Wednesday Cardinal Couple - Softball at Baseball game

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Louisville Softball team throws out first pitch at UofL baseball game Tuesday night. (Photo by Charlie Springer-UofL
Card Game)

Wednesday Cardinal Couple

- Softball Team throws out first pitch at UofL baseball game.


-Game times changes for Saturday softball


-Kiyohara a true team player


The University of Louisville softball team took to the diamond a few days earlier than expected, and it wasn't at Ulmer Stadium for the NCAA Softball Regionals. 

Cardinal Couple's Sonja with Charlie Springer.  

Instead, Sandy Pearsall's squad traveled across campus to Jim Patterson Stadium to throw out the first pitch for the Louisville vs. Morehead baseball game. The Cards won the Senior Day contest 8-3 over the Eagles and used eight pitchers in the contest. 


None of the eight were from the softball team, as far as we know...but Collins, Leonard and Connell could have probably shut the Eagles down. 


Charlie Springer has the write up for you over at his fine site...UofL Card Game. Click the link below to read the Observer's observations.


Cards Send Seniors off in style with 8-3 win.


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ESPN has decided to pick up the second day of action at the Softball Regionals at Ulmer on Saturday. Not ESPN 2, U, 3, Classic or Desportes...but the original ESPN. 


They've also changed the start times for the games on Saturday. First pitch is at 3 p.m. now...when the  winners of Friday's games one and two will face off. The revised schedule:


Saturday


3:00 p.m.  GAME 3  Winner #1 vs. Winner #2
5:30 p.m.  GAME 4  Loser #1 vs. Loser #2
8:00 p.m.  GAME 5  Winner #4 vs. Loser #3


No changes to Sunday...and ESPN 2 still has the feed for that one...as far as we know. 

Jennie, Jennie !!

We'll see if Brent Musberger and Dick Vitale show up to do these. 


But, no problems if Jennie Finch does the color analysis again. Not only does she know softball...she's pretty pleasing to the eye as well.


Great opportunity for the softball Cards to get at least one game in on the flagship ESPN Network station. And, we hope one is all they'll have to play Saturday. That means that they've won two games and will be playing in the finals...scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday.


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Cardinal softball player Hannah Kiyohara was selected to the BIG EAST First Team in the 2011 season. The freshman right-fielder started 42 of the Cards 49 games and batted .331 for the season. After such an auspicious beginning to her career, the sky looked the limit for the Auburn, Washington native. 


Instead, she became the Cards utility player her sophomore year. Seeing action in 35 of the Cards 53 games and starting 25 of them, Sandy Pearsall has used her at right-field, short shop, second base and also at designated hitter this year. 

We can't confirm it, but it is rumored she also filled in for J-Bone on public address duties and played the organ at games when Al Greener wasn't available.


When the decision was made to rest Kristin Austin and her sore hamstring in a couple of the BIG EAST Tournament games, Kiyohara took over right field and the Cards were in capable hands. 


Hannah Kiyohara defines the term "team player" and with Austin's graduation this year, we're confident that #24 will return to her right-field domain for the 2013 season. 

"Run over to the dorms, Becky, and see if
Hannah wants a little court time..."

Unless Sandy Pearsall loans her to Jeff Walz as a back-up point guard (she played basketball also at her high school, led the team in scoring and was First Team All-South Puget Sound League) or has her directing traffic at the corner of Floyd and Brandeis. 


If you need it done...and in a efficient "mannah"...call Hannah. 


( OK. Corny rhyme. We're outta here. See ya Thursday.) 
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Reviewing the Seton Hall win...Softball blanks Wright State

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:


-Reviewing Seton Hall win


-Watson reviews the game (sort of)...


-Softball shuts out Wright St.


-One week left to vote for Steve
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Asia Taylor, pictured here, drives for two while Sherrone Vails and Seton Hall's Whitney Wood mix it up in some sort of tantric yoga exercise...

