Derby Day -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Happy 150th Derby Day!

Cardinal Couple is off today as we all prepare to celebrate Derby in our own various ways. Louisville softball was in action yesterday and dropped a heartbreaker at Boston College when they gave up a 2-run walk-off homer with two outs to lose 3-2. Bailey Richardson accounted for Louisville's runs with a 2-run homer in the first. Jeff will have a bit more on that and cover the second game of the series tomorrow. 

Oaks Day held an exciting batch of races, and I'm looking forward to the same from the card today. I still haven't quite decided who I'm going with in the big one. Do you think Fierceness could finally break the curse of the 17 post? I'm not convinced. Are you, like many interviewed yesterday, caught up with just how big Sierra Leone is? The 2 would still be a tough spot to come from. I might even like Epic Ride, in the field after Encino scratched, to be a dark horse candidate. 

Let us know in the comments who you like this year! Whether you're sipping on a Mint Julep, a Lily, a Spire, or some other concoction, be safe and have fun this Derby Day. PAULIE'S PICKS BELOW

Until next time<Go Cards!

Case

PAULIE'S HANDICAPPNG HEROES KENTUCKY DERBY DAY STAKES RACES PICKS

Quick Oaks recap, I gave you 19 horses to consider (there were a couple of  scratches) yesterday...and had three winners, two places and two shows...today we have nine stakes races,so, I'll have 28 horses to choose from. Goof Luck and stand up and sing when they play "My Old Kentucky Home", OK? 

RACE 4 -- KNICKS GO STAKES

6 -- BEST ACTOR

1 -- STRONG QUALITY 

11  -- OSCAR ECLIPSE

RACE 5 -- TWIN SPIRES TURF SPRINT

4 -- MOTORIOUS

8 --MISCHIEF MAGIC

10 -- BIG INVASION

RACE 6 -- DERBY CITY DISTAFF

5 -- SPRIRT WIND

7 -- ALVA STARR

10 -- VAHVA

RACE 7  --  DISTAFF TURF  MILE

7 -- EVVIE JETS

6 -- DELAHAYE

7 -- CHILI FLAG

RACE 8 -- PAT DAY MILE

7 -- WHO DEY

8 -- TOP CONOR

12 -- NASH

RACE 9 -- AMEI RICAN TURF 

5 -- LEGEND OF TIME

6 -- NEAT

11 -- AGATE ROAD

RACE 10 -- CHURCHILL DOWNS STAKES 

6 -- ZOZOS

2 -- TEJANO  TWIST

11 -- HOIST THE GOLD 

RACE 11 -- TURF CLASSIC

6 -- I'M  VERY BUSY

5 -- PROGRAM TRADING

11 -- NAVAL POWER 

RACE 12  -- KY DERBY 

17 -- FIERCENESS

 2 -- SIERRA LEONE

8 -- JUST A TOUCH

6 -- JUST STEEL

Best of luck today, and as they used to say in the old Friday Foursomes Leagues...good bowling !

paulie

UofL Announces Yard Sale -- Women's Golf Leaves for Stillwater -- Days Without a President? ZERO -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

UofL Announces Yard Sale

A college having a yard sale?  You heard that right!  Well, sort of.  Athletics has announced that their annual spring cleaning yard sale will be this Saturday.  The event will be hosted from 9:00 a.m., to 2:00 p.m. in the Bronze Lot of the Papa John's Cardinal Stadium football parking lot.

Folks looking to find some nice UofL gear can find them at extremely discounted rates.  There will be also sorts of gear available to purchase ranging from shirts, to shoes, the whole galore.  If you want to look like the players, coaches, or me on a daily basis this is the place to go!

For me, this has always been a good place to go to find my size 15 shoes.  And who can say "no" to an extra shirt repping the Cards?  Swing by before or after the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour to see if they have anything that might suit you.

Women's Golf Departs for Stillwater, Oklahoma

Women's golf at UofL baseball vs Indiana

If you're looking to get away from the allergen-ripe city of Louisville then I suggest you head out west for a little golf action.  After their big day three rally in the San Francisco Regional, Louisville women's golf placed high enough to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Stillwater, OK is the venue.

