The Joys of Fandom -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

What is Your Favorite Thing About Being a Fan?

EDITOR'S NOTE:  As of 9:23 AM...the Internet (Spectrum) was out on Mellwood Ave. This means WCHQ 100.9 FM, our radio station for The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour is off the air.

I'll be monitoring this link www.wchqfm.com hoping it is restored. 

Paulie

This week I spent 3 days in Nowhere, West Virginia doing field work for a hospital renovation. Preparing for the trip made me think about Louisville/West Virginia rivalries of the past, and I considered bringing up this topic last week before more obvious news got in the way. Going on the trip, though, only made me more sure that I wanted to write about it. The concept that originally came to my mind was to ask everyone what their favorite part of a rivalry was. It could have been a specific game between Louisville and any of their rivals in any sport, or it could have been the way people discuss certain moments. I realized after returning from West Virginia that the rivalry question didn't actually get to the heart of what I wanted to talk about. You're welcome to talk about your favorite rivalry moments in the comments, still, because I'd love to hear them. However, the real question comes at the top of this article:

What is your favorite thing about being a fan?

I'm not asking this question rhetorically. I'd really like to see your answers. My favorite thing is that being deep into a fandom makes every person at least a little bit irrational about that fandom. It can happen to anyone in a variety of ways about any team or person or thing that they follow closely. It is human nature that when someone disagrees with you regarding something about which you are passionate, you will take it as a personal affront. The fandom also digs deep into your thought processes, guiding decisions in ways that are subtle and you may not even notice. I know this seems like a strange thing to be my "favorite," but it's what I've been thinking about nonstop recently, driven by the continued issues with UofL.

While packing for West Virginia, I decided to throw a Louisville polo into my bag. It was a spare shirt and I didn't know if I would wear it because of the conversations it might start or the looks it might draw. Fans of West Virginia don't really like fans of Louisville. At least that's what my irrational side was telling me. If I wore that polo, all of the nice people I had met at the hospital and beyond would turn on me while I was working just because of a shirt. On our last day there, I considered throwing on the polo but went with a different shirt instead, still hung up on the idea. When a coworker of mine came down in a UK button down, I went so far as to call him bold for wearing that shirt in WV. His response was that he wasn't worried about it, and I second guessed myself for being so worried about a dang shirt. I still didn't change.

When we got to the hospital that day and sat in the conference room that was our base of operations, a conversation almost immediately sprung up about the UK shirt. One of our hospital contacts asked my coworker about how much he must dislike WVU for the games they've played in the tournament and regular season recently. The content of the conversation isn't important, but my irrationality felt validated. If he was getting flak about a UK shirt when the two teams only ever clash in basketball, how would things have gone in a UofL shirt with all of the history between the Cards and Mountaineers? I don't really intend to find out on any future trips.

The polo story is just one of many things I can think of that drives fans to irrationality on a daily basis. Think of any conversation you've had about a team or player of which you are a fan. Someone argues that Lamar Jackson didn't deserve the Heisman, that Donovan Mitchell wasn't deserving of the Rookie of the Year award, that Asia Durr isn't among the best players in women's college basketball. Consider your response to those statements. Being a fan makes it personal. The cardinal colored glasses (or any other team color) fall down in front of your eyes and your emotional investment takes over for any facts. If the other person is a fan of a rival team, it is even worse. You both argue with personal bias and the irrationality of fandom.

As a normally logical person (I am an engineer after all) it seems strange to enjoy the chaos that is emotional fandom, but I can't help it. Maybe that's why it's my favorite part of fandom, because it is so different from my normal patterns. Whatever it is, it's what makes me excited about being a fan of the teams I enjoy, and it's what drives me to support them through thick and thin. So what about you? What is your favorite thing about being a fan?

