No Fall NCAA Championships -- WNBA Recap -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 NCAA CANCELS FALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

NCAA President Mark Emmert broke the news yesterday that a lot of people expected would happen. There will be no fall championships for 2020.

With the list of conferences suspending or postponing fall sports growing daily this week, the decision was made. Also, the cost to schools and the NCAA to hold these, in a projected environment where fan attendance would likely be low or non-existent, was a key factor. 

Another blow in 2020 for the joy and excitement of college sports. 

Yes, there will still be (for now) conference battles and matchups to provide player motivation. Shortened schedules, but a chance to see if squads can produce the stellar seasons on the UofL campus that compare with 2019's successes. UofL Women's Soccer made the NCAA Tournament last year and advance to the second round. Cards Field Hockey battled their way to the NCAA and posted a 16-6 record before bowing out in the NCAA Tournament to Boston College. Who could forget Louisville Volleyball's NCAA run which produced the memorable win over Texas in Texas? 

I feel badly for the hard-working, dedicated fall student-athletes who now know how last year's spring sports squads feel to have the rug pulled out from underneath them. Knowing that their hard work, in normal times, could lead to that coveted NCAA invite and the chance to compete for a national title. 

A sign of the times. Not a sign we like, but, when over 50% of the conferences have shut down the fall seasons -- a harsh reality has come to pass. 

CARDS IN WNBA

All four of UofL WBB's participants in the WNBA took to the "wubble" last night to do battle for their respective teams. Mixed results for Angel, Myisha, Jaz and Kylee in Bradenton: 

INDIANA 86 -- NEW YORK 79

A rough first quarter for the New York Liberty last night againts the Indiana Fever, falling behind 27-17. Although the Liberty were able to make a game of it in the fourth and get within two, the result was another loss for the yoing squad from the Big Apple. 

Jazmine Jones came off the bench to deliver a solid 24 minutes for New York and produced 11 points and grab four rebounds. She was the third leading scorer for New York. Kylee Shook saw 17 minutes and ended up with two points and three rebounds. The Mitchell's (Tiffany and Kelsey) produced 37 of Indiana's points.

LOS ANGELES 81 -- WASHINGTON 64

The slumping Mystics drop another one, falling behind 47-34 in the first half and Washington has now lost six in a row now after starting out 3-0  A 14-0 first quarter LA run proved costly. 

Myisha Hines-Allen started for the Mystics and played 25 minutes. She had 10 points and two rebounds but ran into a bit of foul trouble battling the LA front line of Candace Parker, Brittney Sykes and Nneka Ogwumike. The Mystics are short-handed, no doubt, and missed Aerial Powers last night, 

LAS VEGAS 87 -- MINNESOTA 77

Some good news for UofL WBB fans in the late game last night, as Angel McCoughtry went for 21 points and five boards in the Aces win. Las Vegas is now in sole possession of second place in the league, a game back of Seattle. 

The Aces put up big numbers in the first half, taking a 53-38 lead. Angel is really fitting in well with A'ja Wilson, Kayla McBride and the impressive Jackie Young. The four players combined for 77 of Las Vegas's points. Sylvia Fowles left the game for Minnesota early on, re-injuring her calf muscle -- and Minnesota just isn't the same without "Big Syl".

Have a fortunate Friday...the weekend's here, you made it!

paulie

 

Rowing Adds Assistant Coach -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Rowing Adds Assistant Coach

Louisville Rowing added Callie McGowan to the coaching staff.  McGowan is plenty familiar with the program and city, having been on the team as a student-athlete and just graduated in the spring of 2018.

After graduating with a bachelors degree from Louisville, McGowan went to become a graduate assistant the last two years.  She recently completed her masters in athletic leadership.

"As a former rower, I am honored to be able to come back and continue to push this team to new levels both in our conference and on the national stage," said McGowan.  "I believe Derek and the other coaches have a clear vision for this team.  I am very thankful for this incredible opportunity and am looking forward to getting this season started."

