Burton's 'hipness' a question for Lady Cards

MONDAY'S CARDINAL COUPLE PRESENTS:

-The rundown on Lady Card guard Nikki Burton
-Fern Creek Softball sweeps pool play
-Dream drops to 2nd place in WNBA
-Your weekly PANERA winner

For Nikki Burton (pictured to the right)..it's all about whether she's recovered from the hip surgery last month enough to be a factor for Jeff Walz's University of Louisville basketball team. Cardinal fans got to see just enough of her last season to realize that the talented combo guard can be a force and factor in the back court. Unfortunately, like several other of the ladies on last year's team, a season ending injury put her on the shelf. (We understand that her personality
'hipness' is just fine...she's very popular among her teammates.)

Burton played in 18 games for Louisville last year, drawing the starting assignment in 11 of them. She proved to be an aggressive, ball-hawking guard on defense and averaged 5.9 points per game for Louisville....good enough for sixth place in the Cardinals point per game average. Although we really didn't see much out of her from three point range, her game is more centered around transition and driving to the hoop...which fits in well with Jeff Walz's style of basketball.

The big question about her is how she'll come back from her surgeries on her hip. We saw Dez Byrd come back probably too early after her injuries and it basically cost her a season. We're hoping that the same thing doesn't happen with Burton. Fortunately, the UofL squad is deep in guards this year and Walz has the luxury of choosing from healthy players to fill the back court slots.

PROGNOSIS:
Burton has talent...scary good talent when she's able to motor. She can stop and burn opponents with the mid-range jumper and isn't afraid to take it the the hoop if the opportunity presents itself. The question is, when and how effectively will she be able to do this in 2010-11? If ready to go, she'll challenge for a "first off the bench" position and see plenty of court time in the KFC YUM center. Here's hoping she heals well and can show the flashes on a consistent basis that gave UofL fans promise and hope for her career last year.

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Fern Creek's 16 and under girls' softball team knocked off host Varina, VA in pool play yesterday to go 4-0 in pool competition and advance from the National Division to double elimination tournament play next week. They whitewashed Varina 2-0 yesterday, allowing just 3 hits. Fern Creek scored a run in the fifth and sixth to secure the victory.

By winning the division, they draw a first round bye in tournament competition and will play their next game next Monday.

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The Atlanta Dream fell 1/2 game behind Indiana by doing absolutely nothing. They had an off day Sunday but Indiana blew out Phoenix 104-82 to grab the Eastern Conference lead. It's a close race in the East...with New York only 1 game back and Washington 2 games behind Indy.

Things don't get any easier for Angel and the Dream (18-11). They face off against Western Division leader Seattle in Atlanta on Tuesday night. Seattle is a runaway leader in the Western Conference with a 24-4 record and 10 games ahead of Phoenix.

The question is...how can this NOT be the Tuesday ESPN 2 televised game? Instead, the 4 letter network will show Indiana at L.A....and that one doesn't tip off until 10 p.m. L.A. has the second worst record in the league at 10-18...suffering from the injury that sat down Candace Parker for the season. Guess we'll have time to watch both of the NCIS summer reruns Tuesday night before remoting in this one...and it could be a toss up between the WNBA and The Good Wife on CBS Tuesday.

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Congratulations to Barbara Hancock for winning the weekly PANERA gift card contest! WE had a lot of good entries last week but Barbara nailed down the prize with a short but sweet reason why she and her husband choose PANERA.

"We like PANERA BREAD because of the wide variety available there. I especially like the whole grain taste of their breads. It is satisfying."

Couldn't agree more, Barbara! You still have 3 chances to win PANERA gift cards...all you have to do is send us a short e-mail telling us why you choose PANERA. If the Yorkie drags your essay out of the pile that we've downloaded and spread out on the kitchen floor, you're a winner!
(Just kidding...we let an independent panel of judges read and select each week's winner. No, Paula Abdul and Simon aren't the judges.) Send those entries to cardinalcouple@insightbb.com

A great day for the ladies and fillies....

IN SUNDAY'S CARDINAL COUPLE:
-Greta and Oriana riding well
-ZENYATTA survives a close one
-Fern Creek softball keeps winning
-The Reds get the plug pulled
-WXVW...some fond memories
-Your Sunday sermon



We did a feature article on Greta Kuntzweiler a while back. Looks like she is rounding
back into form as a 'can't be ignored' jockey.

Yesterday at Ellis Park she rode two winners and now has 5 wins at the track...good for 8th place in the jockey standings. BOONDOCK ROMEO paid $14.40 to win and GRAN LIONESS $9.40. Kuntzweiler has been in the money 14 times in 53 starts at the Henderson, KY track and won $92,776 so far in prize money.

Oriana Rossi has been the surprise jockey of the meet so far,with 13 wins in 87 starts. She's hit the board 36 times during the Ellis meet and totaled $216,640 for the owners and trainers. Those of us who followed her progress during the Churchill Spring Meet aren't shocked by her impressive totals. Veteran rider Corey Lanerie leads the jockey colony at Ellis with 17 wins. Lanerie and Rossi have seven mounts on Sunday's card at Ellis and Kuntzweiler will be on five starters.