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

Jared and I are both out this morning, leaving Paulie and Jeff to fend for themselves in the new studio arrangement. They may have found a guest or two, but if not, it is sure to be a wonderful show. The summer is winding down and we are only a couple of weeks from real sports competitions getting back underway. Tune into the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour on WCHQ at 11AM to hear the OG Cardinal Couplers discuss what they had for lunch this week and to participate in a quiz that may or may not be nonsense. I'm sure they'll find a way to fit in the joy and excitement of Louisville women's sports, too.

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

McCoughtry Named to WNBA All-Star Game -- ESPY Awards Recap -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Angel McCoughtry Named to 2018 WNBA All-Star Game

Former Louisville standout Angel McCoughtry has continued her mighty success in the pros.  McCoughtry was named to her 5th All-Star game.  She is expected to be one of the five starters, which would give her as many starts as appearances in all-star games.

With Atlanta, McCoughtry has become their career leader in games played, points scored, made field goals, assists, and steals.  Her 378 points is most on the team this season.  She also leads the team in assists with 74.  McCoughtry is shooting an impressive 85% from the field this year.

McCoughtry is on Team Parker and joins the ranks of Candace Parker (Sparks, 5th All-Star selection), Nneka Ogwumike (Sparks, 5th), Chiney Ogwumike (Sun, 2nd), Maya Moore (Lynx, 6th), Tina Charles (Liberty, 6th), Liz Cambage (Wings, 2nd), Allie Quigley (Sky, 2nd), Jewell Lloyd (Storm, 1st), Chelsea Gray (Sparks, 2nd), and Skylar Diggins-Smith (Wings, 4th).

The opposing Team Delle Donne consists of Elena Delle Donne (Mystics, 5th), A'ja Wilson (Aces, 1st), Breanna Stewart (Storm, 2nd), Brittney Griner (Mercury, 5th), Sylvia Fowles (Lynx, 5th), DeWanna Bonner (Mercury, 2nd), Kristi Toliver (Mystics, 2nd), Diana Taurasi (Mercury, 9th), Kayla McBride (Aces, 2nd), Sue Bird (Storm, 11th), and Seimone Augustus (Lynx, 8th).

The game will be held on Saturday, July 28 in Minneapolis.  You can catch the game on ABC at 3:30 p.m.


ESPY's Recap

I wanted to take a moment to recap the 2018 ESPY Awards that happened Wednesday evening for two reasons.  If you didn't catch the event on ABC I don't blame you.  It went on for over three hours.

First, Donovan Mitchell won Breakthrough Athlete of the Year.  The former Louisville basketball player was runner-up for Rookie of the Year and won the NBA Dunk Contest.  "Spida-D" has earned a reputation early on in the pros and has been nothing but humble and thankful.  Congratulations to this young man on his success!

Second, I wanted to take a moment to discuss the recipients for the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage.  The winner this year was actually a combination of hundreds of women.  141 were able to make the event to accept the award.

The biggest scandal to ever hit USA sports is the Larry Nassar case.  The "Sister Survivors" came out and spoke individually at the court hearing that lasted for over a week.  Nassar was sentenced to prison for 40-125 years for three counts of criminal sexual assault, child molestation, child pornography, among other charges.

The winners received an extended standing ovation from the crowd as the group joined hands on stage.

"To all the survivors out there, don't let anyone rewrite your story.  Your truth does matter.  You matter.  And you are not alone," said Aly Raisman, a two-time Olympian and Sister Survivor member.

The reason I wanted to discuss this is simple.  Justice has been served and a criminal is behind bars.  Many women, almost all of them being an NCAA athlete at one point or another, were able to finally get closure that they should have received decades ago.  Although it does not directly affect any of our current or former athletes at UofL, these women have the comfort of knowing that UofL is here to protect them.  This university has always put its athletes' well-being before that of the success of the program.  I am proud to be a part of a university that has its athletes' backs and will do anything to make sure that their well-being is the primary concern.

As a member of a site that prides itself in covering women's sports it brings me joy to see that hundreds of women have gotten the justice they deserve and that their voices have been heard.


