Mickey Clark: Farewell -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

MICKEY CLARK PASSES AWAY 

Singer-songwriter, musician, Cardinal fan and husband and father Mickey Clark passed away Sunday evening in his home surrounded by his family. He was 78. Clark, a popular performer in the Louisville area for many years with his band Blue Norther, also penned many songs about UofL athletic squads...including the 1983 release Cardinal Cannonball...which you can hear at the link below.

CARDINAL CANNONBALL

Mickey was a favorite at UofL Pep Rallies during tournament time at many different venues over the years. He was also a very accomplished song-writer -- having penned songs for The Oak Ridge Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis and Tompall and the Glazer Brothers.

He was a regular, in latter years, at Fiesta Mexicana restaurant on Bardstown Road with his band Blue Norther and my wife and I saw him perform there on quite a few occasions. You just never knew who you'd see on stage with Mickey...one night I saw fiddle master Michael Cleveland play with him at the restaurant -- just one of many that got together with him and the Blue Norther guys Dale Perry, Tom Cunningham, Marty Miller and Chip Bush. We heard a version of the "Orange Blossom Special" while dining that night that just might have been the best I've ever heard.  

Mickey was a 1958 Flaget High School graduate and played basketball for the Braves. He attended St. Joseph's University and graduated with a mathematics degree. Musician and mathematician -- quite the interesting combination, right? 

My first encounter with Mickey was in the late 70's when he performed at the Red Barn on the Louisville campus when I was attending there. That was the original Red Barn location on Floyd Street, roughly where Cardinal Park now stands. I would catch him throughout the years at various venues. One hot, summer afternoon he showed up at my office when I was in the coffee business --he was an advertising salesman at the time doing a little bit of cold-calling and prospecting. I knew him right off the bat. Nobody had a smile like Mickey's. My office walls were decorated with quite a few UofL posters from over the years and he was quite pleased to see these -- looking at them and making comments about a particular player or event.  We talked quite a while. He was impressed that I knew several of the songs he did, he was humbled when I told him a was a big fan of his music and we spent a long time just talking UofL and music. Although I had no need to advertise at the time, that didn't seem to matter -- we were just two Cardinal fans and music lovers shooting the breeze. 

He also performed live and there is a significant song-base of his music at the radio station where we do The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour and Handicapping Heroes...WCHQ 100.9 FM. Below is a link that features his 2015 performance at the station: 

Mickey Clark plays at WCHQ

The last time I saw him was at Fiesta Mexicana not too long ago. He was typical Mickey, playing a set with his band and then spending his breaks walking amidst the diners....chatting amicably and sharing stories and jokes. He came up to our table, recognized me and my wife and I told him that I was enjoying his set that night. I got that huge Mickey smile that got even broader when I teasingly asked him if he and the boys could do "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin. 

"We'll have to work on that one." he joked. "I don't think I can handle the range of those vocals."  

My favorite Mickey song has to be and will always be "Don't Piss On My Boots And Tell Me That It's Rainin'"  You can hear him and legend John Prine do it at the link below: 

Don't Piss On My Boots

Louisville's version of Jimmy Buffett has left the building. The tributes, remembrances and memories will go on long after his departure, though. He was one of us. A regular guy with a wife, son, bills and a car. He was a poet, a story-teller and common man. He will be missed. 

Go easy bro and I 'd like to think that you'll be sitting in on a lot of jam sessions and swapping songs in that big music hall in the sky.


paulie
xxxxx

Sunday Cardinal Couple

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Year of the Cardinal

-Nice surprise

Louisville has a lot to be proud of in their athletic acheivements from the 2013 season. Now, there's a link you can go to which chronicles all these successes:

YEAR OF THE CARDINAL

Which of the acheivements was the best? That is a hard one to pick. Winning a national championship is hard to top. Taking a BCS Bowl game in football also ranks high. The runner-up finish in women's basketball another contender.

Feel free to tell us which is #1 in your opinion in the comments section.

