First things first...

Fuck Demarcus Cousins. Fuck him. And fuck Cal for playing his innocent card, his go-to, WHAT ME? What am I supposed to do, I'm only the head coach? Bledsoe too, did you catch the backtalk he was giving Cal after his whatever number foul? Real class act you're running there, Cal.

Okay, rant over. We need to eat it. We lost. Got killed, for the most part. We played an abortion of an offensive game. In some respect, I'm surprised we posted as many points as we did. Nothing was clicking. Nothing. Samardo got owned, to be sure, and I'm a little confused if we even had a half-court offense. Ya know, one where players move around and such? But other than that, I'm still not ready to genuflect. This hurts, though.

Careful king of kings, first you need the victory

You know you've reached another stage in your life when you start cleaning before your friends come over. When I used to host games my cleaning was limited to checking to see if the toilet had been flushed recently. Now, I'm washing baseboards, lighting candles, and viewing my fiance with suspicion. Somethings never change, though, and I. STILL. HATE. THE. WILDCATS.

As author Rick Bragg would say, "It's all over but the shoutin'." I'm ready to tip this thing off. These games are rarely fun to watch, they're just too stressful, too much at stake. There's no real news to report other than Siva's illness, and that UK's boastfulness has reached Agamemmnon from the movie Troy levels (yes I know, another Troy reference). We know what we're up against. We know what we have to do. "The 'Ville is mother to us all! Fight for her!" 66-61 UofL. Go Cards.

He ain't heavy, he's my center!

It's no secret that I've been hard on Samardo Samuels this season. But hearing some of the abuse he's taken in the last 36 hours has got me defending him like he's my...I would say little brother, but it's a loaded term. But you get the point, it's okay for Cardinal fans to express frustration, but when outsiders start chiming in, it's a different story.

What's more, while the term "below the rim" player seems to have stuck to Samardo like glue, he's gone from being an overrated athlete to an underrated one in the span of 10 games. He runs the floor extremely well, and as he's shown over the past couple games, can get up there for rebounds, blocks, and slam dunks as well as anyone when he wants to. I expect a strong performance today.

Peyton Siva doubtbul for UK game

It's been reported that Siva is battling the stomach flu, will make the trip to Lexington, but may not play. Certainly discouraging news, but not as devastating as Samuels, Sosa, or Knowles missing action. The show must go on...

The lieutenants

In college basketball, when your team is heading into a big tourney game or a game against its arch-nemesis, and your team's roster is, at least on paper, overmatched by your opponent's, coaches and fans alike often envision the best route to victory as a superior game plan -- implementation of some clever and original tactic, a superbly drawn scouting report, a stroke of coaching genius. The Cards experienced both sides in last year's tournament, when they blew out Arizona in the Sweet Sixteen thanks to a near perfect scouting report from asst. coach Richard Pitino, only to be befuddled in the Elite Eight by Tom Izzo's less talented Michigan State Spartans. And so it is with the Cards' showdown against the Cats tomorrow, for which Mr. Red already has offered some critical insights and suggestions, and for which CardsFan922 over at Card Chronicle has provided strong defensive analysis.

What I'm interested to find out is what Louisville's assistant coaches, with whom Pitino in years past has entrusted significant responsibilities like game scouting and team strategy, might have cooked up this past week to serve to Kentucky. Will this be the game that Ralph Willard demonstrates the deepest length of his legendary basketball acumen? With a key insight or suggestion, will Walter McCarty help the Cards frustrate his alma mater in their own house? Does Steve Masiello similarly find some way to burn his former team? To be sure, the game's played on the court, not from the bench, and even the perfect game plan will not guarantee victory against UK's semi-pro team. Nonetheless, I'm always intrigued by a game filled with a little "strategery," and I anxiously await the unveiling of what strategery Pitino & staff might have devised.

Our new defensive coordinator

Welcome to Louisville, Mr. Bedford. Sorry we can't give you a proper introduction at the moment, but you see, it's kind of a bad time. Big game tomorrow. Cal's insufferable, Patrick Sparks walked, logo stomp, look...we'll fill you in on the details later. Nice to have you aboard, though. For now, back to the roundball. Love the 'stache though.

Keys to the Kingdom

It's amazing what some Chicken 'n Stars soup and a gallon of orange Gatorade can do for a person. Let's do this thing. The matchup is about to go through the analysis-wringer, but for my two cents, here's the keys to a Cardinal victory...

