Friday Cardinal Couple -- Reader Submitted Article Day

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE



*******BREAKING NEWS*******


I'll Have Another has been scratched from the Belmont Stakes. 


Press conference scheduled for 1 p.m.


Doug O'Neill pulls the Belmont odds-on favorite because of tendinitis in left front leg. We'll have more on this tomorrow, along with our revised Belmont picks. 


Tough break. A horse takes millions of steps in a recing career. One bad one and...poof...career over.




-Joe Hill: My love affair with Angel McCoughtry


-An early look at the Belmont


WE will be running reader submitted articles on Friday's for the next couple of months. We had several good ones submitted for today's column that we will probably use down the road; today we bring you Joe Hill's piece on Angel McCoughtry.

Joe resides in Port Charlotte, FL. and is a retired bar/restaurant owner. He has followed Cardinal Sports since his days at UofL during the late sixties. He got interested in UofL women's basketball when Bud Childers coached the program in the 1990's...having met Bud on an airplane and having a long discussion with him on women's basketball and sports in general. 


Some people swear he looks like Jimmy Buffett. WE definitely agree but will also attest to the fact that he can't sing like the legend. 


Here's Joe!


Hello Cardinal Couple!


My name is Joe Hill and I am a UofL women's basketball fan. I am writing today for this fine web-site CARDINAL COUPLE about my favorite women's basketball player of all time. Ms. Angel McCoughtry. Although I have never formally met her, I can tell you that I am in love with her. 
Sometimes, certain athletes just have that effect on you. I hope she reads this article. Angel, I do love you!


A bit of background on me might be in order first. I owned a restaurant and pub in scenic Gatlinburg, TN for many years.  I had a lot of Tennessee and Louisville pictures and memorabilia on the walls of my establishment and UofL fans in the area would gather at my place to watch UofL televised sporting events. I received a very nice offer from some investors a couple of years ago to purchase my business and I sold it, moved to Florida and eventually married the realtor who sold me my condo. How about that? 

I've got to see Angel McCoughtry play live and in person several times. The first was in Murfreesboro, TN at the MTSU Classic back in 2005. It was only her second game as a Louisville Cardinal, she didn't start but played well when she was in the game and the Cards beat EKU pretty badly that night. The next time I saw her play was in Nashville later that year. Louisville was in the NCAA Tournament and was playing Vanderbilt in the first round on the Commodores home court. They lost that night, Angel played well again and that was the first time that CARDINAL COUPLE owners Paul and Sonja watched a game with me. 


They had been regular visitors to my place when they would travel to Gatlinburg and we had stayed in touch. Paul was one of the few that could beat me in darts and I respected that.


I remember that game for another reason also. Paul had talked with sportswriter Howie Lindsey at halftime and came back and told us that Howie wasn't feeling very good. Before the contest ended, Howie was admitted to a Vanderbilt hospital for an emergency appendectomy. 


Paul had extended an open invite to come to Louisville anytime and watch the UofL WBB team play. His treat. I took him up on that a couple of days before New Year's Eve back in 2006. The Cards beat Eastern Illinois that game and Angel was in control of the Cardinal team by then. We had a great time and Paul took me and one of my bartenders to a couple of Louisville nightspots after the game. We crashed on his living room floor and drove back to Gatlinburg the next morning. 

The 2007-2008 season was a great one for Louisville women's basketball. I got to see the Cards play in Chattanooga that year and they handled the Lady Mocs pretty easily. Angel was definitely on her game that night and so was Candyce Bingham. I didn't get up to Louisville that year to watch any games but we were cheering pretty heavily for the Cards. We were hosting the very casual and unofficial Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge Cardinal Fans Club and saw plenty of great Cardinal events that year on TV. 

Angel's final year was a pretty special one for her and her teammates. They went to the Final Four and were the National Runners Up. It was special for me , too, because I got the chance to see Angel and Louisville play seven times live!


