Cards And Cats

View of the Cards from SEC country

2006-10-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

On the eve of loading the famdamly in the van and heading to Clearwater for a week away from Card Country, I am forced to face 2 UL football games away from the comforts of home and sec. 211. Watching games in Florida can be a test of patience as you deal with Florida and FSU fans that are slightly above UK on the food chain. I spent 3 years living in Orlando starting in 2000 and was forced to catch the Cards on satellite at various local establishments. There were many games spent as the lone Card fan and outnumbered by even Kansas football fans (there were two). Things started to change then and they are far different now.

UL is commanding respect from outside the state and SEC country is a perfect place to test it. The puzzled look on people's faces when I showed up with UL gear on is now replaced by resentment. They know that the Cards are taking a spot in the top 10 and thats one less for their party.

I cant wait to get to Tampa Friday to settle in and stir the pot. Hopefully there will be a few Miami fans to play with too.

Dont Let the Blue Virus Infect You

2006-09-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

As the Cardinal football program continues to grow and thrive, it is becoming more and more common to run into UL fans that are beginning to show signs of being infected by the same Blue Virus that lowers the IQ of UK fans. The symptoms show themselves first as facial expressions of disgust when the Cards win by fewer than 4 touchdowns. They will progress through many other phases but these facial expressions will eventually become that noticeable tick you see in so many UK fans. If you've seen the movie Kalifornia, Brad Pitt had it (and he also thought it odd that anyone would keep a cactus in their purse).

The virus needs to be stopped now, like Al-Queda. It will grow more and more troublesome and will make it impossible for anyone to enjoy victories unless they are blowouts over top 10 teams. Nothing else will be good enough. Backup QBs and the next great coach will always be lauded over solid wins from the current QB or coaching staff (see also, Tubby bashers). God help us all if this continues.

The win at K State was impressive. If you lose 5 starters and your kick returner, you should win 24-6 on the road at against a BCS conference team. UL did this and some arent happy. I, for one, am ecstatic. It was a solid effort and it leads into a week off plus two games where the injuries shouldnt matter. That means time for everyone to heal.

I ask that any Card fan that feels sick about the lack of a blowout at K State to see a doctor immediately. If unchecked, you could be a lost cause in 6 months.

Stoops References WVU vs U of L Mess?

2006-09-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

Oklahoma fans are fanatics and are proving it this week with their death threats aimed at the referee that blew the call on the onside kick Saturday at Oregon. Sure it cost them the game. Sure it hurts. Just ask the 2005 Cards.

Now it sounds like Bob Stoops has been thinking about the Louisville/WVU game in Morgantown last year. In trying to justify how the screw up on Saturday was the definitive reason for his team losing, he said it wasnt like it was 6 minutes to go or something. If my memory serves me (and there have been many Miller Lite attacks that would make this unlikely), the blown call in Morgantown last year was around this time in the game.

Just as in Duckville, if UL recovers the ball and gets the penalty yardage assessed, the game is over. Worst case, UL runs three plays from around the 30 and gives up the ball to WVU with no timeouts and still down 2 scores.

It hurts to get the shaft. Its probably even harder for Oklahoma when they are used to being the shafter rather than the catcher.

Welcome to our world.

UK Fans Loved Miami

2006-09-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

A quick walk through the green lot at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium would make the casual fan think that Southwest Airlines racked up quite an airfare bonanza for all the Miami fans that were scattered amongst the red and black. The problem is that casual fans are morons.

The faithful were quickly able to cut through the camouflage and see that the green was really just a trip the Lexington wash n go gone terribly wrong. That used to be Blue. I approached 6 different fans for an impromptu poll to determine if in fact these "Miami" fans would own up to being UK fans. Surprisingly, all said they were. The last two were the lowest on the IQ list when they admited to it with a very large (6'7" 270+) UL fan standing next to me salivating to kill someone after finding out he paid for a ticket for a friend that was no longer around to use the ticket (already headed to a local establishment for TV access).

I was ticked as most God fearing UL fans would be but it does pose an interesing moral dilemna.

If my closet had SEC gear in it, would I do anything different?

The answer is, of course, NO. And that leads me to this weeks most embarrassing admission.

Those UK fans were right in doing what they did. Yes it pissed me off, but isnt that the purpose? It is. And I am going online after posting this nonsense to buy some Vandy, Miss State and Ole Miss gear. The rest of the SEC will bring enough firepower of their own and dont need my help.

God help me for finally seeing a UK fan that was more like me than I want to admit.

