Swimming leads, Softball falls, Sypher sentenced..

SATURDAY at CARDINAL COUPLE PRESENTS:


-Swimming still #1 after Day 3 of Championships

-Softball drops two in 'Bama Classic

-Sypher gets 87 months in extortion case.

-Watson's take on South Florida hoops vs. Lady Cards

-And the Panera winner is.....

-Pitino's Cards cage the Huskies in the YUM

The University of Louisville's men and womens swim squads still lead after Day 3 of the BIG EAST Championships. 'Sharin' Karen Sypher, pictured above, had to miss the competition...trying to swim out of her own cesspool down at the courthouse yesterday. She sank...

The women's swim squad has a commanding lead over Notre Dame 623.6 to 430.50 as the final day of splashing starts today. Several Lady Card swimmers touched the wall first in races yesterday in the Ralph Wright Natatorium. Let's look at the action:

Raine Thompson took the women's 100-fly with a new conference record 53.10. The Cards also had good finishes from Mary Mittel (5th), Esther Povazsky (7th) and Lacy Bobo (8th) in the final.

Therese Bergstrom captured the 100-breast stroke, defeating last year's champion from Notre Dame, Samantha Maxwell. Cardinals Giselle Kohoyda, Aileen Cole and Kameron Chastain also picked up points in the event.

The Cards also got a third in the 400-IM, second in the 200-free and second in the 100-back. The highly heralded 400 medley relay team of Bergstrom, Thompson, Cole and Krissie Brandenburg just missed against the Irish...who set a new BIG EAST record with 3:35.89.

The men go into the final day clinging onto a 591-570.5 lead over the Irish..


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Tough Friday for Sandy Pearsall's softball team in Tuscaloosa, Al. at the 'Bama Bash. Losses to Syracuse and Alabama drop the Cards to 3-4 in the young season. Against the Orange, Louisville jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning...Alicja Wolny's double scoring Jennifer Esteban. 'Cuse roared back, though, with a 3 run blast from Stephanie Watts in the top of the third. The Cards got back within one and had a chance to win it in the top of the seventh. Tanner Fowler, Esteban and Katie Keller reached on infield singles to load the bases with two outs. An error got pinch runner Chelsea Jordan to the plate but Syracuse reliever Jenna Caira stopped the rally...leaving the Cards one run short. Caralisa Connell (1-1) took the loss, allowing three runs, five hits and getting five strikeouts in seven innings. The 3-2 win pushes the 'Cuse to 5-0.


In the nightcap, Alabama jumped on Cards hurler Tori Collins early with four runs in the second inning. A two run double by Kendall Dawson and two run homer from Jackie Traina did the damage. 'Bama added two more in the third and led 6-0 until the top of the fourth when Louisville countered with two runs. Colby Wherry put one over the fence, bringing Katie Keller to the dugout with her. The Tide would add two more in the fourth and fifth innings for the final 10-2 score. Collins took the loss...giving up ten runs, 14 hits and fanning five in 4 innings.


The Cards look to rebound with a noon game against Texas-San Antonio today.


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Sharin' Karen Sypher received a seven year, three month sentence for her extortion attempts on Rick Pitino in Federal Court Friday. Her attempts back in 2003 to force Pitino into forking over cash, cars, college educations and a house for her and her kids is going to put the blond bad girl away with no chance of parole or reduced time served, since it is a federal case. Sypher plans to appeal and won't have to start serving the sentence immediately...as was pleaded by the prosecution. Think she takes a southbound to Georgia and dyes her hair black?


WE at Cardinal Couple feel that she got what she deserved. Although WE do NOT approve of Pitino's indiscretion with her, or the fact that money was provided for what ultimately turned out to be a Sypher abortion...what Sypher did, six years later, was much more severe. Her bizarre attempts to present the facts in a totally opposite and implausible reenactment and her equally strange appearances on obscure radio and TV talk shows indicate to us that she needs some serious psychological observation and help. She's isn't the sharpest pencil in the pile and her alleged previous 'gold-digging' attempts and successes on others show us she needs to be sequestered to a place where following the line in an orderly fashion and doing laundry eight hours a day is the agenda. (See 'ya and wouldn't want to be 'ya.)

Hey...she'll be eligible for AARP and Shoney's breakfast bar discounts when she gets out.....


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Shoni Schimmel and Monique Reid search for their missing shooting stroke today in the Sun Dome against USF. Our special correspondent David Watson provides his take on running with the Bulls below. You can e-mail David at mrwatsonipresume@insightbb.com if you get extremely bored...





Call me irresponsible or foolish (both usually apply) but I see good things in store for the University of Louisville's womens' basketball team Saturday in Tampa. It's Florida, for goodness sakes, who wouldn't be happy to be there in the middle of February? South Florida isn't exactly the Beast of the BIG EAST this year. They've notched one win in the brutal BIG EAST so far this season. They have a win over Seton Hall. I conservatively figure that my son's Catholic Youth team could give a respectable run for the money against the Pirates.

