Monday Cardinal Couple -- Great Scott! -- Courtney Scott headed to Maryland Softball

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Softball assistant to take Terps head coaching position

- Want to see it again? Shoni aerial attack revisited...





If Sandy Pearsall needs to issue "Hello, My Name Is..." tags this fall to her coaching staff, one can give her a dispensation and understand why.

In the third coaching change within a week for Louisville Softball, assistant coach Courtney Scott is expected to be named head coach at Maryland today. 

The move follows the hiring of Stacy May Johnson at UofL earlier in the week and the departure of Carol Bruggermann. 

Someone run down to campus and see if the stadium is still named Ulmer.

The move for Scott is a good one an a return to territory she is familiar with. Scott spent two years on the Maryland staff before coming to Louisville in 2010. Her bio at Louisville is impressive, to say the least:

Under Scott's tutelage, Maryssa Becker was named to the 2014 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I All-Central Region second team as a pitcher/utility player. She became the first Louisville freshman to earn all-region honors since Keola Calderon was named to the South Region second team in 2000, the program's inaugural season. Becker was named one of the top 25 finalists for the inaugural National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I National Freshman of the Year trophy and earned American Athletic Conference second team honors.

The 2013 UofL pitching staff posted a 2.38 ERA and led the league with 47 wins. Catcher Maggie Ruckenbrod also led the conference with 11 pickoffs and earned NFCA All-Region second team honors. Pitchers Caralisa Connell and Rachel LeCoq were selected to the All-BIG EAST second team while Ruckenbrod was named to the third team.

The Cards' pitching staff was ranked fourth in the nation in 2012, with a 1.39 ERA while Chelsea Leonard led the nation with 12 saves. Pitcher Tori Collins and catcher Taner Fowler were tabbed NFCA All-Americans and pitcher Caralisa Connell earned All-BIG EAST honors. Along with the success of the team came honors for the Cards' coaching staff which was named the NFCA Great Lakes Valley and BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.

In her first season (2011), Scott's pitching staff battled injury, but still posted 38 wins and 13 shutouts. Tori Collins finished the season ranked 10th in the nation with 10 shutouts. Caralisa Connell earned All-BIG EAST honors in her rookie campaign. Fellow freshmen Maggie Ruckenbrod and Taner Fowler teamed to pick off a league-best 13 runners.

Her departure leaves Coach Pearsall with one assistant coach left from the 2013 season...volunteer coach Jim Miller. No word yet on who will replace Scott.

The Maryland search for a new head coach began on June 25th:

After nine years at the helm and following the worst season in the program's history, Maryland softball head coach Laura Watten will "pursue other opportunities."

The Cards mirror the Terps in several aspects...going into a new conference, facing changes in the Softball coaching staff and coming off a less than spectacular season. Pearsall will miss the wise guidance available from Bruggermann and the pitching staff development from Scott...but the fact still remains that the Cards have one of the best head coaches in Division I Softball. Pearsall has great talent returning and a very impressive freshman class waiting to get on the diamond. 

Best of luck to Courtney Scott from all of us at CARDINAL COUPLE in her new job and we hope you can return Maryland Softball to prominence. 

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If you happened to miss the "Schimmel Show" Saturday in the WNBA All-Star game...here's a "brief" recap of the 3-point barrage. 

Yup. Same ol' Shoni. Same ol' magic....Link and address: 

http://www.wnba.com/video/wnba/2014/07/19/ASWSchimmel3ptshotsmov-3332464


http://www.wnba.com/video/wnba/2014/07/19/ASWSchimmel3ptshotsmov-3332464

paulie

Sunday Cardinal Couple -- A great "Sho" in the Desert

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Shoni's 29 highest ever point total in WNBA All-Star game

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Shoni up to her old tricks in her All-Star debut.

The Umatilla Thrilla...our Louisville rookie who doesn't even start for her own team, put on a record-breaking performance...scoring 29 points to help the East beat the West 125-124 on Saturday in the first WNBA All-Star game to go to overtime.

