Basketball, Spirit Teams, Softball, and Team USA Controversy... Wednesday Cardinal Couple

Women’s Basketball

It seems as if everyone but Coach Walz was not looking forward to the break women’s basketball had this weekend.  Coming off a 33-point victory over Notre Dame and on a 19-game win streak is always exciting and motivating.

Walz was looking forward to the break for many reasons.  Primarily, at this point in the season a short break is good to help recover on any minor injuries the players have had and to catch up on rest.  The break also gave the team a chance to get together in practice just to hit the basics again such as free throws, layups, and communication.

The Cards prepare to visit Pittsburgh tomorrow.  The Panthers have not looked good this year and sit at 9-9.  Their only game against a ranked team was a 21-point loss at West Virginia.  Pitt sits at 1-4 in the conference with their only win being a close game against Georgia Tech.  However, ACC basketball is tough, and anything can happen so don’t overlook them.

Coach hasn't been hitting the ski slopes or building snowmen during the break in the schedule, though. He's been out recruiting, from California to our nation's capitol. Welcome to our newest Cardinal Ramani Parker. a 6'4" post out of Fresno, CA. who verballed earlier this week. She joins Nyah Green as the 2019 verbals so far. 

A ranked Florida State team will visit the KFC Yum! Center this weekend.  Like the Notre Dame game seats are going fast.  The lower bowl is nearly sold out and I hope (fingers crossed) we will see some of the 300’s open for this game.  The 12,600+ crowd the other night was unreal, and I hope we can manage at least 10,500 for this one.

Men’s Basketball

I just want to give a quick shout out to the men’s basketball team.  They won their third straight game with a 2OT thriller in South Bend.  It’s become a common occurrence to go into overtime against Notre Dame in men’s basketball.

David Padgett seems to finally have gotten this team together and they’re now 14-4 and 4-1 in the ACC.

Ray Spalding has certainly stepped up his game and is it too early to start mentioning Padgett for ACC coach of the Year? 

Spirit Calendars

All spirit squads at UofL are separated from the D1 teams we have.  Cheerleaders, Ladybirds, mascots, and pep band do not receive the same scholarship and compensation as the other sports.  The uniforms you see the cheerleaders and Ladybirds wear are self-funded.

You may have noticed the cheerleaders and Ladybirds walking around selling calendars at the basketball games.  This is a big fundraiser for both groups and each member has a certain quota.  The calendars feature group photos as well as individual photos of each member.

If you’re in need of a 2018 calendar or just want to help their programs out each calendar is only $10.

Gymnastics vs Larry Nassar

Justice is served. 

Larry Nassar, a former doctor for Michigan State and USA gymnastics.  After being accused of sexual misconduct by several gymnasts it has finally come public about his sexual assault and abuse actions.

After reading ESPN’s lengthy article about the situation I found it odd how many people originally rejected the claims of many gymnasts.  Whether it was parents, coaches, or school officials everyone either turned a blind eye or didn’t believe anything.

As much as we’ve seen advances for women in the realm of sports gymnastics has had its setbacks because of issues such as this.  Nassar got away with sexual assault for decades before an investigation finally happened.  Former gold medalists such as Simone Biles, Jordyn Weiber, McKayla Maroney, and Gabby Douglass have all come out with statements in the last few months regarding the topic.  It’s sad we had to wait for this issue to be brought to the attention of the public for something to happen.

I asked Paulie if this was okay to bring up in the article and he was fine if it didn’t consume today’s entire write-up.  I just found it worth mentioning since Cardinal Couple covers women’s sports.  I am glad that UofL takes Title IX seriously and has a zero-tolerance policy for any sexual misconduct and sexism.

Softball Banquet

Softball kicks off their season with the Bullpen Dinner this Saturday at the Brown and Williamson Club.  This is an opportune time to meet the players and coaching staff before the season begins.

This year’s guest speaker is Hall of Fame coach Margie Wright.  She’s the first NCAA Division 1 coach to reach 1,000 wins and finished with 1,457.  Come down to the softball banquet after watching the Louisville vs Kentucky swim meet at 1:00.  You can make your visit to campus an all-day affair.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

I look forward to returning to the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour this Saturday.  Work has kept me occupied the past couple of months but I’m excited to get into the new studio with the “A-Team” again.  As always, thank you to WCHQ FM for being a gracious host and be sure to tune into them any day of the week for the best local music there is!


Petition Request

The present Chairman of the BOT and the Interim President are desiring to deemphasize athletics at the University of Louisville. We the fans and contributors of the University demand their resignations and encourage the governor to ask Grissom to resign.

Go to Care2petitions

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/704/390/256/savelathletics/

Best wishes and Go Cards!

- Jared