Tag Archives: Louisville Cardinals

Cards Salvage Series, Sweep Two

Baseball,

The U of L Nine’s seriously important weekend series against the dudes from the Land o’ Crash Davis had, shall we say, an inauspicious beginning.

After Friday night Cardinal ace Michael Kirian’s first 7 pitches in front of increased attendance at The Jim, Louisville was down, 0-3.

It was only the beginning of troubles.

Meanwhile Duke hurler Jack Savoy, if not exactly Ebby Calvin LaLoosh after Annie Savoy fixed his mechanics, did go seven, surrendering just 4 hits and a lone run.

After a disastrous weekend at Clemson, where the Cards came away clobbered Dabo-style, they had bounced back Tuesday against the Commodores. Yet Louisville’s necessary midweek W over vaunted Vanderbilt had nary a smidgen of carry over effect.

Cards bats were somnambulant. Continue reading Cards Salvage Series, Sweep Two →

Pesky, Persistent Cards fall in Hockey Shootout Semi

Field Hockey,

Context: My relationship with field hockey was a score of years ago, short-lived, and lasted for only several years.

The prepster-aged daughters of friends played for their schools. I learned the importance of the season-opening Apple Tourney.

My last game watched before yesterday was during that bygone interlude, when a Collegiate Amazon, who lived in my condo building, scored a scintillating, break away goal to win the state championship.

Despite a general lack of expertise and full understanding of the sport, I shall report on U of L’s heartbreaking defeat to Michigan.

Here’s what I do know beyond peradventure, be the hockey on ice, or artificial turf.

You got to put the biscuit in the basket. Continue reading Pesky, Persistent Cards fall in Hockey Shootout Semi →

Hump Day Hustle: Hoopaholism; Price of Fandom ++

Announcing, Basketball

This is not a regular meeting of Hoopaholics Anonymous, but I need to vent. So I shall.

My name is Seedy K, and I’m a hoopaholic.

I’m a lifelong Louisville Cardinal fan.

I understand that change and transition is more prevalent — rampant even — in DI basketball than ever. Only three schools, I’m advised, haven’t had a player enter the Portal. UCLA, Michigan and one other.

Assistant coaches are scattering about.

And, I realize that at U of L the moves have been explicable — DJ to the pros, Nickelberry to LaSalle — as well as inexplicable — Malik Williams returning — and mysterious, i.e. the nature of the situation where the contracts of Luke Murray and Dino Gaudio weren’t renewed.

There is turmoil throughout my most favorite sport. I accept it and understand it, even if I’m old school enough to really not like it. It’s not only here with my team.

I also understand that matters really won’t settle down at U of L until the entire NCAA quicksand is a thing of the past.

That said, there’s something about the Quinn Slazinski abdication that doesn’t settle OK with me. Not talking about the kid. He has the right to do what he wants. All the more power to him. Continue reading Hump Day Hustle: Hoopaholism; Price of Fandom ++ →

Cards Capture Must Win

Baseball

It is the most nerve racking scenario.

Especially in a ballgame that is as close to a Must Win as a tumbling Top 20 squad has faced.

Coming off a decimating weekend, when they were broomed out of Clemson, U of L dropped in the rankings to the bubble. The NCAA will announce first weekend sites soon, and the Cards, once a “lock” to host, found themselves in a precarious situation.

But here they were, making things right again, up 7-2, with but three Commodores to set down for the biggest W of the campaign.

In the most important inning of the most important battle of the year, Kaleb Corbett, finding his form, handled Vandy fairly well in the 8th, surrendering only pinch hitter Spencer Jones first four bagger of the season.

But Card star Henry Davis got the run back with his own homer in the next half.

Corbett returned in the 9th, hoping to complete the job.

But immediately walked leadoff batter Carter Young. Continue reading Cards Capture Must Win →

The Monday After: Gloom, but the Sun Peeks Through

Baseball, Basketball, Football

You don’t need me to underscore that the Monday after the First Saturday in May is always kind of a let down.

So, when it dawned gray and damp, I’m thinking this feels appropriate.

Especially after a glorious Oaks and Derby Day that was much needed, for reasons I don’t need to explain.

After throwing myself into the Derbytime fray for decades, I’ve stepped back in recent times. Actually I’m usually in New Orleans, but my the JazzFest is currently set for October.

If they build it, I will come.

Even though I don’t go to the track, and party like it’s 1999, like I did in 1999, I love the energy, excitement, sense of community spirit those two minutes of racing bring to our burg. Other than, you know, almost getting knocked down walking into the grocery by a woman wearing a hat the size of a beach umbrella.

