All Entries Tagged With: "Charles Springer"
Fan of the Week
He was a University of Louisville fan before he was born.
As a two-year-old, he was lifted high in the air by his dad after U of L scored a touchdown in his first U of L football game ever, at the old Fairgrounds Stadium, the dangling binoculars striking his old man squarely in the nose.
The first U of L basketball ga
me he remembers attending was an 72-69 win over Duke in the NCAA Championship at Dallas in 1986. No wonder he has such high expectations for the Cards.
His first dunk came from a strong assist from Darrell Griffith at Male where his mom, Barbara, was teaching summer school.
He hyperventilated when Everick Sullivan hit a three-point shot at the last second to give the Cards a win over Florida State.
He remembers the basket brawl against South Carolina, U of L winning the game in overtime after trailing by 14 points with just over a minute to go.
He read Denny Crum’s mind, calling the play before Brian Kiser hit the winning shot over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.
He traded U of L baseball caps with Howard Schnellenberger, the coach grabbing his own cap and sticking it on his admirer’s head at a weekly coach’s show.
He endured the frigid rain at U of L’s first Liberty Bowl win, with Jeff Brohm calling the signals against Michigan State.
He enrolled in college, but his head wasn’t in his studies. He became a dad, another U of L fan was born. He postponed his education.
Some time between the Michigan State win and a later frigid loss to Colorado State, in the the same Liberty Bowl, he matured and became a man.
He re-enrolled in college again eight years later, this time fully committed to the process. Made straight A’s his first semester. Stayed on the Dean’s List much of his four years. He graduated cum laude this weekend.
He is Stephen Springer, son of Charlie Springer, and Steve is this week’s U of L Fan of the Week.
Reasons To Back Memphis
This observer picks Memphis in the NCAA championship. Not because he likes Memphis, nothing could be further from the mark. Memphis is the choice because it is the non-traditional power overcoming all the biases against non-state universities and schools that are not considered by the herd as traditional powers.
Memphis is not at all likable, with players like Joey Dorsey who use intimidation more than finesse to get their way. The sight of Dorsey towering over and glaring at a Tennessee free throw shooter is one I won’t soon forget. Their coach, John Calipari, is a whiner personified, a man who recruits controversial players, the kind of person you like to see get canned and have his team placed on probation.
The pick for Memphis is for all the schools that have to work twice as hard to get recognition, that don’t get first choice at state monies to beautify their campuses, that have to fight the rural legislators and the big state university like dogs for recognition, that have to convert “state” fans to “hometown” fans or have to work or park next to state fans every day in their own communities.
Go get ‘em, Memphis. Beat the stereotypes.
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