Nailing huge shot after huge shot in the fourth quarter and overtime, including a behind-the-head flip over 6-foot-8 Brittney Griner, Schimmel gave the fans a great show. After all, it's what she does and who she is.

WNBA...meet "Sho-time".

Schimmel averages 7.1 points in limited time for Atlanta, yet she was voted in as an All-Star starter because of the huge nationwide and Native American following she has. With 17 family members and her brothers wearing "Rez Ball Rules" t-shirts, cheering her on...Schimmel earned MVP honors.

"Being Native American, it's a huge accomplishment to go out there and be in the WNBA. To have the fans look up to me and to a role model not only for my siblings but also the Native American fans, the Native American people. It's huge. I take on my shoulders because I enjoy it."

Tamika Catchings, an All-Star for a record-tying ninth time, made a layup with 6.9 seconds to go to give the East the lead and then knocked the ball away from Skylar Diggins on the defensive end to seal the victory. Diggins finished with 27 points and seven assists, leading a furious West rally to force overtime.

Brittney Griner, of the host Mercury, scored 17 points, including the third WNBA All-Star dunk, for the West.

Shoni took the MVP honors...the first rookie to do so in the WNBA...and also shared the secret of her success...

"It was awesome, just to be able to go out there and play my game, have fun," Schimmel said, "feel free to go out there and play 'rez ball.'"

Schimmel earned her "Sho-time" nickname at Louisville. It hasn't really carried over to the Dream yet. She was drafted eighth by the team and has only started twice. She's just the third reserve player ever to start a WNBA All-Star game, according to STATS. Any grumbling about her inclusion vanished in an electric second half and overtime, when she scored 24 points.

Maya Moore scored 24 for the West. Tina Charles had 19, Chiney Ogwumike 15, Catchings 14 and Angel McCoughtry 13 for the East.

Diggins, the WNBA's No. 2 scorer, had six of the West's last eight points in regulation, capped by a layup off a turnover with 26.3 seconds to go to tie it at 112-112.

The East came out flat in the overtime. 

Griner opened with a layup and Moore's 3-pointer put the West up 124-117 with 1:59 to play.

But Katie Douglas sank a 3 to cut it to 124-120 with 1:15 to go, then Schimmel made her seventh trifecta of the afternoon with 41.9 seconds left to cut the West lead to 124-123.

Catchings' driving layup and Diggins' turnover finally put an end to the frenetic contest.

Maybe Michael Cooper, who coaches the Atlanta Dream and also coached the winning East squad finally gets it. If a play-off trip is where you want to go...start the "Sho".  Cooper, a defensive specialist during his days in the NBA, is sitting on a powder keg.

Maybe he needs to have a friendly chat with Jeff Walz (who was in Phoenix for the game). Fans come to see offense. With Angel and Shoni on his roster, he has more offensive firepower than most WNBA squads. He needs to use it.

The season will continue. On this special Saturday, though...the best of the best got together for one incredible game and the newest kid on the block took home all the marbles. 

(Parts of this article are from The Huffington Post) 

-paulie

Saturday Cardinal Couple -- Fall wishes

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


- Things we'd like to see this fall


Even though we are in the mid-summer season (although you could hardly tell it by the weather the last couple of days) one can't help thinking ahead to the fall...and the advent of fall athletics for the University of Louisville women's squads.

Thinking ahead entails for us here at CARDINAL COUPLE several things. We won't have to think at all about conference affiliation...no more "who's in what?"...the ACC encompasses all the teams on campus.

Thinking ahead also involves the major sports and activities that we'll be covering. Just ahead are basketball, volleyball, soccer, field hockey, cross country, rowing, swimming and diving, golf and tennis.

Here's five things we hope to see in the fall:

1) Good reports from the women's basketball program on preparations for the 2014-15 schedule. It is a pivotal year for the program...with the biggest recruiting class on campus since 2009.