They began the season at Tennessee Tech and I was there with several Fan Club members. They romped that night! Then, the Cards visited MTSU for a game and I was there again. That was the game that Sonja drove down to see with a couple of her friends and Cardinal fans. We sat with her and had a great time watching Louisville beat the Blue Raiders! Ten days later, I was headed to Louisville to watch the Cards face Kentucky in Freedom Hall.  Another great time, another UofL win and another great post-game experience with Paul and Sonja. The five of us who made the trip did it right that time, getting a couple of rooms at the Brown Hotel and visiting the legendary Old Spaghetti Factory the next day before returning home that night. 


As Louisville continued to roll in the post-season we were excited about them maybe getting the chance to play in the Raleigh Regional. We got tickets for the games. We were confident the Cards would get there and they did by beating Liberty and LSU. We took off for Raleigh, had a couple of rooms booked at the Red Roof Inn and went crazy when the Cards downed Baylor and Maryland in pretty easy fashion. 


I got to high-five Angel after the Maryland game when they came over to applaud the fans who were applauding for them. 


It was the FINAL FOUR for the Cards and I was going to be there, no matter what it took. Three of us drove to Knoxville the day before,  flew to St. Louis and ended up with pretty nice seats and Red Roof Inn lodging again. 


The Oklahoma game was a nail-biter but the Cards won it to advance and play UConn. Even though they lost to UConn, it was a heck of an experience and a great time. 


A few months after that, my mother passed away in Florida.  I met with my brothers and sisters down there and discovered I really liked the area, the climate and really wanted to spend more time there. By 2010, I was an ex-owner and looking at Condos up and down the Gulf Coast of Florida.


I have been to one UofL women's basketball game since then. The Cards rolled into Tampa in February 2011 and I was there. No Angel, but a nice UofL win and I fell in love with a whole new group of Cards as I watched them beat the Bulls. We have gone to several Lady Bulls games since I have been down here and, although they're fun to watch and I really like their style of play, I'll always be a Cardinal fan first and foremost. 


Shoni Schimmel, Monique Reid, Tia Gibbs. I could go on and on. I really look forward to this upcoming season and with the "dish" and internet, I look forward to seeing a lot of games. The Cards are also coming back to Tampa to play the Bulls and I'll be there with my lovely bride, dressed in red and cheering on my team. 


I appreciate the chance to tell my story about being an Angel and UofL fan, Paul and Sonja and thanks to those of you who read my article. GO CARDS and L1C4! I hope to get back up to Louisville this season for a game and I'm also planning to go see the Atlanta Dream play a home game. Even though I'm now happily married and the father of a beautiful, eight-month old daughter, I still love you, Angel! 


(Nice job, Joe! If you would like to submit an idea for an article or send an article for Friday consideration, please send it to cardinalcouple@insightbb.com) 


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We'll get a little more involved in the Belmont Stakes tomorrow...but we're seeing that Atigun is entered as one of  Ken McPeek's runners. The three year old was quite impressive in winning the first race of the day at Churchill on Derby Day and we're going to use him in the Belmont Stakes race. Especially if it rains. 


Unstoppable U is Ken's other horse, a speed burner who will try to set the early pace. It's a big step up for him but Ken is very confident of both their chances. 


More on that Saturday, when Paulie climbs into the cab and takes the wheel. Thanks again to Joe and have a great Friday, readers! 
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heresaearlytipforyouonthebelmontpaullikesillhaveanotherunionragsdullahanandatiguninanexactaboxhewillhavemuchmoreonthistomorrowbesuretocheckback

Friday Cardinal Couple -- The Derby Dozen

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Louisville women's athletics has experience, success at the head coach level. 


-I'll Have Another has a close call Thursday morning.


Did you know that the University of Louisville has 12 women's sports that they compete at on the D1 level? 

Is this the UofL soccer coach?