Andrea and Andrell Smith are the two main horns on a Bulls squad that won't be running with the crowd in the NCAA Tournament. They weren't present for USF's stunning upset over UofL last year in Freedom Hall and they might want to consider heading over to Sanibel Island and collecting seashells instead of suiting up for today's impending rout. Louisville is desperately seeking win # 8 in conference play and they'll get it if Walz can convince the Cards to block out, be patient in the offensive sets and not take a deep sea fishing expedition in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Say what you want about the road woes for the Cards this year. This is no Marquette, Syracuse or Connecticut that Hines and company are tipping it up against this afternoon. These Lady Bulls (excuse the oxymoron) are not proficient in rebounding, shooting or playing defense. At home or on the road. If Louisville can manage to lace up both shoes, find their way out of the locker room and shoot at the correct basket each half...then they stand a excellent chance of winning.

(David Watson occasionally sends us his views and observations on Louisville sports when he isn't too busy trying to persuade his oldest daughter to attend
Louisville instead of Notre Dame in two years.)

WE'LL HAVE FULL COVERAGE HERE LATER TODAY AFTER THE GAME IS FINISHED
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A tip of the tap and free Panera Card to Kenneth Stark, Sr. for having this week's winning entry in the random draw. His was the final entry that Bill the Goat tried to eat after a wild night on the Drunken Amish farm. Ken wrote:

"OK. Hope you don't actually have to have a favorite since I have never actually been to one. Maybe a coupon or something free will entice me? If/when I do go to one, it would be the Poplar Level Rd location.
P.S.-love your site!"

Well here's your big chance to break your maiden, Ken! We've got a Panera Gift Card headed your way and we're confident it'll be the first of many trips to Panera for you. We like the Poplar Level Road location, too. Even if we have to tie Bill the Goat up outside before we go in...
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We'd be remiss if we didn't offer the Pitino Cards a slap on the back and hearty "attaboy!" following their win over UConn in the KFC YUM Center last night. Gorgui Dieng with a double-double and Peyton Siva with some high flying magic for the 'Ville. 20 wins for Preston and the bunch and even Musburger and Knight gave Louisville some hearty praise on the four letter network. Always great to beat UConn in anything and Louisville has done it twice now this season in men's basketball. Boo-yah!
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Healthy Taylor could be a front line force

ON THE FRIDAY EDITION OF CARDINAL COUPLE:

Asia Taylor...ready for prime time?
The Sypher verdict

Asia Taylor showed up on the UofL campus last year with perhaps the most
eye popping resume of any of the incoming freshmen. She had been a one woman
wrecking crew for Columbus, OH Whetstone for the start of her senior year and
most scouts and services had her as one of the top three players in the state.

Then, tragedy struck. Taylor suffered an injury to her leg and ankle that put her
on the sidelines for the rest of the season. Surgery, rehabilitation, recovery...and
the Asia Taylor that arrived to the Cardinal Arena for practices in the fall of 2009 was a mere shadow of her former self. Pressed into action probably before
she was ready, due to the thin Lady Cards numbers...Taylor gave it the best shot
she could...but the early efforts were far short of what she was capable of and
personally disappointing to her.

Asia hit the court in 31 of the 32 games for Louisville last year, seeing an average of 14.4 minutes a game. Those numbers were significantly higher at the end of the season...when Jeff Walz was down to 3 front line players and Taylor responded with a couple of big efforts as the season drew to a close. She was getting better, physically and emotionally, in the aspects of the game and Cardinal fans got a few glimpses of what she was capable of when she was fully able to go.

Don't let the season average of 4.3 points per game and 2.6 rebounds fool you. Taylor has returned to campus this fall "about 95%" according to her, and gotten rave reviews on how her game has gotten much better and how dominating she is in the paint. She and Keisha Hines are the only two front line players returning from last year's team...with Gwen Rucker concentrating on volleyball this season and Laura Terry's career over with injuries...and Walz will count on her athleticism and strength for muscle under the backboard this year.

PROGNOSIS:

Taylor has the size, strength and talent to be one of the dominating power forwards in the Big East this year. She'll see some competition for playing time from several of the Cards' incoming freshmen...but if she can demonstrate the preseason skills she's been wowing people with this summer in pickup games and remain healthy, she should start for the Lady Cards and be a dominant force on the front line. Time to show them what you've got...a-Tay.

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Most of you have heard about the verdict in the U.S. vs. Karen Sypher trial by now. Guilty on all six counts. Sentencing to come shortly before Halloween. Was anyone surprised? This is a woman who has been grifting for about two decades now. Time to pay the dues.

She'll most likely end up in the Federal minimum facility in West Virginia. A facility that alumnus Martha Stewart has described as a "country club" atmosphere. What's more revealing is that she's been spared any jail time, despite the prosecution's request, until then. Is there a "Thelma and Louise" possibility in the next two and one half months of her freedom?

Sypher has been under spiritual guidance recently and that can only be a good thing. I just hope she doesn't show up at our parish. I hope she is truly sorry for the lies, innuendos and scheming that she has perpetrated over the last couple years. I'll wait and see.

For now, it's time to set this story on the back shelf and get back to the upcoming fall sports schedule at the University of Louisville. Field hockey, volleyball, soccer and other women's sports await us and we've spent way too much time watching this sordid, drag thru the mud calamity unfold. You won't see any further mention of "Sharin' Karen" in these columns until the sentencing date unless she pulls a stunt worthy of coverage.