2) Evidence that Volleyball is taking their new affiliation with the same successful results they had in 2013. Three conferences in three years and a lot of new faces on Anne Kordes' roster.

3) Huge crowds in the new Louisville Soccer Complex on campus to see the Cards compete in the best women's soccer conference in collegiate athletics.

4) Field Hockey ripping through a tough and challenging pre-conference schedule and holding their own against the best field hockey conference in collegiate athletics.

5) Wins and high national ranking for all the fall sports programs as they enter the challenging and competitive ACC.

It's tough being the new kid on the block. It's also something you can use to your advantage...since your opponents have only a vague idea what to expect.

WE have a feeling that the schools stretching from Massachusetts to Miami will discover they've admitted a program that will be competitive and successful every time they step on a competition venue in any sport. As we've said here before...we hope it's a case of the ACC adjusting to Louisville, not Louisville adjusting to the ACC...

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Radio today.

A bleary-eyed, sleep-deprived and just back from vacation Paulie will join Worldwide in the studio this morning at 11 a.m. to discuss the upcoming events for Louisville women's athletics and our stars in the WNBA.

If there is a theme for today's show...it would have to be "changes". Tune in to hear about them.

http://www.crescenthillradio.com

Friday Cardinal Couple -- How will the loss of Breedlove and Niamke affect 2014-15 UofL WBB?

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- How much will Louisville WBB miss Monny and Starr? 




Monny Niamke and Starr Breedlove will not be on the 2014-15 University of Louisville women's basketball team. A look at the 2014-15 roster shows eight returning players and five freshmen are on campus and already attending summer classes. The question was posed to me about the departure of Monny and Starr and how it will affect the team. 

UofL loses two of the three "attack yorkies"...a term that Worldwide, Jenny and I coined several years ago when Shelby Harper and Jude Schimmel were the backup guards at UofL. The girls were small in size but ferocious with their on-court tenacity and ability to hound and pressure larger opponent guards. 

If Starr had stayed, free from the concussion syndrome that

kept her sidelined for most of the 2013-14 season, her role would have been slightly increased but her chances of breaking the top three guards very remote. Bria, Jude and Megan have that role wrapped up...although it will be interesting to see who handles the offense as point guard. Both Bria and Jude logged plenty of time there last season. So...who moves to "2" and replaces Shoni? 

The truth is...we just never got to see enough of Starr to make a firm determination on how she would have fit into the 2014-15 roster. And, for a lot of college players, playing time is everything...so down the road she goes in search of it. Our best guess would be a NAIA program where she can play and start right away. 

As far as Monny goes, she was a late game defensive replacement that never developed much of a shot or ability to run the offense in her time at Louisville. She was recruited by Walz out of France, spent a year at Lindsey Wilson (NAIA) sat the bench at Louisville and now heads back to the NAIA somewhere. 

Louisville currently has four listed guards if you add sensational 5'8" incoming freshman Arica Carter. At 5'8" she's too tall by our judging standards to be an "attack Yorkie"...but has the game to be a defensive stopper. We can pretty much surmise she would have been that "4th" guard that Walz would have gone to if Monny and Starr had stayed. She also plopped in a ton of points in high school as a combo guard at Long Beach Poly.
  

One couldn't blame Megan Deines for occasionally looking over her shoulder nervously. The reports we're getting is that she's really picked her game up as she prepares for her junior year. We're pretty sure she's looking for more playing time than she had as a sophomore. 

So, the roster sits at 13. We have this feeling that there could be another announcement or two when we get to August. A speculated transfer, ex-UCF guard Briahanna Jackson, is 5'4" and would qualify as "attack Yorkie" material. She was also CUSA freshman of the year and was averaging 17 points a game at the Orlando school in 2013-14 before leaving the squad. If she does end up at Louisville, with 14 games under her belt in 2013-14...we surmise she wouldn't be available under after the first semester of the 2014-15 season....but we're no experts on NCAA eligibility and guidelines. As of today, Jackson hasn't sent any word out on where she'll be spending the 2014-15 season. 