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ZENYATTA won her 18th straight race at Del Mar in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes yesterday...but she had to work for it. RINTERVAL, with Rafael Bejarano in the saddle, took the early lead and prevailed to mid stretch before ZENYATTA roared out of last place and took the lead. RINERVAL refused to quit, though and ZENYATTA could only hit the finish line a neck in front of RINERVAL. Winning jockey Mike Smith wasn't worried though and told television interviewers that he timed the ride perfectly...because ZENYATTA tends to be a bit of a showboat when she gets to the lead and sometimes eases up a bit.

CARDINAL COUPLE sponsor and PANERA BREAD managing partner Archie Karel was in attendance for the race and promises some great pictures for us here at the site when he returns from California. We did see him on TV applauding ZENYATTA...nice seats in the Director's Box directly across from the finish line and winner's circle. A true Cardinal fan, Karel was in a red shirt Saturday.

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Fern Creek 16U girls softball won both games yesterday in the World Series at Varina, VA. yesterday. The Creekers used a 4 run 5th inning to break away from a 3-3 tie against Lodi, CA. and win 7-3. (Didn't Creedence Clearwater Revival write a song about Lodi?) In the second game, Fern Creek fell behind early 2-0 to N. Olympic, WA. but rallied for four runs in the top of the sixth and an insurance run in the seventh to get the win 5-2.

Fern Creek faces host Varina, VA. today in the final game of pool play.

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Local Cincinnati Reds baseball radio fans have gone from feast to famine since the Reds broadcasts are no longer aired locally. Two stations, WQKC 1450-AM and WLCL 93.9-FM have gone off the air. Both were owned by Cumulus Media Inc. Reminds me of the days when we used to have to listen to Reds broadcasts on WMPI 103.5-FM out of Scottsburg, IN. Reds broadcasts can still be heard on WLW 700-AM in Cincinnati until another local affiliate can be found. Let's hope and pray CARDS RADIO 790-AM doesn't take the broadcasts over.

I have fond memories of 1450. Back in the day, they went under the call letters of WXVW and Charlie Jenkins was "Mr. Everything" when it came to sports on the Jeffersonville, IN station. He also gave a young, aspiring college wannabe broadcaster a break into the business and he kept close tabs on the young roustabout, created an "on-air" name for him and gave him 3 steady years of part-time employment before he graduated and went to serve his nation. Two things learned from the experience...dead air is not a good thing and there are certain words that you can't say while on the air.

Few people know that Jenkins was a finalist for the Cincinnati Reds broadcasting job to replace Al Michaels back in 1974. Instead, they hired some guy named Marty Brennaman. Last I heard, Charlie was working for Clear Channel Communicatons in Louisville in sales.

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Now, for the sermon part of today's column:

Women's sports at UofL deserve more air-time. Sure, women's basketball gets broadcasted and Kelch and Johnson do a wonderful job with the games. Hopefully Kelch will come back and do them again for the upcoming season...he's now a Cincinnati Reds broadcaster.

How about volleyball, softball and field hockey, though? All are nationally recognized programs and have big fan support. The University of Lousville has a groundbreaking opportunity here to lead the way in women's sports and get these games on the air. UofL has CARDS RADIO (although owned by Clear Channel)...how hard would it be to get away from the syndicated stuff at night and on the weekends and get some play by play coverage of these other deserving sports? I know, it's a money thing and an Arbitron Ratings game...but if the AFTERNOON UNDERDOGS can beat out Terry Meiners (so I've heard) in the afternoon drive time spot...maybe live broadcasts of volleyball or softball would fare well, too.

I'm ready even to dust off the golden pipes here and put back on the headset...OK, bad idea...but the concept of broadcasting the local University's women's sports an idea that has merit, local appeal and needs to be explored. Make it so. The folks down on the Belknap Campus refer to Louisville as the "best college sports town in America." This is a logical next step.

Sermon ended, go in peace and be nice to your family and friends today.

For Rachel Story...the best is yet to come

IN SATURDAY'S CARDINAL COUPLE:

- Rachel Story looks to the future
-Fern Creek Softball advances in World Series
-Dream drops a close one
-ZENYATTA returns to the track

For Rachel Story, hope begins anew. Last year, the freshman from Milwaukee played in 28 of Louisville's 32 games...all coming off the bench. She was part of a 4 guard Cardinal rotation but didn't see the minutes of the other three in the back court. We didn't really see the best of the Story until the end of the season...when she started to see more than the 3-5 minutes of court time Walz was giving her. She responded to the increased playing time and despite the Cards less than stellar season, observers were mentioning that she could be a key factor in the Lady Cards 2010-11 season.

Sometimes, it takes awhile for players to develop into what the team's needs are. Such looks to be the case with Story. She can run the offense from the point and isn't afraid to pull up and take the mid range jumper. Like most freshmen, her defense was a liability for Louisville last year, but she possesses the quickness and knowledge of the game to improve dramatically in this aspect of roundball.

