Remember a couple of blog posts back when I joked about how honored I was that I’d gotten calls from Coach Charlie Strong and Teddy Bridgewater over the weekend?
Of course, they were robocalls.
And, obviously, after a perfunctory thank you for my support in the past, their taped message implored me to again show my loyalty by purchasing tickets to the Russell Athletic Bowl. If not for me, buy them for students or military or other stand ins in the Orlando area who will fill the Louisville section. And, help reduce the indebtedness of the school, which is on the line for a certain thousands and thousands of tickets. Whether they sell them or not.
Then, yesterday, I got another call, this time from a real live person. Ron. Or, maybe, John.
Who, I’m so very sure was going to hit me up for tickets, until, immediately after he identified himself as calling from U of L Athletics, I thanked for thinking of me. Then hung up before the pitch began.
Last night, at dinner with some buddies, who have also been receiving all these calls, one advised, “If you see it’s an 852- number, just don’t pick up. That’s the university exchange.”
But, silly me, when I got another call a few minutes ago, I picked up anyway. This time is was Devon. Or, maybe, Levon.
He was as cheery as Ron or Don or John. But, as is my wont, I gracefully cut him off short before he got started.
So, let me repeat what I’ve said before, and feel I’ll have to repeat in the future.
I love U of L. U of L basketball, and to a lesser but still significant degree, U of L football. Cardinal hoops has been the great love of my life since I was seven years old. My parents were season ticket holders in the 50s and 60s. I’ve been a season ticket holder for both sports since the 70s.
I still buy my tickets, even though I’ve been blessed with a press credential for a good while now.
I have given tens and tens and tens of thousands of dollars through the decades to support the school and teams I love.
I reiterate that I still harbor a resentment because that loyalty, expressed financially, didn’t mean squat when it came to buying tickets at the Yum!, when long time fans were simply cast aside.
And I resent that whenever the teams I love achieve success, such as winning the NCAA basketball title, the first thing I hear from U of L is this: Show Us Your Support. Give Us More Money.
I remain stunned at the stature of U of L athletics. It is beyond anything my fellow fans for life and I ever dreamed decades ago. And I understand that money is a critical component of that success.
But . . . Enough is Enough already.
— Seedy K
Spoken like a true Cayuts fan……..bless your heart….
tru dat; the voice of thousands of supporters of the Cardinal athletics program when it needed support to survive, without 7 figure salaries for administrators and coaches and still made it to Final Fours and played competitive schedules in basketball and no less competitive schedules in football, has spoken . Appreciation shown has ben the “opportunity” to support the corporation known at ULAA with even more money for diminshed returns. While the bottom line of the athletic association garners praise nationally, the fans who donate now get their hard cover press guides with black and white images rather than color images. Saving money in production, while making money by selling ad time during games so that a captive and financially “pre-qualfied” (by demonstrating the willingness to have disposable income in order to attend) audience. Ever feel used or exploited ?
Sorry for the rant