The rowing season often begins with the Red and Black Regatta as a scrimmage.  They typically have a few events in October and November before breaking for winter time.

The back half of the season picks up in March and runs through May, when the ACC Championships take place.

Unlike most sports, rowing is a socially distanced sport between opponents and is contact-less.  Assuming all teams are following the proper procedures and protocol then a rowing season should be one of the safest sports to have, along with cross country, track and field, and tennis. It would be difficult to separate the rowers in one boat, obviously, but that can't be changed. 

Sadly, Louisville doesn't host home events due to the currents in the Ohio River, but we can still cover away events!

Burger Week

A while back, we brought back the Burger of the Week.  Well, it's National Burger Week.  There's plenty of good places to go to.

Here's places I've been to or plan to go to this week:

-Drakes

-Dundee Tavern

-Dizzy Whiz

-Mussel and Burger Bar

-Ollie's Trolley

-Kern's Korner

Where are some of your favorite places to get a burger?

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

BIG NIGHTS FOR JAZ AND ANGEL -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

JAZ GOES FOR 24, ANGEL FOR 20 IN WNBA ACTION

Some huge performances last night in the WNBA for UofL WBB greats !!

LA SPARKS 93 - NEW YORK LIBERTY 78

Jazmine Jones led all scorers with 24 points in the New York Liberty's loss to the LA Sparks in the late game from the "wubble". Jones played 26 minutes in the loss and went 8 for 16 from the floor. Coming in off the bench as the Liberty's back up point guard, she also had five steals and hit all seven of her free throw attempts. 

A slow start for the Liberty proved costly -- falling behind 28-14 after the first quarter of play.

Kylee Shook also saw action for New York, after sitting out the Liberty's previous game with a foot injury. Also coming off the bench, Shook had five points and three rebounds in 13 minutes. 

LAS VEGAS ACES 98 - INDIANA FEVER 79

Angel McCoughtry led the Aces in scoring with 20 points in 22 minutes in the Aces win. She was one of six Aces in double figures, who used a dominating 17-7 fourth quarter to push a nine-point lead to a 19-point win. 

McCoughtry was a sizzling 9-10 from the floor for Las Vegas and hit her only three-point attempt. Usually an excellent performer at the line, Angel went just 1-3, but the Aces got their fifth win in a row and are now 6-2 on the season. 

MINNESOTA 68 - WASHINGTON 48

Myisha Hines Allen went for 12 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Mystics in scoring, but the slumping squad had a disastrous fourth quarter  where they could only come up with four points. Washington took their fifth loss in a row after starting the season 3-0. 

Hines-Allen logged 33 minutes as the starter at center and went 5-10 from the floor. 

CONFERENCES WEIGHING IN ON FALL SPORTS

How crazy was yesterday in news about the Power 5 conferences in the NCAA? 

First we hear that the Big 10 and the PAC 12 have decided not to play fall sports. Then, as last night drew on, reports were coming out that the BIG 12 was leaning toward playing and and an official announcement would be made today (Wednesday)..

Still on the fence with no decision are the ACC and the SEC. The SEC is playing "wait-and-see" and probably won't decide until the end of the month. As far as the ACC goes...

Who Knows?

We'll just have to wait and see. I get tired of hearing that phrase, and I bet you do, too. Unfortunately, that's the crazy, topsy-turvy world of the Power 5 and the NCAA these days. 

WALZ IN COLORADO

No, rumor mongers, he's not out there interviewing for a job. Don't even get that stuff started. 

He and the family taking a bit of vacation time before his youngest daughters start back to school on Monday. 

He did make an internet appearance on the ACCN's Packer and Durham show yesterday morning, though, and here's the interview.