Other News and Notes

Women's Basketball season tickets are on sale.  Come join Coach Jeff Walz and the UofL women's basketball team for 15 home games at the KFC Yum! Center.  You might even catch Paulie and Sonya on media row, myself in the photographers' section, and Worldwide in the stands.  From what I hear the CardsPass has been updated to help avoid some of last year's issues.

Speaking of Walz and WBB, Coach brings in the USA U 18 squad for practice staring today in Colorado Springs, CO. They'll start group play on August 1st in Mexico City.

Volleyball mini-plan tickets have been released.  Season tickets were released a short while ago, but now there is an option to attend four of the premiere matches this season -- including rival Kentucky.  For those who cannot make it out to every game this season this package is a great alternative to make it out to just a small portion of the season while still getting to enjoy the action.

What day is today?  Well, first of all it is Nap Day so you can bet that I ... zzz ... will also be snacking on fortune cookies and lollipops.  It is also Chess Day for you geniuses.  Today marks the 49th anniversary of the first humans to walk on the moon.  On July 20, 1969, at 10:56 p.m. EST, Neil Armstrong became the first person to step foot on the moon.  "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," are the famous words spoken by Armstrong.

You can catch Paulie and Worldwide on the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour tomorrow with hopes of a special guest or two.  Case nor myself will be able to make it in the studio, but we hope to make it back next week!

Happy Friday and Go Cards!

- Jared -

Holly Aprile Press Conference -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

"THIS IS A DESTINATION JOB" -- HOLLY MEETS THE MEDIA

Holly Aprile was officially introduced as the second softball coach in Louisville history yesterday on the UofL Campus and we learned many interesting things about her, her philosophy, why she came to Louisville and what she wants to do here. 

It's been a whirlwind 48 hours for Coach Aprile, flying into Louisville on Tuesday, meeting with the media and then the team Wednesday and starting off Thursday on Howie Lindsey's "Louisville First" radio show. From all accounts, Holly is quite excited to be here, loves the city, facilities, administration, campus and city.

A destination job. It was her thoughts about Louisville and Louisville athletics the first time she ever stepped onto campus -- back in her assistant coaching days at Pitt. Now that she's arrived, she outlined some of the things she wants to accomplish at her destination. 

She spoke of improving on the already strong tradition of Louisville Softball and taking it to new heights. That would involve taking the Cards to their first-ever Softball College World Series appearance. She's also a fan of Louisville Baseball's Dan McDonnell and cited him as a role model on how to build a successful program. Holly stresses scoring runs anyway you can, defense and pitching. She's a former pitcher, something she and A.D. Vince Tyra have in common, and vowed to develop a strong pitching arsenal at Louisville.

Holly met with the media in the YUM Practice Facilities Interview room on the first floor. A place Cardinal Couple columnist are well familiar with...attending conferences there for Jeff Walz and Scott Teeter. The room was full of media columnists, reporters, television cameras, talk show hosts, a few players, UofL administration (including Vince Tyra, who introduced her to start off the press conference) and sports information directors. 

After a brief, three minute introduction from Tyra, Holly made an opening statement and then opened the room for questions. I was one of several who offered questions to her and she handled all of them with solid answers -- not "coach-speak". 

Holly believes in learning from mistakes -- as she pointed out, you're going to have them in the course of the season -- but stressing the fact that she wanted to see her players "fail forward". That means learning from them, and avoiding committing the same ones again. It's a philosophy we've heard many times from Louisville head women's basketball coach Jeff Walz and Louisville head lacrosse coach Scott Teeter. 

She takes over a team that went 33-20 in 2018, returns their top five hitters (Funke, Hensley, Melton, Ferguson and Newman) top five pitchers (Hensley, Watson, Snyder, Paige Schindler and Hale) and narrowly missed a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament. There are positions to fill...a strong center-fielder and team leader in Nicole Pufahl has graduated. Steady utility player Alison Szydlowski, catcher Jenna Jordan and second-baseman Jamie Soles have graduated. 