There is always the possibility that Walz could also have a future Card he hasn't laid on the table yet in terms of transfers. We've been surprised before on late announcements. The mad scientist always has a surprise or two tucked away in the deep recesses of the 2nd floor SAC laboratory/offices. He's even taught 16 month old daughter Lola how to effectively end press conferences. 

So... despite the loss of two reserve guards and four outstanding seniors...Walz still has plenty of Cards to shuffle and deal. Coach will tell you that players earn their time. Asia, Tia, Shoni and Nita earned their spots. They'll be hard to replace. Who will grab those departed minutes?

The clock is ticking. 

paulie

Thursday Cardinal Couple - Next Sports?

(Well, I'm not sure why this didn't post at 7am like it was scheduled to do.  Sorry for the late posting folks.  Things should be back to normal tomorrow with Paulie returning from vacation. -- Jeff "Worldwide" McAdams)

Whither To, UofL Athletics?

Over the past two years, we have all celebrated the many successes of UofL Athletics, and have been able to celebrate with every sports team that UofL fields as all have achieved successes, with many of them making great strides forward.

But what would be the next steps for the UofL Athletic department?  What would be the next sports that UofL should add?  We should point out that we don't have any knowledge of any plans to add any sports to the Athletic Department, but think it's fun to consider the possibilities.

Conference Competition

As with so much having to do with UofL Athletics this year, we should consider our new conference association.

We've pointed out several times that all of UofL's sports have a home in The ACC, but what about the other direction?  What sports does The ACC sponsor that UofL does not yet participate in?  There are three.

It seems unlikely that UofL would be in any hurry to add Fencing or Wrestling.  Both are certainly possible additions, but I don't see much demand for them.

What is probably a more likely conference sport to add would be Men's Lacrosse.  After only seven years of competing, our Women's Lacrosse team is achieving national prominence and moving into what is unquestionably the strongest Lacrosse conference in the nation in both men's and women's competition.  Adding Men's Lacrosse could be a solid choice for UofL, though it would probably raise some Title IX considerations if it were to be added in isolation.  Competing in both Men's and Women's Lacrosse would probably boost recruitment, and the programs would have the possibility of sharing some of the infrastructure, to the benefit of both.

Up and Coming Sports

There are a number of sports that are considered "Emerging Sports" at the NCAA, and I think several could be good candidates for UofL to add.

Regular readers will be unsurprised to learn that I top this list with Sand Volleyball.  Much like adding Men's Lacrosse, adding Sand Volleyball (which the NCAA only currently sponsors for women) would bolster recruiting for our current Volleyball team.  While the two teams wouldn't be able to share too much infrastructure, they can easily share student athletes.  Many top up and coming volleyball players are starting to look at playing both sports in college, and with students being able to play both, but only needing to have a scholarship from one, both teams could bolster their overall rosters.  The NCAA also sponsors Men's Volleyball, so that would be another sport that would be easy to add with similar benefits and Title IX considerations to adding Men's Lacrosse.

UofL already has a club Ice Hockey team, and making that a varsity sport is certainly a possibility.  Like Men's Lacrosse, this would have Title IX considerations to think about.  The NCAA does sponsor championships in both Men's and Women's Ice Hockey, but I am unaware of any participation at the club level of UofL in Women's Ice Hockey.

Stunt is a developing sport that is essentially competitive cheerleading.  This is not even to the point of being considered an emerging sport at the NCAA yet, but UofL is already occasionally competing in Stunt competitions...and nearly universally winning, given the outstanding quality of the UofL Spirit Squads.  Adding this as a sport would complement and support the amazing Spirit Squad program at UofL.

Another NCAA emerging sport that might have some attraction in the Louisville area, although not much from me to be honest, is Women's Equestrian.

Some other NCAA emerging sports that I don't see any particular attraction for UofL, are Rugby, Water Polo, and Triathalon.  All three are sponsored in both Men's and Women's forms by the NCAA.