LINK: https://twitter.com/i/status/1293286604904120321

Good stuff, I recommend the listen. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

paulie

  

 

Play or Don't Play -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Play or Don't Play, The Great Debate

(EDITOR NOTE: Today's article expresses opinions from the columnist -- Jared Anderson -- and may not represent the viewpoints of other writers or management here at Cardinal Couple. It is not an official  UofL Athletics stance and the opinions expressed here are his own. Nevertheless, some powerful thoughts and words are expressed here and they are well worth your time to read and digest)

paulie

The debate continues: Play or Don't Play Fall Sports?  The Big Ten made a big decision yesterday by cancelling their fall football season.  They have not made a decision on their other fall sports, but with football going away it's safe to assume all fall sports will head that direction for the Big Ten.

What the rest of the Power Five conferences decide to do will most likely dictate how all schools across the NCAA handle things.  The NCAA has failed to do what it's designed to do- lead and govern.

There has been talk the PAC-12 is also on pace to cancel football and other fall sports while the ACC has been insistent that fall sports will go on with the new schedules.

Hundreds of NCAA student-athletes, mostly football players, have taken to twitter with the hashtag "#LetUsPlay" as the voice their opinion on the season.  Most student-athletes from other sports have gone dead quiet.

So I stepped up and gave them a voice when theirs were silenced.

Football and men's basketball control college athletics.  Nothing goes through without it being in favor of them.  It often leads to the other sports being overshadowed and being silenced.

I posted a lengthy column on Facebook regarding my personal opinion that I shared on twitter and Instagram.  I had quite a few UofL athletes or family members of athletes from the four fall sports that aren't football reach out to me to thank me for sharing it and helping give them a voice.

I won't post the entire thing here, but will summarize what it was.

Fall sports athletes are getting cheated on a true season.  Field hockey, women's soccer, and men's soccer are getting a six-game season while volleyball gets 10.  Last season, at UofL, they played 22 games, 20 games, 20 games, and 32 games respectively.  That isn't fair to have to waste a year of eligibility on, especially if you're a senior.  Don't forget that spring sports played way more games than that and still were able to retain a year of eligibility.

Student-athletes are forced into a "bubble" on campus -- in social aspects -- in hopes to have a season.  We already saw what happens when they break outside of that "bubble" (29 COVID Positive cases from a party).  The student-athletes can't spend time with friends or family members, sacrificing time they could spend with them.  Just because they follow this "bubble" doesn't mean a season is guaranteed.

Many student-athletes have been afraid to voice their opinions because it is different than that of the football player student-athletes.  It also goes against what fans want, and frankly, fans can be rather hostile towards their own players and teams at times.  The student-athletes will be pressured into playing a season whether they feel comfortable doing so or not.

Somebody, somewhere is going to get sick in the mix of players, coaches, trainers, staff, and everyone else involved.  And once someone tied to a program catches COVID-19 it can spread like wildflowers before it can be detected. Witness what is going on with the St. Louis Cardinals these days. 

I want sports just as much as anyone else.  I miss sports and I miss being there taking pictures.  But I'm not about to risk other people's health and safety for something that I want.  We will get sports back... just not yet.

We don't have enough procedures and protection in place right now for everyone involved in the sports realm to have a season.

In my personal opinion I don't think we should have a fall sports season.  That may disagree with other writers and readers on the site but that's why it's my personal opinion.

What's your thoughts: should there be a fall sports season?  Please keep comments civil if you disagree with someone else's thoughts.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

ACES squeak by Liberty -- Mystics fall -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

ANGEL'S ACES GET THE "W" OVER LIBERTY  

A thrilling finish yesterday when Cardinal WBB stars Angel McCoughtry and Jazmine Jones met up in the "wubble". 

Las Vegas pulled off the 78-76 win after trailing most of the game to New York. Let's give credit to McCoughtry and to A'ja Wilson -- they hit the tying (McCoughtry) and winning shots (Wilson) but let's also point out that a malfunctioning clock played just as big a part in Las Vegas's win as well.

Trailing 61-58 after three quarters, Las Vegas tied it when McCoughtry hit a shot from mid-range to even it up at 76-76. After a New York miss, the Aces got the ball to Wilson, who scored with 6.1 seconds to play. Plenty of time to get a hoop and get it to overtime, right? 

