SUNDAY SUPER @ CARDINAL COUPLE:
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-David Watson: Cards chase elusive road win.
-Women's track & field at Virginia Tech Elite Meet.
-Tennis falls to Akron
-OUR SUPER BOWL picks
(CARDINAL COUPLE Special Correspondent David Watson looks at the Lady Cards tilt this afternoon at Villanova. Pass the chicken wings and when do the halftime commercials begin?)
The University of Louisville has safely arrived in Rocky's home town to enter the ring against the Villanova Wildcats. They'll do battle on Super Bowl Sunday in front of maybe 400-500 fans against a woeful..but still dangerous Wildcat team. 'Nova is 8-13 on the year and 0-8 in the BIG EAST. So...why are they dangerous? Because it is a road game for Louisville. The Cards haven't exactly been Mel Gibson road warriors in the 2010-11 season. A more suitable description would be Steve Martin and John Candy in 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles.'.
The Cards are 5-4 in BIG EAST action. They're 1-3 on the road. They won against a Cincinnati team that would have a hard time beating the 'over 40 'bunch of guys I occasionally play hoops with. Even full court..which we avoid like the plague...we win. Granted, the road losses have come against three top 25 teams (Connecticut, Notre Dame and Marquette) but Louisville's trips out of town are as dicey as Lindsay Lohan's chances of redemption.
Look at Louisville's propensity for going on runs. The Cards have 18 runs this season of 12-0 or better. None have been on the road and only two against anyone of importance (17-0 against Rutgers and 12-0 versus Kentucky). Don't look for 'a case of the runs' today against Villanova. Do look for Villanova to play a patient, ball control offense. They'll try to pound the ball inside against the Cards and won't hesitate to fire the three pointers if Louisville packs it into the paint..
If I seem overly concerned about this '0 for BIG EAST' opponent, it is because this is a game LOUISVILLE simply has to win if they want to participate in the NCAA Tournament this year. A loss to a cellar dweller, even if it is in the BIG EAST, won't set well with the NCAA Selection Committee when it comes time to knocking schools off the bubble. It would also strike a major blow to the Cardinals' confidence to drop this one.
Most of the nation will be fixated on the Super Bowl today. The LADY CARDS, though, are faced with a super battle of their own today. Let's hope they can produce a knockout punch in the city of brotherly love this afternoon...
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Khadija Abdullah took shot put honors and Ahlvia Spencer dusted the competition in the 400 meters yesterday in the Virginia Tech Elite Meet in Blacksburg, Va. For Abdullah, it was her fourth straight win of the season. Also faring well in the shot were D'Ana McCarty (4th) and Cinwe Okoro (5th). Spencer, a freshman, posted a season best of 56.13 in the 400.
Louisville returns to action next week in the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, AR.
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Julie Fellerhoff took wins in singles and doubles competition against Akron, but the Cards fell 4-3 to the Zips at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center. Mandy Brown teamed with Fellerhoff in the doubles win. Becca Shine and Sarah Miller also won in doubles competition. Sarah Miller took her singles match in three sets. The Cards lost the match, though, when Shine fell to Akron's Angelina Jogasuria 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 in the final game of the day. Louisville is 5-1 on the season.
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The CARDINAL COUPLE staff has crunched the numbers, stats and Doritos and offers our SUPER BOWL selections. (We don't recommend that you use them has a wagering guid
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PAUL likes the Steelers 27-24. He still feels remorse over booing William Gay while he was a Cardinal and wants to hear Gay make another crazy celebration scream like he did the last time the Steelers took the trophy. He still hasn't forgiven him for jumping offsides against Rutgers.
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SONJA thinks Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers is cuter than Big Ben Rothliesberger...so she's going with the "Pack" 17-14. She also likes ex-Card Jason Spitz better than Gay. She's watching for just the commercials... .
TOMMY BOY refuses to believe that the Bears lost to the Packers in the playoffs and thinks Big Ben will lead the Steelers to a Super romp....33-13. He also thinks the Detroit Tigers still have Al Kaline on the roster and that the world is flat.
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We put two sheets of paper on the ground in front of BILL THE GOAT and he ate the one that had Pittsburgh written on it first. He also head butted Tom seven times, so we're guessing he thinks Pitt wins by seven. We think he may have also head butted William Gay a few ye
ars ago..
The CARDINAL CHIMPS played a simulation game out in the Parrish House parking lot a few days ago and the Chimps dressed in the Steelers jerseys were leading 24-14 before CoCo stole the football and tossed it on the roof. Works for us...anyone got a ladder?
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DAVID WATSON doesn't care who wins and probably won't watch the game because Indianapolis isn't playing. WE pressed him for a pick, though...and he muttered "Here we go Steelers, here we go." Hooisers, go figure...
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CARDINAL DOMINANCE managing editor SHANNON RUFFRA failed to respond with a pick. WE believe he's still at Mulligan's celebrating the UofL men's basketball win last night and UK's loss to Florida. WE can't blame him....
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Villanona announced 1400 for the game. We think that count may have been a little inflated...but it is better than what they usually draw for a women's game. Walz Ball...it sells.
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