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(Photo from Charlie Springer, UofL Card Game)
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Louisville didn't have one of their better outings against the Pirates...but once again...defense helped the Cards notch their 19th win of the season. The Cards allowed six Pirate points in the first four minutes and then held them to just 43 in the final 36 minutes of the game. Seton Hall shot 9 for 27 in each half...a 18-54 outing at 33%. The Cards went 23-54 against S.H.U. (42.6%). Free throws were another area that both teams missed opportunities at...Seton Hall 8-15 (53.3%) and Louisville 9-17 (52.9%). It should be noted that the referees really went to the whistle in the second half...against the Cards...four fouls in the first twenty minutes and 12 in the final twenty. Seton Hall committed 12 first half infractions but only eight in the 2nd half.
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Leading the Cards in scoring was Monique Reid with 16. Keisha Hines aded 12, Becky Burke 10 and Asia Taylor nine. Sherrone Vails tossed in five, Tia Gibbs with four and Polly Harrington knocked down a 3 pointer for her three points. Shoni Schimmel, Shelby Harper, Antonita Slaughter, Charmaine Tay and Rachel Story also played but had no points. Seton Hall's Jazzmine Johnson led all scores with 19 points and Tajay Ashmeade hit double figures with 11.
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Louisville won the rebounding battle 39-35 with Hines grabbing 10. Burke and Reid had five each, Vails added four, Taylor and Schimmel three, Slaughter and Story two each and Harper and Harrington had a grab. Seton Hall got a yeoman effort from 6'3" Ashmeade on the misses...ending with 15 rebounds and a double double.
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Louisville's freshmen combined for eight points and ten rebounds. This was the first time this season Schimmel had been shut out for a game. The playing time was evenly distributed by Walz Saturday...the Cards had nine players see 13 or more minutes...Burke getting 26. The Cards scored 30 points in the paints...Seton Hall 22. Louisville won the points off turnovers battle 23-15 and second chance points 19-8. The Cardinal bench was worth 18 points...Seton Hall's 17.
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9875 witnessed the win where Louisville improved to 19-10, 10-5. The Cards finish with 162,892 attending 15 games in the KFC YUM Center...tops in the BIG EAST in average (10,930) and total. Connecticut could catch Louisville in total with one home game remaining Monday night at the Gampel Pavillion.
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Coach Walz revealed in the post game presser that the diminished playing time for Charmaine Tay lately was not from an injury...but because she is dealing with some off-court issues and effectually is in the 'doghouse' until she gets them straighted out. We saw Walz do this earlier in the season with Asia Taylor and although we do not know the circumstances involved in this issue...we can only conjecture that Tay will be back in the regular mix once she completes her issues to Walz's approval. Tay did see brief action yesterday in a mop up role...maybe the worst is over for her. Gotta play by all the rules...on court and off...and pay the price if you don't.
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Louisville said goodbye to Hines, LaToya Johnson and Laura Terry in pregame ceremonies. The three will be missed and their hard work and contributions were monumental in the success of this Cardinal team.
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Louisville's men play Pitt in a big hoop-de-do down at the YUM today and the press row was basically cut in half yesterday by technicians working on setting up for the nationally televised game. Crowded and cozy conditions for the members of the working media...WE'RE not ones to ever complain...but...they needed 24 hours before the game to get all this together? And, the guys didn't seem too very busy during a certain two hour stretch yesterday...WE weren't in our normal viewing area next to Professor Abramson but got to spend two fun hours next to UofL Card Game owner and 'observer' Charlie Springer.
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It was Charlie who commented on the noticable weight loss on a couple of UofL assistant coaches. While we'd never call trusted Jeff Walz assistants fat...it is obvious that there has been some pounds shed and we encourage their efforts and results. Hey, if Paul can drop 35...anyone can...keep going, girls!
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DAVID WATSON was in the stands for the Seton Hall game with his youngest daughter and files this report...(We like the fact that David is in town for two days...and is taking us out to eat Sunday Night.)
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It was a good day for being in downtown Louisville yesterday. The pizza at Impelliezeri's post game is always top notch and the weather conductive to strolling down 4th Street Live after. The action in the KFC YUM Center was less than perfect but it goes to show what I've been saying for the last couple weeks...Seton Hall isn't the push-over patsy that most people consider them to be. Anne Donovan has made big strides coaching this young team ( 1 senior, 7 freshmen and sophomores) this season and will continue to do so. Watching Anne on the sidelines (she's hard to miss at 6'8") is a lesson in coaching. She is on top of each and every play, rotating between shouting out assignment and switches to her players, keeping a rolling and lively dialogue going with any officials within earshot and talking to her assistants. Anne, like Jeff Walz, doesn't spend much time sitting down.