Not if you're a shot-clock operator in the "wubble". 

Kia Nurse took the potential tying shot but missed. The Liberty got the rebound but the Aces claimed she was out of bound and the ball was awarded to Las Vegas. Bot with .5 seconds to go, the Aces stepped out of bounds, so the ball went back to New York. A nice play was drawn up by the Liberty to have Layshia Clarendon get the inbounds pass to LeAnna Odom, but the game ending buzzer went off before the ball even got to Odom. 

Another stoppage of action and another review. 

 This time, the Aces knew what was coming and the subsequent pass was intercepted on the second chance. 

Walt Hopkins, Liberty head coach, was not a happy camper: 

“We executed that play — the one that the score keeper started the clock before the ball was touched... we should be fighting in overtime right now,” Hopkins said in describing the play. “I don’t know if it was the scoreboard malfunction or if it was actually the scorekeeper who started early, because it’s all automated. So, somebody made a really big mistake and stole the game from us.”

I've worked a shot clock before. And a game clock. Rule #1 is you don't start it until the ball is touched. Don't believe me? Ask my buddies, "the monkeys", who do this every year for Cardinal basketball and the ACC Tournament. 

As far as Cardinals in the action, Kylee Shook did not play because of a foot injury. No word on how long she'll be out. Jaz saw just 14 minutes and had three points.  For the Aces, McCoughtry put in 20 minutes and had six points and five rebounds. 

****************************************************************************************************

In the nightcap of "wubble" action, the slumping Washington Mystics got 11 points from Myisha Hines-Allen but dropped their fourth game in a row, losing to the Indiana Fever 91-84. 

A rough second quarter for Washington proved to be a hole they could not dig their way out of. The Mystics were outscored 27-11 in the second quarter and trailed 52-39 at the half. 

WNBA standings through yesterday's action: 

Seattle             6-1

Minnesota       5-2

Chicago          5-2

Las Vegas      5-2

Los Angeles   4-3

Phoenix          4-3

Dallas             3-4

Washington    3-4

Indiana           3-4

Atlanta            2-5

Connecticut    1-6

New York        1-6

*******************************************************************************************

The Big Ten presidents were in meetings last night considering cancelling football and other fall sports. If this conference follows the trend of the MAC Conference, can the rest of the Power 5 be far behind? No official announcement on this as of 9:30 this morning

College football players have taken to Twitter and other internet outlets to plea the case for playing this fall (and NOT playing this fall).

I want events, scores and play to report on -- as we all do here at Cardinal Couple. But we also realize the human health and safety during a pandemic are priority #1. If we have to wait awhile for athletic events on the collegiate level to take place, that is something that fan disappointment, enraged e-mails to me, social media blasting and athlete desire can't change.The presidents and athletic directors of colleges are faced with a enormous responsibility here -- health-wise, financial and more.  

Let's just remember, none of us have walked down this path before. I hope our "I want it now" society can tolerate a delay, if those in charge mandate it. It would be disappointing, financially disastrous to athletic programs and athletes-in-training, but these are not normal times. 

Maybe a delay is the right thing to do now. I'm no expert but until the pandemic slows here in the United States, maybe we need to listen to the medical experts and not the politicians? 

Sound off, in the comments if you have a take, but, PLEASE, quit sending me hostile e-mails...it isn't me calling the shots, I get it, you're frustrated. Don't blame me for the source of your frustrations, though. I'd like to go to games, too. 

paulie

 

Sunday Cardinal Couple

WNBA Round-up

The WNBA giveth, and the WNBA taketh away.

Case had a great article yesterday about all of the former UofL players in the WNBA being active on Friday, including on opposite sides of the court from each other.  Today?  Well, the WNBA was in action yesterday, but no former Cards.  A quick rundown of the action: The Atlanta Dream came up short against the Dallas Wings, 85-75; The Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun put on an offensive clinic, with the Sky coming out on top 100-93; and finally probably the best game of the day, the Sue Bird-less Seattle Storm were nonetheless victorious over the Phoenix Mercury.