Story averaged 2.4 points a game for Louisville in a reserve role. She'll be part of a nine player guard compliment that Walz will have to choose from when the Cards take to the court this fall. How high she'll rank in the mix will depend on how well she performs in practice...but reports from campus this summer indicate that she has been working hard with her teammates and her game 'has improved 100%' according to a Cardinal insider.

In what appears to be a wide open, free for all for the guard positions on this 2010-11 Louisville team, we look forward to "getting the full Story" as the season progresses.

PROGNOSIS:

Story has one year's experience and that will give her a slight advantage over some of the newer players Jeff Walz has available. We'd like to see her develop an accurate three point shot and pick up her defensive skills. She can be a valuable asset to the Cards with her ability to be a combo guard and she'll most likely see valuable court time minutes coming off the bench for the Lady Cards.

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The Fern Creek 16 and under women's softball team advanced in their first game of the Babe Ruth World Series...knocking off Pittsfield, MA 6-0.

Kelci Flener got the win for Fern Creek...allowing only three hits in seven innings of work. Fern Creek rocked Pittsfield for seven hits, including a double by Morgan Foley and triples by Alex Ginter and Caroline Peck. The Creekers scored one run in the fifth, two run in the sixth and three in the seventh to secure the victory.

They move on to play Lodi, CA this morning at 11 a.m. and North Olympic, WA at 3 p.m. and will wrap up National Division pool play with a game against host Varina, VA.

The team, coached by Tim McGinty, is made up of local high school softball players from Fern Creek, Mercy, Male and other area schools.

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Tough beat for Angel and the Atlanta Dream last night, falling to the Indiana Fever 95-93 in Indianapolis. The two teams are now tied for first place in the WNBA's Eastern Conference.

Atlanta (18-11) roared out to an early 10 point lead in the first quarter against the Fever but fell behind in the second quarter and trailed 45-39 at the half. Indiana led by ten midway thru the third quarter but saw Atlanta fight back several times and the Dream used a 8-0 run in the 4th quarter to gain a 82-80 lead. The team traded leads and possessions the remainder of the game.

Atlanta went up 93-92 after two Alison Bales free throws but the Fever got a free throw from Ebony Hoffman and two from Tamika Catchings to tie it with 3.5 seconds left. Alison Bales was fouled by Indy as the clock expired, but missed both of her free throw attempts...giving Indiana the win.

Angel McCoughtry was spectacular in defeat with 31 points and Iziane Castro Marquez added 28 for Atlanta. Tamika Catchings led the Fever with 30 points.

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ZENYATTA returns to racing today in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes for 3yr. old and up fillies and mares at Del Mar Racetrack in California, She'll face 5 competitors going a mile and one sixteenth and will mostly likely be a 1/5 or better favorite against weak competition.

Have to wonder why trainer John Sheriffs continues to keep the superstar on the West Coast and on the artifical polytrack surface when there is much more money out there for her across the nation. For example, she could be in the $750,000 Whitney Handicap today at Saratoga and face two of the best horses in the nation in QUALITY ROAD and BLAME.

If ZENYATTA is headed to Churchill Downs this fall to run in the Breeders Cup, wouldn't it be wise to get her a race on the dirt instead of the polytrack? She could even have been entered in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby today at Mountaineer Race Track in Chester, WV....where nine lesser 3 yr. olds will compete over the 1 1/8 mile dirt. A $ 750,000 race in West Virginia? OH, YEAH...we definitely need casino gambling at the Kentucky tracks. Mountaineer isn't exactly one of the top tracks in the nation...but increased purses fueled by casino money have made the venue popular for trainers and owners looking to increase their cash flow.

Time to quit hiding, John. Get the big girl a little road experience and let's see how she handles either the dirt or grass. You've been beating up on a bunch of has beens. Time to prove ZENYATTA has game. Put her up against the cream of the crop.

Healthy Taylor could be a front line force

ON THE FRIDAY EDITION OF CARDINAL COUPLE:

Asia Taylor...ready for prime time?
The Sypher verdict

Asia Taylor showed up on the UofL campus last year with perhaps the most
eye popping resume of any of the incoming freshmen. She had been a one woman
wrecking crew for Columbus, OH Whetstone for the start of her senior year and
most scouts and services had her as one of the top three players in the state.

Then, tragedy struck. Taylor suffered an injury to her leg and ankle that put her
on the sidelines for the rest of the season. Surgery, rehabilitation, recovery...and
the Asia Taylor that arrived to the Cardinal Arena for practices in the fall of 2009 was a mere shadow of her former self. Pressed into action probably before
she was ready, due to the thin Lady Cards numbers...Taylor gave it the best shot
she could...but the early efforts were far short of what she was capable of and
personally disappointing to her.