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Her players are hustling, aggressive competitors that may have skill sets a bit behind the cream of the league but won't get out-worked. Give her a couple of years and the battle for women's college basketball supremacy in Jersey might just tighten up a bit.
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As for the Cards yesterday, I can't say much positive except for the play of Hines, Taylor and Reid. I'll miss Keisha Hines. She was usually overlooked when people pointed out the strengths of Louisville teams. She was her usual pound it out and refuse to back off Keisha again yesterday and it's the Keisha we've come to know and respect. Asia Taylor seems to wake up each year at the end of the season. Her effort yesterday is what Cardinal fans have expected all season. Maybe Walz could put her on a intramural team on campus that starts in August. By December, she'd be in top form and a year long contributor. Monique Reid just shines when she wants to and she decided to after a slow start yesterday. Put the determination and hustle of a Shelby Harper in that skillful Reid body and you'd have another Maya Moore.
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As much fun as yesterday was, I must admit that Sunday is going to be a bigger blast for my daughter and I. The seats for the Pitt game aren't nearly as good but the atmosphere in the KFC YUM! Center when it's full and the opponent is top notch is like nowhere else in college hoops. It'll be only our second men's game this year and I can't wait!
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David Watson is a special correspondent for CARDINAL COUPLE and can also sing over a dozen MONKEES songs in Japanese...
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The University of Louisville softball team notched their third straight shutout of an opponent yesterday at Ulmer Stadium...white-washing Wright State 8-0 in the Red & Black Tournament. Tori Collins went the distance and allowed just two hits while striking out eight...improving her record to 5-3 on the season.
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Louisville began the rout early with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Alicja Wolny's single drove home Jordan Trimble. Chelsea Bemis and Wolny scored when Maggie Ruckenbrod delivered a two RBI single. The Cards tacked on another run in the second when Chelsea Jordan walked, stole second and greeted her teammates in the dugout on a fielding error.
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The Cards ran it up to 7-0 in the fourth inning. Katie Keller drew a walk and Jennifer Esteban and Trimble followed with singles. Keller and Esteban scored on a throwing error and Trimble joined them with a run scored on another Raider throwing miscue. The Cards closed out the scoring in the fifth when Katelyn Mann reached first on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a fielder's choice from Christina Roesel and got third on a wild pitch. Mann scored on yet another throwing error from Wright State to make it 8-0.
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Louisville concludes action in the Red and Black with games against Miami (OH) at 2 p.m and Wright State at 4 p.m.
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Steve Springer is hanging tough in the race for Biggest Fan contest in the BIG EAST and we appreciate all of you that have gone over to vote for him at:
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http://www.uoflcardgame.com/
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We've never met Steve but think the world of him and his dad...Card Game guru Charlie Springer. Steve is a remarkable person...a high school teacher that someone manages to be the sole bread provider for a family of six. His daughter Mackenzie was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis last April and his wife Casey had to put her college aspirations on hold to be the primary caretaker to the wheelchair bound eight year old. Please take time to read this heart-touching and inspirational story at http://uoflcardgame.com/biggest-fan-of-the-big-east-experience-3/23424 and continue to vote for Steve daily.
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We owe a lot to Charlie Springer for many reasons. He got us actively involved in his web site http://www.uoflcardgame.com/ as contributing writers and heartily encouraged us to go forward full speed ahead when we were debating whether to start Cardinal Couple or not. Anytime we need sound counsel, a photo or just dialogue and friendship...Charlie and his wife Barbara have been there for us. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree and Steve is a brilliant writer and dedicated young man. Please help Steve win this portion of the contest and repost, comment, Twitter and spread the word about Steve and his family's amazing journey.
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Field Hockey downs Providence 2-1