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Three days to get those entries in for this week's $10 of PANERA gift cards. We've had some good one's entered so far. I recently enjoyed an out of this world Chicken Salad sandwich at the Clarksville location. I don't think Aunt Bee could have whipped up as good out of the famous Taylor kitchen in Mayberry. And, I didn't have to put up with Goober or Barney, either.

The Jason Bonham Band - Guilty

Had to post the vintage rock n' roller anthem from BONHAM in tribute to the verdict today in the U.S. vs. Sypher. Hard to believe I had hair like that once...lol

Hines returns to pound in the post

IN TODAY'S CARDINAL COUPLE

Keisha Hines-the force in the middle.

The defense rests in the Sypher trial.

One from the mailbag.


Keisha Hines, pictured on the right, deserves a nickname. She prowls the post like a caged panther, challenging any attempts to score from inside the paint and clearing out the area if any of the Lady Cards look to drive and score. The term "Enforcer" is overplayed..but it is something she does well. Hines goes about her work with the quiet confidence of a trained hit man, knowing her opponent, what she needs to do to eliminate them and quietly carrying out her assignment.

She's not the flashy, showboat scorer nor the loud, pumped up leader of the Lady Cards. But, she is a senior this year...and was the 3rd leading scorer for Louisville last season. Keisha just goes to work against the opponent's muscle in the middle and exchanges the elbows, shoves and bumps that a lot of fans miss while following the path of the basketball.

Hines started 23 of the 28 games she played in last year for Louisville. Actually led the team in shooting percentage with 52.3 % and averaged 9.1 points per game. Her 6.9 rebounds a game wee second best on the squad. She also averaged 3.6 fouls per game, leading Louisville in that dubious category, too. This is to be expected when you are the bouncer. She is one of two Cardinals on the roster that was on board when Jeff Walz took the job at Louisville.

You don't see a lot of the things that Hines does on the court but you can be assured that she is out there, pounding in the paint, denying the interior pass and catching the lob pass and going strong to the hoop. She has served her time as a backup...to Tise Wright, Gwen Rucker, Ashley Rainey and others...and she'll have several talented freshmen front line players with her this year that will see playing time in the post. Her work ethic will not change. She'll be the one to help the new players adjust to and learn the Walz style of basketball inside.

If the Cardinal basketball team is a pyramid, consider Keisha the strong base that helps the other bricks achieve height and stability. She's gathered her bumps and bruises over the past three years and dished out an equal share of them to opposing BIG EAST centers.

You can expect more pain distributed and dished out for her senior year. Bright, sparkling and funny off the hardwood...but stern, determined and serious once the ball is inbounded.

Keep jammin' them up, Keisha. It's appreciated.

PROGNOSIS:

Hines will be the front runner for the center position this year for Louisville. She will have competition from several new players. She'll get all she wants in practice from unavailable redshirt transfer Cierra Warren and this will only help her game....if the two don't kill each other. We'd love to see her cut back on the silly, reach in fouls that plagued her at times last year. Her senior season could be the best of her career and she won't back down from anyone.

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The drama expected in Wednesday's Karen Sypher court trial never materialized. The defense rested without putting Mom, the kids, Bill the Goat or Sharin' Karen on the stand. Closing arguments next and one has to wonder if the brevity of the defense is a confident assumption
that the prosecution failed to prove their case or simply a hesitance to put the wordy and inaccurate Sypher under oath.

The question now is how long will it take the jury to render a decision and what will they come up with? Will there be an appeal if the verdict doesn't suit the defense? It hasn't been BOSTON LEGAL or LAW AND ORDER...but there have been some memorable moments and sordid details surface. How badly has Pitino's reputation been sullied and soiled and how will Sypher look in an orange jumpsuit?

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CARDINAL COUPLE got an interesting e-mail the other day and we'd like to share it with you:

"I like reading your blog each day and I appreciate the information about Louisville Women's Sports. I am in the armed forces and overseas, so your reports help me follow my Cardinals and I look forward to the fall sports seasons and your reports on the games and contests.

I got a big surprise the other day when I was off duty and doing some shopping in a nearby outdoor market. I had on my NCAA Women's Final Four T-Shirt and a middle aged man walked up to me and displayed the "L" with his fingers. I naturally was surprised and asked him about his knowledge of the Cards. He told me that he had seen about half of Angel's games in Slovakia with the Good Angels Kosice team last season and had accessed several UofL sports web sites and saw several of the players flashing the "L"...so he adopted it, too.

Thanks for the coverage and I hope you enjoyed this story."

(Name withheld by request.)

Cardinal fans...spanning the globe...Keep your head down, come back to us safe and thank you for defending our country. OOORAHHH!

Burke shoots for great success in 2010-11

IN TODAY'S CARDINAL COUPLE REPORT:

BECKY BURKE CALLS THE SHOTS

ANGEL FLIES HIGH AGAINST THE MYSTICS

THE PROSECUTION RESTS

Becky Burke in a great photo here with Monique Reid. Credit and props to UofL Card Game's Charlie Springer for the great candid photo of the top two returning scorers for Jeff Walz's Lady Cards basketball team. We're hoping she can still be smiling like this at the end of the 2010-11 season.