Other Common NCAA Sports

There are a number of Championship Sports in the NCAA that UofL does not participate in.  These could all be candidates to be added, though I don't see any particular attraction to UofL for any of them (where a gender isn't mentioned, the NCAA sponsors both Men's and Women's)

• Gymnastics
• Rifle
• Skiing
• Water Polo
• Women's Bowling

Non-NCAA Sports?

Sports don't have to be sponsored by the NCAA for a school to participate...for example, we mentioned on the radio show recently that Stanford competes in Men's and Women's Sailing, Women's Squash, and Synchronized Swimming.

What do you think?  Are there other sports that you think UofL could add?  Let's hear your thoughts in the comments.

Wednesday Cardinal Couple-- The Observer says... Behave!

Proper etiquette for football fans

(Editor’s Note: The following, compiled by Charlie Springer of UofLCardGame.com, includes suggestions for football fans. Most of them could apply to most other sports as well.)

Less than 45 days until the 2014 football season begins. Time again to update the rules of etiquette at University of Louisville football games.

Especially important as UofL prepares to join the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Everyone is familiar with fans who wind up at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium oblivious to what’s happening on the field. Some of the rules are for them, other for people who grate on the nerves of fellow fans.

Most of these would apply to other sports, but they are often violated with impunity at PJCS so we’ll keep hammering at them until hell freezes over:

                    — Leave earlier to the get to the stadium. Every game will be a sellout this season.

                   

                    — Pack up the tailgate, be in your seat at kickoff.

                   

                    — Don’t cross in front of other fans to get to your seat in the middle of a play.  You are blocking the view of fans who actually care about the game.  Wait till the play is over. Wait till the play is over.

                   

                    — Know when to stand or not to stand. Nothing worse than someone standing up when nothing is happening, sometime affecting several rows of fans. (Hint: If you’re the only one standing in the section, there’s a problem).

                   

                    — Don’t be a negative neanderthal. There’s always some guy who thinks every play is terrible, every tackle is sloppy, any gain by the opposing team is poor defensive play, and thinks he’s the expert on play calling.

                   

                    — Limit social, non-football dialogue if possible. Your long time friends may actually be more interested in football at the moment.

                   

                    — Limit alcohol intake. Don’t spill beer — or your guts — on  fellow fans.

                   

                    — Watch your language. Difficult at times.  But coaches, players and officials can’t hear you. Only your seat neighbors who struggle to ignore you.

                   

                    — Don’t make a big show of leaving before the game is over.  Players notice. Coaches, too, especially those previously suspected of wandering eyes.

                    — Don’t wear apparel from opposing programs (there’s always one or two UK fans) unless your team is UofL’s opponent that day.

                    — Don’t sell or give your Louisville vs. UK tickets to Kentucky fans. Ever.

Wednesday Cardinal Couple -- Pardon the Interruption

Wednesday CARDINAL COUPLE is a work in progress. We thought we had arrangements for writers while Paulie took a few days away from the site. 

In the meantime, you can go to the UofL site. Walz has a mid-summer report up...17 minutes worth...that CARDINAL COUPLE didn't get invited to, either...

Monny and Starr are gone. 

WE hope to have an article up later for you today.


Paulie

Tuesday Cardinal Couple - Coaching Updates

Tis the Season for New Coaches

Softball

Friday's Cardinal Couple edition brought the news of a new assistant coach for Field Hockey.

Cardinal Softball has added a new assistant coach as well, and this one will be a familiar face to long-time UofL Softball fans.  Stacey May-Johnson was a Volunteer Assistant Coach with Sandy Pearsall from 2008-2010 while she was pursuing her Master's of Science in physics.

May-Johnson has an impressive Softball resume in addition to her solid academic credentials.  She played her four years of NCAA softball at Iowa where she earned Big-Ten conference freshman of the year in 2003, followed up with three years of being selected to the All-Big-Ten Conference team as well as NFCA All-Midwest Region team.