They will begin action on Friday for a three-day first round.  The Top 15 teams out of the 24-team field will advance to Monday's action and possibly see themselves still playing next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Molly Skapik (senior), Olivia Cason (junior), Lauren Hartlage (sophomore), Delaney Shah (sophomore), and Kristin Engle (freshman) will accompany Coach Courtney Trimble in the program's second NCAA Championships appearance.

We wish the women's golf team a safe travels and good luck! Let's hope the Cards can stay "out of the water" in Stillwater!

Dr. Neeli Bendapudi Starts Day One

Hensley and Bendapudi

Louisville has a president!  Dr. Bendapudi's first day was full of action, starting with quite a crowd at Grawemeyer Hall, awaiting her arrival to work.  She gave a speech in front of the student faculty, and media as she tried to contain her excitement.

Dr. Bendapudi then joined the crowd at the baseball game.  Originally scheduled to throw out the opening pitch, our motivated president was battling a rotator cuff injury from unpacking.  In her stead, Megan Hensley threw a strike in front of the roar crowd.  The duo exchanged laughs and smiles as they walked off the field to see Coach McDonnell.

I had the opportunity Louisville's newest star last week when she found herself walking in the front door at my work.  Believe me when I say that she is going to fix Louisville and make this university one of the best in the country.

Other News and Notes

Worldwide posing for an album cover?

Congratulations to our very own Worldwide.  Mr. Jeff McAdams has accepted a new job and will begin here in a few weeks.  If you follow him on social media you've probably already heard, but if not then you will have to wait on Worldwide to give us his own update. We're lobbying the station we broadcast from (WCHQ FM) to get his smash CD "The Best of Worldwide: Vol. 1" regular air time on the playlist.

It may not be the type of music you hear on WCHQ FM 100.9 , but if you want to hear some local music come check out the Louisville Winds in their spring concert at Iroquois Amphitheater this Saturday at 7:30 p.m.  It'll feature songs from the 1930's and 1940's including songs such as The Wizard of Oz medley, Disney medley, 76 Trombones (from The Music Man), Sing, Sing, Sing, and more!

Today's holidays include loving trees (the do help us breathe) and nickel day (very fitting for us bankers).  It's also a great day to enjoy a mimosa or two without feeling guilty.

Paulie wrote a great article on veteran race horse W.B.Smudge over at his other site...HANDICAPPING HEROES...that is a great read on a horse and his refusal to retire. You should go check it out at

HANDICAPPING HEROES

Go back for his Preakness picks also, they should be available on Thursday. Our misguided leader made you a lot of money on Oaks and Derby if you followed the site.

Happy Wednesday and Go Cards!

- Jared -

Oaks Day -- Softball Visits Pitt -- What Day Is It -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Happy Oaks Day!

On May 19, 1975, less than 10,000 people found their way to Churchill Downs for the inaugural Kentucky Oaks, trailing the inaugural Kentucky Derby by two days.  Originally 1 1/2 miles, the race was lessened to 1 1/4 miles and eventually 1 1/16 miles before being raised up to its current distance of 1 1/8 miles in 1982.

Now, the Kentucky Oaks is run on the day before the Kentucky Derby, the Friday before the first Saturday of May.  Three year old fillies line up in front of a crowd over 100,000 in hopes of being able to have a garland of lilies draped over them.

The Kentucky Oaks ranks number one in horse racing attendance in regards to races that are not part of the Triple Crown.  It is common for patrons to wear pastel-colored suits or spring dresses as well as a chance for the women to showcase the "southern belle tradition" of extravagant head ware for both the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby.

Betting

Whether you are a pro handicapper or an amateur betting has been a popular tradition for everyone who walks through the gates of Churchill Downs.  However, types of bets and terms can confuse the newbies.