Off the couch.

Go Cards.

Louisville Season Hopes

2006-09-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

I know that I have never, and hope to never again, leave a blow out over a chief rival so deflated. Thoroughly destroying the hated Kentucky Wildcats is something that can make a person's year. No more, "better, stronger, faster" crap. Nuff Said.

The problem is that I cant stop thinking about Michael Bush's injury for two reasons. First, it is sad to think what is going through his young mind right now. He puts off being a likely 2nd-3rd round pick in this year's draft to come back and improve his stock. Now he is faced with the decision to again pass that same likely draft position up to come back yet again. Lets hope that sanity jumps in and he goes for the paycheck. He deserves to earn some money for his efforts and the risk to coming back is too great.

That leaves the remainder of a very long season for the Cards. I was thinking 11-1 before the season with a split between WVU and Miami to account for the only loss. I now think that 10-2 is more likely with that same split but a slip up somewhere else along the way. Home games will be easy with the fan base playing a vital role of helping to motivate and press on without the hometown hero. Road games are where Bush will be missed the most. A tought 3rd and 4 in the 4th quarter is a run-pass option for U of L before the Bush injury. Now, its a likely pass play and defenses will be more likely to be ready.

Petrino is an offensive genius and I think he can find a way to make this work. The sad part of this is that it shouldnt take a genius this year. Bush could be the engine to drive the team for any coach. Unfortunately, the engine is in the shop now and the genius will need to work overtime to overcome it.

UK Talking Points

2006-08-31T18:28:00.000-07:00

Someone over in the little blue empire has been passing notes to the constituents on what they should say to U of L football fans when they are confronted by this uncomfortable situation. Actually, maybe they are broadcasting them as sound bites since most blue bloods cant read. Many of their points are like sterotypes. They are somewhat rooted in truth but they miss the mark or end up making a better point for the victim or rival. For intance, the list below is a verbatim rundown on all the sound bites the blue nation are spouting as facts.

1. UK is a better football program that U of L because they play a tougher schedule in the SEC.

This is a puzzling point. First, there is no reason to argue whether or not the SEC is a stronger league than the Big East or Conf USA. It is. Unfortunately for cat fans, the SEC teams cant play the Cards for them.

2. UK plays in front of 70,000 strong at Commonwealth Stadium

This is one of the greatest myths in sports. UK fans are frontrunners. They love to pump a winner (like in the offseason for football) but they will turn on the Coach, QB, point guard, AD, etc when things go bad. Attendence follows the wins in both basketball and football. Clearly, the basketball team is more consistent. Go to UK football game and open your eyes. They dont have 70,000 fans.

3. U of L would not compete in the SEC

Let me throw a UK fanesque curve at you. Would UK do better in the Big East? I doubt it. Take last year's U of L schedule.

U of L - Loss
Oregon State - Loss
South Florida - Loss
Fla Atlantic - Win
North Carolina - Loss
West Virgina - Big Loss
Cincinnati - Win
Pitt - Loss
Rutgers - Win (at home)
Syracuse - Win (at home)
UConn - Loss (tough game for the Cards so why would we expect UK to win it?)

Thats a generous 4-7 and no bowl game. The Rutgers win would be a toss up too so it could be worse.

4. UK recruits are outstanding

Lets name the star recruits over the years:

Tim Couch

??

??

5. U of L players are thugs

I work in the city of Lexington and I still hear this tired arguement. Its not worth the typing but look at Petrino's track record. Eric Shelton had baggage when he arrived but is a model player when he leaves. Nate Harris is no different. UK has players suspended for at least 4-5 different games each year. Fayette County doesnt allow mug shots on their web site anymore or I would post them for your enjoyment.

Brohm and His Senior Season

2006-08-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

At the end of this college football season, the entire country will know who Brian Brohm is. The Louisville Cardinals will be on National TV throughout the season and the Bush-Brohm watch for Heisman numbers will keep adding to the lore. A top 5 NFL draft position is likely. That slot could be as high as #1. I dont think it will matter.

Brian Brohm will take the field in the third game of his senior season to sweep his 4 year career against UK on their home field. He will prove that he can win without Michael Bush's 25 TDs. He will not have Mario Urritia to throw to. He will make the jump along with Bush to make the first time in history that the Cards have had 2 first round draft choices in the same year.

Why would he pass on the lottery winner? Several reasons. First, he is a Louisville legend. Piling up additional numbers in college will matter to him. Second, he likes college life and he knows how tough things are in the pros. His brother Jeff can tell him that its not as fun as college. Third, the money is great but it will wait and can wait for the Brohms. They dont come from a heritage of needing the money. They are the Rockefellers but they aint hurtin.

