Sometime Saturday or Sunday the one millioneth visitor will likely click on Card Game, which went live in December 2007. We began this journey as a way of sharing our affinity for University of Louisville athletics with fellow fans. This forum provides the observer with an outlet to provide not only his perspectives but the views of others who want the best for U of L.
Lots of ups and downs during this period, including U of L basketball finishing No. 1 in the nation, winning the Big East Conference tournament and being picked as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA in March 2009 … The Lady Cards playing in the National Championship game the same season … The Baseball Cards picked as a top seed nationally last season … Charlie Strong hired as football coach, a return to the bowl circuit …
The Soccer Cards playing in the National Championship game this season … The completion of the KFC Yum! Center for basketball … The expansion of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium to more than 55,000 seats … The joy of having a son win the Biggest Fan of the Big East Contest and a new car because of his work on this site.
So many highlights in such a short period of time, some of which many doubted were possible not long ago. Those of us who have followed University of Louisville sports since the olden days can probably appreciate these achievements more than the younger guys. We were there sitting behind the post watching football games at Fairgrounds Stadium. We watched Denny Crum-coached teams soar to national prominence at Freedom Hall. We had our choice of plentiful seats for U of L baseball games at a rapidly-deteriorating Fairgrounds Stadium. We saw Lady Cards basketball at a 1,200-seat gym. We were there when Floyd Street resembled a junkyard and watched it grow into Cardinal Park.
But as much fun as it has been watching the games and all the construction in recent years, much of the satisfaction comes from having a dedicated outlet with the goal of promoting quality not only on the field but in the atmosphere surrounding U of L athletics. Sometimes we may have been off base, sometimes we came close to getting run over by athletes, sometimes threatened by opposing fans, sometimes by our own fans, sometimes by random strangers. Never let it be said that running a blog can’t be an exciting endeavor.
This is where we are today in the age of the Internet, which provides opportunities for all of us to communicate openly. In my case, having written for companies or publications for four decades, I have the luxury now of expressing my own opinions, using such tools as Flip cams, the Nikon and Photoshop and the vastness of the World Wide Web. And to provide others with similar interests another outlet to express their views in a sane environment. Thanks to all of you who have participated through your visits, your posts, and your comments along the way. You have made this a great, sometimes exhilarating, experience.
Congratulations to UofL Card Game on reaching seven figures. We’ll always have a fond place in our heart for this site…for it was Charlie who first started running Sonja’s article on Lady Cards hoops and encouraged her to keep going. Although she doesn’t write much anymore, she’s busy with work and handling the mundane and detail oriented stuff over at CARDINAL COUPLE.
I guess you could say our site is a spawn or offshoot of UofL Card Game and it was the ‘observer’ who encouraged us to ‘go for it’ and get going. He’s also provided wise counsel over the years and we’ve had some fun times covering UofL sporting events together.
Happy 1,000,000th. UofL Card Game! Keep on keeping on and much success and great reporting as you forge ahead to 2 million.
Keep it going. Paul, and don’t forget to post over here now and then. Paul and Sonja’s site is http://cardinalcouple.blogspot.com
Congratulations, Charlie. By the way, did you notice my new e-mail handle? Inspired by none other than YOU!!
Verily I did, Dale. Great new e-mail address. 🙂
Congrats, observer! The site is part of my daily routine, too. I appreciate the collection of contributors, even the hotheads and closet Cat fans. Somehow, you’ve managed to keep the site informative and mostly friendly, and have tolerated my amateurish submissions. We disagreed on how soon to throw a certain football coach under the bus–but you finally came around. Anyway–CONGRATS!
John, your blueprint for the season was pretty accurate. Thanks for your comments; they are always enlightening.
Charlie –
In the last two years, you have won me over to the BEST UofL athletics fan site. Until now, I was not aware of your prefessional past, other than your one reference to a specific former employer. Now knowing your profession, it is entirely consistent with your postings.
Some of your appeal, no doubt, comes from similar generational perspectives. My adult children’s ages compare with your son’s apparent age. I was in school at UoL when Crum was hired. I also experienced all four years of Corso’s reign while in the Cardinal classrooms (kind of narrows my age down, doesn’t it).
I am also impressed with your responsiveness to comments and other input. You have very kindly taken a couple [despite your sidebar tally only saying one ;-)] of my comments and elevated them to article status. You have encouraged me to submit more material…and I plan to do so when inspiration strikes. When a more direct response to a comment of mine is appropriate, you take the time to send me an email. You were also encouraging as I offered to help out in a few small ways with Steve’s gloriously successful contest.
Best wishes for you and your family, the website and for all Cardinal athletes, coaches and staff. The future looks great! GO CARDS!
Thanks once again, Tom. I appreciate your continuing support and encouragement. You were very helpful to Steve in the contest. The car, by the way, is apparently on a ship on the way over from Scandinavia and should be here by the end of the month.
Love the site keep it up!
Right in line with my thinking. Keep up the good work.
I discovered you site about a year ago and it is a place for civil discussion unlike some other places I could name. Thanks for providing a good public service for U of L fans.
I’ve been with almost from the beginning, Charlie, enjoying every minute. This blog is a part of my daily routine. Keep up the excellent work.