Take a second and see if you can name all twelve. Then, after you've done that...count off how many that you've actually gone and watched in live competition. Finally, see how many of the 12 coaches -- the Derby Dozen, we'll call them -- you can name.  


Here's a short quiz on the current head coaches that guide UofL women's sports...and then we'll give you a list of all 12. Answers follow that.


1) Which UofL coach below played locally in high school in Louisville?


A) Sandy Pearsall         C) Arthur Albiero
B) Jeff Walz                 D) Anne Kordes


2) Which UofL coach has the longest tenure as a head
coach at Louisville? 


A) Mark Beckham         C) Kellie Young
B) Sandy Pearsall         D) Ron Mann


3) Which UofL coach was head coach at Massachusetts before taking the Louisville job? 


A) Laura Aubrey           C) Jeff Walz
B) Justine Sowry          D) Karen Ferguson-Dayes


4) What's the breakdown on the 12 coaches by gender?


A) 11 men, 1 woman    C) 5 men, 7 women
B)  4 men, 8 women     D) 3 women, 8 men


5) Which coach below did not win a conference title
in 2012? 


A) Anne Kordes             C) Jeff Walz
B) Sandy Pearsall          D) Arthur Albiero 


6) Which coach would have no use for a goalkeeper in their sport?


A) Arthur Albiero            C) Karen Ferguson-Dayes
B) Justine Sowry            D) Kellie Young


7) Which matchup below is incorrect?


A) Sowry & Field Hockey  C) Walz & Basketball
B) Pearsall & Softball        D) Moth & Water Polo


8) EXTRA CREDIT !!! Who was the softball coach at UofL before Sandy Pearsall? 


A) Tom Jurich                  C) J. Fred Muggs
B) Natalie Novosel           D) Art Vandoley


 (ANSWERS BELOW...KEEP READING) 


Here's a listing of the 12 coaches in women's sports at UofL and their years of service to the Cards: 


Basketball -- Jeff Walz ( 5 yrs. ) 
Cross Country -- Taryn Sheehan ( 1 yr. ) 
Field Hockey -- Justine Sowry ( 2 yrs. )
Golf -- Kelly Meyers Rothberg ( 12 yrs. ) 
Lacrosse -- Kellie Young ( 5 yrs. )
Rowing -- Laura Aubrey ( 5 yrs. ) 
Soccer -- Karen Ferguson-Dayes ( 12 yrs.) 
Softball -- Sandy Pearsall ( 13 yrs.) 
Swim/Dive -- Arthur Albiero -- ( 7 yrs. ) 
Tennis -- Mark Beckham -- ( 3 yrs. ) 
Track & Field -- Ron Mann -- ( 8 yrs. )
Volleyball -- Anne Kordes -- ( 1 yr. ) 

Is this the UofL water polo coach? 

The Cards are fortunate to have such a talented and caring group of individuals teaching and coaching the womens' athletes on campus. This time of year, they are busy planning for their upcoming seasons, holding clinics, evaluating talent for future teams and making sure their current athletes have a knowledge of what individual training and workouts they can do over the summer months to prepare for their events. 

Is this the UofL
swimming coach?

Coaching doesn't stop after the final whistle, buzzer or goal of the season. Hats off and a big thank you to the coaches and staffs who prepare the athletes we enjoy watching! Hopefully, today's article helped familiarize or remind you of the 12 individuals who have the title "head coach" of a women's athletic squad at UofL. Next time you see one of the "Derby Dozen"... thank them for a job well done!  Or, better yet...make a commitment to go out and watch his or her athletes compete in the 2012-13 season. 


(Now....to those answers!) 


1.  D. Anne Kordes played volleyball for her Dad here in Louisville at Assumption High School 


2. B. Sandy Pearsall has 13 years on the books as the Cardinal Softball coach. 


3. B. Justine Sowry was head field hockey coach at Mass. before taking the Louisville job. 


4. B. Jeff Walz, Ron Mann, Mark Beckham and Arthur Albiero are the four male coaches in the UofL womens' sports programs


5. C. Jeff Walz. The women's basketball team did not win the BIG EAST regular season or tournament titles last season. Wait until this year! 