Cards will be in action today, though.  Angel McCoughtry and the Las Vegas Aces will take the court at 5pm vs Jaz Jones, Kylee Shook, and the New York Liberty.  For the nightcap, Myisha Hines-Allen and The Washington Mystics look to avoid falling below .500 against the Indiana Fever at 7pm on ESPN2.  The other game today doesn't have any Cards in it, but includes a great match-up of some excellent veteran WNBA players with Sylvia Fowles and the Minnesota Lynx taking on Candace Parker and The Los Angeles Sparks.  That on tips at 3pm on ESPN.

More Sports Fall

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced yesterday that they are postponing all fall sports, with the intention to play in the spring.

What relevance is this to UofL women's sports, which is the core of what we cover here?  Nothing directly, however it is likely that the MAC was influenced by the recent news out of Louisville of 29 players testing positive for Covid-19 after an off-campus party.

Additionally, most commentary and analysis suggests that the MAC could be the first domino to fall of other conferences making much the same decision.  Previously, of FBS Football schools and conferences, only UConn, who competes independently in FBS, had announced cancellation of Football for the fall.  No Division I schools or conferences had previously announced a cancellation or postponement of all fall sports.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

If you're looking for competition, the Cardinal Couple Crew have you covered as we continue the CCRH summer quiz.  We had a full house for this one, with Jared, Case, myself, and Paulie all a part of the fun. Jared continued his dominance over Case and I. Can you beat him? Give it a try.

WNBA coverage, the latest on Covid-19 updates, including discussion of "The Party" at UofL and the implications of it also were on the agenda, and more.

Check it out below:

JMcA

Liberty Get First Win as Mystics Drop Third Straight -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Cards Quiet in Matchup

It may seem like we are giving outsized attention to the WNBA here at Cardinal Couple, but as our readers generally enjoy Louisville women's college basketball and there isn't much of that or any other fall sport to talk about, it falls to talk about former Cards. I hope you'll humor us as it's a blessing to at least have some topic to talk about with consistency.

Anyway, last night saw a matchup between former Cardinal teammates in Jaz Jones, Kylee Shook, and Myisha Hines-Allen. Paulie gave a preview of this one yesterday, so I'm sure you were already prepared for the update. In an upset, the New York Liberty actually found their first win against a pretty strong Washington squad. The Mystics have struggled recently, though, as last night's loss was their third straight. It was a low scoring affair, only 140 total points, and both teams struggled shooting the ball, finishing with under 40%. The main difference came at from beyond the arc, where the Liberty absolutely destroyed the Mystics, making 12-32 while the Mystics shot just 4-16. NY outscored Washington in 3 out of 4 quarters and only one quarter saw a team score twenty or more points (NY; 2nd; 22). 

As for the Louisville connection, the impact wasn't really there on either team. MHA got the start, as she has in every game so far for Washington, but only played 26 minutes. She picked up five fouls and had the worst +/- on the floor at -11. She did finish with 12 points, 8 rebounds, an assist, and a steal, but it was a fairly forgettable game for Hines-Allen, who has been working on becoming a breakout star. On the winning side, Jones and Shook were even quieter. The two combined for just 19 minutes and Jones had their only three points, with a two pointer and a made free throw. Jones did add four rebounds and an assist to clarify that she is not just a scorer. Shook, unfortunately, struggled to make any impact at all, going 0-3 from the floor and goose-egging the rest of the stat sheet during her time on the floor. The positive for Shook's night is that she was +1 in her time on the floor, so she contributed defensively if nothing else. 

The two New York Cards will hope that this first win can lead to a renaissance for the team. They'll also be looking to maximize their future minutes and ensure their place on next year's roster. Hines-Allen, on the other hand, will be trying to turn things around. After starting out 3-0, the Mystics are now 3-3 and tied for sixth in the league. With plenty of games left to play, there's time for them to get things turned around, but wait too long and the gap to the league leaders will only grow.