WIN- betting on a horse to finish first.
PLACE- betting on a horse to finish first or second.
SHOW- betting on a horse to finish first, second or third.
ACROSS THE BOARD- betting to win, place, and show. You're making and paying for three different bets. If your horse finishes first you get payouts for win, place, and show. If your horse finishes second you get payouts for place and show.  If your horse finishes third you get the payout for show.
WIN/PLACE- betting to win and place. You're making and paying for two different bets. If your horse finishes first you get payouts for win and place. If your horse finishes second you get the payout for place.
PLACE/SHOW- betting to place and show. You're making and paying for two different bets. If your horse finishes second you get payouts for place and show. If your horse finishes third you get the payout for show.

EXACTA- betting on two horses to finish first and second in exact order.
QUINELLA- betting on two horses to finish first and second in any order.
TRIFECTA- betting on three horses to finish first, second, and third in exact order.
SUPERFECTA- betting on four horses to finish first, second, third, and fourth in exact order.
DAILY DOUBLE- betting on two horses to win back-to-back races
PICK 3- betting on three horses to win three races in a row
PICK 4- betting on four horses to win four races in a row
Although tellers have become more relaxed about how you introduce your bet the traditional way is racetrack (unless you are at that facility already), race number, amount of bet, type of bet, horse number.

For example, if you are betting on a horse on the Longines Kentucky Oaks you would say "Churchill Downs, race 11, $2 to win, horse 10."

For the latest in handicapping our very own expert Paul Sykes breaks it down for you on his site http://pauliesykes.blogspot.com/.  This guy is good, folks.  He doesn't guarantee you will walk away on top, but odds are you will.  LINK: HANDICAPPING HEROES OAKS DAY SELECTIONS

Someone came into the bank the other day to offer betting advice by going with the horse's name followed by "between the sheets".  By that standard my Oaks pick is Eskimo Kisses and my Derby picks are Promises Fulfilled and Good Magic.  I would not advise this as a good way to bet if you hope to come out on top.

Softball Visits Pittsburgh to Conclude Regular Season

The travel socks crew is coming down to their final few trips as Louisville softball (32-17, 10-10) visits Pittsburgh this weekend.  They will have a chance to showcase their fancy socks on their trip to Atlanta, and hopefully to an NCAA Tournament location after that.

Megan Hensley continues to heat up.  After pitching a majority of the game Wednesday and hitting the go-ahead grand slam the junior from Ashland hopes to strengthen her case for All-American with strong performances in the three games against the Panthers.  She has now surpassed 100 career RBIs and is tied for tenth in program history.  Her 25th career home run moves her to tenth in program for that category, just one homer shy of tying Cardinal-great Maryssa Becker.  Her four career grand slams are tied for first in program history.

Sidney Melton is 15-for-15 in stolen bases and has moved into tenth in program history in stolen bases.  Celene Funke is 16-for-17 in stolen bases and needs one more steal to move into the top ten in program history for successful stolen bases in one season.

Nicole Pufahl also homered in the win against Marshall.  By crossing the plate she has scored 115 times in her career.  If she scores two more times she will move into the top ten in program history in career runs scored.

Pitt is 29-17-1 and had an eight-game win streak before falling to Ohio State earlier this week.  They're second in the ACC and first in the Coastal division with a conference record of 14-6.

Louisville is eighth in the ACC currently.  Depending on what they do and how other teams fare they could climb to as high as sixth or drop down to ninth.  The 8- and 9-seeds will battle it out with the winner taking on 1-seed Florida State in the conference tournament.  The 7- and 10-seeds will face each other with the victor taking on the to-be-determined 2-seed in the tournament.

Louisville is nowhere to be found in or near the Top 25 rankings.  Their RPI clocked in at 39th before their Wednesday game.  One can assume it stayed the same or rose due to the win.

64 teams make the NCAA Tournament.  Similar to baseball the first round is a regional consisting of a four-team double elimination tournament.  The regional winners will advance to the super regional, where two teams will battle it out in a best-of-3 series.  Eight teams will earn a trip to Oklahoma City where its another four-team double elimination tournament and the championship being another best-of-3.

What day is it?