When you hear Holly speak, it is immediately obvious that there is a passion, a fire and a dedication in her words, descriptions and in her voice. To match that drive and desire with the resources available at the University of Louisville has the potential to create great things at Louisville Softball. She made a great first impression. I doubt there are many that will out-work her in her recruiting, teaching and mentoring her players. Reaction, of course, by many to her will be simplified to her win/loss record, who she brings in and what she does with what she currently has on campus. I'd encourage readers to give her ample time to build Louisville Softball her way. I think you'll like the end result. 

Hitting the ground running. Eager to meet with local players, club teams, coaches and to get started on the recruiting trail. Holly Aprile made a very strong and good impression in her first appearance before the media and we, here at CARDINAL COUPLE, look forward to seeing what she can do here.  

Welcome to the "Viile", Holly. Do well here and add to the proud tradition of Louisville Women's Athletics. The Louisville airport has a banner that reads "Success Is Created Here." She saw that on her way to baggage claim. She'll get her chance to live up to that phrase. 

You came in, you had your control, threw strikes and produced a strong performance. Consider this columnist quite impressed.

Be envious no more, Holly. You're here. 

You can see/hear a brief promo for her at the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU7HW6SByMI

Note: When there are a bunch of electronic devices in the interview room, like yesterday,  any recordings I try to do in there are accompanied by a annoying clicking, static noise. Nevertheless, if you want to hear the entire presser, follow the link below. Sorry about the quality.  

Holly Aprile Introductory Presser


paulie
xxxxx

Aprile and Volleyball -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Volleyball Earns AVCA Team Academic Award

Louisville Volleyball is one of 164 NCAA Teams and 973 teams overall to earn the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2017-18 season.  The award recognizes boys, girls, men's, and women's volleyball teams at the high school and collegiate level that earn at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.  For high schools on the 5.0 grade scale, the minimum GPA is 4.1.

UofL posted a combined 3.466 GPA last season among the 16 players on the roster.  Between academics and athletics, Coach Kelly led her team to a high level of success.  I expect to see we'll see the team this coming season just as smart and just as impressive on the court.

The Red and Black scrimmage is exactly one month from today.  It is the only event that is free admission for volleyball.  They kick off the regular season at home on August 24 in the Cardinal Classic.

My Thoughts on Holly Aprile

Had UofL delayed the announcement of the new softball coach one more day I would have had the privilege of writing about it.  However, Paulie did a fine job yesterday introducing us here at Cardinal Couple to Coach Aprile in his article. She will be formally introduced at a media conference today at 12:30 p.m. at the "Little" YUM Media Room.

After following the program pretty heavily the last few years I thought I would give my thoughts on the hire:

Coach Aprile is familiar with Louisville.  The Cards and Pitt were foes in the Big East and ACC, where the two teams would play a series each year.  Aprile has had plenty of time to observe Louisville and the players on the roster.

By going with an ACC hire Louisville is better equipped for conference play.  Aprile has a few years of ACC play under her belt and is familiar the other teams in the conference, including national champion Florida State.  The experience she can provide will keep the Cards from missing a beat.

Aprile also has post-season experience.  She led the Panthers to a Big East Championship in 2015 and an ACC Runner-Up in 2018.  The veteran coach also made it as far as the Regional Finals in the NCAA Tournament.  Post-season success is no stranger for Aprile, and she should bring that tradition with her to Louisville.

Catch Paulie's article tomorrow. I'm pretty sure he'll bring the highlights and recording of Coach Aprile meeting with the media and it should be a good one!


Other News and Notes

I happened to drive past our three new women's basketball players on campus last night.  Between the time they graduated high school to this point there is a noticeable difference in added muscle.  The coaching staff is already preparing them for the upcoming season.