For Becky Burke, it starts and ends with the shot. She was the main three point threat for Louisville last year and managed to go 22 for 63 last year from beyond the arc...good for 35.8%.
Burke was the only Cardinal to start in all 32 games for Louisville and logged 35 minutes a game for Jeff Walz..tops on the team. Burke averaged 13.8 points per game for Louisville and was the Cards second most accurate free throw shooter from the line...with a 80.4% from the charity stripe. Something to rest her laurels on? Not hardly.

Burke was a part of the Final Four team as a freshman and was troubled with UofL's slump to a 14-18 record in 2009-10. The junior knows that she'll be counted on to provide a leadership role in 2010-11 and will have seven new teammates joining her on the KFC YUM hardwood this winter.

She'll also face some challenging competition at her "2" guard spot. The Cards have nine guards listed on the roster...a far cry from the three Jeff Walz had available for most of the previous season. Although Burke is probably the best returning deep range specialist of the bunch, there are still questions about her defensive capabilities and a nagging thigh injury from last year that had her at less than 100% at times. Word is that Burke has been working hard in the off season on her conditioning, shot and strength. She'll need a top effort in all three categories to help the Cards rebound from a disappointing 2009-10 season.

PROGNOSIS: Burke will most likely be the front runner to retain the starting nod at "2" guard. Practices promise to be tough and whether she'll be able to hold on to the starting role will depend on how well she's drilling the deep ball and playing defense. Her experience and leadership will key a key factor in the success or failure of these young Cards. We're thinking she'll come thru with flying colors.

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The Atlanta Dream got a rude awakening last night at home in the fourth quarter...losing to the Washington Mystics 86-78. The loss dropped Atlanta (18-10) to just one game ahead of Indiana and Washington in the tightly contested Eastern Conference of the WNBA.

Angel led the way for the Dream with 30 points, two short of her season high. Atlanta led by six points with less than six minutes to go, but saw Washington go on a 12-0 run and build an insurmountable lead late in the game.

Former Rutgers star Matee Ajavon did the majority of the damage for Washington in the final frame...tossing in 10 of her 14 point in the final 10 minutes. Atlanta trailed most of the first three quarters but led 57-56 going in to the fourth.

McCoughtry returns to Louisville today for her TEAM ANGEL camp at the Basketball Academy. The Dream returns to play Friday.

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The prosecution has rested in the U.S. vs. Sypher trial. They brought 20 witnesses to the stand in an attempt to show that Karen Sypher was guilty of attempted extortion, lying to federal officials and being a horrible dresser. Now the defensive steps up to the plate. "Mumsie" Cunagin, possibly one of Karen's sons and jockey Fabio Arguello are expected to take the podium for the defense. (Just kidding about Fabio...but isn't that a great name?)

The question here is whether "Sharin' Karen" will take the bible in her hand in her own defense.
Throughout the proceedings, Sypher has remarked that she's never felt stronger and will have her chance down the road in this trial. It's now or never...but why risk the chance of perjury and tacking on to the sentence by putting the contradictory Cunagin-Sypher in the chair?

Although it would appear that the prosecution has done enough to prove Sypher has been untruthful in several aspects of the alleged incident and subsequent events following it, the jury must be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that she is guilty. You can expect defense attorney Earhart to try and cloud and clog the jury member's though process by disputing everything but the color of her nail polish and whether she likes foreplay or not.

Should be an interesting three days ahead. Let's hope the courtroom has plenty of Puffs on hand, because there will probably be quite a few tear-jerking moments in the next 72 hours. And, none of them will have to do with the Louisville Football team being picked to finish eighth out of eight teams in the preseason conference poll.

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A new federal law has made it impossible to ship cigarettes to soldiers in Afghanistan unless they are sent by Express Mail. Afghanistan doesn't have Express Mail. A far cry from the days when Sarge and the boys would hunker down in the field and the phrase "smoke 'em if you got 'em" would resonate in the air. Yeah, you can die for your country, but heaven forbid you have a drink or smoke at the end of a hard day. Nice work, Sen. Herbert Kohl, D-Wis., sponsor of the bill. Maybe you'd like to take away cupcakes and Kool-Aid at Cub Scout meetings next ?

Team Angel

Angel McCoughtry is holding a girls basketball skills camp
this week at the Basketball Academy in Louisville, KY.

This normally would be a busy week for most of us. When you consider that she played in a WNBA game Sunday and plays again tonight (a ESPN 2 televised contest) it speaks volumes about the dedication and drive that the Atlanta Dream wing has for the sport.

CARDINAL COUPLE caught up with Angel yesterday and sat down with her to discuss the camp, basketball and her college team, the University of Louisville Lady Cards.

A special thanks to Doug Bibby, Brian Dyke, Heidi and the staff of the Basketball Academy for making this possible. And also to Angel...who continues to shine as an example of what is right and good about professional athletes. Enjoy this look into TEAM ANGEL and the talented Ms. McCoughtry.