SUNDAY @ CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Field Hockey prospers over Providence

-Volleyball today in the Arena

-Football cages the Huskies

-About next week...

Erin Conrad, pictured here...had seven saves and allowed only one goal in the Louisville 2-1 win over the Friars.

The first half of this one was a defensive battle. Providence actually outshot the visiting TEAM CARDINAL 9-4 in the first half but neither team could find the back of the net. It was the Friars who ended the deadlock early in the second half off of a penalty corner play.

Louisville wasn't ready to head back to the Holiday Inn Express just yet, though. The Cards capitalized on a penalty corner a few minutes later...Nicole Youman getting the goal on nice setups from Hayley Turner and Tuli Lim. The score remained deadlocked until Lim stuck home the game winner on a pass from Kelsey Rossenmeier with less than nine minutes to go in the game.

With the win, the #10 ranked Cards (12-5, 5-1) end their BIG EAST conference play. They'll take on New Hampshire Sunday and then back to the 'Ville.

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Louisville Volleyball takes center stage Sunday with a match in Cardinal Arena against South Florida. This one will be televised on WHAS TV locally if you can't get to the 1 p.m. first serve.

Volleyball is on a roll lately. Seven wins in a row and Lola Arslanbeckova spiking everything in site expect for the sideline Gatorade.

Also, women's soccer remains on the road with a Sunday showdown at Rutgers.

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How about those football Cards? A 26-0 caging of the UConn Huskies yesterday. Charlie Strong has got it going on for the guys in helmets. Louisville (4-3, 1-1) got four field goals from Chris Philpott and an electrifying 74 yd. punt return from Doug Beaumont.

And, Sonja and I decided to climb Mt. Everest at halftime. We left our "crunch zone" seats at the end of the first half and our objective was to walk to the very top of the east side seating area. Accompanied by a couple of friends, we started the journey by going up the steps behind the "crunch zone" to the UPS Observation Deck. Then, it was weeding our way through the packed deck to the ramp that leads up to the new east side addition. We negotiated the ramp and then the never ending steps that lead to the top of PJCS east side.

The view is incredible from up there. Churchill Downs in the distance. The players look so tiny from up there. It took us the entire halftime intermission to get there. We stayed long enough to watch Doug Beaumont run a punt back for a score...then it was back down. We avoided the still crowded deck this time and did the ramp all the way to the bottom of the Pizza Bowl. We were back in our seats with eight minutes to go in the third quarter.

It's a taxing hike to get up there, for sure...but well worth it when you get to the top. Not ready to give up my fifth row seats in the southwest corner of the "crunch zone", though.

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Have we got a treat for you! Cardinal Dominance managing editor Shannon Ruffra and UofL Card Game owner Charlie Springer will be supplying the daily topics here at C.C. over the next several days while the staff at CARDINAL COUPLE takes a few days off. You're gonna love both these guys and we encourage you to check their sites daily as well as reading their submissions here this week.

Women's Basketball Tipoff Luncheon set

CARDINAL COUPLE TUESDAY:

-Lady Cards basketball luncheon

-Two targets for Lady Cards hoops

-USA goes to 4-0

-It's not easy being us

The University of Louisville Women's Basketball luncheon is set for Tuesday, October 26th., at noon, in the Spirit Room of the KFC Yum! Center. Tickets for the event are $25 or you can reserve a table of 8 for $250. Seats can be purchased by calling the UofL Special Events office at 502.852.8872. For those who prefer to do it by fax, a downloadable form can be found at http://www.uoflsports.com/

Jeff Walz should have plenty to talk about at meal time. A very successful recruiting class is on campus and will challenge the staus quo of Louisville starters returning form last season. High profile target Sara Hammond verballed to the Cards a couple of weeks ago for the 2011 class...joining Quaneisha McCurty and transfer Cierra Warren.