Women's soccer is less than a month away and one of the biggest questions remaining is the recovery process of many of the players who faced injuries last season.  Allison Whitfield, Emina Ekic, Taylor Kerwin, and Sarah Feola all missed substantial playing time at some point last season.  Even if cleared to play are they up to date on conditioning and have they gotten a chance to wipe the dust off of their boots (cleats)?

Paulie interviewed Coach Karen Ferguson Dayes on Monday and you can hear that interview in the Tuesday edition of Cardinal Couple if you missed it.

What Day Is It? 

Head to a ballpark and grab a bite to eat for National Hot Dog Day. Are you a mustard or ketchup person? Or both?

It is also Nelson Mandela International Day, one of the greatest heroes in the world.  For others, today might be a good day to not talk and see what others have to say in observance of National Listening Day.

Happy Wednesday and Go Cards!


- Jared -

Catching Up With...Louisville WSOC head coach Karen Ferguson Dayes -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FERGUSON-DAYES EXCITED ABOUT 2018 SEASON


I had the great opportunity to meet with Louisville women's soccer head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes on Monday.

She was holding the Summer Elite Camp for younger soccer players at McDonald's Field and, almost as if it has become a prerequisite for a Paulie interviews, rain was coming down when I arrived at the field.

Coach and I climbed into a storage shed with WSOC Director of Operations Jing Hughley and we talked soccer while the players and campers practiced drills and scenarios. Players and campers working hard in the light rain. Having fun, teaching and learning. 

Some things to listen for in the interview: 

-- What are some of the things that campers learn in a UofL/Ferguson-Dayes camp? 

-- Coach's thoughts on the 2017 season

-- What will be the make-up of the 2018 Louisville WSOC roster? 

-- How long does the coaching staff get to work with the players before the season starts?

-- When do the Kickin' Cards play their first 2018 contest in Lynn Stadium?

-- What were Kaela Dickerman and Gaby Vincent involved with this summer? 

-- Who are some of the players that Coach suggests you keep an eye on this fall? 

-- What were Coach's thoughts on the recent World Cup? 


A great ten minutes with Coach KFD to get us all ready for the 2018 Louisville women's soccer season. You can hear the interview at the link below and a big "Thanks!" to Karen Ferguson Dayes for doing it with us. 

Season tickets are still available for Louisville Soccer and they are a great entertainment value. The WSOC Cards begin their season with an exhibition against Morehead on August 11th. and regular season play kicks off on August 16th. when Wright State takes on the Cards. Both are at Lynn Stadium. 

INTERVIEW LISTENING LINK:  https://soundcloud.com/user-748907999/dr0000_1435mp3-1



APRILE NAMED UOFL SOFTBALL COACH

Finally, official UofL acknowledgement of the 500-lb elephant that's been in the room for the last couple of weeks. Hey, guess what, y'all? Lu-ah-vul done hired a softball coach and her name is Holly Aprile. (This reference of elephant-ism is NOT directed toward Coach. It is simply a metaphor phrase for the situation. First impressions being what they are, Holly seems to be a wonderful, dedicated and caring person).

She'll be formally introduced at a press conference at a later date. 

So far, she's saying all the right things. Paying tribute to her predecessor, Sandy Pearsall. Acknowledging the solid foundation the program is on. Acknowledging the administration that helped in getting her to campus. Reflecting on her career in regards to competition against Louisville in a couple of different conferences. Expressing the desire to take the Softball Cards to new heights. Marveling at the facilities and resources available to her.

Know this. Holly Aprile is a winner.

She was ACC Coach of the Year last year. Highly respected by her peers for her leadership and development qualities, Aprile is what I'll call one of the "new breed" that has assumed coaching responsibilities under the Tyra leadership as Athletic Director. It started with Scott Teeter. Next came Chris Mack. Now Holly Aprile. So far, Vince is throwing fastballs and getting strikes. In addition, he's keeping "the old guard" happy and in place with contract extensions and enhancements. A former pitcher, Vince is exhibiting great control and good stuff...to use a baseball reference...so far in his directorship. Keep pitching, sir.