6. A. Arthur Albiero's swimmers don't need a goalkeeper...but it might be an idea to use one to stop opposing swimmers from reaching the wall.


7. D. Louisville doesn't have a water polo team...but it might be fun watching Sean Moth coach if they did.


8. This was a trick question. Sandy Pearsall started the Softball program at UofL, so there was no head coach before her. Give yourself a point if you knew this. 




:-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-)




(And now...our biting and sarcastic commentary on how well or poorly you did. Maestro, hit it!!!) 


8 correct =  Congratulations! You are now an honorary CARDINAL COUPLE "Know it All" (Like we don't have enough of those lurking around the site..)


7 correct =   Your really know your coaches! Grab your whistle and get out there!


5-6 correct =   Not bad. We'll put you on the list as a possible 'fill-in' if one of the staff chimps quit here at Cardinal Couple. 


3-4 correct =   Average. You need to pay a little more attention during the starting lineup introductions instead of watching Louie and the LadyBirds...


1-2 correct =  Welcome to your first visit to the world of CARDINAL COUPLE! See our intern Timmy for a guided tour. (He'll expect a tip, be forewarned...) 


0 correct =   You've stumbled upon this site looking for birds, haven't you? Stick around, if you like...you may just learn a thing of two and have a little fun! 


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Triple Crown contender I'll Have Another had a very close brush with collision and possible injury while training Thursday morning for the Belmont Stakes. Maybe they need a traffic cop or flight controller out there...


Link:


Close call for I'll Have Another
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Sunday Cardinal Couple - Cards lose to Michigan, beat UK to reach finals.

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Cards defeat UK 3-2 to reach regional final


-Cards lose first game of the day to Michigan in extra innings 2-1

Cards hope to play two Sunday

The University of Louisville softball team defeated UK 3-2 Saturday night to reach to finals of the NCAA Regionals at Ulmer Stadium. The win comes following an opening game loss to Michigan 2-1 to put the Cards in the losers bracket of the double elimination tournament. Louisville will face Michigan Sunday at 1 p.m. and must beat the Wolverines twice to advance to the Super Regionals. Here's the action from Saturday


MICHIGAN 2 - LOUISVILLE 1 


Michigan struck early against Caralisa Connell, scoring
their first run in the bottom of the second inning off two Cardinal fielding errors. A throwing error to first, walk and misplayed fielders choice loaded the bases for the Wolverines with one out. A sacrifice fly to right produced the run. Connell fielded a come backer to the mound to end the Michigan threat. 

Wagner gets the win..aided by some Cardinal
errors and a blown call. 

Louisville just couldn't get untracked against freshman Michigan pitcher Haylee Wagner. The Cards got two hits off her in the top of the third and had runners on the corners in the fourth with one out..but couldn't push a run across and remained silent until the top of the seventh after that. 


Louisville, faced with their potential last at-bat, started the seventh with a Alicja Wolny double to center field. Kirsten Straley came in to pinch run, went to third on a wild pitch and scored to tie the game on a Jordan Trimble sacrifice fly to center with one out. 


Tori Collins took the circle in the bottom of the seventh and allowed a single but kept the Wolverines from scoring and the game went into extra innings. 


The Cards went scoreless in the top of the eighth and Chelsea Leonard took the ball in the bottom of the inning and had an apparent second out of the inning on a throw from Kristin Austin to third following a Wolverine single that looked like it got to Katelyn Mann in time to tag out the runner. 

Third base umpire Steve McCrillis called the runner safe, though... a highly controversial call that infuriated the Cardinal fans and dugout. ESPN replays showed the throw and tag in time..but there is no instant replay in women's college softball and the call stood. That set the stage for Michigan to win when a Leonard pitch hit Michigan's Caitlin Blanchard and the runner automatically advanced from third to end the game.


