You never know what you’re going to see during U of L tailgating. Many fans will go to great lengths to show their loyalty to their favorite school.

The most unique vehicle in the Green Lot this year is a former EMS vehicle which is marked CSI and stands for Cardinal Sideline Instigators. The truck, distinctly decorated in red and black with U of L logos, is owned by Chad Crick, of Fern Creek.

Even though he was raised in Muhlenberg County, Chad says he has been a Card fan forever. (Unfortunately, his girl friend is a UK fan.) He got the former ambulance at an auction in Columbus, Ohio. He knew from the start that it was the perfect tailgate vehicle, even adding an attached grill to the vehicle’s exterior.

Congratulations, Chad. You are the Tailgater of the Week.

Captured this image in the Green Lot. Click on the image to see it in its full glory. Feel free to copy and use. If you want to give me credit, please indicate Courtesy of CSWorks.

You never know what you’re going to see during U of L tailgating. Many fans will go to great lengths to show their loyalty to their favorite school.

The most unique vehicle in the Green Lot this year is a former EMS vehicle which is marked CSI and stands for Cardinal Sideline Instigators. The truck, distinctly decorated in red and black with U of L logos, is owned by Chad Crick, of Fern Creek.

Even though he was raised in Muhlenberg County, Chad says he has been a Card fan forever. (Unfortunately, his girl friend is a UK fan.) He got the former ambulance at an auction in Columbus, Ohio. He knew from the start that it was the perfect tailgate vehicle, even adding an attached grill to the vehicle’s exterior.

Congratulations, Chad. You are the Tailgater of the Week.

Well, that reminded me a lot of the Syracuse game. Can’t stop anything, but we rally just enough in the second half to think we might just have a chance to win and still suffer an embarrassing loss.

• The onside kickoffs are straight out of a clown’s act at a Shrine circus. Those soft little lobs 10 feet in the air make it so easy for the opposition. Why bother? But how about that hit on the Utah player that caught the ball? Rattled his ribs. Best hit all night.

• Did I really see what I thought I saw on Utah’s fake field goal attempt? Utah guy all by himself out in the wide open spaces … again. “We gotta fix that,” says the coach, again and again …

• Mario who? Never saw him, even on the sideline … or during the Card March for that matter. Those turf toes must really be bad.

• The crowded conditions in the concourse at half time are unbelievable … a giant cocktail party with all the socializing. Security would need cattle prods to get that massive herd of yakety-yaks moving back to their seats.

On the positive side, just as I predicted:

• Attendance again exceeded 40,000, actually 40,890. Just enough people got addicted to football during Petrino’s years to prevent a major drop off. Let’s hope it holds until good times return.

• There was not a booing epidemic this time … even though play on the field often challenged the best of us.

The really bright side:

• Patrick Carter caught nine passes for 146 yards; when and if Harry Douglass returns, we will have two-and-a-half great receivers.

• U of L’s College World Series baseball team received a well-deserved sustained standing ovation. Revived some fantastic memories.

It would be funny if it weren’t so pathetic, some of the letters that appear in the Courier-Journal sports pages. Some UK fans trying to pass themselves off as objective reveal their true colors with some of their ridiculous statements.

Take the letter from one Brent Logan Black in today’s edition, for example. Arguing that the CJ’s hypes U of L every year but that the team plays “one of the weakest BCS schedules year after year,” he concludes that “you will not play for a title if you spend the majority of the fall beating up on the equivalent of ‘Our Little sisters of the Poor.'”

How conveniently he forgets that U of L was one half away during last year’s Rutgers’ game from being the No. 2 team in the country and possibly playing for the national championship. Ahem, Mr. Black (or is it really blue?), that was the national sport media that voted U of L among the top 10 teams for well over a year. The CJ had nothing to do with it.

It’s a shame Mr. Black/Blue can’t enjoy the success his team is having without degrading his arch rival. Small wonder his team’s fans have so little respect around here.

Remember the male cheerleader who proposed to a female cheerleader before the North Carolina game at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium a couple of years ago? Well, they have taken the next step and tied the knot.

Jessica Darnell and Jim Hill got married at Fern Creek United Methodist Church last summer. Among the guests were David Padgett of the basketball team and numerous other cheerleaders.