But here we always are, the Monday after, a little tired, whether we did the track to death, or are worn from over-gardening and carrying too many bags of mulch.

The sunshine is that we are almost, just about, on the cusp of some sense of normalcy. Continue reading The Monday After: Gloom, but the Sun Peeks Through →

Hump Day Hustle: QBs x 3, Sound of Silence ++

Announcing, Basketball, Football, , ,

So, yeah, it’s Thurby, not The Day Before.

Mea friggin’ culpa.

Feel free to employ your barrister at the bar and file a Cause of Action.

  * * * * *

What’s your name/ Is it Mary or Sue/ What’s your name/ Do I stand a chance with you?

Wonder what Don and Juan are up to these days?

Anyway, former Cardinal star/ Heisman winner Lamar Jackson is approached on the street by a stranger. The guy says, “You’re a football player?” Or, something to that effect.

Jackson, as I’ve said many times before, is a really nice guy, ever engaging, tells the fellow he’ll give him a hundred bucks if he can say his name.

The guy makes a couple of wrong guesses about what position Mr. I Am A Quarterback might play.

LJ gives him the Benjamin anyway.

Speaking of former beloved U of L signal callers, Teddy B is house hunting in a new locale yet again. Late of Tobacco Road, he’s off to the Rockies to play under the watchful eyes of John Elway. Continue reading Hump Day Hustle: QBs x 3, Sound of Silence ++ →

Cards nab Series over Cavaliers

Baseball

It doesn’t always start with The Stare.

But when it comes, that glare, with enough blow-torch heat to weld batters hands to the bat, making proper swings impossible, it is a pitching spectacle.

Amplified by those bug-eyed sports spectacles, the signature scowl is trouble for foes, and a delight for Cardinal fans.

On Sunday, when the Cards blasted UVa, 8-2, the Stare was there.

Luke Smith was On! Continue reading Cards nab Series over Cavaliers →

Whither U of L Hoops?: Some Random Musings

Basketball,

It’s been awhile since we’ve chatted about Louisville Cardinal basketball.

Long past due, don’t you think?

So we will, but I feel compelled to commence, I have to own, with some schadenfreude. Blame it on Lucifer, he makes me do it.

But when I watched the video click this a.m. with my morning java, my smile was as wide as the home stretch of the Derby. Delight ensued.

There was significant Cards’ objet de la haine from not so long ago, Grayson Allen, former Dukie now a Memphis Griz, at the charity stripe with a chance to ice a W, his team up a deuce with two seconds to play.

A 91% FT shooter, he double whiffed. Missed ’em both.

Allowing the amazing Luka Doncic, for whom U of L fans haven’t a bit of negative animus, to drain a game-winning triple at the buzzer, while stumbling forward and awkwardly off an opponent’s foot.

Should I feel guilty that Allen’s choke job brought me joy? Naaaaah! Continue reading Whither U of L Hoops?: Some Random Musings →

Walking Off at the Jim

Baseball

Eagerly anticipating my visit to 3d & Central to watch the Louisville nine Friday night — my first public event since Rudy Gobert embraced former Card Donovan Mitchell last March– I knew there was one iconic sound of baseball that wouldn’t be heard.

That sharp crack that comes when a hard ash bat squarely meets horsehide fashioned with 216 stitches.

You know that exhilarating sound if you ever were in the ballyard watching, say, Dave Parker, during those years when he was a perennial MVP contender as the We Are Family Pirates moved inexorably toward their ’79 Series Crown.

Buuut, in college ball, it’s metal “lumber” with a less than satisfying ping. Sigh.

That however didn’t even raise to level of minor buzz kill, given my thrall of actually attending a game on a hot April night. Continue reading Walking Off at the Jim →

Elite 8 Cards, Take Advantage, Quell Quack

Basketball,

U of L’s commanding 60-42 Round of 16 W over Oregon gave new perspective to the post season’s Rule #1.

Which dictum, if you recall, reads like this: “You only play whom you play.”

Under normal circumstances, it applies to looking ahead in the bracket. Like, if in the gentlemen’s tournament, Houston finds itself peering past Oregon State, taking the Beavers for granted, while focusing on Baylor or Arkansas.

But, as we learned yesterday, it also applies to squad makeup.

Make no mistake, Jeff Walz’s Cardinals played their best game in awhile on Sunday, arguably its most complete all season.

But, they had help. In the form of Duck injuries and foul trouble. Continue reading Elite 8 Cards, Take Advantage, Quell Quack →