Asia hit the court in 31 of the 32 games for Louisville last year, seeing an average of 14.4 minutes a game. Those numbers were significantly higher at the end of the season...when Jeff Walz was down to 3 front line players and Taylor responded with a couple of big efforts as the season drew to a close. She was getting better, physically and emotionally, in the aspects of the game and Cardinal fans got a few glimpses of what she was capable of when she was fully able to go.

Don't let the season average of 4.3 points per game and 2.6 rebounds fool you. Taylor has returned to campus this fall "about 95%" according to her, and gotten rave reviews on how her game has gotten much better and how dominating she is in the paint. She and Keisha Hines are the only two front line players returning from last year's team...with Gwen Rucker concentrating on volleyball this season and Laura Terry's career over with injuries...and Walz will count on her athleticism and strength for muscle under the backboard this year.

PROGNOSIS:

Taylor has the size, strength and talent to be one of the dominating power forwards in the Big East this year. She'll see some competition for playing time from several of the Cards' incoming freshmen...but if she can demonstrate the preseason skills she's been wowing people with this summer in pickup games and remain healthy, she should start for the Lady Cards and be a dominant force on the front line. Time to show them what you've got...a-Tay.

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Most of you have heard about the verdict in the U.S. vs. Karen Sypher trial by now. Guilty on all six counts. Sentencing to come shortly before Halloween. Was anyone surprised? This is a woman who has been grifting for about two decades now. Time to pay the dues.

She'll most likely end up in the Federal minimum facility in West Virginia. A facility that alumnus Martha Stewart has described as a "country club" atmosphere. What's more revealing is that she's been spared any jail time, despite the prosecution's request, until then. Is there a "Thelma and Louise" possibility in the next two and one half months of her freedom?

Sypher has been under spiritual guidance recently and that can only be a good thing. I just hope she doesn't show up at our parish. I hope she is truly sorry for the lies, innuendos and scheming that she has perpetrated over the last couple years. I'll wait and see.

For now, it's time to set this story on the back shelf and get back to the upcoming fall sports schedule at the University of Louisville. Field hockey, volleyball, soccer and other women's sports await us and we've spent way too much time watching this sordid, drag thru the mud calamity unfold. You won't see any further mention of "Sharin' Karen" in these columns until the sentencing date unless she pulls a stunt worthy of coverage.

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Three days to get those entries in for this week's $10 of PANERA gift cards. We've had some good one's entered so far. I recently enjoyed an out of this world Chicken Salad sandwich at the Clarksville location. I don't think Aunt Bee could have whipped up as good out of the famous Taylor kitchen in Mayberry. And, I didn't have to put up with Goober or Barney, either.

The Jason Bonham Band - Guilty

Had to post the vintage rock n' roller anthem from BONHAM in tribute to the verdict today in the U.S. vs. Sypher. Hard to believe I had hair like that once...lol

Hines returns to pound in the post

IN TODAY'S CARDINAL COUPLE

Keisha Hines-the force in the middle.

The defense rests in the Sypher trial.

One from the mailbag.


Keisha Hines, pictured on the right, deserves a nickname. She prowls the post like a caged panther, challenging any attempts to score from inside the paint and clearing out the area if any of the Lady Cards look to drive and score. The term "Enforcer" is overplayed..but it is something she does well. Hines goes about her work with the quiet confidence of a trained hit man, knowing her opponent, what she needs to do to eliminate them and quietly carrying out her assignment.

She's not the flashy, showboat scorer nor the loud, pumped up leader of the Lady Cards. But, she is a senior this year...and was the 3rd leading scorer for Louisville last season. Keisha just goes to work against the opponent's muscle in the middle and exchanges the elbows, shoves and bumps that a lot of fans miss while following the path of the basketball.

Hines started 23 of the 28 games she played in last year for Louisville. Actually led the team in shooting percentage with 52.3 % and averaged 9.1 points per game. Her 6.9 rebounds a game wee second best on the squad. She also averaged 3.6 fouls per game, leading Louisville in that dubious category, too. This is to be expected when you are the bouncer. She is one of two Cardinals on the roster that was on board when Jeff Walz took the job at Louisville.

You don't see a lot of the things that Hines does on the court but you can be assured that she is out there, pounding in the paint, denying the interior pass and catching the lob pass and going strong to the hoop. She has served her time as a backup...to Tise Wright, Gwen Rucker, Ashley Rainey and others...and she'll have several talented freshmen front line players with her this year that will see playing time in the post. Her work ethic will not change. She'll be the one to help the new players adjust to and learn the Walz style of basketball inside.

If the Cardinal basketball team is a pyramid, consider Keisha the strong base that helps the other bricks achieve height and stability. She's gathered her bumps and bruises over the past three years and dished out an equal share of them to opposing BIG EAST centers.

You can expect more pain distributed and dished out for her senior year. Bright, sparkling and funny off the hardwood...but stern, determined and serious once the ball is inbounded.

Keep jammin' them up, Keisha. It's appreciated.