If you haven't figured it out from the top half of the article it's Oaks Days!  It is also national Star Wars Day - May the Fourth (Force) Be With You!

Grab candied orange peels, orange juice, or have a healthy snack (lunch hero day) for your food holidays.  It is also a day to celebrate space, respect for chickens, and to promote anti-bullying.

Being a musician I must recognize that it is also national tuba day, my secondary instrument back in my music major days.  The 2014 football season involved me parading around Papa John's Cardinal Stadium with a sousaphone on my shoulder and back.

Happy Friday and Oaks Day!  May the Force be with You as you follow Paulie's advice on your betting today!

- Jared -

Summertime? -- Changes ahead -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

One could be excused for thinking it's summertime for the moment.

In addition to the mid to upper 50s temperature...ok, that's not quite summertime temps, but still pretty warm for December...and a bit of a lull in athletic activity happening at UofL, we have a bit of a reprise of the summertime lull.

WCHQ new home (by day) 

Let's talk a little bit about WCHQ, our wonderful hosts for the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour on Saturday mornings.  As we've mentioned before, we won't be the air this Saturday or next because WCHQ is in the process of moving their studio facilities.  WCHQ will no longer be "A Basement on a Hill", in fact, it will no longer be in a basement at all.  The station manager, Kathy, who we refer to as Monk on the show, has purchased a building at the corner of Mellwood and Stevenson Ave...perhaps dangerously close to Apocalypse BrewWorks.  Much of the "disassembly" process of the gear at the Frankfort Avenue location has already been in progress.  The streaming systems have already been relocated to the new facility which already has new Internet access setup and running.

The new facility will have a whole new control board setup...one created from day "1" to be used to manage a radio station, rather than cobbled together tour gig equipment patched together to get the job done (Kathy's description).  The current/previous location of the studio, and it's proximity to some other residences and businesses, really limited what could be done in studio for live performances.  They needed to heavily restrict drum sets and amplification in-studio in order to try to be good neighbors to the restaurant upstairs as well as some residences in close proximity.  Load in and load out of equipment will be much easier at the new facility because it will be on the ground floor and there will be fewer, and more easily negotiated steps.  Not being in a basement and having challenging steps will also just generally make the studio more easily accessible for mobility challenged folk...people with bum knees, for example.

The new studio space is freshly renovated and painted, making for a nicer atmosphere overall, it also will have some amenities that the previous one did not, such as a green room.

WCHQ new home (by night).

Much of the work to move equipment will be done this weekend, Paulie, Sonya and I will all be there to help out as much as we can, and the new studio is anticipated to be up and running by January 2nd so you can look for the return of the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour on January 6th.  We're excited for the new digs and are proud of our association with this up and coming resource for local music, activity, and news.  We have our niche in covering UofL women's athletics, and I don't think we could have a better radio host and partner than WCHQ in town.

Paulie's side show, Handicapping Heroes, a look at handicapping/horse-racing, will also emanate from there when the ponies return to Keeneland this spring.

With all of that said, that means that there will not be a Cardinal Couple Radio Hour broadcast this Saturday nor next Saturday.  We had toyed with the idea of pre-recording something to send in and get on the playlist, but the stars did not align correctly for that (and frankly, I've been busy doing last minute Christmas shopping).

Looking forward to settling in to a new seat "to the left" of Paulie.

--
Jeff

Asia Taylor impressive in opening Mystics exhibition...Ciera Johnson to Texas A&M -- Wednesday CARDINAL COUPLE

TAYLOR'S 13 LEAD WASHINGTON OVER INDIANA

Louisville grad Asia Taylor totaled 13 points in almost 18 minutes yesterday for the WNBA Washington Mystics in their first exhibition game of the season...a 88-68 win over the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis yesterday afternoon. 

The free agent, who most recently played for the Sydney Flames in Australia, was 4 for 11 from the floor...hit 5-6 from the free throw stripe and gather four rebounds. Taylor, who did nit start, was one of five Mystics in double figures...Elena Della Donne and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough added 12 points each. 

