Saturday, which makes it tough on those wanting to see if Calvin Borel and SUPER SAVER can win the Preakness.

The winners of game 1 and game two start the action Friday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets for the Championship can be purchased at Ulmer Stadium for either single sessions or the full package.

Should Louisville defeat the Panthers in the single elimination tournament, they would face the winner of the Notre Dame vs. Providence game at 5 p.m. Friday. Louisville did not play their quarterfinal opponent Pittsburgh during the 2010 regular season. Ace hurler Cory Berliner will probably draw the starting assignment for Pittsburgh.

The Panthers did play a couple of non-Big East opponents that Louisville also faced...losing to Kentucky and splitting a two game set with Morehead State.

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Also on tap this evening is the 2010 Cardinal Caravan tour at Captain's Quarters. Louisville players and coaches will address the crowd and the cheerleaders and LadyBirds will be performing as well. Louie the Cardinal Bird may have to fly back and forth from the Caravan and Ulmer Stadium to ruffle his feathers for both events...and it is not known yet whether the UofL Pep Band will be playing at the diamond or down by the river.

The Caravan kicked of the 2010 tour in Owensboro Wednesday night.

CARDINAL COUPLE will recap all the quarterfinal action for you beginning Thursday night with a report on each of the four games.

Written by Sonja
5/13/10

She's back...

Be on standby and alert...all you air traffic controllers in Atlanta. There is an Angel flying high around the Peach state airspace and she's ready to take her Atlanta Dream team to new heights in the upcoming WNBA season.

McCoughtry, the rookie of the year last season in the WNBA, is going thru preseason drills along with her Atlanta Dream teammates. Spending several months in the EuroLeague, Angel and Candice Dupree led the Good Angels Kosice team to the league to the playoffs...the first appereance ever in post-season play for the Slovakian team. The experience gained there and performance by McCoughtry indicates that the UofL grad is fully comfortable playing at the next level and that should be a cause of concern for the rest of the league.

The Dream made it to the WNBA playoffs last year, thanks to McCoughtry's efforts. Headed into their third year of existance, Atlanta returns plenty of talent beside McCoughtry. Chamique Holdsclaw, Sancho Lyttle, Iziane Castro Marquez, Erica de Souza and twins Coco and Kelly Miller are on the preseason roster. 6'7" Duke standout Alison Bales is vying for a spot, also...along with fellow rookies Brittiany Raven (Texas) and Shawn Goff (Mississippi).

Fly high this WNBA season, Angel. Wouldn't it be nice to see a WNBA franchise develop in the new Yummy Center downtown?

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Cardinal Caravan kicks off the 2010 tour with a visit to Owensboro Wednesday afternoon. They'll be in Louisville Thursday. The Cardinal coaches event returns after a one year hiatus and will also make stops in southern Indiana, northern Kentucky and Shelbyville.

Missed the event last year, as I'm sure many of you did. Good things come to those who wait, though. Hearing Charlie Strong instead of Steve Kragthorpe. Oh, yeah...that's the ticket. Hopefully Cardinal women's basketball coach Jeff Walz will have a few of the Lady Cards there this year as he did last time the Caravan set down at Captain's Quarters. It was there just two years ago that a cocky and confident young guard named Dez Byrd told me the she would, without a doubt, be the Cards starting point guard and Angel McCoughtry assured me that it was her senior year wish to take the Cards deep in the NCAA Tournament. Both comments turned out to be right on line.

Written by Paul
5/12/10

Bemis earns Big East Player of the Week honors

Louisville's hard hitting junior third baseman has been selected as the Big East Player of the Week for her efforts against the Huskies. She ended the final week of the regular season going 5 for 8 (.625) and drove home eight runs. Her torrid hitting included two double and two home runs. She also crossed the plate four times.

Bemis led the Big East during the regular season in slugging percentage.

She and the rest of the Softball Cards will play 6:30 p.m. in the opening round of the Big East Tournament Thursday night here at Ulmer Stadium. Louisville finished in third place for the regular season standings.

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I absolutely hate the conflict that has developed here between the Cards softball tournament opener and the Cardinal Caravan Thursday night at Captain's Quarters. Originally, I swear I saw the the 3rd ranked team in the Big East final regular season standings would face the 6th ranked team to begin the tournament at 10 a.m. Thursday when I checked out the bracket pairings and times earlier in the week over at a Big East site. This worked out well for fans who wanted to attend both softball and the showcase of Louisville players and coaches. The official tournament draw that was released Sunday night, though...had the #3 vs. #6 at 6:30 p.m.

I can understand moving the UofL game to a later time and hoping to get a larger attendance...since more people will be home from work and able to attend and bring the kids. Putting it up against the popular Cardinal Caravan, though...which returns after a one year absence...makes no sense. Perhaps the Big East tournament officials didn't know about the gathering by the river.

Maybe the rains will delay one or both of the activities. The long range weather forecast for Louisville on Thursday doesn't look all that great. As if all this wasn't bad enough, yours truly also has a regularly scheduled monthly club meeting that same night.