A hiring can sometimes be a lengthy process. All the "i's" need to be dotted and "t's" crossed. Board approval must be gathered. It's not as if the board has been idle as of late, either. Many things for them to consider, discuss and make decisions on in the past couple of weeks. 

Welcome to the "Ville", Holly...as the second softball coach in Louisville history.   

We, at Cardinal Couple, congratulate Holly  (officially and formally) and look forward to seeing what she'll do in regards to continuing to Louisville Softball. 

paulie
xxxxx

Mickey Clark: Farewell -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

MICKEY CLARK PASSES AWAY 

Singer-songwriter, musician, Cardinal fan and husband and father Mickey Clark passed away Sunday evening in his home surrounded by his family. He was 78. Clark, a popular performer in the Louisville area for many years with his band Blue Norther, also penned many songs about UofL athletic squads...including the 1983 release Cardinal Cannonball...which you can hear at the link below.

CARDINAL CANNONBALL

Mickey was a favorite at UofL Pep Rallies during tournament time at many different venues over the years. He was also a very accomplished song-writer -- having penned songs for The Oak Ridge Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis and Tompall and the Glazer Brothers.

He was a regular, in latter years, at Fiesta Mexicana restaurant on Bardstown Road with his band Blue Norther and my wife and I saw him perform there on quite a few occasions. You just never knew who you'd see on stage with Mickey...one night I saw fiddle master Michael Cleveland play with him at the restaurant -- just one of many that got together with him and the Blue Norther guys Dale Perry, Tom Cunningham, Marty Miller and Chip Bush. We heard a version of the "Orange Blossom Special" while dining that night that just might have been the best I've ever heard.  

Mickey was a 1958 Flaget High School graduate and played basketball for the Braves. He attended St. Joseph's University and graduated with a mathematics degree. Musician and mathematician -- quite the interesting combination, right? 

My first encounter with Mickey was in the late 70's when he performed at the Red Barn on the Louisville campus when I was attending there. That was the original Red Barn location on Floyd Street, roughly where Cardinal Park now stands. I would catch him throughout the years at various venues. One hot, summer afternoon he showed up at my office when I was in the coffee business --he was an advertising salesman at the time doing a little bit of cold-calling and prospecting. I knew him right off the bat. Nobody had a smile like Mickey's. My office walls were decorated with quite a few UofL posters from over the years and he was quite pleased to see these -- looking at them and making comments about a particular player or event.  We talked quite a while. He was impressed that I knew several of the songs he did, he was humbled when I told him a was a big fan of his music and we spent a long time just talking UofL and music. Although I had no need to advertise at the time, that didn't seem to matter -- we were just two Cardinal fans and music lovers shooting the breeze. 

He also performed live and there is a significant song-base of his music at the radio station where we do The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour and Handicapping Heroes...WCHQ 100.9 FM. Below is a link that features his 2015 performance at the station: 

Mickey Clark plays at WCHQ

The last time I saw him was at Fiesta Mexicana not too long ago. He was typical Mickey, playing a set with his band and then spending his breaks walking amidst the diners....chatting amicably and sharing stories and jokes. He came up to our table, recognized me and my wife and I told him that I was enjoying his set that night. I got that huge Mickey smile that got even broader when I teasingly asked him if he and the boys could do "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin. 

"We'll have to work on that one." he joked. "I don't think I can handle the range of those vocals."  

My favorite Mickey song has to be and will always be "Don't Piss On My Boots And Tell Me That It's Rainin'"  You can hear him and legend John Prine do it at the link below: 

Don't Piss On My Boots

Louisville's version of Jimmy Buffett has left the building. The tributes, remembrances and memories will go on long after his departure, though. He was one of us. A regular guy with a wife, son, bills and a car. He was a poet, a story-teller and common man. He will be missed. 