After graduating from Iowa with a BA in Accounting and a BS in physics, Stacey played for the National Pro Fastpitch League's Chicago Bandits for four years (2006-2010), and followed that up with 2 years of playing on the US National Softball team (2011, 2012).  She served as an Assistant Coach at her alma mater, Iowa, from 2011-2014.

May-Johnson joins Courtney Scott as an Assistant Coach on the Sandy Pearsall squad, along with Jay Miller as a Volunteer Assistant Coach, and Lisa Pinkston as the Director of Operations for Softball.

Swimming and Diving

I wanted to pick up a couple of past announcements that we have been remiss in not covering here at Cardinal Couple.

Diving

Konzheng "KZ" Li has been added as a Diving Coach for the UofL Swimming and Diving team.

KZ has previous Head Diving Coach experience for college teams at Michigan, Minnesota, and George Washington where numerous of his divers earned conference championships, and made NCAA championship appearances.  Several divers under his tutelage have earned NCAA championships as well.

Li has also coached in Australia, and has served as a coach or head coach of some 20 US National Teams, including for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

KZ's personal diving resume sports more than 50 international diving competitions, three of which were appearances in the Olympics with the Chinese National Team, including his very own Olympic medal, a bronze earned in 1984 in Los Angeles.

Li replaces the retiring Mike Zehnder.

Swimming

Also under Arthur Albiero, Associate Coach Ryan Wochomurka has been promoted to Associate Head Coach and Men's Recruiting Coordinator.

Wochomurka has been with the Cardinal program for seven seasons.  Ryan is an alumnus of Auburn, and was a member of the US National Swim Team from 2002-2004.

Monday Cardinal Couple -- Women's Golf has their work cut out for them

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- ACC GOLF NO EASY BIRDIE

( DAVID WATSON HAS THE MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE EDITION FOR US AND HE
REVIEW JUST WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR COACH COURTNEY TRIMBLE AND THE UOFL WOMEN'S GOLF SQUAD IN THEIR FIRST ACC SEASON )

This is no chip and putt for an easy birdie -- this entry into ACC women's golf. Nine of the eleven team that participated in ACC women's golf last year made the NCAA Tournament. Duke, the ACC Tournament winner, won their sixth NCAA title by defeating USC by two strokes.

Golf on the collegiate level works a little differently than some of the other sports offered by schools. There is no one-on-one, home and away sequence against an opponent. Teams travel to play in Invitationals, or Championships or Challenges and often the number of teams involved is sixteen or more. 

You may see a conference opponent or two during the regular season...but won and loss record means very little. Where you finish in the pack and how well you do in the season ending Conference tournament decides if you get to the NCAA Regionals. You need to finish in the upper portion of those regional contests to gain admission to the NCAA Championships. 

Louisville won the AAC Tournament last season and made the NCAA Regionals. The Cards did not advance out of regional play, though.

They weren't even close.

Louisville returns a good group of golfers but they will be challenged to pick up their skill and scoring ability to even be considered as a team in the top half of the ACC. The Cards do return eight of their nine golfers from last season...so experience is a plus but Louisville participated in the NCAA Regionals in Tallahassee, FL. this spring (guess who is in the ACC from that city?) and was 40+ strokes behind the eventual winner. 

40 strokes over three days with four golfers isn't that big a deal. A missed putt here, bogey instead of par or bouncing into the trap instead of onto the green equates out to each golfer improving their game by three strokes per round to be in the thick of things. 

Golf is a unique game that requires intense mental concentration, great physical shape and the repetition of a series of routines 70-80 times over a five-hour period. 

Sara Hammond, for comparison's sake, may grab 10 rebounds, make 10 of 13 shots, commit three turnovers, and go to the line seven times.

That's a busy game -- but her 33 "stat grabbers" are still less than half the chances than those of a golfer.

Paulie and Worldwide Jeff discuss the challenges of Louisville Lacrosse, Field Hockey and Soccer in this new conference. 

Add women's golf to the list, gentlemen.

David Watson.  