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We all appreciate a little humor on the golf course. Usually. Who could forget Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray in CADDYSHACK? Adam Sandler and his golf antics in HAPPY GILMORE? Even Kevin Costner's tribulations in TIN CUP. The NCAA frowns on such nonsense, though and disqualified Norte Dame golfer Annie Brophy for joking around about her scores during the final round of the Central Regional Saturday at Otter Creek Golf Course. Brophy was keeping an accurate scorecard during the 18 holes but was telling people in charge of driving around the course and keeping track of the scores for the leaderboard that she was 6 under par after the first nine holes.

Brophy intended on turning in her actual scores at the end of her round...explaining that she wasn't lying or cheating on her score and actually keeping an accurate record of her strokes..but the NCAA got wise to her antics and disqualified her after 14 holes.

The problem? Seems that the scores Brophy was reporting had the teams from Florida State, Oregon and Kent State waiting around to see if they might be bumped by the Irish from finishing in the top eight and advancing to the NCAA Championships.

Brophy later admitted that her actions were not funny and she wasn't considering the long term effects of her kidding around. I wonder if she's majoring in Theatre or Political Science at Notre Dame.

(And people used to have problems with me replacing their golf ball with a hollowed out plastic one when they weren't looking. I submit the crown and title to you, Annie.) MANANANANAAAAAAAAA...NOONAN!

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You may have noticed a new link in the "Sites We Recommend" at the top left of our site. THEY'RE PLAYING BASKETBALL is a great site that has a lot of articles about women's basketball and other related topics. Be sure to check out the article about Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant juggling her responsibilities as a head coach and mother. This was a great find by Sonja and I've made this site a "must read". Thanks to Sue for allowing us to post her link and spread the word.

Written by Paul (Happy bithday...Boats!)
5/11/10

Cardinal Caravan reappears for 2010

Late signing period for high school basketball seniors starts Thursday. The Lady Cards have their eyes on Shoni Schimmel, a highly ranked guard out of Portland, Oregon. So do about another half dozen schools...

Shoni Schimmel would absolutely love the Cardinal Caravan tour that the University of Louisville has reintroduced for spring 2010. Coaches, players and spirit groups from the University of Louisville's sports teams will make six stops this late spring to meet and greet and talk to Cardinal fans in the area, beginning with a Wednesday, May 12th apperance in Owensboro at the River Park Center.

The other dates:

Thursday, May 13th. Captain's Quarters, Louisville, KY.
Wednesday, May 19th. Molly Malone's Irish Pub, Covington, KY.
Thursday, May 20th. Three Putt Willie's, Elizabethtown, KY.
Wednesday, May 26th. Huber's Orchard and Winery, Starlight, IN.
Tuesday, June 1st. Shelby County Fairgrounds Pavillion, Shelbyville, KY.

The popular fan events offers food, drink, registration drawings and a chance to get get up close and personal with Cardinal athletics and fellow fans. One of my favorite memories from a couple of years ago is holding an impromptu court with about half of the Lady Cards basketball team. I'll never forget Angel McCoughtry telling me point blank that she wanted to help take the team to the national championship game.

5:50 p.m. or 6 p.m. is the start time for the gala, depending on the location...but you'll want to get there plenty early to enjoy watching the Ladybirds, having food and drink and getting the chance to talk Cardinal with your fellow fans.

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We mentioned Schimmel earlier in this posting. Information on where the talented senior is headed and when she'll make her announcement is still hard to come by. Various sites and blogs have her interested in Louisville, Oklahoma, Stanford, Baylor, Rutgers, UCLA, Colorado, South Carolina and Oregon. Some recruiting gurus believe that Louisville is at the top of Schimmel's list but also point to Baylor's late surge in recruiting her.

Schimmel will be an innovator in women's college basketball. Her talent skills, beginning during her freshman year in high school, have been way past the high school level for the last four years. An excellent shooter from anywhere on the court, Schimmel also distributes the ball well, plays a ball hawking defense that creates steal and turnovers and is a natural leader on the court. She's been compared to Notre Dame freshman guard Skylar Diggins and UConn junior Maya Moore with her skills and ability to take over a game.

She also has a younger sister that has a big time game as well and most believe that wherever Shoni shows up, her point guard sister Jude will follow. Louisville hosted Schimmel for the UofL vs. UConn game at Freedom Hall and Cardinals head coach Jeff Walz has made several visits to Oregon to meet with her and her family. Also hot on her trail are coaches C. Vivian Stringer, Sherri Coale, Dawn Staley, Kim Mulkey.

himmel's mother Ceci Moses is the head coach at Portland Franklin, her high school and the native American superstar doesn't be in any apparent hurry to make her decision. Maybe she ought to meet a certain Mr. Teague from Indy. Both players have Cardinal fans guessing and speculating.

Written by Paul
(Help me save and protect Polar Bears. Read Richard Ellis' "On Thin Ice.")
4/12/10