All Entries Tagged With: "University of Kentucky"

V.G. Reed Loses U of L Printing

Sorry to see V.G. Reed & Sons Printing will no longer be the official printer for University of Louisville athletics. The company, run by some avid Cardinal fans, has been doing the game day programs, schedule posters and other materials over the last decade.

Thanks to Bud Reed, Bobby Reed, Scott Reed and the rest of the printing family for the materials the company provided to Louisville fans. V.G. Reed also has done much work personally and professionally for this observer over the years and can attest personally to high levels of quality printed materials.

Bud. Bobby and Scott have always been diehard Cardinal fans. Bobby occasionally attends University of Kentucky games but we’ll forgive him.

Nelligan Sports Marketing has selected United Graphics, with printing plants in Louisville and Cincinnati, as the new official Louisville athletics printer. The deal also includes broadcast advertising during football, baseball and men’s and women’s basketball games.

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Fan Loyalty Runs Deep In Louisville

Louisvillians are often subjected to the idea that the fan allegiance of local residents is equally divided between the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky, even among those who should know better. Rick Pitino, for example, has even advanced the notion.

Not true.

Not even close, according to the most recent Courier-Journal Bluegrass Poll, which was conducted in 2005. The poll should have settled the issue once and for all. But UK fans and some media types, who missed front page story, tend to be research-challenged , or just count on the forgetfulness of the general public, persist in advancing the misconception.

That’s why the observer keeps a copy of the results, hopeful that the facts will make their way to the misinformed or blissfully ignorant. The poll indicated:

• Fans of Louisville Cardinals basketball outnumbered Kentucky Wildcat fans by 53.7% to 33.3% in the Louisville area.
• Fans of Louisville football weighed in at 61.3%, as compared to 20.8% for Kentucky football.

Courier-Journal columnist Eric Crawford, who was deeply involved in the poll and wrote the CJ story about the results, told Card Game:

“The project used one of the largest samples of any of the Bluegrass State polls, owing to the diversity of the population that follows sports. It was far larger a sample, for instance, than a gubernatorial or presidential poll we would have taken in the state. It also came at an opportune time: Both UK and U of L were doing exceptionally well in basketball. U of L was on its way to a Final Four, while UK was within an eyelash of getting there, too.”

The results reinforced a  Yankelovich study the Courier-Journal conducted a decade or so ago, showing Louisville with a similar lead in both sports.

Neither of polls took into consideration the bandwagon factor, people who switch favorites depending on how well one or the other is doing. Some will apparently jump from a loser to a winner in a heartbeat. Also, football teams going in different directions might affect the numbers slightly. And, as we’ve seen, a new hire in basketball will definitely raise the decibel levels.

But for the most part, fan loyalties tend to be deeply entrenched. Doubtful that the ratios have changed much. Or that the mistaken pronouncements about the fan ratios, intentional or unintentional, will fade away any time soon.

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Louisville Gear Attracts Friends, Foes

By Paul Sykes

Wear the gear and people will comment. We recently went on a “mini-vacation” to Nashville and Gatlinburg…a chance to relax, get away from it all and enjoy the splendor of the Great Smokies. I packed several Cardinal hats and shirts and proudly wore the colors as we toured.

More than ever, total strangers were coming up to me out of the blue to discuss University of Louisville sports. I heard several positive comments about Lady Cards hoops, the baseball team and the prospects of Earl Clark and T-Will in the NBA draft.  An Atlanta resident informed me she was so happy that Angel McCoughtry was playing for the Atlanta Dream.

One young man, wearing a questionable pink University of Kentucky baseball cap, assured me that UK would sweep football and basketball this year. I laughed good-naturedly and commented that he looked good in pink, which drew the laughter of his sidekicks and produced a scowl and verbal obscenity from him as he slinked off.

A young lady later that evening, sporting a John Calipari T-shirt, smugly informed me “those Cardinals weren’t no damn good.” I chuckled and offered her a couple of dollars to take off the Calipari shirt and let me use it to clean off the table where we were sitting.

Rejected.

We were in an English pub on the outskirts of Gatlinburg, sampling some very tasty porters and stouts, when the proprietor of the pub walked over to our table, grinning broadly and informed me he was a transplanted Cardinal and bought our next round. Discussion turned eventually to the prospects of the football team. “Joe” isn’t a candidate to start the Gatlinburg Steve Kragthorpe fan club, believe me. If you read this, Joe, remember Sonja’s motto: Love the players, love the game.

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Minutes later, the news flashed about Michael Jackson. For the rest of the night, the sudden death of the “King of Pop” was the buzz of the city.  The band playing in the bar even played a nicely done four or five-song tribute to the icon. Say what you will about the headline grabbing Mr. Jackson, “Rock With You” and “She’s Out of My Life” are two songs that will always bring back the memories of the beginnings of my life long love affair with the cagey lady who shyly agreed to go out on a date with me over 3o years ago.

The album “Off The Wall” was released in 1979 and several months later,  UofL won its first National Championship in basketball. It’s the only Jackson recording I’ve ever bought.  I’ve even owned it in eight-track, cassette and CD.  Good times.

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Getting Corporate Fannies In The Seats

Never too early. In fact, now may be the ideal time to bring it up since the football season is just two months away.

There could well be more empty seats than normal this fall, or until University of Louisville football returns to its winning ways. But that doesn’t excuse the basis for frequent complaints from University of Louisville fans about great corporate seats sitting empty at football games.

Companies make big donations, then pay thousands more dollars for their prime season tickets. But too many tickets never get punched at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

When they shell out the money, the companies say they are buying them for employees. So why do they go to waste? The reasons are as varied as the companies. The observer suspects, however, the real problem is that nobody bothers to distribute them. Either that or the tickets are entrusted to a University of Kentucky fan who can’t be bothered to pass on University of Louisville tickets.

The observer has a suggestion for Tom Jurich. Why not put the names of companies, their logos or brand names on their seats? That way the companies would get more of the public recognition they all want so much.

Even more importantly, fans would finally see which companies are following through on their commitments as “good corporate citizens involved in the community” –  or those that are merely paying lip service. Fans would recognize the companies for their support, or, in the case of the empty seats, ask them why the tickets aren’t used.

Companies pay big money for the tickets, and most don’t tolerate waste. A little exposure might motivate the people responsible for distributing the tickets, getting them off their butts, putting the tickets where they belong, in the hands of employees.

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U of L Favorites Honor Marvin Stone

Remember Taquan Dean, Junior Mohammed, Joshua Tinch, Larry O’Bannon, and Bryant Northern? Seems like eons  since these guys played for the University of Louisville basketball team.

They’re all back in town this weekend and will be competing as Team Stone in the 15th annual Kentuckiana Pro-Am Basketball Tournament through Sunday in at Nolan Fieldhouse in Sellersburg.Ind., just a few miles across the river from Downtown Louisville.

Coach Ellis Myles named the team in honor of Marvin Stone, who played one season for U of L after transferring from the University of Kentucky in 2002. He died April1, 2008, of a heart attack after collapsing at halftime of a game in Saudi Arabia. He was 26 years old.

“His name just came out and hit me,” Myles told the Courier-Journal. “It’s something I should do. I didn’t have another name I would go with. It was a sense that maybe he’s thinking about me. I don’t even remember how he came up. It’s been a year since he’s passed away. Marvin and I had a great relationship. Marvin was a fun, lovable guy.”

This tournament also serves as a reunion. Many of the members of Team Stone are playing professionally around the world — Spain, France, Mexico, Argentina, Australia and Israel. The summer is usually the only time when they’re all together.

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