WBB Prepares for Thanksgiving Tournament -- Bold Predictions -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Women's Basketball Prepares for Thanksgiving Tournament

Bad news, folks.  As of right now, there is no place to view the women's basketball games in the U.S. Virgin Islands for free.  The GoCards website provides a link to the FloHoops website.  You can subscribe for $29.99/month or $150/year to save money.  Either way I won't be spending that much money on it.

The Cards will face three opponents in three days while out of the 50 states.  They're set to play one game per day beginning Thanksgiving Day.

Radio is a great option. Cards Radio 790 WKRD will have  Nick Curran and Adrienne Johnson there to bring all the action. They provide a concise, accurate and informative view of games. Download the app.

Louisville will face UT Arlington on Thursday at 1:00 p.m., E.T.  The Mavericks went 24-8 last year and made an appearance in the NIT.  They have started this season 4-0.

Louisville will square off against Oklahoma State on Thursday at 1:00 p.m., E.T.  The Cowgirls went
14-16 last season.  They are 5-0 this year.  The Cards are 0-2 against Oklahoma State, with the most recent game coming right before Christmas 1993.

The prime time game of this event will be when Louisville matches up with #1 Oregon on Saturday at 3:15 p.m., E.T.  The Ducks have started the year 4-0 and also defeated Team USA in a preseason exhibition.  Oregon went 33-5 last year and fell in the Final Four to Baylor.

The Cards and Ducks are 2-2 all-time against each other.  Louisville beat Oregon 77-61 back in November 2017 en route to one of Louisville's most successful seasons in program history.

Oregon head coach Kelly Graves took his squad to Syracuse and left with a 81-64 win. A close first half against Q and company at 31-30, but the Ducks exploded for 31 third quarter points against Syracuse and went on to win fairly easily.

Graves also called Q a few days before the game with a odd request. He wanted to know what outfit Q would be wearing during the game. The stylish Syracuse coach is back to his designer, fashionable suits this season after going with sweats and tracksuits last year. Graves suggested he switch back to the more casual attire against the Ducks.

Q countered with a classic response, noted that Oregon was #1 in the country and must have received all the Nike clothing gear, including Syracuse's. Said he'd be back in a suit for the rematch.

We can only wonder if Graves will call Walz and inquire about what the Louisville coach is packing, clothing wise, to take to the Virgin Islands.

Paulie will break down the three games more in-depth later this week. I'm not sure what Paulie is wearing this morning when he goes to edit today's article, but I do know he's a fan of retro/throwback Louisville sweatshirts he's collected over the years and "puffy pants".


Jared's Bold Predictions

I've been known to make some wild, bold predictions before.  To make things interesting I decided to add some to today's article.

I'm not going to reveal what I'm wearing the rest the season, though. And, I'm not waiting by the phone to see if "Q", Graves or Walz call me to consult on clothing selections. I just want to see Paulie return to his 70's motif for the rest of the season.

And, if Nike dumped a bunch of clothing items on me, I'd probably return them postage due. After all, Louisville is an adidas school.  OK, the bold predictions:

• No Louisville player will score more than 27 points in any game this season.  Plenty of Cards have shown they can break 20 points but none of them can pull off 30 and 40-point games like Asia Durr could.
• The Cards won't break 100 this year.  It happened three times last year and twice the year before.  They were in perfect position to hit the triple-digit mark last game, needing just 42 points in the second half, but they couldn't do it.  UTA and OKST would both be possible 100-point games, but with three games in three days expect to see the starters get plenty of rest.
• UofL will finish the home season perfect.  Miami ruined that last year and Florida State the year before.  Since moving to the KFC Yum! Center, Louisville has not had more than three losses at home.  Walz has never had a perfect home record in any of his seasons with Louisville, but only one year did they have more than three home losses.  This will be the year he hits that perfect home record mark.
• Louisville will lose to Oregon by more than 12 points.  Oregon is just that good this year and Louisville has had plenty of early season woes with defensive troubles and missed easy shots.
• The Louisville-Kentucky game will be decided by single-digits.  Three of the last five match-ups have been decided by less than 10 and both teams are ranked in the Top 15.  Rhyne Howard now has her rookie year under her belt and will have a home crowd on her side.