The Cards were now faced with having to play the 8:30 nightcap against the winner of the next game... UK vs Valparaiso...in an elimination game. 


UK defeated the Crusaders 5-4 to advance and the stage was set for the nightcap.


LOUISVILLE 3 - KENTUCKY 2

The Cards batted first in contest and touched UK pitcher Chandra Bell for three first inning runs. After Jennifer Esteban started the game with a single...Alicja Wolny blasted one over the left field fence to give the Cards a 2-0 lead. Louisville added a third run in the inning when Fowler walked, Trimble singled and Maggie Ruckenbrod walked to fill the bases. A wild pitch to Katelyn Mann allowed Fowler to cross the plate and the Cards led 3-0. 


Tori Collins entered the circle for UofL and kept UK scoreless until the bottom of the fifth. Brittany Cervantes singled to start the inning and two outs later UK catcher Joyner Griffin sent one out over the center-field fence to make it 3-2 Louisville. 


Collins and reliever Chelsea Leonard teamed up to keep the Cats scoreless in the final two innings to eliminate UK from the regional and send the Cardinals to the finals. 

Two wins over Michigan Sunday will give the Cards the title. Not impossible, but the Cards will need to find a little more production at the plate. Michigan has given up only three runs in two games behind the pitching of their freshman Wagner. Louisville has scored 10 runs in three games...but only one against the Wolverines. 


Good day for a double-header tomorrow. Sweep 'em Cards! 


We'll have a full recap of (hopefully) both Louisville games and wins tomorrow.


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I'll Have Another wins again

I'll Have Another pulled off another flying finish to nip Bodemeister in the Preakness today. Once again, just like in the Kentucky Derby, "Bode" looked like he was going to hang on to the lead and win...but the rapidly closing style of I'll Have Another prevailed again. 

Bodemeister second best again

A chance for a Triple Crown winner if I'll Have Another can take the Belmont in three weeks. 


The expected challenges from Went the Day Well, Creative Cause and the rest of the field of 11 runners never materialized. Bode and I'll Have Another were eight lengths in front of the rest at the wire...and just a head apart from each other.


WE'D be surprised if Bob Baffert tries the Belmont with Bodemeister. Longer race and Bodemeister just can't seem to hold on in anything over a 1 1/8th. 


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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Softball clinches the BIG EAST title with doubleheader win over St. John's


-Track leads after Day Two of BIG EAST Championships


-Watson on the Kentucky Derby 138.


The University of Louisville softball team captured the regular season BIG EAST title with a doubleheader sweep of St John's Saturday. The Cards defeated the Red Storm 15-4 and 8-4. With the wins, Louisville is now 49-3 on the season.


The bats that had been a little quiet lately showed up Saturday at Metallica levels.  

Louisville plated ten runs in the final two innings of game one to break wide open the contest. Caralisa Connell (17-1) got the win...going 6.1 innings. Tori Collins came in to get the final two batters out in the bottom of the seventh. 


Louisville had 17 hits. Kayla Soles went 3 for 4 and Taner Fowler joined Alicja Wolny at 2 for 4...each hitting a home run. 


In the second game, Wolny continued the hot streak with 3 for 4 hitting and another homer. Fowler also sent another one over the fence. The Cards jumped out to a 2-0 lead and were never tested. Chelsea Leonard gets the "W" and goes to 9-1 on the season. She pitched five innings of five-hit softball and allowed two unearned runs. Tori Collins pitched two innings of relief.   

This is the first BIG EAST regular season title for Louisville since 2006 and the second overall. With Saturday's wins...Sandy Pearsall has now won 500 games at Louisville. 

They'll conclude the regular season with a noon start today. 