PROGNOSIS:

Hines will be the front runner for the center position this year for Louisville. She will have competition from several new players. She'll get all she wants in practice from unavailable redshirt transfer Cierra Warren and this will only help her game....if the two don't kill each other. We'd love to see her cut back on the silly, reach in fouls that plagued her at times last year. Her senior season could be the best of her career and she won't back down from anyone.

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The drama expected in Wednesday's Karen Sypher court trial never materialized. The defense rested without putting Mom, the kids, Bill the Goat or Sharin' Karen on the stand. Closing arguments next and one has to wonder if the brevity of the defense is a confident assumption
that the prosecution failed to prove their case or simply a hesitance to put the wordy and inaccurate Sypher under oath.

The question now is how long will it take the jury to render a decision and what will they come up with? Will there be an appeal if the verdict doesn't suit the defense? It hasn't been BOSTON LEGAL or LAW AND ORDER...but there have been some memorable moments and sordid details surface. How badly has Pitino's reputation been sullied and soiled and how will Sypher look in an orange jumpsuit?

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CARDINAL COUPLE got an interesting e-mail the other day and we'd like to share it with you:

"I like reading your blog each day and I appreciate the information about Louisville Women's Sports. I am in the armed forces and overseas, so your reports help me follow my Cardinals and I look forward to the fall sports seasons and your reports on the games and contests.

I got a big surprise the other day when I was off duty and doing some shopping in a nearby outdoor market. I had on my NCAA Women's Final Four T-Shirt and a middle aged man walked up to me and displayed the "L" with his fingers. I naturally was surprised and asked him about his knowledge of the Cards. He told me that he had seen about half of Angel's games in Slovakia with the Good Angels Kosice team last season and had accessed several UofL sports web sites and saw several of the players flashing the "L"...so he adopted it, too.

Thanks for the coverage and I hope you enjoyed this story."

(Name withheld by request.)

Cardinal fans...spanning the globe...Keep your head down, come back to us safe and thank you for defending our country. OOORAHHH!

Burke shoots for great success in 2010-11

IN TODAY'S CARDINAL COUPLE REPORT:

BECKY BURKE CALLS THE SHOTS

ANGEL FLIES HIGH AGAINST THE MYSTICS

THE PROSECUTION RESTS

Becky Burke in a great photo here with Monique Reid. Credit and props to UofL Card Game's Charlie Springer for the great candid photo of the top two returning scorers for Jeff Walz's Lady Cards basketball team. We're hoping she can still be smiling like this at the end of the 2010-11 season.

For Becky Burke, it starts and ends with the shot. She was the main three point threat for Louisville last year and managed to go 22 for 63 last year from beyond the arc...good for 35.8%.
Burke was the only Cardinal to start in all 32 games for Louisville and logged 35 minutes a game for Jeff Walz..tops on the team. Burke averaged 13.8 points per game for Louisville and was the Cards second most accurate free throw shooter from the line...with a 80.4% from the charity stripe. Something to rest her laurels on? Not hardly.

Burke was a part of the Final Four team as a freshman and was troubled with UofL's slump to a 14-18 record in 2009-10. The junior knows that she'll be counted on to provide a leadership role in 2010-11 and will have seven new teammates joining her on the KFC YUM hardwood this winter.

She'll also face some challenging competition at her "2" guard spot. The Cards have nine guards listed on the roster...a far cry from the three Jeff Walz had available for most of the previous season. Although Burke is probably the best returning deep range specialist of the bunch, there are still questions about her defensive capabilities and a nagging thigh injury from last year that had her at less than 100% at times. Word is that Burke has been working hard in the off season on her conditioning, shot and strength. She'll need a top effort in all three categories to help the Cards rebound from a disappointing 2009-10 season.

PROGNOSIS: Burke will most likely be the front runner to retain the starting nod at "2" guard. Practices promise to be tough and whether she'll be able to hold on to the starting role will depend on how well she's drilling the deep ball and playing defense. Her experience and leadership will key a key factor in the success or failure of these young Cards. We're thinking she'll come thru with flying colors.

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The Atlanta Dream got a rude awakening last night at home in the fourth quarter...losing to the Washington Mystics 86-78. The loss dropped Atlanta (18-10) to just one game ahead of Indiana and Washington in the tightly contested Eastern Conference of the WNBA.

Angel led the way for the Dream with 30 points, two short of her season high. Atlanta led by six points with less than six minutes to go, but saw Washington go on a 12-0 run and build an insurmountable lead late in the game.

Former Rutgers star Matee Ajavon did the majority of the damage for Washington in the final frame...tossing in 10 of her 14 point in the final 10 minutes. Atlanta trailed most of the first three quarters but led 57-56 going in to the fourth.

McCoughtry returns to Louisville today for her TEAM ANGEL camp at the Basketball Academy. The Dream returns to play Friday.

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The prosecution has rested in the U.S. vs. Sypher trial. They brought 20 witnesses to the stand in an attempt to show that Karen Sypher was guilty of attempted extortion, lying to federal officials and being a horrible dresser. Now the defensive steps up to the plate. "Mumsie" Cunagin, possibly one of Karen's sons and jockey Fabio Arguello are expected to take the podium for the defense. (Just kidding about Fabio...but isn't that a great name?)