(On the concept and motivation of holding a camp)

"When I was in college, I always worked a lot of the camps. Men's camps. Rondo has his camp, Pitino has his camp, a lot of guys have camps and I noticed that the girls were always mingled in with the guys and always overshadowed. I wanted to have something just for the ladies..where they can feel comfortable...where they can come in and compete on the same level. I just wanted to have something for the young ladies."

(On attending camps while growing up)

"I did! I remember one time I went to a one day camp that Cheryl Swoopes had and I was so thrilled just to be there..to get autographs. Just to see her..I didn't even get to talk to her. And I thought about it and I realized that...wow...these girls here feel that way about me. It's kind of strange..because I know how I felt when I was this age but I'm glad just to be able to give back. I want to be able to talk to these girls and get to know them."

(On her first year at UofL...coming off the bench)

"Well, it was tough but the thing was it was definitely a learning experience. That just made me more hungry and it showed near the end of my playing time at UofL when we made the Final Four."

(On the high turnout for the camp)

"You know, it's so great...because the thing about it is, we only promoted for one month and to promote a camp you need 3 months or more to really get the word out. It shows the girls really care and I just love coming back to Louisville, it's my second home. I'm really here just to get them to learn the fundamentals of the game.

(On the camp goals and ideals)

"I was telling them earlier that they need to take advantage of every opportunity. I have one young girl here who had cancer. She's just recovering from leukemia. Just for her to get out there, just for a little bit...it's so humbling. I tell them to take advantage of every opportunity because you girls are healthy. Play. Don't take it for granted. Yes, we all get tired but just go out there and play hard.

(On the counselor selection)

"It was kind of a mixture of us both ( Doug Bibby and Angel). Bibby has a lot of connections and I know a couple of people. We got the kind of cast here that the girls can really look up to."

(Her predictions on the UofL women's team)

"Oh, my goodness! I've seen some of the girls play and I just wish I had a couple of years left to get out there on the court with them. They are awesome! Jeff Walz got an amazing recruiting class in this year. One of the tops in the nation. And, if he starts five freshmen next year, I wouldn't be surprised. There's going to be some bumps, sure...but by their sophomore year, I wouldn't be surprised if they make it to the Final Four."

(On attending the first game in YUM before heading back to play in the Euro Leagues.)

"Actually, on November 12th..on a Friday...we're playing Tennessee. That day I will be getting my jersey retired in the new arena, so I will get to see one game."

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Before our chat, I got to catch a little of the question and answer session Angel had with the camp attendees. The girls were given a chance to ask Angel questions and some of the questions and responses were fun and revealing.

(On how many games she has won)

"So many! Higher than I can count. And there's more on the way."

(Which coach did she learn the most from?)

"Jeff Walz. One of the main things he taught me was to keep my composure on the court, which was really important and helpful."

( Who do people compare her game to in the WNBA?)

"Some people tell me I play like Cheryl Swoopes, which I really am humbled by because she is one of my favorite players of all time."

(Which team do you like to beat the most?)

"In the WNBA, it would have to be Indiana. We just beat them Sunday and that was really good. In college it would have been Kentucky." (McCoughtry never lost to UK while at UofL)

(Who was the toughest opponent she has played against ?)

"As a team I would have to say Connecticut. They have a great coach in Geno and he coached me when I was trying out for the Olympic team and I now know why they are as successful as they are now. He's really a great coach. For an single opponent it would be Tina Charles. She was so talented, a great rebounder and she helped make Maya Moore the good player that she is. In the WNBA, that's a tough one but Tamika Catchings, who plays for Indiana is very good and tough to stop."

(Something most people don't know about her?)

"I can speak a little Portuguese. A couple of my teammates on the Atlanta Dream are from Brazil and that is the language down there."

(On life after her playing career is over?)

"What do you all think I should do? Did I hear someone say coach? That's a good idea. I'd also maybe like to do something in theatre. That's what I studied in college."

(On who she would like to play for if she didn't play for Indiana in the WNBA?)

"Washington. I'm from that area and it would be fun to play in front of my family and friends there."

Angel's "TEAM ANGEL" camp runs thru Thursday. You can catch Angel on ESPN2 this evening in WNBA action. Then, it's back to the 'Ville for instruction, encouragement and dialouge with our future stars .

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The U.S. vs. Sypher started back up again on Monday. Surprise, surprise...we were introduced to a few more people that "Sharin' Karen" slept with. Those of you out there that haven't slept with her or don't know someone who has...raise your hand. She likes to tell guys that she's really fertile, too.

Really.

For a different look at the proceedings, you might check out what Matt Jones is plunking down over at http://www.kentuckysportsradio.com/

The site bleeds "blue" thru and thru and you might want to avoid the comments section if you don't like reading negative things about University of Louisville athletics. Jones is blogging from the courthouse daily and probably dressed in a UK2K T-shirt and cutoff jorts. I wonder if he'll give the most likely and probale upcoming Calipari NCAA proceedings as much print?

Actually, forget about that. Nothing sticks to the "teflon Don" in Lexington. He's like Godzilla...leaving college programs shattered in his wake and uncatchable.