A nice return to "the Big Dance"...where Taylor has been twice before. She began with the Minnesota Lynx after her 2013 senior season at Louisville...playing in 22 games in 2014 and spent 2016 playing four games for the Connecticut Sun late in the season. 

The Mystics final preseason game will be Monday, May 8th when they face the Lynx in Washington. 


CIERA JOHNSON TO TEXAS A&M 

The Tweets started yesterday evening. 

"Proud to call myself an Aggie" 

And, so...we know the destination of two of the three transfers from the University of Louisville women's basketball program this spring. Earlier, we learned that Jonesie was headed to Georgetown (D.C.) 

Looking at A&M, where Johnson will be eligible starting in the 2018-19 season...they currently have three players 6'2" or taller...but all will be graduated by the time Johnson hits the court. 

Hopefully, a good fit on Gary Blair's squad for the Duncanville, TX native. Texas A&M was one of five school that made the final cut before Johnson became a Card...Notre Dame, South Carolina and Duke also on that list. 

Best of luck to Ciera on this new opportunity. 


LATER THIS WEEK

Case Hoskins will be handling the Friday write-up and Worldwide Jeff McAdams doing Saturday as Paulie gets into full Oaks and Derby mode. I'll be appearing on our Saturday radio show via phone with the lads as well. 

I'll have my annual Oaks and Derby picks over at: 

LINK: HANDICAPPING HEROES

This is my secondary website and we look at horse racing there, plus a radio show that follows The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour on Saturdays. The handicappers do pretty well. They keep me around for entertainment, I'm pretty sure...but I did pretty well on Oaks and Derby Day last year. 

I hope the Handicappers jump in as well. It's a busy time of year for them.


paulie

Sara Hammond hired as assistant at Union U. -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

HAMMOND JOINS BULLDOGS STAFF

Add yet another branch to the Jeff Walz coaching tree.

Sara Hammond, who played for the Cards from 2011-15 has accepted the assistant coaching job at Union University...a Jackson, TN. school that participates in NCAA DII and Gulf South Athletics. 

Hammond, who was 13th. on the all time scoring list going into the 2016-17 season with 1249 points and the Cards leading rebounder in the 2012-13 and 2014-15 seasons, had been playing overseas in Germany with the SV Halle Lions. One of her teammates was 2016 UK graduate Janee Thompson. 

Hammond joins a squad that went 17-12 in 2016-17 and graduates five seniors. The head coach of the Bulldogs is Mark Campbell...who just finished his 18th. season at the school as skipper. 

In Sara's time at Louisville, she was known as a hard worker who controlled the paint for the Cards and was a part of the 2013 squad that defeated Baylor and went to the National Championship game. Those hard-working skills will translate over well into the coaching profession, along with Sara's vast knowledge of the game. 

Brooksie's...best barbecue and buffet in Jackson, TN

Union University is a four year, liberal arts, evangelical christian-based private university that suffered extensive damage when a tornado rolled through in 2008. It is also close to one of Paulie's favorite places to dine in Tennessee...Brooksie's Barn....off Oil Well Road outside of Jackson. 

Brooksie's was a "must stop" back in the days of driving to Memphis to watch the Cards play football and hoops against the Tigers. If you like ribs, barbecue and buffet-style dining...this is the place to go in Jackson. 

We wish Sara the best of luck with the Bulldogs...as she goes into the coaching career field. We think she'll be a great one! 


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


IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 

Saturday's THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR  featured Julie "The Bird Lady" Sullivan....top UofL WBB fan and was a great time down in the basement on a hill. Here the replay here:  LINK: THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR 4.8.17

We also invite you to give a listen to HANDICAPPING HEROES  as well on Crescent Hill Radio. This informative, horse-racing handicapping show features Paulie as the hosts for handicapping experts Archie Karel and Scott Harris. The guys do a great analysis of the runners and Paulie chips in with his picks as well...which you should probably ignore...