The question here is whether "Sharin' Karen" will take the bible in her hand in her own defense.
Throughout the proceedings, Sypher has remarked that she's never felt stronger and will have her chance down the road in this trial. It's now or never...but why risk the chance of perjury and tacking on to the sentence by putting the contradictory Cunagin-Sypher in the chair?

Although it would appear that the prosecution has done enough to prove Sypher has been untruthful in several aspects of the alleged incident and subsequent events following it, the jury must be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that she is guilty. You can expect defense attorney Earhart to try and cloud and clog the jury member's though process by disputing everything but the color of her nail polish and whether she likes foreplay or not.

Should be an interesting three days ahead. Let's hope the courtroom has plenty of Puffs on hand, because there will probably be quite a few tear-jerking moments in the next 72 hours. And, none of them will have to do with the Louisville Football team being picked to finish eighth out of eight teams in the preseason conference poll.

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A new federal law has made it impossible to ship cigarettes to soldiers in Afghanistan unless they are sent by Express Mail. Afghanistan doesn't have Express Mail. A far cry from the days when Sarge and the boys would hunker down in the field and the phrase "smoke 'em if you got 'em" would resonate in the air. Yeah, you can die for your country, but heaven forbid you have a drink or smoke at the end of a hard day. Nice work, Sen. Herbert Kohl, D-Wis., sponsor of the bill. Maybe you'd like to take away cupcakes and Kool-Aid at Cub Scout meetings next ?

Team Angel

Angel McCoughtry is holding a girls basketball skills camp
this week at the Basketball Academy in Louisville, KY.

This normally would be a busy week for most of us. When you consider that she played in a WNBA game Sunday and plays again tonight (a ESPN 2 televised contest) it speaks volumes about the dedication and drive that the Atlanta Dream wing has for the sport.

CARDINAL COUPLE caught up with Angel yesterday and sat down with her to discuss the camp, basketball and her college team, the University of Louisville Lady Cards.

A special thanks to Doug Bibby, Brian Dyke, Heidi and the staff of the Basketball Academy for making this possible. And also to Angel...who continues to shine as an example of what is right and good about professional athletes. Enjoy this look into TEAM ANGEL and the talented Ms. McCoughtry.

(On the concept and motivation of holding a camp)

"When I was in college, I always worked a lot of the camps. Men's camps. Rondo has his camp, Pitino has his camp, a lot of guys have camps and I noticed that the girls were always mingled in with the guys and always overshadowed. I wanted to have something just for the ladies..where they can feel comfortable...where they can come in and compete on the same level. I just wanted to have something for the young ladies."

(On attending camps while growing up)

"I did! I remember one time I went to a one day camp that Cheryl Swoopes had and I was so thrilled just to be there..to get autographs. Just to see her..I didn't even get to talk to her. And I thought about it and I realized that...wow...these girls here feel that way about me. It's kind of strange..because I know how I felt when I was this age but I'm glad just to be able to give back. I want to be able to talk to these girls and get to know them."

(On her first year at UofL...coming off the bench)

"Well, it was tough but the thing was it was definitely a learning experience. That just made me more hungry and it showed near the end of my playing time at UofL when we made the Final Four."

(On the high turnout for the camp)

"You know, it's so great...because the thing about it is, we only promoted for one month and to promote a camp you need 3 months or more to really get the word out. It shows the girls really care and I just love coming back to Louisville, it's my second home. I'm really here just to get them to learn the fundamentals of the game.

(On the camp goals and ideals)

"I was telling them earlier that they need to take advantage of every opportunity. I have one young girl here who had cancer. She's just recovering from leukemia. Just for her to get out there, just for a little bit...it's so humbling. I tell them to take advantage of every opportunity because you girls are healthy. Play. Don't take it for granted. Yes, we all get tired but just go out there and play hard.

(On the counselor selection)

"It was kind of a mixture of us both ( Doug Bibby and Angel). Bibby has a lot of connections and I know a couple of people. We got the kind of cast here that the girls can really look up to."

(Her predictions on the UofL women's team)

"Oh, my goodness! I've seen some of the girls play and I just wish I had a couple of years left to get out there on the court with them. They are awesome! Jeff Walz got an amazing recruiting class in this year. One of the tops in the nation. And, if he starts five freshmen next year, I wouldn't be surprised. There's going to be some bumps, sure...but by their sophomore year, I wouldn't be surprised if they make it to the Final Four."

(On attending the first game in YUM before heading back to play in the Euro Leagues.)

"Actually, on November 12th..on a Friday...we're playing Tennessee. That day I will be getting my jersey retired in the new arena, so I will get to see one game."

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Before our chat, I got to catch a little of the question and answer session Angel had with the camp attendees. The girls were given a chance to ask Angel questions and some of the questions and responses were fun and revealing.

(On how many games she has won)

"So many! Higher than I can count. And there's more on the way."

(Which coach did she learn the most from?)