Jones's site is great comic relief if you need a reminder of how much some Big Blue fans are "ate up with themselves" and how much hatred there is for UofL out there in the state. Jones is a good journalist, but so much aggression and hatred for a college athletic program....can't be good for the blood pressure and stress levels. Accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative, Matty. You'll feel a whole lot better, believe me.

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Is anyone else getting tired of "Flo the Progressive Insurance Girl" and those inane commercials? I wonder why it is that insurance companies always come out with the worst commercials? You got the one company that has the gekko that talks, another one with the former head of "The Unit" and the guy from "Major League and "Love and Basketball" ready to put you in good hands and some slacker named "Justin Case" shilling for another one. Enough. Please.

UofL getting ready for new womens' basketball season ticket holders

Why is Bill so happy?

He heard the news about the chance to get season tickets for UofL Womens' basketball. Here's the information on how you can join Bill this season:

Selections for seats for new potential season ticket holders will be held at the YUM Center on the UofL campus on Monday August 9th.

Those interested should go to the YUM Multipurpose room starting at 3 p.m. to pick seats.

Pricing is as follows:

$80 for adults.
$25 for children.
$75 for faculty and students

There will be a $50 donation if you want to sit in Sections 106 or 116. Same donation if you're looking to land in rows A-F in Sections 105, 107, 115 & 117.

Family plans are also available. $160 a year and you can choose from Sections 103,104,108, 119,113, 114, 118 & 119.

This is an excellent opportunity to see the Lady Cards at great prices. Additional information can be obtained by calling 502.852.5863.

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U.S. vs. Sypher Friday results:

-Former Sypher attorney Dana Kung Fu admits that he fooled around with our girl several times and didn't want to represent her at first. He got interested though when he figured out what 10% of 10 million dollars worked out to. Capitalism...the American way.

-Don't shoot Tim Sypher...he's only the message carrier. Tim denies that he help construct the letter he hand delivered to Rick shortly before the Cards game against WVU. I wonder if he brought the rest of the mail to Rick as well? I wonder if I could get him to check my PO Box for me on a regular basis. In fact, I just wonder about Timmy and what he was thinking when he decided to marry ol' Sharin' Karen. I also wonder why Disney character Goofy can talk and Pluto can't. After all, they're both dogs. I also wonder....oh, never mind.

-Dana Kung Fu was a scared and fearing for Karen's life and safety after the Rick responded to her requests. I wonder if he listens to much Lynyrd Skynyrd?

-We now know why Richard Pitino decided to leave the nest and shuffle off to Gainesville. It wasn't because they do the "Gator Chomp" during games. It wasn't because he loves the blue and orange color scheme of UF. Dad didn't want him exposed to the upcoming media circus. And, it was the right move. Gainesville has no media, internet connections and has no idea that this case is actually going on. They still think Andy Griffith and Opie walk to that pond every day and Urban Meyer was the movie sequel to URBAN COWBOY.

-We learned that the chances of reconciliation and dialogue between Karen and Tim are pretty much out the window. Shame...those two crazy kids seemed so right for each other.

-We were reminded that Rick is a part owner in several car dealerships in Lexington. Now that UK fans have access to this information, you can expect sales to drop 50%. "I ain't gonna drive no car that Piteneer is associated with". (I wonder if Calipari got his Lexus there?)

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Remember, two more days to get in your e-mails for $10 worth of PANERA gift cards this week. We've had some pretty good entries this week and deciding a winner could be tough. Maybe you've got one that will blow the rest away? (Sorry, bad Sypher reference.) E-mail it to us at:

cardinalcouple@insightbb.com or just leave your masterpiece in the comments section here. Even if you don't win this week, there will be several more chances to win and all entries are eligible for a 2 week vacation touring the grape arbors of South Dakota. (OK, we made the last part up...but we still encourage you to get those PANERA love letters to us.)

UofL womens' soccer to be on National TV

(In today's edition of CARDINAL COUPLE we cover women's soccer, the ongoing Pitino/Sypher saga and Charlie Strong speaks. Enjoy and tell a friend.)

The annual Battle of the Bluegrass soccer match between UofL and UK will be televised from Cardinal Park on Thursday, Sept, 9th. at 7 p.m. on the Fox Soccer Channel. To be honest with you, I'm not sure if I have this channel or if any local sports pubs will broadcast the event..so I think I'll just go and attend it. It is a great chance for the program to receive national attention and alert any future Cardinal womens' soccer stars out there about what is going on down on the Belknap Campus in regards to soccer. It may not be Mike Tirico, Mia Hamm and Dick Vitale...but it's national TV, and that isn't a bad thing, gang.

The soccer season is only 17 days away. The UofL womens' soccer team will host an exhibition game on August 14th. at 7 p.m. against Tennessee at Cardinal Park. There will be clinics and autograph signings prior to the action. The regular season gets underway Aug. 20th. against Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m. at Cardinal Park. Looking for a new way to 'get your kicks'? Then, get out and watch and support the Soccer Cards.

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Day 3 of the U.S. vs. Sypher saw Rick Pitino take the stand for nearly four hours. Pitino denied rape charges and said that money was Sypher's goal. Pitino denied that he forced Sypher to have an abortion. Pitino aide Vinny Tatum said he was sitting only 10-15 feet from where Sypher said she was raped but he heard no screams or signs of a struggle. Tatum also acknowledged on cross-examination that he didn't see what happened. Pitino also commented that the whole encounter lasted less than 15 seconds.