With Derby approaching, the guys are breaking down the possibilities for the first Saturday in May.  The website is HANDICAPPING HEROES and the latest show can be heard at: HANDICAPPING HEROES 4.8.17


paulie
xxxxx

Women's Sports Finale - Monday Cardinal Couple

As we head into the summer months...your scribe got his first minor sunburn of the season watching UofL Baseball yesterday despite making a point of staying in the shade all day...we reach the finale of NCAA women's sports for the 2015-2016 season this week.  A quick recap of where we are.

Women's College World Series

And then there were two.  With wins last night, Auburn and Oklahoma advanced to the best of three championship series in the Women's College World series.  Neither team needed an "if necessary" game to get the deed done in their bracket of the WCWS.

Auburn, a relative newcomer to the College Softball elite, eliminated the last ACC team, FSU, in an 8-7 extra inning affair, to punch their ticket to the championship series.  UCLA was eliminated in the bracket by FSU, after FSU lost their first round game to Georgia.  Georgia, in advancing, got dispatched to the elimination half of the other bracket (this is the "crossover" that is talked about in the WCWS), where they were eliminated by LSU.

Oklahoma, a perennial powerhouse, defeated LSU to get to the championship series.  LSU advanced through the elimination bracket and in addition to the aforementioned Georgia, also sent Alabama packing.  Michigan also took a lose to Oklahoma which sent them on the crossover, where FSU showed them the door.

The championship series will be played tonight and tomorrow at 7 pm, with the if necessary game Wednesday at 6pm.

Track and Field

Outdoor Track and Field wraps up women's NCAA competition for the year in their championship
which will be held in Eugene, OR (as always) this Wednesday through Saturday.

Our own Emmonnie Henderson will be competing in shot put, which is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, as well as discus which will happen on Friday and Saturday.



The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

Another exciting broadcast of the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour was aired Saturday and you can listen to the rebroadcast at:

https://soundcloud.com/chradio/cardinal-couple-20160604

We covered Louisville softball, with the Sandy Pearsall interview, Louisville women's basketball and brought back the WorldWide quiz. Take the challenge and see if you can beat Worldwide's score.

We won't be on the air this upcoming Saturday. The Mighty Kindness Festival is taking place and Crescent Hill Radio is providing coverage and hosting a booth at the event. We invite you to tune it for it. It appears to be a great Saturday lined up and you can discover more about it at the Crescent Hill Radio website. As a result, Handicapping Heroes will be heard at 11 a.m. this week instead of the noon broadcast time. Spend your day with WCHQ 100.9 FM!

Handicapping Heroes followed the show...a fast-paced, half-hour look at the Churchill Downs Saturday card of racing. It's available, too...at the link below:

https://soundcloud.com/chradio/handicapping-heroes-20160604

We thank all the people who make these two shows possible and invite you to have a listen!   

- JMcA

Atlanta Dream off to promising start in WNBA -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

ANGEL, DREAM FINDING SUCCESS

The Atlanta Dream are off to a great start in the WNBA Eastern Division with a 6-1 start. Only once in their history have they started as well...back in 2013 when they burst out of the gate with a 10-1 start. 

Leading the way is Angel McCoughtry, the greatest to even don a UofL WBB uniform. Her 19.3 ppg leads the Dream in scoring. She's getting major assistance from Tiffany Hayes at 16.7 ppg and a torrid 58.1% from the floor. 

Angel's also about to diversify into a business opportunity. Follow @mccoughtrys_icecream on Instagram as she shares the start up. Being a complete fool for ice cream, this is wonderful news to me...I hope she's successful and opens a Louisville location. 

I like a couple of the old fashioned ice cream spots here in Louisville...and both aren't too far from the UofL campus. Dairy Kastle and Dairy Del have been favorites for years and I'm pretty sure a lot of UofL students and alumni would agree. The Dairy Kastle also does a really good chili dog and it's a guilty pleasure to drop by and consume a couple every months or so.

Anyway, back to Angel...they face the Washington Mystics today. It's a 3 p.m. tip in Atlanta and is scheduled to be shown on Fox Sports Southeast. The Dream has played well in recent history against the Mystics...winning the last four and nine out of the last eleven. 