"Jeff Walz. One of the main things he taught me was to keep my composure on the court, which was really important and helpful."

( Who do people compare her game to in the WNBA?)

"Some people tell me I play like Cheryl Swoopes, which I really am humbled by because she is one of my favorite players of all time."

(Which team do you like to beat the most?)

"In the WNBA, it would have to be Indiana. We just beat them Sunday and that was really good. In college it would have been Kentucky." (McCoughtry never lost to UK while at UofL)

(Who was the toughest opponent she has played against ?)

"As a team I would have to say Connecticut. They have a great coach in Geno and he coached me when I was trying out for the Olympic team and I now know why they are as successful as they are now. He's really a great coach. For an single opponent it would be Tina Charles. She was so talented, a great rebounder and she helped make Maya Moore the good player that she is. In the WNBA, that's a tough one but Tamika Catchings, who plays for Indiana is very good and tough to stop."

(Something most people don't know about her?)

"I can speak a little Portuguese. A couple of my teammates on the Atlanta Dream are from Brazil and that is the language down there."

(On life after her playing career is over?)

"What do you all think I should do? Did I hear someone say coach? That's a good idea. I'd also maybe like to do something in theatre. That's what I studied in college."

(On who she would like to play for if she didn't play for Indiana in the WNBA?)

"Washington. I'm from that area and it would be fun to play in front of my family and friends there."

Angel's "TEAM ANGEL" camp runs thru Thursday. You can catch Angel on ESPN2 this evening in WNBA action. Then, it's back to the 'Ville for instruction, encouragement and dialouge with our future stars .

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The U.S. vs. Sypher started back up again on Monday. Surprise, surprise...we were introduced to a few more people that "Sharin' Karen" slept with. Those of you out there that haven't slept with her or don't know someone who has...raise your hand. She likes to tell guys that she's really fertile, too.

Really.

For a different look at the proceedings, you might check out what Matt Jones is plunking down over at http://www.kentuckysportsradio.com/

The site bleeds "blue" thru and thru and you might want to avoid the comments section if you don't like reading negative things about University of Louisville athletics. Jones is blogging from the courthouse daily and probably dressed in a UK2K T-shirt and cutoff jorts. I wonder if he'll give the most likely and probale upcoming Calipari NCAA proceedings as much print?

Actually, forget about that. Nothing sticks to the "teflon Don" in Lexington. He's like Godzilla...leaving college programs shattered in his wake and uncatchable.

Jones's site is great comic relief if you need a reminder of how much some Big Blue fans are "ate up with themselves" and how much hatred there is for UofL out there in the state. Jones is a good journalist, but so much aggression and hatred for a college athletic program....can't be good for the blood pressure and stress levels. Accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative, Matty. You'll feel a whole lot better, believe me.

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Is anyone else getting tired of "Flo the Progressive Insurance Girl" and those inane commercials? I wonder why it is that insurance companies always come out with the worst commercials? You got the one company that has the gekko that talks, another one with the former head of "The Unit" and the guy from "Major League and "Love and Basketball" ready to put you in good hands and some slacker named "Justin Case" shilling for another one. Enough. Please.

Reid key to Cardinals scoring punch

MONIQUE REID, WEEKLY PANERA WINNER and ANGEL MCCOUGHTRY in today's report. LOOKING AT LUCKY romps in Haskell.

CARDINAL COUPLE will be spending the next several days previewing

the returning players for Jeff's Walz's University of Louisville basket-

ball team. WE begin with last year's leading scorer, Monique Reid.

Note: statistical information is what it is. The opinions and commentary expressed in these reviews is what it is also..mainly our own. Got a different take? Feel free to comment.

Monique Reid was a bright spot for a sometimes dismal UofL women's basketball team in 2009-10. The forward from Fern Creek High School finished her sophomore year with 18.4 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game. Both totals were leading numbers for Louisville...who went 14-18. The season was a stark contrast for Reid, who went to the Championship game of the NCAA Tournament her freshman year. A wing player, Reid started 28 of 32 games for Louisville and averaged 33 minutes a game on the court.

For most of the year, Reid was the "go to" scorer for the Lady Cards. Not possessing a dangerous three point shot, Reid created most her offense off the dribble and on the offensive boards. Few BIG EAST teams could stop her drive and penetrate move to the basket and she was most effective creating off the dribble or going to the boards after a missed shot and getting the putback.

With a lack of offensive presence on the team, Walz was forced to go to Reid for offensive production and other teams would sometimes just concentrate on shutting down her teammates with her on the floor and let her get her points.

Defense has never been the main focus of Reid's game and although she made significant strides toward improving her guarding skills from her freshman year to her sophomore year, there is still a lot she can do to get better. She possesses a great first step, good overall quickness and can back into the basket as good as anyone in the BIG EAST..why her skills don't translate over to the defensive side of her game is a mystery.