For me, the best game of the year was Louisville's upset
win over Baylor in women's basketball in the Oklahoma City regionals. It may be the biggest upset ever in the history of women's basketball.

While I'm looking at moments that were good, I'll also offer a couple of moment that weren't so good..for fair and balanced reporting. Watching Louisville WBB lose a double digit lead to Kentucky in the KFC YUM! Center stung. Seeing UCLA destroy the softball Cards in the regionals at Ulmer was a nightmare also.

And if it is the year of the Cardinal...who was the best Cardinal in women's sports?

I'll offer five. You can pick one or come up with your own.

1) Shoni Schimmel. Her season was an excellent one and she's preparing to play in the World University Games. I'll never forget her "how do you like me now?" moment after hitting the impossible shot against Brit Griner.

2) Alicja Wolny. Led the softball Cards in hitting and made the Great Britian National Team for the European Championships. Was the embodiment of team leadership for Sandy Pearsall's squad and is also a fun interview.

3) Rachel Melhado. A steller star for Karen Ferguson Dayes soccer squad and is also getting some overseas time playing for Team Canada in Germany. Solid mid-fielder and defender that leads by example.

4) Lola Arsenbeckova. The outside hitter powerhouse for Louisville Volleyball willed the Cards to a great season and another BIG EAST Championship with her "killing" ways.

5) Nikki Boltja. The big-time lacrosse scorer was at the forefront of Louisville lacrosse's turnaround season. Leader in scoring, determination and hard work for a very good, young and talented team returning for Kellie Young.

Good choices all. But, when it's the Year of the Cardinal, that's how it should be.

Women's Coach of the Year at UofL? That's another toughie, since a bunch of them had great seasons. I'll go with Jeff Walz...getting a group of kids to believe in themselves and what they could accomplish. It got them to New Orleans and the NCAA WBB Finals.

Years ago, there was a song out by a guy named Al Stewart named "Year of the Cat". No, it wasn't about UK. Who would you choose to step up and write and perform "Year of the Cardinal?" I'll suggest a couple of singers with Louisville roots. How about Mickey Clark, the ol' Cardinal Cannonball hmself? Or our favorite year at CARDINAL COUPLE...Robbie Bartlett? Maybe even pep band director Al Greener...Or, Russ Smith? He seems like he can do everything Louisville related.

I have to confess, though...every year is Year of the Cardinal for me, though. From the first goal attempt for Louisville Soccer in early August to the final catch in the outfield at Ulmer Stadium...the eight months or so of Louisville women's athletics is a very special time.

Good thoughts about a good season. And next year could be just as good. I can hardly wait.

-Paulie

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I chose not to attend Churchill Downs last night because of the impending, forecasted weather and also because I'd been there the last two days. I did have a little money left in my Twinspires and TVG accounts, though...so I did a little pre-racing wagering and got involved in other pursuits Saturday night.

Got around to checking it this morning.

A nice surprise on a minimal 50 cent wager on a Pick 3 at Churchill for me. I used Brian Hernandez, Jr. on Maypark and a couple of others in the 5th. race. Maypark got it done.

Picked the favorite and Hernandez again and added Seton Hall in the 6th. Since we're leaving the BIG EAST, it seemed the right thing to do. Seton Hall wins at 32-1. (It may be the biggest win ever associated with the name SETON HALL.) Also a $4 across the board on the Ian Wilkes horse.

Finished it up with JJ Hysell's pick Debt Ceiling and Runkle in the 7th. Debt Ceiling romps them at 5-1.

Payout? $603. Barely an IRS reportable. But...acceptable.

That covers a week of being unemployed.

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Basketball season is here!

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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

( Staff columnist Jenny O'Bryan drains one from long range today in her article on Cardinal WBB. Like all of us at CARDINAL COUPLE, her excitement, anticipation and enthusiasm for the 2012-13 Lady Cards season can't be contained by the press, referees or turnovers. She shoots, she scores with the Wednesday edition of "Da Couple"! )

- Hoops is almost here...are u ready?