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Thanks to the throwers, Louisville's women's track and field team leads the BIG EAST Championships with 53 points (a 12 point lead) after two days of competition.

Stepping up big for the Cards were the shot-put throwers. Chinwe Okoro finished first, Khadija Abdullah took second and Amashi Kendall grabbed fourth. The 1-2-4 finished netted Louisville 23 points.


Action concludes today down in Tampa...beginning at 10 a.m.


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(David Watson is a special correspondent for CARDINAL COUPLE. He watched the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby and files this commentary. It's David...so be ready for anything...) 

My wife and I settled down in front of the television in the "man cave" shortly before 6 p.m. to watch the annual Run for the Roses with a pizza and beverages. Store bought pizza, but not bad -- and when she asked me if I'd like another slice, my reply was:


"Yes, I'll have another." 


She chuckled. "That's one of the horses in the Derby. I'll Have Another." 


"I hope he hasn't been eating pizza before the race." I countered. 


I would imagine that anything he wants to consume would be on the menu today. A 1 1/2 length win over a Bodemeister that looked so tired and spent in the final few yards that I thought the Churchill Downs tractors were going to have to roll up and give him a ride to the finish line. 

Winning rider and owner of I'll Have Another

Rookie jockey on a horse that was an after-thought to most of the 160,000 plus out getting baked in the 85 degree, muggy Louisville weather at Churchill. A feel-good story for a horse and rider that went off at 15-1. 


My pick, OPTIMIZER, must have taken a wrong turn when they hit the Churchill stretch. The official report is that he finished 11th. I think he jumped the fence and went over to party with the gang in the Infield. He's probably over at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium right now trying to impress Charlie Strong with his speed in the "40". 


Our illustrious co-owners of CARDINAL COUPLE were attending a Derby Party that they go to each year. I called Paul about five minutes before the race and discreetly asked if there were "pari-mutual" options available there. He chuckled and said that he was that "option" and having a pretty good day discussing "long and short term investment strategies" with the party goers. I asked if I could participate. I asked my wife if she'd like to participate as well. For entertainment purposes only, of course.


"I'll have another." she flatly stated. 


I'm headed down to Louisville next week to file a missing horse report on Optimizer. While I'm there, I'll hook up with Paul and offer to by him lunch...collecting $32.60 from (as he called it) the "Richie Farmer Defense Slush Fund." 

I'll Have Another pulls away.

Major jockeys and trainers are griping today about getting slammed into, checked, bumped and crowded in "the greatest two minutes of sports" yesterday. Somewhere, though, back in the Churchill Downs barns, a brown three-year old is looking out of his stall and is probably amused at the throngs of people walking by, staring and pointing out that he is the 2012 Kentucky Derby winner. If horses could talk, I'm guessing he'd comment:


"Where were all you guys when I was here the last couple of days?" 


I'll give myself a pat on the back and point out that I did pick I'll Have Another as my third pick in Saturday's selections here at CARDINAL COUPLE. That would have been worth $9.00 at the track after the race. Don't worry, I'm not quitting my day job and spending my time and efforts on horse race handicapping. 


The Preakness is in two weeks. I'll watch it with my wife again I'll HAVE ANOTHER store-bought pizza and see if we have a Triple Crown contender or not. Meanwhile, I think I'll head into the kitchen and get out the refrigerated, left-over slices of pizza from yesterday. 


Yes, I think that "I'll Have Another." slice or two.

Then, it's time to don the Columbo raincoat, get out the Kojak lollipop and gather up Gibbs, Ziva, DiNozzo and McGee and see if we can track down Optimizer. 


( For the record, I do not recall...Mr. Senator and members of the fact-finding committee...ever receiving a phone call from David Watson and there is, in no way, shape or form...any type of written or collaborating evidence to verify his claims in today's column. 


But, we are BIG fans of the Richie Farmer Defense Slush Fund. For entertainment purposes only, of course).


Paul   
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