Condi Rice -- From Softball to Cardinal Couple, My Story -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

A MEMBER OF THE "A" TEAM AND A KNUCKLEHEAD

(Jared Anderson brings us the story today on how he met up with and became a "knucklehead"...my affectionate term for the crew that handles The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour each Saturday and most of the articles here at Cardinal Couple. Jared is always on the go...also working non-stop for the River City Cards website, taking photos at Louisville Bats games and (as we like to tease him) turning $20's into fives and tens at a local financial institution. The "A" team is a fluid and strong group...all four members juggling the site, the radio, their "paying jobs" and life with the aplomb of Asia Durr dropping a "trey" on a bewildered defender. Enjoy his story today. We're pleased as punch and proud as papas to have him with us!   -- Paulie)  


When most people picture a fan at a game cheering the first thing that comes to mind is someone at a football or basketball game standing on the chair hooping and hollering.  However, there are numerous other sporting events in which you'll find fans.  For me, you can catch me at almost any sporting event.  If I'm not taking pictures I guarantee you will hear me yelling.

Lynn Soccer Stadium

When Louisville moved to the ACC the pep band stopped attending soccer games.  No, it was not a decision by the Louisville coaches or administration, but a decision based off of a league meeting.  Not wanting to drop soccer altogether, I joined the Louligans, the supporter section of UofL soccer.  We were in attendance at every men and women's game with our drums shouting and singing.

During the winter season of the 2014-15 year athletics hosted an event where student athletes would call season ticket holders of different sports thanking them for their support and would invite them to attend other sporting events.  Nicole Pufahl wound up with calling a member of the Louligans.  With "Poof's" personality she was able to persuade him into coming out to a softball game.

Louisville Louligans

That softball season rolled around and a small group of us took our seats in the middle section just a few rows behind home plate.  This was the first softball game for all of us so we had no clue what to do at the game or what cheers were part of the 'norm'.  We kicked off the first inning with our staple, "We Love Ya".  Immediately, heads popped out of the dugout like meerkats on the lookout.  We cheered between innings and the remainder of the game as the Cards topped Ball State.  On the patio by the front entrance we met up with the now-famous "Poof", who was a red-shirt freshman at the time.

Ulmer Stadium

We continued attending the games the rest of the season to cheer on the Cards.  With the positive feedback we returned the next season to do what we do best.  This was about the time that Mr. Worldwide
(Jeff McAdams) started to zone in on us to see what we were all about.  I interacted with him and Paulie on social media before receiving an invitation to join them on the radio for the first time.  I would guest appear a couple other times that season, eventually calling in from the ACC tournament down in Raleigh.  Coincidentally, that was also a time I called in while spending time with the lovely Katy.

I guess I didn't scare away Paulie and Jeff because they kept asking me to come back on occasion for the next year.  Around the springtime/summertime of 2017 my position with Cardinal Couple grew.  I became a regular part of the "A-team" on Saturday's and started writing once per week, giving my insight from the Jared perspective.

Louisville Lacrosse Stadium

Going into the current school year I had obtained a camera of my own and a couple of lenses.  Wanting to add updated pictures to our arsenal, I asked if I could become the site's photographer.  I was able to get field hockey and volleyball season passes for the fall semester (my Louligan duties kept me busy during soccer).  More often than not I was the only photographer in attendance other than the team photographer while Paulie and Worldwide were typically the only outside media at the press box or media table.  Our "captain Paulie" and I made the trip to see volleyball in Lexington and found ourselves covering the ACC field hockey tournament in town

Winter season brought us to basketball, where women's basketball just added their new SID Nick Evans.  The ambitious new SID worked with us to make sure I could get season media passes for women's basketball and we ended up being some of the very few media people in attendance EVERY home game.  This year's successes resulted in us traveling to Lexington for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight and Columbus for the Final Four.

Cardinal Arena

Now onto springtime we have progressed to other sports.  Lacrosse and softball have kept us busy and all of us running around like crazy.  We have had a representative at almost every home game for both teams the season.  Down by the little Yum we have kept a close eye on new coach Scott Teeter and what he has brought to the table for this restructured lacrosse program.  With softball, our supporter crew has slowly drifted apart with all of us upgrading to real jobs and some moving out of town so my role has shifted to covering them from a media perspective.  My travels have led my to Lexington and Tallahassee.

My main purpose to go to Tallahassee was to spend a few days with the girlfriend, which I did and enjoyed very much.  While there, Katy painted faces on the fans at the games while I went off and met up with Lori Korte about passes for the games.  Now that I have returned home I prepare to cover their senior weekend and send off "Poof" for her final time at Ulmer Stadium, bringing my story full circle.

I went from a young, energetic fan who was just learning the rules of many sports to a semi-experienced media person that is a common sight at many UofL sporting events eager to get pics or the new article up.


RICE COMMISSION -- WHAT DID THEY SAY?

Condi Rice delivered her commission's "state of the NCAA" address this morning and outlined some changes and ideas that the committee recommends. Some powerful stuff. The highlights (as I saw them)

-- An end to the "one and done" rule.

-- Payments for players for the use of their images

-- Regulating contact with agents:

-- Overhauling the sanctions system and summer "club" basketball.

-- Getting shoe and apparel companies out of summer "club" basketball

-- Getting full financial accountability out of summer "club" basketball events.

-- Appointing outsiders to the NCAA board. 

There are some pretty bold (and long overdue) ideas here. Your take? Let us know in the comments section. 

(Paulie)  

LAST BUT NOT LEAST


Happy National Penguin Day!  The only penguin I know of is a former UofL volleyball player who begins the next step of her journey in Youngstown State, home of the Penguins.

Penguins are birds. They have feathers. Even though they spend their time on ice, water and land. They can ONLY be found in the Southern Hemisphere. None in the Arctic Circle. Certainly none on the Belknap Campus but you can go to most zoos and watch them cavort about.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a popular NHL team. They used to call former L.A. Dodgers third basement Ron Cey "The Penguin" because of his gait and stance at the hot corner. Or maybe he liked fish and ice?

Are you familiar with Pingu? Or Chilly Willy? A couple of popular penguins from screen and lore.

Practice your penguin walk today, if it pleases you, and find a snow bank or ice flow to go sliding over! None of that available in Louisville today but be creative!

Enjoy your Wednesday and Go Cards!

- Jared -