- Central Cardinal Couple Holiday boutique a blast!

Basketball Fans!

We are less than a week away from the Women’s Basketball Tip-Off Luncheon.  Limited tickets are available for the event.   If you are a procrastinator, pick up your phone and call the ticketing office now @ 502-852-5151 before time runs out. 

In an email from the Louisville Athletic Ticketing Office I learned that season tickets are going in the mail this week!  Look for your tickets to be showing up in your mailbox shortly.  Parking passes, for those who have purchased them, will be arriving separately. 

A few words from the ticket office:

The exhibition game being held on Wednesday, October 31 @ 7:00 p.m. is FREE!   There will not be a ticket in your season package, it is free and a ticket is not needed to attend.  For all the families out there, take your kiddo out trick or treating early, then head down to the YUM! Center for another treat, the start of Louisville Women’s Basketball!! 

The last announcement from the ticketing office is that there is a time change for the EKU game at YUM! on November 28^th.   The actual time of the game is 7:30 p.m.  Your season tickets are going to say a different time on them.  7:30 p.m. is the changed, correct time of the game.

It was reported here in August that 2014 wing/forward Sydney Brackemyre was on an unofficial visit to the Louisville campus August 26.  It was brought to my attention that she was back on campus (presumably for another unofficial visit) this past weekend.  (Official visits can only happen during one's senior year, are paid for by the college being visited and a prospective student athlete (psa) can only take 5 official visits.  Unofficial visits are on the student/families dime and can be made at any time, and as often as wanted). 

This makes a second visit to Louisville for this rising star in the junior class, in less than two months!   We already know that Louisville is among her final 3 schools of choice (included are Dayton and Michigan) but with a second visit in less than two months WE think bodes well for our beloved Cardinals.    

Perhaps Ms. Brackemyre might just be our first commitment from the class of 2014?   It is a bit premature to speculate, but from where I'm sitting, I like our chances with this young lady.  I believe I attached the following link before, but, it bears another airing to our Cardinal faithful. 

Sydney B.

We are on the cusp of the season!  Next week I will bring you a report from the Tip Off Luncheon.  The week after that I will give you my thoughts/predictions for the out of conference (OOC) slate of the schedule.   

In the meantime we will keep you abreast of any recruiting news as it becomes available. 

A historic weekend for women’s basketball is fast upon us as the #1 recruit in the nation, Mercedes Russell, and #40 recruit Emmonnie Henderson will be on campus for their official visit October 26-28.   The early signing period begins November 14.  Keep it here, Card fans, to learn who will be suiting up as a Cardinal next season!  


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Carol Kidd and Chuck Horell were in attendance

A wonderful time had by all attending the Central Cardinal Club Holiday Boutique and Style Show held yesterday at the PNC Club in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Tons of silent auction items, many booths, delicious food and a great afternoon and evening of speakers and enertainment.

Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich spoke to the dinner crowd and was excellent as always. Swimming and Diving Coach Arthur Albiero also took the stage to speak to the attendees and Mickey Clark provided the musical entertainment.

Charlie Springer and his lovely wife Barbara

The style and fashion show was great as well, with several coaches, coaches wives and the incomprable Valerie Owens Combs, displaying some great outfits to the delight of the crowd.

Mickey Clark entertained attendees!

Thanks to all who stopped by the CARDINAL COUPLE table and purchased bracelets for the St. Martha Girls Volleyball team! We raised $110.00 for their worthy cause. Also, thanks for registering for the commemorative 1980 UofL Men's Basketball National Championship plaque and talking sports with us! We hope you enjoyed talking Cardinal Sports with Jeff McAdams, Donny Yaste, Sonja and Paulie and encourage you to make CARDINAL COUPLE a part of your daily Internet routine.

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The winning ticket number: 702211
Winner was: Al Parrish
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Thanks to Bill and Barbara Hancock, Chuck Horell, Debbie Zipperle and all the Central Cardinal Club members who made our participation an absolute joy and delight!
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