I have literally known Jessica since she was a baby, remember carrying her around at covered plate lunches in the church basement. She always had a smile and a hug for everyone. Great student, too. Jim was the best to ever lead cheers during the band’s opening ceremonies.

They are my choice for my first Fan of the Week feature. A great distraction from all the talk about suspensions, injuries and missing defenses.

Still more players suspended?

What should we make of this? Willie Williams booted off the team last week for driving without a license but with marijuana. Jajuan Spillman for a similar incident in January that just landed in court last week. Now George Stripling for a violation of team rules? Three players were booted off the team during the off season.

Obviously, Steve Kragthorpe is making a point, that he will not tolerate activities that will reflect badly on the team. The question is why Bobby Petrino did not have similar problems, at least on the surface.

Could it be that the problems existed under Petrino but he had a different way of handling them? He wasn’t a nice guy, in fact many of the players despised him. He kept them around because he needed them?

We may never know for sure about Petrino’s style. But we do know that Kragthorpe will not tolerate questionable activities. Reminds me of a new executive arriving on the scene. He establishes his own rules, cleans house if necessary and sets new standards.

Or could it be that the coach is considered naive, such a nice guy that players think they can get away with things?

You still have to respect a coach who, despite controversy over his team’s performance, insists on players abiding by the rules. He is in charge, no doubt about that. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

Everybody seems to want to chime in on some booing during the Syracuse game, even basketball coach Rick Pitino. WDRB-TV’s Bill Lamb actually did an editorial.

Huh? Makes you wonder how many of these folks were actually at the game. From where I sat, there probably were a few boos here and there. Out of a crowd of almost 41,000 people, there may have been a couple of thousand people booing for brief periods.

It was a smattering of boos at most. It wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last time. Some fans, no matter which team they follow, just can’t control themselves. Nothing to get alarmed about.

As for all the people who left the stadium in the second half, I wouldn’t read too much into it. I wasn’t among them. It was 95 degrees and our team looked awful. Why stick around and be miserable. I would never leave because there’s no place I would rather be than at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

Still more players suspended?

What should we make of this? Willie Williams booted off the team last week for driving without a license but with marijuana. Jajuan Spillman for a similar incident in January that just landed in court last week. Now George Stripling for a violation of team rules? Three players were booted off the team during the off season.

Obviously, Steve Kragthorpe is making a point, that he will not tolerate activities that will reflect badly on the team. The question is why Bobby Petrino did not have similar problems, at least on the surface.

Could it be that the problems existed under Petrino but he had a different way of handling them? He wasn’t a nice guy, in fact many of the players despised him. He kept them around because he needed them?

We may never know for sure about Petrino’s style. But we do know that Kragthorpe will not tolerate questionable activities. Reminds me of a new executive arriving on the scene. He establishes his own rules, cleans house if necessary and sets new standards.

Or could it be that the coach is considered naive, such a nice guy that players think they can get away with things?

You still have to respect a coach who, despite controversy over his team’s performance, insists on players abiding by the rules. He is in charge, no doubt about that. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

Before Saturday’s win over NC State, I can’t remember such negative vibes around a U of L program, including basketball. That covers more years than I care to admit as a fan. I’ve seen athletic directors come and go, but Tom Jurich is an exceptional individual.

With his keen insight into coaching personalities and his vision for the university, Tom Jurich is one of the best things that ever happened for U of L. We are fortunate to have him, especially with the way U of L started this year. Commenting on Coach Steve Kragthorpe, Tom told the Louisville Sports Report last week:

“Steve is a very solid guy … His background and credentials were impeccable, and that is why I hired him. He has what it takes to be our head coach, and he turned down many jobs to come here. This was a tough spot to come into because the expectations were so high. He accepted the challenge, and he’ll fight through it. He is going to be our long-term coach, and he is going to do a great job here. We’ll get through this … He’s a phenomenal recruiter, he’s proven that already. Everybody is involved. I’ve always said that you find out who your friends during times of adversity.”

Tom added a few words about his own situation:

“We’ve got to get through some tough times right now, and we’re going to fight through it. I’m committed to this place and making it work, and this is something that’s important to the school, the city and the Big East.”

Thanks Tom. You are the right man in the right place.