CardGame has a new venue 15 Jul 2024 6:36 PM (9 months ago)
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Thanks to our loyal readers, many of whom have been with us since the site was launched in 2007.
Go Cards!
Petrino’s Wandering Eyes 16 Dec 2007 7:13 AM (17 years ago)
12/11/07
Bobby Petrino hasn’t arrived in Arkansas yet. But already, Razorback fans have to be wondering how long he will hang around Fayetteville. A man who flirts with every major job vacancy around can’t be trusted.
Just a year ago, Petrino was confirming for the fourth year in a row that “Louisville is where I want to be,” denying interest in other coaching jobs. Leading fans to believe he would return this year with Brian Brohm to pursue a national championship. Two days after winning the Orange Bowl, however, he was off to the Atlanta Falcons.
Petrino was effusive about his new position, describing it as “the best job in football,” the fruition of his dream of becoming an NFL coach. Fan expectations weren’t that high, he could introduce his system, build the Falcons into a winner over two or three seasons, be there for the long haul as Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank recently told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
“He’s been very clear with me,” Blank said. “He loves Atlanta and he loves the organization. Obviously he’s disappointed in what happened to Michael Vick, but he has great confidence with myself, with [president/general manager] Rich McKay and the coaching staff to put together a winner and be here many years. He told me this is where he wants to be and that his work is just beginning.”
Less than two weeks later, Blank receives a telephone call from Petrino saying he is resigning to take a college job. Before the NFL season is even over. Got the urge to move on.
Arkansas fans feel fortunate to get Petrino, especially after their first choice changed his mind. His reputation as a winning coach overrides any other concerns for now. The Arkansas Rivals Board described the pick as a “Home Run Hire For Hogs!”
It just could be a match made in hog heaven. When other more prestigious coaching vacancies surface, Hog fans should not concern themselves. Petrino will ease anxieties by assuring them that Fayetteville is where he wants to be, and he plans to be there for a long, long time. And you just know he’s a man of his word.
Let’s hear it for Bobby: “Whooo, Pig, Soooeeee!”
See Ya, Anthony 13 Dec 2007 4:06 PM (17 years ago)
No surprise that Anthony Allen is transferring. What was disappointing was how dramatically his production dipped after grinding out 275 and 96 yards against Middle Tennessee and Kentucky, respectively. The once heir apparent to Michael Bush showed much promise, only to fritter it away. His inability to run over people, catch passes or hit the holes relegated him to third string status. Not doing what it takes to get better, looks timid, gets worse. What could have been.
Monday Morning Memos 9 Dec 2007 6:30 PM (17 years ago)
Those Thinking NBA Already: Not gonna happen anytime soon, and won’t ever if you can’t fathom how teams are supposed to function. You know, the parts working together, not separately.
Sizzle Over Substance: Yeah, you T-Will. A bounce pass beats one from behind the back sailing out of bounds. Dunks are great but not when you miss them; sometimes simple layups will do, especially when points are few and far between.
One Dimensional: Some of those offensive moves are incredible, Derrick. However, your movement on defense is just plain offensive.
Sulker: The act is getting old, Edgar. Remember how you played before you scored so many points against Texas A&M. Play quarterback again. Wasn’t that long ago.
Motivator: Find the keys quickly, please.
Reality Checks In Against Dayton 8 Dec 2007 3:25 PM (17 years ago)
Now we know why Rick Pitino looked so concerned before the game, probably saw it coming.
Reality checked in for real against Dayton, making it dawn on fans that this is not the U of L team they were expecting to see this year. Should have known challenging times were back when the Cards struggled to get points against Miami.
You can only rationalize the losses of David Padgett, Juan Palacios, George Goode and Clarence Holloway for so long. The Ville is Thinville again, relying heavily on four sophomores, one flashy but erratic junior, one hardworking freshman, and a scrappy senior who plays good defense but can’t hit either field goals or free throws.
My how the outlook has changed since the first game against Hartford, the Cards tossing in 22 three-pointers in that one. Won’t be long before the detractors emerge again. They haven’t had much time to recuperate since football, you know.
All is not lost, however. It’s obvious that U of L has significant talent on this team. Equally obvious is that some people are not playing up to their potential. Derrick Caracter comes to mind, shrugging his shoulders when he doesn’t get the ball, fouling instead of playing defense.
Pitino, ever the master motivator, knows he has his work cut out for him this season. All that early fan chatter about a final four was premature.
Pitino Goes for No. 500 7 Dec 2007 3:54 PM (17 years ago)
Seems like yesterday local TV news helicopters were tracking Rick Pitino from the Clark County Airport in Southern Indiana on his way to becoming the University of Louisville basketball coach. The surprising hire by Tom Jurich would create joy in Louisville, but sadness, even anger, elsewhere in the state.
Since becoming U of L coach in 2001, Pitino has compiled a 154-59 record, including four NCAA tournament appearances, among them one trip to the Final Four. He has embraced the university in many ways, including support for a dorm to honor the memory of his friend Billy Minardi. The coach has said often that he plans to retire here.