Thoughts on these bold predictions?  Have your own?  Comment below!

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Let's Not Go There For Women's Sports at UofL -- Adidas Design...Friday Cardinal Couple

DON'T MESS WITH LOUIE...

This is ridiculous

The University of Louisville has aligned their sportswear with Adidas...as most of us know. Nike...who is the most popular of the sportswear clothiers...would probably love to see the Cardinals fly over to their camp. It'll never happen as long as Rick Pitino patrols the Denny Crum Court sidelines and Tom Jurich has Athletic Director next to his name.

Adidas has designed new football uniforms for Bobby Petrino's football team. Of particular scrutiny is the stern looking bird in the helmet.

Dear sirs...what in the heck are you doing with Louie the Cardinal Bird? 

I get that football is a mean, tough and tumble sport. You don't get points for niceness. This disturbed looking avian, though....that looks like he is getting ready to take a peck at this football players eye...is too over the top.

If I saw a bird like this in my backyard...I'd head back in the house and call Animal Control Services. Or Alfred Hitchcock.

This rendition of the Cardinal Bird has to go. Or, at the very least, have its progression stopped and limited just to football.

Louie the Barbarian. 

Affixing Louie the Barbarian to this uniform would be
the only possible reason not to give Katie George a hug.

I don't want to interview Mariya Moore, Marissa Becker, Katie George or Chile Garcia after a game and have to stare at this obviously rabid and dangerous predator. I just might borrow my neighbor J.D.'s shotgun and keep the beast at a respectable distance. Or put it out of its misery and deranged state of existence. 

And...if they decide to give Louie the Mascot an overhaul and include this hideous facial portrayal of our university symbol and state bird...kids will be running out of the KFC YUM! Center is fear and trepidation instead of running to Louie for hugs and high fives. 

Adidas, you've crossed the line.

This is our bird. Don't mess with it
(Uhh...the one on the left...)

Dump this psychopathic-looking disaster and don't mess with our bird. Send this Louie the Barbarian to Ball State, Iowa State or any other college or university that has Cardinals after their name. 

If Daryl from The Walking Dead saw this thing in the woods...there'd be no hesitation in arching a arrow right through the cranium.

Walker Texas Ranger would lock it up immediately. Arnold Schwarzenegger would terminate it. Ralphie from Christmas Story would refuse to wear it and Clark Griswold would give it to his Cousin Eddie. Donald Trump would fire it. If it ever appeared as a logo on the Papa John Stadium Football carper, I'd encourage and applaud the opposing team to stomp on it. 

No bueno, Adidas. This does nothing to promote the joy and excitement of Cardinal Athletics. 

If our football team walks out on the field wearing these asinine, preposterous helmets (and shoes) down in Atlanta against Auburn...I hope we lose by 40.

(OK, maybe that's a bit over the top...but...please, dear God...don't take this nightmare to Atlanta..)

  

This Ball State Cardinal is bad enough. The new
Louisville Adidas Bird makes the Ball State logo
look benign and wholesome.

Can you imagine Louie the Barbarian sitting in the Stanford Cardinal Tree?

Stephen King might nod approvingly...but that'd just be an abomination.

What's next...a change of the saying "Louisville First, Cards Forever" to "Total Degradation and Nightmares for my Five Year Old"? 

Big Red, the lovable WKU mascot with an evil grimace and blood dripping from his rotund, red body? The Florida Gator with a disembodied senior citizen dangling from his jaws?  

Somewhere Hunter Thompson is smiling. Fear and loathing has finally come to Louisville. 

Leave our bird alone. And bury this mistake in the sandpit for the long jump over at Cardinal Park or underneath the Johnny Unitas statue in Papa John's.

paulie