As for the other Cardinal in action last night, Angel McCoughtry lit it up for the Aces in a close win over the LA Sparks. Las Vegas has now won three straight and sit at 4-2. McCoughtry finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals. At +13, she was far and away the highest rated player in +/- and nearly led the game in scoring (A'ja Wilson finished with 26). Angel set out this season looking to show that she wasn't ready to hang them up yet after injuries threatened to derail her career and games like last night show that she is still one of the best players in the league.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

Another week has come and gone and boooooy has there been some news. Tune in at 11AM as we discuss all that has gone on over the last week in Louisville women's athletics. As is our mission, we'll do our best to keep it focused on the joy and excitement portion. I believe we'll also continue our weekly quiz, as there is still no game action to preview or review, but as the summer draws nearer to a close, we'll have to see how much longer the quizzes go on. The show can be heard live at 11 on the Cardinal Couple YouTube Channel or catch the recorded stream any time after the show ends. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Jaz, Kylee and Liberty try Myisha and Mystics tonight -- Softball adds graduate manager -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

WNBA 7 PM GAME FEATURES CARDINALS

We took a brief departure from following our Louisville WNBA Cards yesterday -- to review the events, actions and programs that were involved and that caused COVID-19 to strike the UofL campus among the student-athletes. And,

 As far as previewing anything for last night, no Cardinal WBB players were in action in the WNBA triple-header.

 Just to catch you up, the Sue Bird-less Seattle Storm had to walk out of the bubble feeling very lucky Thursday evening. They blew an almost-20 point lead in the final quarter but still managed to down Atlanta 93-92. 

Did anyone mention former Texas A&M star Chennedy Carter might be sorta good? The rookie blistered Seattle for 35 points in 36 minutes last night. 

In other games. the Connecticut Sun clipped the Dallas Wings 91-68. Dallas playing the role of Icarus and flying too close to the Sun, I suppose. 

Phoenix is overcoming their slow league start quite nicely and is now 5-2 with a win over Chicago in a battle of 4-2 teams. When you have Diana Taurasi and Brit Griner putting in 22 points each for you, you're probably going to win most nights out.

Tonight is the fun night for fans of ex-UofL WBB greats, though.

The games begin at 6 p.m. when our neighbors to the north (the Indiana Fever) look to get back to .500 against a Minnesota Lynx team that comes at you most nights with Napheesa Collier and Sylvia Fowles. "Big Syl" is averaging a double-double but sat out the Lynx last game -- a win over New York -- with a calf injury.

Then, at 7 p.m. match of three Cardinals, when Jaz Jones and Kylee Shook look for their first win as New York Liberty players against Myisha and the Washington Mystics. After a scorching start to the season, the Mystics (3-2) have cooled off a bit in their last two games -- falling to You can't point the finger of blame on "Mooks" though...Myisha Hines-Allen is averaging 17.6 points per game and 9,6 rebounds.

This should be a fun one, watching Myisha go up against Kylee. Maybe the Liberty will see fit to giving Kylee and Jaz a bit more time on the court. I mean, seriously...your team is 0-5 Walt Hopkins....what do you have to lose? The two have already created a few highlight reel moments with their passing and scoring and deserved the extra minutes...(in my humble opinion, of course...I'm not ready to replace Hopkins or Deb Antonelli as a font of knowledge).

Angel and the Aces get the night game (9 p.m.) and it should be a great one with two 3-2 teams going at each other. The Los Angeles Sparks are the opponent and it's Candace Parker vs.Angel McCoughtry ! Angel is averaging 14.4 points per game in five contests and looking like the Angel of old. 

Viewing opportunities for tonight's games:with our Cardinals are on ESPN 2. 

SOFTBALL ADDS GRADUATE MANAGER

University of Louisville softball coach Holly Aprile has announced that Hannah Dossett will join her staff as a graduate manager starting in August 2020.
 
"We are very grateful to have Hannah join our staff as a graduate manager," said Aprile. "Hannah embodies our core values and brings a ton of great experience to our program as a former ACC Academic Honor Roll student-athlete.  Her work ethic and knowledge base will be a very positive addition to our staff."
 