Brohm's senior season will be leading the most talented top to bottom Louisville team ever. Significant talent will be out the door but Eric Wood will be a consensus 1st team All American. George Stripling and Brock Bolen will keep the running game alive and many will wonder where Anthony Allen came from. Pat Carter, Harry Douglas, Chris Vaughn and Scott Long will all be back at WR. There will be 3 TEs that can all start on most teams. The defense will be outstanding. Peanut Whitehead, Adrian Grady, Preston Smith, Latarrius Thomas, Earl Heyman will all be leaders and loads to handle.

It will be another great year as the Cards roll along

UK Wildcats Dominate the Offseason

2006-08-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

UK players always improve year-to-year.

U of L players that have yet to make an impact, never improve year-to-year.

UK recruits are tremendous surprises and will make a difference.

U of L recruits rarely are good enough to do anything but red shirt.

UK has star recruits that will make a bigger difference.

U of L has star recruits that were overrated and over-hyped.

UK has two quarterbacks that push each other because of their superior talent.

U of L has two quarterbacks.

UK has a dual-threat running back that is a game changing talent.

U of L has Michael Bush that is suddenly one dimensional.

UK has a coach that can turn nothing into a 9 win team.

U of L has a coach that is overpaid that hasnt beaten his #1 rival by enough points.

UK proved it can play with U of L on the road in its last trip to Papa John's.

U of L proved that a 28-0 win is disappointing.

UK's schedule is tough.

U of L's schedule is filled with cupcakes.

UK is the greatest college football team in the preseason, year in and year out.

U of L is only the greatest team in the state for 60 minutes each year.

Andre Woodson Is Better Than Brett Favre

2006-08-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

In an incredible display of personal dedication and psychotherapy, Andre Woodson has transformed himself from a QB that cant hold his job to a slot receiver into Brett Favre from 10 years ago. He is a time traveler and is now my idol.

Last we saw the real Andrew Woodson, he was hoping to keep the wonderboy Curtis Pulley (aka a poor man's Shane Boyd, aka a poor man's Michael Vick) from taking and keeping his job. Pulley has as much chance of hitting me from 50 yards away with a football as I do of hitting you when you stand in the fairway of any golf course at the same distance. For the UK fans reading this, that translates to....I suck at golf and Pulley is not a QB.

So what does this tell us about the rebuilding of Andrew Woodson? We are to believe that players who looked at him as a stiff with a constant fumbling problem are now sitting back and dying for his next call to battle?

I believe its true. Woodson IS Brett Favre. Favre is the only other QB that can constantly put his teammates in a bad position and still command the huddle. Here's to Andre Woodson and lets hope that he is successful in leading UK to a 5 turnover day on Sunday. His team can follow him to a 35 point loss.

Opening Weekend for Cards and Cats

2006-08-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

It will be a long two years. After the season opener between the Cards and Cats this Sunday night on ESPN, fans will be forced to wait that long until the game returns to the proper place on the schedule. In 2007, the Wildcats open the season with Bryan Station and Waggoner before hosting the Cards at Commonwealth. I cant imagine the game getting as much hype as it does during the summer. Sports radio shows are always dying for something to yack about in July and August. Predicting who will win the FIRST game of the season is a great diversion. Looking forward to 2 weekends of meaningless football to start the season is not something I look forward to. It will be as if the season doesnt start until mid-September.

I understand that the UK administration is jealous of the Cards and they havent been able to beat the Jurich led management team from Louisville. Getting the game moved 2-3 games into the season is all they could hope for. Even in this victory, they still will fail in their quest every other year. Giving U of L an extra few weeks to hone their craft will be a fatal decision. What little chance UK has each year is only possible through the element of surprise. If you look at U of L's record in games against competition superior to UK's after the opener, it could get ugly (or uglier, depending on your perspective). Oregon State and UNC last year were both knocked out. Does UK really want to face a 70 point onslaught and what the fan base will do with it?

I guess we will find out. Watch out what you ask for.

Louisville Defensive Front

2006-08-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

The U of L defense has been in need of the consistent, top level talent that the offense has been able to produce for several years now. Things have improved but the questions remain with whether results on the field will reflect this. in 2005, the defensive front was very solid in the middle and spectacular from the ends. Will there be improvement in 2006 after losing Montavious Stanley and the undersized sack king, Elvis Dumervil?