These are fun affairs, so hurry and get your seats reserved...since they are first come, first served.

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Speaking of the class of 2011, add a couple more names to the list of players that Walz is interested in. Erika Johnson is a 6'1" wing out of Holy Names Academy High School in Seattle, Washington. She's ranked 21st overall by ESPN and 3rd at her position. Walz recently made a in-home visit with Johnson and she's considering Louisville, North Carolina, Washington and California last we checked.

Johnson is very athletic and has versatile skills. Likes to drive to the basket but can pull up and hit the mid-range jumper with accuracy. No problem with posting up smaller players and can pull off Angel-type moves when driving in the paint. She's extremely quick and creates her share of havoc on defense. She was selected to first team All State in 2010. Could use a little more work from three point range but runs the transition game very well

Markisha Wright, a 6'3" post out of Des Moines East High School in Iowa is a strong, dominating player in the paint who also had surprising speed for a "big". She's an excellent defender as well. Wright looks for the ball down low and is ranked #23 at her position. She needs to improve her shot range and struggles in the half court at times...but is improving quickly as she enters her senior season. She dominated the other centers over the summer in AAU ball. Jeff Walz has scheduled an in-home visit with her...she has not narrowed down a list of final suitors yet.

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Team USA goes to 4-0 in the FIBA World Championships with a romp of Canada on Monday 87-46. This one was never in question...USA roared out to a 47-25 lead and was up 66-38 after three. Head coach Geno Auriemma used a lot of different combinations in this one and none of the players reached double figures.

Belarus awaits USA on Tuesday and the long awaited matchup with Australia happens Wednesday. Daily viewing packages (good for 24 hours) can be purchased for on-line viewing at http://www.fiba.com/

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It all started out innocently enough. CARDINAL COUPLE was ready and willing to get the word out about the Saturday "white out" in Field Hockey against Notre Dame. WE were good kids and fed the information to our allies in the cold cruel world of non-corporate blogging...namely Cardinal Dominance and UofL Card Game. Articles appeared at both sites, as well as here at CARDINAL COUPLE...giving readers the "411" on the event. WE were glad to do it. WE'D like a big "white-out" turnout and hope the attendance record is broken that day. WE'VE ensured that CARDINAL COUPLE will have coverage of the heralded event...even though a couple of us will be unable to attend due to a prior commitment.

WE had a little concern over the fact that a certain, un-named entity was hyping the event to a source that does very little with women's sports and chose them to contact with a request to help promote...while ignoring us. There is a daily quest that WE have here at CARDINAL COUPLE... to provide our vast readership of the "who, what, where, why, when and how" of Cardinal Women's Athletics. Maybe WE'RE not schmoozing the right people...WE got the information second hand.

WE addressed it. Maybe WE shouldn't have. WE did anyway. Do you call a plumber when you're looking for electrical assistance?

What WE got was a mixed bag of goodies. WE were granted access to and the promise of interviews with Cardinal Field Hockey coaches and players on Thursday and WE will post them up in Friday's edition. WE'RE looking forward to that. What WE also got was a rather brusque communique of the procedures involved in obtaining such interviews and the dichotomy of being granted updates of women's sports at UofL. WE were also informed of our failure to follow guidelines in the procedures of being granted such information. Although the intent was well meant and appreciated...it also left us with the feeling that WE'd done something wrong.

WE appreciate the daily efforts of those who provide information and handle the marketing of athletic sports programs. Theirs can't be an easy job. WE realize that "CC" is just a small fish (but with a voracious appetite) when it comes to media coverage.... be it corporate or not...for or not for profit...and the like...concerning UofL women's athletics. WE are non-profit, always will be and WE try to design our coverage with the fan's viewpoint in mind.