Checking on our other Cardinal WBB star in the WNBA...Shoni Schimmel...she's still seeing reserve duty with the (3-3) New York Liberty. The last time out, she saw about five minutes in a rout over the Indiana Fever. She was 2-2 from beyond the arc. 

Here's a link to her long range bombing skills: 

http://www.wnba.com/game/20160603/INDNYL/


Have you noticed she's wearing #5 now? Seems a bit strange not seeing her the #23 jersey. 

Good luck to both Angel and Shoni as the season rolls on. Once a Card, always a Card. 


__________________________________________________


RADIO BROADCASTS

Both the THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR and HANDICAPPING HEROES are up on the Crescent Hill Radio SoundCloud for listening.

Both were a blast to do and special thanks to my co-host on T.C.C.R.H...Worldwide Jeff McAdams and my guests on HANDICAPPING HEROES Archie Karel and Scott Harris!



LINKS BELOW: 

HANDICAPPING HEROES: https://soundcloud.com/chradio/handicapping-heroes-20160604


THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR: https://soundcloud.com/chradio/cardinal-couple-20160604

paulie
xxxxx



  

Erin DeGrate has left the building...The Champ is Gone -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

6'4" SOPHOMORE GOES HOME


The rumors started popping up a couple of days ago that the Louisville women's basketball squad might be losing a player. Speculation began on who it might be. A leading contender emerged and those rumors were backed up by a Tweet from sophomore forward Erin DeGrate: 



I would like to take the opportunity to thank the staff of University of Louisville & the incredible fans that supported me throughout my freshman year. With deep consideration I have decided to transfer to another university. I want to personally thank all of my teammates for taking me in as family and for being by my side when I needed them the most and for that I will always love you guys. I plan to find the university that best fits me to further my education and to become the best player that I can possibly be, again thank you to the University of Louisville and the fans! & I would like to give a special thank you to Coach Walz and staff. 



And so it goes. As is always the case, there is speculation on why. We have heard nothing official out of the Cards WBB sports information crew or Coach Walz about this yet...and her name is still listed on the current 2016-17 roster...but, from the sources we have...#1 from Waco, TX. has left the building. 


Jeff Walz has a philosophy. It is a good one. As far as what a player needs to know...If you don't want to work hard all the time and do things the way the coaching staff wants you to...you have to question if you need to be here.  

We can't say with any certainty why she left just yet. Playing time is always one of the usual suspects. With Hines-Allen, Walton, Fuehring, Johnson, Shook and Dunham all looking for minutes inside the paint...maybe the numbers didn't add up to her liking. Conditioning is a possibility. The rumor is that her fitness may have been going in the wrong direction this spring. 

Maybe she was homesick. Maybe she grew tired of the daily backups on I-65 during rush hours. Speculation being what it is...the reality of the matter is that she's put out her closing statement. 

Her career was a short one at Louisville. There were flashes of brilliance...but, in the end and in crunch time, it was Fuehring getting those minutes when Hines-Allen and Walton needed a breather or were in foul trouble. 

28 games and one start. Roughly seven minutes per contest with 3.0 points per game and 3.1 rebounds. 211 minutes on the court. We hope those numbers improve for her wherever she ends up. Sam Houston State and Texas A&M have been floated up as possible destinations.  

Good luck, Erin!  


            *            *           *           *

ALI WAS THE GREATEST

Muhammad Ali could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Three time heavyweight champion of the world in boxing. He was a man who stood by his own beliefs and principals...giving up everything and instead of answering his draft call for the Armed Forces. 

He changed his name from Cassius Clay to coincide with his Muslim beliefs. He changed the world by becoming one of the first original "trash talkers"...and he did it in a time where there no Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or SnapChat. He did it in outrageous style. 

We're not going to take a side on refusal to serve one's country. Sonya served, her dad and my dad served. I am proud of their choice to do so. We are a nation where multiple religious beliefs and freedom of expression are tolerated. We are the home of the free and land of the brave. 