I liked the part where Sypher's letter penned by former Sypher attorney Dana Kolter was shown to the journey. Especially the part where Sypher gave Rick a ride home from the alleged rape in mid-summer "because it was snowing."

Really?

There was also discussion about members of Pitino's party "raising her miniskirt and she was giggling." Porcini's restaurant owner left them at the restaurant because he was ready to leave and they were still drinking. Sounds like the days of when my frat brothers would abandon me in the basement of the frat house before the keg was empty. Except there was no raised skirts or 15 second encounters.

The trial drags on again today. Rick will be questioned by Sypher's defense attorney James Earhart. This could be interesting. He won't be lobbing softballs Rick's way.

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Off topic from womens' sports but still a great evening for CARDINAL COUPLE getting a chance to hear UofL head football coach Charlie Strong speak Wednesday evening to the Sportsmen's Supper Club. We've posted a review of coach's words over at:

www.uoflcardgame.com

and www.cardinaldominance.ning.com

Check it out. Strong words, strong beliefs and a strong commitment to Cardinal Football and Cardinal fans. You're gonna love this guy..

A different look at Shoni Schimmel

(Pictured here with Atlanta Dream's Iziane Castro Marquez and one of the youngest Dream fans around, Angel McCoughtry contributed 11 points to an Atlanta blowout of Tulsa this afternoon 105-89.)

Good thing they got the photo in before Marquez broke her nose in practice Monday. With the win, Atlanta goes to 16-9 and is 1/2 game out of first place in the WNBA Eastern Division. All Dream players scored in the win today...Atlanta led by 30 in the first half before coasting in for the "W".

Shoni Schimmel isn't your typical freshman rolling onto a college campus this fall. She might just be the best native American to play the women's college basketball game. A very revealing look at her, her decision and her hopes and expectations can found in the wonderful article written by Jack McNeel at the link listed below. It's worth a few minutes of your time to give it a read.

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/living/Sensational-senior-Louisville-bound-98115039.html

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Day 2 concludes in the U.S.A. vs. Sypher trial. Highlights of the trial? We got to hear the phone messages Lester the Phone Guy left for Rick Pitino concerning the Sypher matter, plus a phone call to Lester from Sypher asking him to call her. None of the recordings are going to get nominated for a Grammy, I can tell you that. There were also witnesses on the stand that were in the restaurant the evening of the tryst. No word on how the house salad was tossed..

Also, portions of the WDRB tapes with Sypher describing the alleged rape were played. Once again, no award winning performances in these. She asked him what was going on and he told her to shut up. Allegedly. Sound like a normal evening in my brother in law's living room.

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Ticket selection is going on for women's basketball seats for the new arena. According to a couple of people I have talked to, it's fairly painless and a pretty quick process. You're shown a few charts of seating in the KFC YUM! Arena and what is available. Thanks to our good friends who shared this information with us and also were able to make seat selections by proxy for members of my family. We're about in the same area we were in Freedom Hall and that's pretty sweet. I guess the wrestling match will occur when we have to decide who will be covering UofL Women's Basketball for CARDINAL COUPLE down on press row. I like my chances in this one.

The Sypher trial: Day One

So, after day one of The U.S. vs. Sypher...it looks like we have the "liar, liar...pants on fire" prosecution strategy going up against the "poor, poor pitiful me" defense. About the only thing the two sides can agree on is that Sypher was at Porcini's the night of the tryst, rape, lettuce and croutons...whatever you want to call it sordid incident.

Defense attorney "Sweet Baby" James Earhart paints a picture of destruction:

"What this case is about is power, money and influence. When you are raped by a person of power, money and influence, you have to be destroyed."

(Note that here at CARDINAL COUPLE...we know very little about power, money or influence. Destruction...yes, we are familiar with it. One look at our Fred Sanford like garage will prove that.)

Prosecutor John E. Kuhn indicates a different scenario:

"By the time the trial is over in two weeks, you will not believe a word that Sypher has said about anything."

(I wonder if this takes into account the issue of Sypher commenting several years ago that she was a UofL fan. With fans like this...who needs the Big Blue Nation as opponents...)

If we learned anything at all yesterday, it was that Sypher isn't very good at voice recognition and that CARDINAL COUPLE isn't very good at predicting what might unfold in this trial. Sypher claims she didn't recognize Lester the Phone Guy's voice when he called Pitino with the threats. Happens to us all the time, I often fail to recognize my own voice when I'm karaoking a Lynyrd Skynyrd song after several beverages.

We also surmised in a separate article over at CARDINAL DOMINANCE that Pitino probably wouldn't take the stand nor would the rape issue get much play. We got rocked in the first inning on both of those issues. We could see Rick detailing things as early as today.

It looks like this thing has now moved from the circus tent to the midway of the carnival. On one side, we have a carney advertising that the "house of lies" is open...step right up and hear them all, folks. On the other side, the barker implores you to experience the most dangerous, scary and intriguing thing you'll ever witness...Rick Pitino after sex.