Go easy bro and I 'd like to think that you'll be sitting in on a lot of jam sessions and swapping songs in that big music hall in the sky.


paulie
xxxxx

Joy on Sunday -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

It's been a crazy, although remarkably non-sucky, week for CardNation, so let's get back a bit to just some unabashedly joyous things, and steer clear of politics and scandals for a bit.  We can call it a bit of Cardinal Couple self care, if you like.

Madame President

Let's start with Dr. Neeli Bendapudi, though.  No, not that topic, we're steering clear of that, remember?  Dr. Bendapudi made an appearance last night at Forecastle, one of the largest music festivals in the Louisville area.  While we, at Cardinal Couple, are partial to Poorcastle with it benefiting our wonderful radio hosts at WCHQ FM, Forecastle is a cultural touchpoint for Louisville every year.  While I've never attended, I certainly respect and honor the impact it has, both culturally, and financially, on our city.  Many people make appearances at Forecastle for what is, at it's core, a rock music festival, that you wouldn't expect.  Jecorey Arthur, known also by his stage name, 1200, has been a regular Hip-hop performer at the festival.  Perhaps counter-intuitively, Arthur leads to Teddy Abrams, The Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra, who this year, was asked to curate the line-up for the WFPK Port Stage at the festival.  Abrams is slated to perform 3 times on the stage, along with 1200 (not the first time those two have teamed up), the Louisville Leopards (another beneficiary of Poorcastle), The River City Drum Corp, Ben Sollee (another frequent collaborator with Abrams), Houndmouth, Wax Fang, and plenty more local acts.  Many of these performers can also be heard on WCHQ, with its laser focus on local music.

Back to Bendapudi, though.  She appeared there with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, who has some background in music promotion and is a regular at numerous music festivals around the city.  While I suspect Bendapudi's appearance was relatively brief, you have to applaud her ongoing efforts to reach out to UofL's core constituency, the students (who, I'm sure, make up a significant demographic at Forecastle).

Thank you, Dr. Bendapudi for bringing some of the joy back to being a UofL fan.

New Cardinals

And a moment to celebrate one of the most joyous moments possible.  Hendricks Lee Meske is the newest arrival to the CardNation family...literally.  Born yesterday afternoon at a whopping 9lbs 1oz, Hendricks is the 3rd child (all boys) of Dan and Laurel Meske.  Dan is the Associate Head Coach of the UofL Volleyball team.

I have had the joy of getting to chat with both Dan and Laurel on several occasions, and both were a delightful pleasure to talk to.

Congratulations to the Meske's and welcome to CardNation Hendricks.  I'll share with the Meskes a bit of wisdom I picked up somewhere along the way..."When you get the 3, you have to switch to zone defense."

Minor Changes for CCRH

If you tuned in yesterday, you noticed a few minor changes for the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour.  The
show continues, and we'll still have all the normal knuckleheads in the studio whenever possible.

If you watch the Facebook livestream, though, you might have noticed the seating arrangement was a bit different that typical.  Kathy, the station manger, who has graciously engineered the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour from the very beginning, expressed a desire to reclaim her Saturday mornings due to some personal reasons.  Our appreciation for "The Monk" cannot be overstated, she effectively created WCHQ from it's very beginning, and has continued to engineer our show even as the station has grown and other shows switched to other engineers.

We're grateful for her efforts over the years. We'll miss her and Punkin' in the studio and maybe they'll stop in for a visit from time-to-time! 

Going forward, I'll be doing my best to engineer the show.  This is involving learning the systems of WCHQ, including the Facebook Live streaming.  Kathy has done an excellent job of making it all easy to run, but there's still plenty to learn.

If you want to check out the first attempt at this, this is basically how the show was engineered yesterday, with Kathy mostly sitting beside me making sure I flipped all the right switched and clicked all the right buttons.  Overall, I think it went pretty well.

You can check out the results via Facebook Live at:

https://www.facebook.com/WCHQfm/videos/2112430285446910/

Thanks for joining us, as always!

-- 

JMcA