One of the givens on Media Day is the traditional team photo. You know the shot, players lined up in four or five rows, grinning, horsing around.
Not this year, at least not yet for the University of Louisville football team.
Charlie Strong has declared there will be no team photo for now. Players will only line up for a photo if and when they get to a bowl game. Knowing him they may even have to win the bowl game as well.
While Strong will not predict how things will go, one of his goals is to get to a bowl game. He made that clear to players before fall practice got under way last week.
“I told the seniors that they have worked hard for four years and they deserve to be rewarded. I told them ‘We owe that to you, to get you to a bowl game. We owe it to you.'”
Strong said he had been impressed by the level of support in the community. “These fans blow me away sometimes,” he said. “They want to get back to where the program was a few years ago.The only thing I can tell them for sure is that we’re working hard at it and we’re going to get back there. We are confident of that.”
He also praised the backing of the university, saying that Tom Jurich, Vice President of Athletics, has yet to say no to anything he has requested. “The support has been overwhelming,” he said. “We ask for it, we get it.”
Among the apparent requests was a fleet of vehicles (rentals?), which materialized in the form of eight to 10 white vans parked outside the football complex. “We go everywhere together,” said Strong. “We eat, sleep, study, recreate and play football together.”
The players are staying at a local hotel during fall drills until the semester begins. Aug. 23.
Anticipating a bowl game, no doubt.
I want the Cards to have a great, no a fantastic, season. But if we do what will stick in my craw will be Krapthorpe having said after he was axed that the Cards will win 9 games this year.
There are three scenarios for his having said that:
1. He has access to a great pharamcy.
2. He was laying land mines for the new coach.
3. He understood that Jurich was going to hire a 10 compared to his being a 1. Scratch that a negative 1.
I think someone is painting a pretty rosy picture for Louisville fans that he had better be prepared to back up. He’s going to get off to bad start Sept. 4. I guarantee it.
Shoo along little kitty and go back to the blue kool aid. And say a prayer for Randell Cobb. If he goes down…there will be a lot of dog and wife beating in Butcher Holler.
Ha, trust me, he can back it up. Now, the Joker…not so much. Hope the Joker’s prepared the kitties for a beatdown on Sept. 4th.
C A R D S
GO CARDS!!!
We look forward to whoopin your Cat butts!!
A bowl game would have been considered a long shot with anyone else but Charlie Strong coaching this team. Man, I sure hope we’re not disappointed.
A bowl game this season, coming out of the disaster left behind by Steve Kragthorpe, would be nothing short of a miracle. What talent Kragthorpe didn’t run off he couldn’t coach. I love the new spirit around this team. This town is hungry for good football again.
This coach is a motivator from the time he gets out of bed in the morning till he hits the sack at night. Exactly what we’ve been needing. He’s very excited about being where he is right now. Very refreshing after Bobby Petrino and Steve Kragthorpe.