Pitino now has an overall 499-183 won-loss record. Now he is eyeing his 500 victory, another significant milestone in a remarkable career. The coach may briefly acknowledge No. 500 but he will move on quickly. Pitino continues to set new goals for himself and the people who surround him, and his goals are very high for the U of L basketball program.
…
Pitino The Pessimist 6 Dec 2007 5:46 PM (17 years ago)
Good thing Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino never became a doctor; he’s not very good at analyzing injuries. He would have been better as a psychiatrist because he likes to mess with people’s heads. He is wrong so often on diagnosing injuries that he has to be doing it for motivational purposes.
Shortly after Palacios was injured, Pitino proclaimed that he was thinking seriously about red shirting the 6-foot-8, 250-pound senior. He reminded fans that Juan is a slow healer and has had almost every possible injury in his college career.
Surprise. The latest word is that Palacios showed up for practice Thursday, moving around for about 35 minutes. No heavy duty action. Primarily shooting around. Must be getting better. You think?
Fans were somewhat concerned when David Padgett collided with another player in the Jackson State game. Pitino first said it was a minor injury, and fans breathed a collective sigh of relief. Then less than 24 hours later, Pitino shocked the Cardinal world with the pronouncement that Padgett had busted his knee cap and that his career was most likely finished.
Now we hear from David that he has always healed quickly, and that he expects to be ready by January — despite Pitino’s public pronouncements to the contrary. Padgett is confident, Pitino is doubtful.
The only thing certain is that David Padgett intends to return. Fans can only hope that Dr. Pitino is wrong again.
.
Catching Up 6 Dec 2007 9:21 AM (17 years ago)
Francisco Garcia: Has started in six of 17 games for the Sacramento Kings, averaging 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds. and 26.1 minutes per game, with a shooting percentage of 47.4% from the field. The Kings are in fourth place in the Pacific Divison of the NBA Western Conference with a 7-10 won-loss record.
Jerry Eaves: Coaching North Carolina A&T to a 4-4 record after pulling a shocking 96-91 win over DePaul on the Blue Devils’ home court in Chicago. His team has lost to the likes of Pittsburgh, Tennessee and St. Louis while preparing for Mid-East Athletic Conference competition.
Wiley Brown: Coaching Indiana University-Southeast team to a 4-4 record, most recently losing a 96-91 double overtime game to Brescia University of Owensboro on Tuesday.
Kevin Willard: His Iona College team ended a 29-game losing streak that extended over two seasons when the Gaels defeated Delaware 57-52 last Friday, improving their record to 1-7 on the season. The Gaels were 1-29 last year.
Scott Davenport: His Bellarmine University team nearly cracked the National Association of Basketball Coaches Top 25 poll this week. The Knights, with a 6-1 record, were 27th in the voting.
Basketball Slow Getting Started 4 Dec 2007 7:16 PM (17 years ago)
The prolonged start of the current basketball season is reminiscent of the slow motion trudge during the U of L-Miami game. The early season is in slow motion, and the games are few and far between. Easy does it, slow and methodical.
Actually, it’s a good thing for the Cards, giving them more time to practice without the services of David Padgett. Practice without Padgett was one thing they didn’t have time for before the loss to Brigham Young University. Hate to say it but this is a young team now, talented, but young. They need all the personal instruction they can get before the grind begins for real.
However, that doesn’t make it any easier for all the fans yearning for basketball to help put the football season in the rear view mirror.
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Coaching Transitions & Instant Gratification 4 Dec 2007 7:19 AM (17 years ago)
Difficult to ignore, all the consternation going on over in Lexington where two players have left the UK squad less than four weeks into the basketball season. More defections may be on the way. The team is off to a less-than-glorious start, and Cat fans are becoming increasingly irritated.
The topic is relevant here for a couple of reasons. First, because so many people in Louisville are watching the turmoil closely. Second and more important, it is another reminder of the challenges that often accompany the ushering in of a new era, also known as a coaching transition.
Many outstanding athletes, idolized much of their young lives, have difficulties adjusting to new ways of doing things. They don’t take kindly to being criticized or having their weakness exposed. When they’ve been successful doing things one way, why should they be expected to change?
People have trouble acknowledging that different approaches can sometimes lead to equal or greater success, resisting or rejecting new ways of doing things. The results are magnified when you’re dealing with so-called super stars.
The same can be said of fan bases. New coach comes in, does things differently, doesn’t have immediate success, and doesn’t communicate the challenges very well. Predictably, many disappointed fans get angry, start pointing fingers.
This scenario was all too familiar to U of L fans during a disappointing football season. Patience became a rare commodity after years of non-stop winning. Once loyal supporters become detractors, ripping even the most respected administrators. Mistakes are magnified, leading to other miscues, losses on the playing field and dismissals of assistants.
Losing is just not acceptable in an age of instant gratification. It’s even more difficult for the new guy on the block. What goes around comes around and it has arrived center stage in Lexington.