I met Ali many years ago in the Louisville (Standiford) airport. Unmistakable in presence and not yet totally ravaged by the curse that is Parkinson's Disease. I approached him just to shake his hand...not seeking any autograph or photo. 

As I stuck my hand out, he got that stern look on his face...that classic Ali scowl...and went into his boxing crouch...fists raised. 

Then he smiled. Shook my hand. I spoke one phrase. 

"Thrilla in Manilla"

He smiled a bit more broadly and whispered... 

"Down goes Frazier." 

Rest well, champ. 


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THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR

THIS MORNING AT 11 a.m. on WCHQ 100.9 FM and streaming live on the Internet at 

www.crescenthillradio.com


We'll have the Sandy Pearsall interview in it's entirety, we'll talk UofL WBB and Ali...plus much more. We'll see if Worldwide has left the country recently and maybe even toss a quiz at him! 

Also, stay tuned directly after the show for the inaugural broadcast of HANDICAPPING HEROES...where Paulie gets the picks of the day at Churchill Downs from esteemed prognosticators Scott Harris, Archie Karel, Dave Bicker and Spanky.

For now we're using the website www.paulsykes.com





paulie
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E qualifies for NCAA Championships in Shot Put...The CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FIRST OFF...

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to our readers! While your at your picnics, grilling out, enjoying time with friends and family or just some time off...while your chilling please remember that it is a holiday to remember those who did while serving in our nation's armed forces...and a time to give thanks for them and all that have served and defended our nation. 

Some gave all. All gave some. Thank you.


HENDERSON QUALIFIES FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN SHOT PUT.

A day after qualifying in the discus, Emmonnie Henderson has made the list of 24 that will participate in the shot put in the NCAA Championships in Eugene, OR. 

Her toss of 16.49m (54-1 ft.) was seventh best in the NCAA East Preliminaries in Jacksonville, FL. She's the only UofL women's student-athlete to qualify to the championships.

Henderson also qualified for both events last year and finished 16th. in the shot put and third in the discus. 


THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR

Our archived broadcast of Saturday's THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR is now available for listening on the Crescent Hill Radio Soundcloud. Link below:

LINK: https://soundcloud.com/chradio/cardinal-couple-20160528

We featured our interview with Louisville Lacrosse head coach Kellie Young and a segment of Handicapping Heroes..a look at Saturday racing at Churchill Downs. 

The prognosticators did provide a couple of exactas at Churchill on what turned out to be a very challenging card. Archie and I lined out the late Pick 3 for the listeners...our attempts at a Pick 4 were thwarted by a long-shot we overlooked in Race 8.

Handicapping Heroes, thanks to listeners' requests, will stand "on its own" starting next week and will follow THE CARDINAL COUPE RADIO HOUR for a half-hour starting at noon on Saturdays. 

paulie
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Emmonnie Henderson qualifies for NCAA Championships in Discus -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

HENDERSON'S BEST TOSS OF SEASON PUTS HER IN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Emmonnie Henderson started the day of NCAA preliminary qualifying events in Jacksonville, FL with her best toss of the season...sending the discus 54.18m/177.9 to finish in seventh place in the event...which qualified her for the NCAA Championships. Her toss was five meters behind the leading toss of the day...by Kellion Knibb (Florida State). The top twelve finishers qualified for the finals in Eugene, OR June 8-11th.

Henderson will compete in the shot put today...which is scheduled to begin around 3:30 p.m. at the North Florida Field. 

It's the second year in a row that Henderson has qualified for the NCAA Championships in the discus and keeps her dreams alive for making the USA Olympic team. 

RADIO ON WCHQ 100.9 FM

We have a great show planned for you today on The CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR. We have our exclusive interview with Louisville Lacrosse head coach Kellie Young, another segment of Handicapping Heroes where we'll look at today's Churchill Downs races with prognosticators Archie Karel and Scott Harris and cover track and field, basketball, volleyball and more! 

11 a.m. is go time...join us at WCHQ 100.9 FM or at the link below:

www.crescenthillradio.com


paulie
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