I think the answer is yes but it would be surprising to most. Lets look deeper.

- Amobi Okoye is a solid anchor to the middle of the line. He is a run-stopper that is a lot more athletic than his size would indicate. There should be no doubts at this position.

- Next to Amobi was last year's most underrated player through the regular season, Montavious Stanley. Adrian Grady will fill these shoes admirably. He stepped into them during the Gator Bowl. Few run the ball with the fury of Va Tech and Grady was there to lead.

- Earl Heyman was a play maker from Defensive Tackle last year. He seemed to recover fumbles everytime he entered a game. With a year of strength training, he will be a force.

- At the ends, Dumerville will obviously be missed. Zach Anderson is mature and now has experience to go along with it. He will step forward. The other end is the biggest question mark. There are many suitors and UL will need one to step up. By season's end, I hope that that step up performer is not Peanut Whitehead. Dont get me wrong, I want him to be all that UL fans think he can be. The problem is that if he is demanding significant time on the field, it will likely be because of injury or poor performance in front of him. Hopefully, he will fill the Earl Heyman role from 2005 and be the man later in his career.

Scheduling to Win?

2006-08-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

In the state of KY, there seems to be two trains of thought on how to build a winner. On one hand, U of L has taken a post-Howard approach of upgrading its coaching staff (Cooper - Smith - Petrino), its recruits (no-names to diamonds in the rough to serious talent at some positions), and working its way up the conference food chain. Entitlement in a BCS, tradition-rich conference was not a luxury the Cards enjoyed. Tradition has to be built and earned.

Down the road and into the abyss, the UK Wildcats have tried another path. They have been inconsistent in their approach with Coaches. From Bill Curry's integrity, to Mumme's lack thereof, to Guy Morris' greed, to Morris' age. There was little overlap between regimes. The only consistency is the SEC. The conference is something to be proud of, but it does very little to help get you to the top tier of college football. Downgrading the schedule is the flavor of the day. Will games against the worst of Div I help prepare the team for Florida or Georgia? I doubt it.

UK avoids tough out of conference teams (with the exception of the Cards). I agree that its suicide to add a USC or Oklahoma or Miami to the already tough road in the SEC East. But to be great and to build a tradition outside of the conference affiliation, go grab some other lower tier BCS schools and prove to the world that the UK FOOTBALL team can actually win. Schedule Wake Forest, Syracuse, Northwestern, Baylor, Arizona State and see where the program really is.

UL started its climb with wins over teams like Texas, Oklahoma, Mich State and UK. Those games keep the fan base growing and teach the team where the bar really is.

UK to a New Conference?

2006-08-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

On my way home from work today I heard Drew Deener on 590 WVLK (Lexington) asking UK fans if they would consider leaving the SEC for another BCS conference. Oddly, they thought the ACC was the place they would go (hypothetically) and that the ACC would actually take them. It would be crazy to take UK into that conference, they add nothing in football and the basketball conference already is as tough as it needs to be. Can they really get more basketball coverage?

It never ceases to amaze me how arrogant UK fans are. Several people said that it would be great to move into a conference with teams they can move in front of. How in the world can anyone think that UK would be any better than any team in the ACC with the exception of Duke? UNC, Maryland, Ga Tech, Boston College???? What would tell us that UK could compete with any of these teams? If they are so easily beaten down by the dregs of the SEC, why not schedule them rather than Our Lady of the Sisters of the Poor and Crippled? Wouldnt it bring the same "W" and more money from TV?

I see nothing that would lead me to believe that UK could adequately compete in any BCS conference. The Big East is the weakest of the BCS conferences but who is ready to bet the house that UK would beat Uconn last year? Or Pitt? Or South Florida? Nevermind UL or WVU.

One could argue that in most years, UK would be lucky to finish in the top 5 of the MAC.
UK is perfectly suited for the SEC. They are the kingpin in basketball and terrible in football. Even in years when the "unbeatables" (FL, Tenn, Ga, LSU, Aub, AL) are down, UK still loses. Is it probation? No. If it was, UK should have taken Alabama out when they had the chance (UL did). Is it too tough to build a football program at a basketball school? No. Florida succeeded in the inverse this year and Oklahoma seems to do both pretty well.

UK fans dont face reality. Maybe we should all just cave in and petition Jeff Sagarin to hard code UK to be a top 10 program every year in the computer. Anything less than that is bogus anyway. They are bigger, stronger and faster than every other team, every August. Lets make sure that the computers understand that reality.