WE'RE like you..WE work for a living. WE have budgets, bills and "X" amount of money to go around. WE'RE prudent and selective on where our entertainment dollar goes. Sometimes, WE fear WE are a dying breed out there...in terms of independent blogging, but WE carry on with it. It's a passion, not a salaried position. WE can't even afford a "stand-alone" .com or .net website that would probably increase our readership. WE are proud of the meteoric increase of our daily traffic each month, though. The seedling has grown into a viable tree in the forest of independent sports blogs and sites. Our popularity amongst readers, coaches, current and former athletes is truly humbling and something WE are a bit amazed and honored by.

When CARDINAL COUPLE first began to post to the internet, WE decided that official women's sports news releases might be a good way to keep us informed...so WE could keep you the reader informed. WE requested to be included on the list of people, organizations and media outlets who get these reports. It never happened. WE were told that we did not request such communications. Maybe the requests got chewed up in cyberspace. All we know is that WE did request. WE saved the sent e-mails to the various people in charge of doing it. Maybe they went to spam. It's happened before.

WE'RE trying to provide you, the reader...with information on ALL women's sports at UofL. WE don't cherry pick the most popular ones (although WE have an affinity for women's basketball) and WE certainly don't play favorites. WE'LL continue to do so...whether WE get "included in the loop" or not. WE'D like to provide you with the best coverage WE can. WE'RE encouraged that WE'LL be able to do so and the fact that WE might possibly start getting official updates is appreciated and can only help us inform you better. Fingers crossed. WE'VE received the utmost in courtesy and respect whenever WE'VE requested coverage clearance and media access to UofL women's sporting activities. This, WE appreciate. It helps us provide you with better coverage and information. WE'D attend anyway...WE'RE fans as well as observers.

Never thought that promoting something WE love to follow and support could be so darned tricky. WE'LL be here, though...and hope you will, too. And WE encourage you to support all women's athletics at UofL. Go to the matches and games. Cheer on the student athletes participating. Represent your University proudly. WE'LL fill in the blanks for you when you can't.

This isn't a rant and it's certainly not an attack of the top notch, excellent work done by those diligent staffers and administrators on college campuses. It is merely a observation on the irony of how sometimes those 'who would like...don't receive' and 'those who don't care...end up with the goods'. Although WE do like to have fun with fictitious departments, characters and scenarios here at CARDINAL COUPLE...our reporting is serious and updated daily.

WE thank you for reading.

Too good to pass on...

Found this candid of our buddy Shannon over at Cardinal Dominance and Louisville sportscasting legend Bob Domine mugging for the camera at a UofL football practice shortly before Domine left to attend the University of Louisville softball game Wednesday night.

Not enough can be said about Bob's devotion and attendance to the University of Louisville's womens' sports programs. You see Bob at all the Lady Cards basketball games, he also attends Cardinal volleyball, softball...well, it can be said that Bob is a huge fan and we thank him for his attendance, support and loyalty.

Shannon, the owner and managing editor of Cardinal Dominance keeps his plate full with excellent coverage of Cardinal football, baseball and hoops. He's a must read, his breakdown, analysis and coverage of practices, games and team makeup and posistion depth is well research and very insightful. We here at Cardinal Couple owe Shannon a BIG debt of gratitiude for helping us get our feet wet with blogging and, along with Charlie Springer at UofL Card Game and Howie Lindsey at Cardinal Sports.com...they are our patron saints of journalism.

Charlie Springer taught me pretty much everything I know about writing a concise, informative and relative sports column and it's always a joy to run into him and his lovely wife Barbara at UofL sporting events. He always puts up with my occasional cantakerous nature and gladly posts my articles about Lady Cards basketball on his site.

Before I get all misty eyed and start blabbing about all the wonderful opportunities these guys have so graciously provided us with over the years, I'll leave you with this...

Please patronize their sites (You'll find a link to them on the left hand side of our posts) and tell a buddy, invite a friend.

Written by Sonja
4/8/10