Dossett, a native of Warsaw, Ky., was a four-year starter at Syracuse, suiting up for the Orange from 2016 through 2019.
 
Throughout her career, the catcher/infielder helped Syracuse to 109 victories and four ACC Championship appearances and stands tied for third on the program's all-time list for sacrifice flies with six. In 2016, Dossett made an immediate impact during her rookie season, starting all 52 games and tallying five home runs, 10 doubles and a triple while driving in 23 RBI and scoring 23 runs. In 2019, she registered a career-best .289 season batting average.
 
Dossett represented the softball team on the Syracuse Student-Athlete Advisory in all four of her seasons. She was also successful in the classroom as a four-time ACC All-Academic Honor Roll and Syracuse Dean's List selection.
 
She earned her bachelor's degree in business management from Syracuse in 2019.

Have a fantastic Friday!

paulie

xxxxx

 

Four Fall Sports Suspended -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Four Fall Sports Suspended

You're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy

Paulie gave us an afternoon update yesterday after UofL released breaking news of suspending four fall sports.  29 members from volleyball, field hockey, women's soccer, and men's soccer tested positive for COVID-19 while many more were exposed.

The news later came out that the outbreak was traced back to an off-campus party.  The location of the party was not announced, although many people speculated one of the off-campus housing locations.

Those fall sports will be suspended from activities for the next 14 days and all who tested positive will self quarantine.  UofL issued a statement that all the proper procedures would be followed.

We haven't even gotten to the true season before we saw our first major outbreak.  The chances of playing a full season seem even more slim.  It's easy for the virus to spread throughout a team and we yesterday how quickly the number of people exposed can add up.

Having a party goes against recommendations by health officials right now.  For UofL, it looks bad after they talked about how every precaution was made and each sport was in their own bubble.

For fans, the hope of having a fall sports season looks even more out of reach.  We have already seen outbreaks in sports that have started back up like MLB and NBA.

Of course, I am disappointed in what happened, mostly in the manner of how it happened.  But I also can see things from the viewpoint of the student-athletes.

I was a college student not too long ago.  I was young and didn't always make the best decisions.  I wanted to have fun and live life.  I felt invincible at times.  Many of the friends you make in college you don't see in person again when you graduate.  People move all over the country or around the world.  Your time with them is limited to just a few years so you try to make the most of the time you have.

"Well, sir, we were looking for the bingo...

So my guess of what happened is this: the student-athletes were bored back on campus.  They wanted to hang out with their friends.  Feeling young and invincible, they thought nothing of the virus or the idea of it cross-spreading among different teams.  These teenagers and young adults just wanted to have fun with their friends while they had free time (don't forget that student-athletes are some of the busiest people in the world).

In the end, we all make mistakes and have to learn from them.

We should see these programs pick operations back up in two weeks, still a month before their first scheduled games.

As a reminder, please stay safe and healthy.

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

BREAKING NEWS FALLSPORTS AT UOFL SUSPENDED

                               BREAKING NEWS

(From UofL) 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The University of Louisville has temporarily suspended all team-related activities for the fall sports of men's and women's soccer, field hockey and volleyball. The decision was made after 29 members of the four teams tested positive for COVID-19 while multiple other teammates and student-athletes from other sports were potentially exposed to the virus and remain in quarantine due to contact tracing.

Following department policies and protocols, the primary source of the positive tests, and its exposure, was traced primarily to an off-campus party. Though all student-athletes have been well-educated about the dangers of social gatherings to themselves and to others, UofL leaders have again reinforced the necessity to adhere to state, local, and Center for Disease Control (CDC) medical guidelines and procedures for the health and safety of all. 

Team members from the four sports programs who have not tested positive or been identified through contact tracing may be permitted to return to workouts on campus beginning Monday, Aug. 10, pending testing results.  The suspension of activities began on Monday, Aug. 3

paulie

xxxxx