One theory is that she simply does the minimum required on defense and saves her energy and strength for when Louisville has the ball. An improvement in her ability to shut down the opposing wing that she draws as her defensive assignment will be a key to her improvement as an overall talented player. Jeff Walz's is a firm believer that defensive intensity can create a transition game for the offensive and Reid's potential for improvement when the other team has the ball could be a key in how the Cards perform this year.

Although her scoring was one of the reasons fans showed up to watch the Lady Cards last year, she'll find herself surrounded by quite a few more offensive options and talent during the 2010-11 season. When she finds teams keying on shutting her down on offensive, she'll need to develop and refine her skills on getting the ball to the open player and being more of a team player. How her game will evolve to that next level is anyone's guess...but we've seen what she can do on a team with multiple scoring weapons during her freshman year and she can be a dedicated team player when she sets her mind to it.

PROJECTION: Will start for the Cards as a wing this year and be one of the leading scorers.



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Congratulations to Chuck Fulner, who won the $10 PANERA gift cards last week. A tough decision but Chuck wrote a very good couple of paragraphs on why he likes PANERA:

"I go to PANERA because they have the best bagels in town. I prefer the "everything" bagel toasted with the low fat veggie cream cheese. It goes great in the morning with the dark roast coffee. The free wi-fi makes it a great place for business meetings, too.

The Dupont locations rocks!"

Want some? Get those entries into us on why you like to go to PANERA. E-mail to:

cardinalcouple@insightbb.com or leave a message in the comment section.

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TEAM ANGEL, Angel McCoughtry's skills camp for girls' basketball hopefuls begins today at The Basketball Academy. CARDINAL COUPLE will visit and try to get a few words with the ex-UofL star and current WNBA's Atlanta Dream player. She'll likely be in a great mood, since the Dream regained sole possession of the WNBA's Eastern Conference lead with a 90-74 win over Indiana on Sunday. McCoughtry scored 20 points in the win for the Dream as they captured their fourth victory in a row. Iziane Castro Marquez led the Dream with 22 points, Erika DeSouza added 16 and Sancho Lyttle had 13 points and eight boards for Atlanta.

The Dream shot 51% from the field in the win, their 10th of the year at home. Tamika Catchings led Indiana with 24 points but the Fever shot only 35% from the court. Atlanta looks to be fully recovered from their slow start after the All-Star break.

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LOOKIN AT LUCKY romped the field in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Race Track Sunday. Guided by jockey Martin Garcia, the 3 yr old Preakness winner laid off the early pace and roared to the front of the pack when the horses hit the stretch. Bob Baffert had him ready to go after the long layoff and LUCKY was the odds on favorite to win yesterday. SUPER SAVER, with Calvin Borel in the saddle, contested the race early and challenged briefly in the stretch before fading to fourth. It was SUPER SAVER's first time out since winning the 2010 Kentucky Derby.

A Sunday story

So, we all know about Pamela Anderson

and her crusade for PETA. CARDINAL

COUPLE recently ran across this "Pamela

by the Parts" promo. I wonder if my

friendly butcher over at Kroger has this one pinned up back in the meat cutting room? More and more, we run into people that are going vegetarian or vegan. Even more people that are cutting red meat out of their diets.

On a recently episode of the highly acclaimed television show "Friday Night Lights", Coach Taylor's daughter prepares dinner for her parents. Coach Taylor's first comment is "where's the meat?".

She replies, "You know I don't burn flesh".

I asked several women athletes recently about their views on vegan, vegetarian and the whole red meat issue. Their responses were as varied as the selection on the buffet table at Ryan's.

(Names are withheld because I don't want any of these ladies getting hate mail or Omaha Steak mailings.)

-Former UofL soccer player and mom:

"I try to give my family a wide variety of choices between meat, chicken and fish. And always a green vegetable. I could never go vegan or vegetarian. I love a barbecued steak over charcoal too much."

-Long distance runner and shop owner:

"Cheeseburgers. they're my downfall. I don't do much else in the meat or poultry areas, but a flame grilled cheeseburger with all the fixings is my vice, I guess."

-Athletic trainer and fitness expert:

"No meat since 1985. Strictly vegetables, fruit and a little dairy now and then for the bones. I have seen what meat does to a colon and I've seen how meat is processed. No thanks."

-A legal professional and tennis player.

"Very little red meat. Lots of chicken and fish. Especially fish. Tuna, Salmon, Mahi Mahi and Cod. Baked is best but I am a sucker for those wonderful fried fish sandwiches at the summer Catholic picnics. And at The Fishhouse. I love his Green River Style."

All this talk about food has got me hungry. Olive Garden, anyone?

What's your take? Meat or tofu? Steak or salad? Let us know.

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Speaking of food, today is the final day to get your entry in for $10 in PANERA gift cards for this week. We'll do it again next week, in case you don't win or just like to procrastinate.

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TEAM ANGEL starts Monday over at The Basketball Academy. A great learning camp. Atlanta Angel is rolling along as well. The Dream gave Connecticut a 94-62 spanking Friday night. Showdown today with the Indiana Fever at 3 p.m. in Atlanta. The teams are virtually tied for first place in the WNBA Eastern Conference.