Louisville Women's Golf Roster

NAME HT CL HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS SCHOOL) Haley Andreas 5-10 RS JR Pacific Grove, Calif. (Arizona) Shannon Gramley 5-6 FR Sharon, Pa. (Shady Side Academy) Emily Haas 5-6 JR Nicholasville, Ky (West Jessamine HS) Sara Karlsson 5-8 RS JR Myggenas, Sweden (Polhemsgymnasiet) Emily Kurey 5-3 FR Alpharetta, Ga. (Centennial HS) Louise Oxner 5-6 FR Greenville, S.C. (Greenville HS) Katie Petrino 5-6 RS JR Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville HS) Laura Restrepo 5-7 SO Panama City, Panama (Heritage Academy)

Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Who they are

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- A look at these new (and old) ACC opponents' 




It changes up this year for the Louisville Cardinal athletic squads...new venues, old opponents from the past and some interesting mascots. Let's take a look at the mascots and traditions of five of our 14 foes...we'll get to the rest as the summer rolls along.

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

Louisville and Miami hook up for the first time in conference battles. We dig that Louisville got Howard Schnellenberger from the 'Canes almost 30 years ago and that Calder Race Track isn't too far away from campus. 

Sebastian the Ibus is the mascot on field and sidelines and probably Paulie's favorite new mascot. The Hurricanes claim to have invented the four fingers extended in the air at the start of the fourth quarter, indicating that they believe this quarter belongs to them. 

GEORGIA TECH

The Cards and Ga. Tech were together briefly in the old Metro Conference. We dig that Louisville got Sam Purcell from there to join Cards WBB coaching and that they'll actually bring their "Ramblin Wreck" to certain athletic contests. Probably not enough room for it in Ulmer Stadium or Cardinal Arena, though. 

Buzz the Yellow Jacket is the other, more arena-friendly mascot and will prowl the game sites. Be sure to listen for the pep band to break into the old classic "When You Say Bud, You've Said It All" at Yellow Jacket games. Not so much because of the students' love of the beer...but originally started as a tribute to long-time head coach Bud Carson.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE

It's the Cards first-ever conference alignment with NC

State. We dig Al Vilcheck bringing his BBQ best up from South Carolina for hungry Cardinal fans and getting even more good eats when going to the Pit for the local BBQ. 

Mr. Wuf is a mainstay when the Wolfpack are on the prowl and if NC State wins the game, the students will gather to celebrate around the belltower, which will light up red at night. Just like the Cards like to flash their "L" with handsigns...the Wolfpack have a hand signal, too. Your ring and middle finger meet at the tips with the thumb and the index finger and pinkie stick up. It does kinda look like a wolf...

NOTRE DAME

Louisville hooks up with the Irish again after previous battles in the BIG EAST. We dig Muffet McGraw and the probably-graduated softball outfielder who exploded with a quite loud "f-bomb" after a UofL batter beat her deep and drove in a few runs at Ulmer a few years back. Sometimes, you just express your feelings...in front of an outfield berm. 

The Leprechaun brings the Irish good luck and the competition is fierce to become that little guy dressed in green at Irish athletic events. Imagine having to impress the selectors with :

- Doing 50 pushups
- Dancing the official version of the Notre Dame Irish Jig
- Leading students in a five-minute mock pep rally
- Reacting to various game situations
- Passing a Q&A with a local media personality

It ought to be worth 3 credit hours at the very least. I was out of contention after step 1...

PITTSBURGH

The Cards and Panthers have BIG EAST ties and we dig Primanti Brothers and walking Penn Avenue and Smallman Street. 

The Panther is the official mascot and Heinz Field was the first place we saw the fans rise and sing "Sweet Caroline" at the end of the third quarter with the lyrics on the scoreboard. Peterson Event Center is also where I saw the...

 Worst. Refereeing. Job. Ever.

when the Panthers beat Louisville WBB on Valentines Day in the 2009-10 season. It's a wonder Walz didn't break into flames from self-combustion.

paulie