By Charlie Springer

Life is as it should be, the University of Louisville basketball team having defeated Kentucky, depriving Cat fans of opportunities to flaunt their obnoxious qualities. No sympathy here, Cat fans. Look at the loss as a leardeadcatning experience, one of life’s valuable lessons.

You might even want to consider acknowledging that you were beaten by a better team,  rather making excuses like your beloved Billy G. and badmouthing UofL fans as you do even when things are going well for you.

Have you seen any of those people today by the way? They’ve been pretty scarce around Louisville, a rare species, indeed. No car flags, no Kroger baseball caps, few if any blue sweatshirts or jackets. They’ve gone into hiding, bless their hearts.

If you bleed blue today, you’re among the walking dead.

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Why was Lee Todd, the UK president, sitting behind the Wildcat bench on Sunday? One would think with all the alleged Big Blue boosters in town he would have been in a VIP suite, seeking contributions in dismal economic times. Maybe there aren’t as many as Todd would have you believe, or maybe he thinks UK will get all he needs from the Legislature which begins work Tuesday.

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Okay, just one more video of the UofL-UK finish, with about 15 seconds to go in the game:


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Another way to relive the Sunday’s triumph is to visit Hell In The Hall for a plethora of highlights, emotions, who’s whos and photos from the scene. The enthusiasm of Frankpos, the moderator, is contagious. He may not post much, but when he does, he goes all out.

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Those two Indiana recruits who verbaled to UofL’s 2011 class after the game are apparent major catches. ESPN Insider says of 6-11 Michael Chandler that he “He runs the floor extremely well, he is active on both ends of the floor and he rebounds very well. He is very coordinated for a kid his size and his age. He oozes with potential …” Of 6-6 Ryan Taylor, they opine: “He is a good athlete that plays with great effort. He has great length that aids him in being a terrific rebounder on both ends, shot blocker and defender on the ball and in the passing lanes.”

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Haven’t seen the Lady Cards play yet? Need an engraved invitation? They play a fiery brand of basketball and are ranked 10th in the nation. They play Seton Hall at 7 p.m. Tuesday (see Sonja’s preview). Next up is Rutgers, perennial women’s basketball power, in Pack The House II on Sunday. Free coupons are available at Kroger stores.

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By Charlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.

2 thoughts on “Where Have The Cat Fans Gone?”
  1. Note:

    I received this e-mail below this afternoon when I got home from work. It correlates with the post above about my brother-in-law:

    Hi, Sonja

    Jim here. I know you and Paul have got to be just going nuts up there about the game Sunday. What a finish! Because of the nature of our student population here, most of it is either Navajo or Navajo/Mexican mix, my students were very proud of Edgar Sosa because of that hispanic connection. One of my students surprised me with a cardboard poster collage of the game from pictures and comments he downloaded from the internet. We had talked about the game on Thursday and Friday, and I gave one of my math classes a pop quiz based on things game related. For example:

    1) If Terrance Williams makes 9 of the 12 free throws he attempts, what is his shooting percentage?
    2) Louisville will outrebound Kentucky
    51-33 during the game. What percentage is Louisville better than Kentucky?

    And so on and so on. The kids were pretty fired up Friday, anyway, because our high school basketball team was headed to play a school in Tucson they they have established a rivalry with.

    Just one nore thing and I’ll send this. You’ll never guess who had 144 in the total pot jackpot. Me. Since I was closest to the 145 total points of the game, I won the $68 in there. Fate, indeed, because if Sosa misses, it goes to overtime and there were plenty of scores higher than mine.

    Say Hi to P-meister for me and good luck in your new job and training.

    Love,
    Jim

  2. GAME DAY (in Ganado, Arizona)
    By Sonja Sykes

    While we busily prepared for the UK game on Sunday, we called Paul’s oldest brother Jim, a math teacher on the Navajo Reservation in central Arizona Here’s a perspective on how a Louisville Cardinal fan in Arizona Cardinal country cheers on the Cards.

    Sonja: Do you throw a party for the big event?

    Jim: Actually, we do. It won’t be nearly as big as the Arizona Cardinals game watch party we had today…but several of the other teachers and a few staff will gather over here at our on campus recreation facility again tomorrow to watch the event. Since it’s on school grounds, there won’t be any alcohol, but we’ll have food, a couple of TV’s set up and the teachers and staff actually wear the T-Shirts and jerseys from the school they got their degrees from or the schools they like. My wife and I will be the only ones that will probably be in UofL Cardinal gear, but there will be several Arizona Cardinal jerseys. We’ll have a couple in Seton Hall Pirate garb, a Gonzaga couple, and even a Murray State guy. And, we keep coolers out in our cars…in case anyone wants to step out for something other than a soft drink. Last year, we had about 20 people there.

    Sonja: Do you try to get the attendees to cheer for the Louisville version of the Cards?

    Jim: There’s pretty good about supporting my wife and me as we cheer the Cards on. Definitely no UK Wildcats to worry about, just a few Arizona Wildcats. Our friend who graduated from Murray gets in a few barbs if we’re losing, but most of the people just enjoy the party and don’t do a whole lot of cheering. There’s a lot more interest in predicting the final total score jackpot, which is technically against school board policy, too…but it’s done for the Arizona Cardinal games, so no one ever seems to mind.

    Sonja: How do you follow the UofL Cards down there?

    Jim: Internet. We don’t get a daily paper, and they wouldn’t be in there even if we did. I like going to the official UofL website, the Courier-Journal website and even the blog you post on, Sonja. I had planned on going to the Cards game against Minnesota this year in Phoenix, but we only have one car…and my wife needed it to drive into Flagstaff and get some items we needed, so I followed it on line. Paul e-mails me, too about his observations, and your e-mails are great, also.

    Sonja: Based on what you’ve read and seen, do you have a prediction for Sunday?

    Jim: I don’t know much about UK, but I’ve read that Meeks and Patterson could give us some trouble. Still, I look at the talent the Cards have and advantage of having Rick Pitino, and I’m confident the Cards will pull it out.

    Sonja: What UofL gear will you two wear to the party?

    Jim: My wife will probably go with the #35 Angel jersey that you all sent her for Christmas. I like my old, but comfy red UofL polo shirt and I’ll wear the Parrish House ball cap with the Cardinal Bird on it that Al gave me when Paul and I went to football game a couple of years ago. Old School. Go Cards and beat those Kentucky Wildcats!

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