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Former Lady Card great Angel McCoughtry will be back in the Ville August 2-6 to run a skills camp for girls 6-16. It'll be at The Basketball Academy and details can be found at Angel's website:

www.angelmccoughtry.com

Angel's skills have looked pretty good lately and she'll get another chance to demonstrate them tonight against Tulsa.

The circus is in town

All we need is a few clowns, an elephant and a high wire act...OK, check that. The clowns are here...led by "little miss table the motion" Karen Sypher and "what was I thinking" UofL head basketball coach Rick Pitino. The elephant? None other than collected media that will trample this thing into matted sawdust during the estimated two week run. The high wire act? Sypher balanced perilously above possible 5-10 years in the jailhouse. That net below isn't looking too big either. Step right up and get your tickets, folks. After three days of exciting entertainment at Churchill Downs with HULLABALOU...a horse of a different color now assumes the main stage. You like reality shows? You got a doozy ahead of you. Pass the tissues and cue the laugh track.

So, what is exactly going on here? Actually it is the United States Government (another elephant) against Ms. Sypher. She faces six different charges..three of them involving threatening communication with intent to extort. Toss in a couple of making a false statement to a government agents and a potentially false rape charge...simmer slightly till ready and serve with a garnish and table wine. Preferably not at Porcini's...where the pilot episode was portrayed.

This isn't her first rodeo. She was allegedly involved in another "get rich quick scheme" back in 1999 with a former employer and received a settlement before it went to court.

One would assume that the Feds will not try to turn this thing into a rape case...and the defense will. But, even if it goes that route...you gotta wonder what the defense will say when it is brought up that Sypher drove Pitino home after the alleged violation. Talk about your bad dates!

All this happened almost seven years ago. We'll get to relive it all in the next two weeks. I tried to remember what I was doing back in August of 2003. The only thing I can come up with is that I know I wasn't at Porcini's.

Start up the calliope and send in the clowns. It's showtime.

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Angel McCoughtry popped in 28 points and the Atlanta Dream used a 4th quarter 11-0 run to get a win over the New York Liberty. McCoughtry also grabbed 10 rebounds and passed out six assists in the 82-75 win. The victory, Atlanta's 1st since the All-Star break moves them into second place in the WNBA Eastern Division...one game behind Indiana. Iziane Castro Marquez added 21 points for the Dream and the Liberty got 28 out of Cappie Poindexter.

Atlanta (15-9) continues the road trip with a Monday game in Tulsa

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Congratulations to Donnie Koch on winning $10 worth of Panera Gift Cards. Donnie's entry was simple but strong.

"I choose Panera before anywhere else to eat because I'm into eating healthy and they give me plenty of options to do that. No matter what meal of the day it is, I trust Panera."

The contest continues on with weekly gift card prizes until the Labor Day weekend. Send those entries to:

cardinalcouple@insightbb.com

Softball looks ahead to another big year in Big East

Junior third baseman Chelsea Bemis is one of eight returning starters for UofL head softball coach Sandy Pearsall. "Chelsea should have a tremendous season for us." Pearsall says.

Although the Softball Cards are losing catcher Melissa Roth, pitcher Kristen Wadwell and right fielder Vanessa James to graduation..the cupboard is far from empty for next season.

Pitchers Tori Collins and Chelsea Leonard return to handle mound duties and beside Bemis...the Cards have Jordan Trimble (2B), Alicja Wolny (1B), Jennifer Esteban (LF), Kristen Mann (DH), Kristen Austin (CF) and Colby Wherry (SS). The benefits of a returning infield intact will pay huge dividends for the Softball Cards and the bat of Bemis (MVP of the Big East) gives Louisville a solid and dependable nucleus to face opponents.

Coach Pearsall signed five new Cards last fall and they should prove to add depth to the Louisville lineup. Maggie Ruckenbrod was the St. Louis Player of the year and led the state of Missouri in hits last year. She can catch or go to the infield. Pitcher/infielder Caralisa Connell comes in from Mufreesboro, TN. Tanner Fowler (infield/catcher - Morganfield, KY), Hannah Kiyohara (infield/outfield - Auburn, WA.) and Katie Keller ((infield - Livermore, CA.) round out the freshmen.

"Replacing Roth will be our biggest challenge. We do have two incoming catchers, though and Bemis is a good catcher too, if needed." Pearsall commented on the loss of Roth.

"I'm excited about next season. We have a great schedule again. The four freshmen who started for us should benefit a lot. We could start three or four freshmen again next season. I can't wait."

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In the continuing saga of the future prosecuting of Karen Sypher...a Louisville judge has decreed that members of the media cannot talk to or interview her. Finally...blessed relief from the wild and incoherant ramblings of the future jailbird. CARDINAL COUPLE does not condone the indiscretions or coverup that evoled around Pitino and Sypher's tryst several years ago...but accepts the apologies that Pitino offered to family and fans for the indiscretion. CARDINAL COUPLE is definitely not a fan of attempted extortion...and hopes that justice will be served when the case goes to trial in late July.

Just for the record...we had no plans to try and interview her whatsoever and wouldn't mind too much if the ground suddenly opened and swallowed her up.