* Cousins Smells Foul

Though he certainly doesn't believe it, Demarcus Cousins has a penchant for hackery. Samardo Samuels has a penchant for being hacked. The best way for Samardo to neutralize Cousins' athleticism is to wave at him on the bench. A quick two on Cousins changes the course of the contest.

* To press, or not to press

That is the question. Pitino called John Wall "unpressable" earlier this week, but at the same time, Wall has shown some carelessness with the basketball, and Pitino is usually loath to change his game plan based on other's strengths. Expect the Cards to apply pressure early, but I hope Pitino will adjust if it's burning the Cards too badly.

* Decode the Sypher

I'm 75% curious to see how UofL handles an arena full of blonde wigs and Por-Ci-Ni's chants. I'm 25% curious to see how the CBS analysts handle the same.

* Frustrate Patterson

Patrick Patterson hasn't much success against the Cards, struggling to get his offense going against Earl Clark's length. This year, Jared Swopshire needs to continue the trend by getting that long skinny arm in Patterson's face. Though he's played well this season, I still don't believe Patterson is a natural face-to-the-basket player. Swop has better lateral quickness and needs to be a gnat on D.

* Point-Counterpoint

Get over being starstruck. The Cards need to recognize John Wall's talent without being overawed by it. Sosa takes the lead in that respect. Any "ooooh" and "awwww" play by Wall, and the Cards should push back down the floor quickly to get it right back.

* Finish, finish, finish

Because it's a Pitino-team, most everyone assumes the Cards are an up-tempo, fast break squad. I'm still skeptical; the Cards have shown some inability to finish on the break. That needs to change in order to have a chance tomorrow, we need to capitalize on every turnover.

* 75% from the line

This one's pretty self-explanatory. The Cards cannot afford to give away any points.

* Killer Instinct

Common knowledge suggests the Cats punch first, and that the contest hinges on whether the Cards can handle the initial flurry. I kinda suspect the opposite. I think it's likely the Cards start hot, jumping to a 10-2 lead or something. If so, and throughout the game, the Cards need to play like a veteran team. Eat clock. Smart possessions. I think the crowd, and the Cats, will get nervous the longer it takes to deal the Cards a knockout blow.

Ughhh

I'd say Happy New Years again, but frankly, I couldn't care less at the moment. I feel like death on a Triscuit. Watch this clip on a loop, I'll be with you in a bit...

(Click here to read, or re-read, our New Year's resolution)

Goodbye to all that

2009 was harsh to the Cardinals. Our basketball team with Final's talent took an earlier than expected exit from the tourney, we were introduced to the elegant and lovely Ms. Karen Sypher, and suffered through another season of Kragthorpe-led football. Times have been tough, but we've persevered, and the irrepressible feeling that better days lie ahead is flowing through Derby City.

We seem to have found ourselves one hell of a football coach, who's proven his recruiting chops in his brief time at the helm, and though he's yet to coach a game for the Cards, has struck a tuning fork in the hearts of fans with his reputation for winning and his genuine personality. We have two new stadiums to open. Cardinal football will enter the expanded Papa in 2010 to match the expanded dreams the Strong Era has ushered in. Our basketball team will move out of our Hallowed Home into a truly remarkable gem downtown, where we'll honor the past but begin making new memories. With names like Michaelee Harris, Wayne Blackshear, Corvin Lamb, and Michael Chandler joining the Cardinal family, help is indeed on the way.

Though anticipation for Saturday is mounting, I'm going to do my best to put it out of my mind for the evening and enjoy the holiday. New Year's Eve is a time for cigars, champagne, and puking in cabs. But I'm sure the subject will come up, so if your UK acquaintances want to squelch your goodwill and try to bait you into premature debate, just trot out the Achilles line from the underrated movie Troy: "Go home. Drink some wine. Make love to your wife. Tomorrow we'll have our War."

Here's to 2010. Happy New Year's from Cardinal Laws. And if you're going out tonight, remember. Drive fast, take chances.

The Kure

New nickname. Whadaya think? Bueller...Bueller? Go to hell. Fine, just watch...

A Senior Moment

I've had Sosa on the brain since reading Rick Bozich's column this morning and the solemn and serious quote he gave, highlighted in Mr. Black's post below. UK fans hate him, he plays with a swagger that irks them, and I don't want to go into the role of his ethnicity, but let's just say I've heard some slurs. But most importantly, as a good UK buddy of mine said recently, "He's fucked us with two shots". The first, last year's dagger, obviously. The second being the missed free throws from the tournament game four seasons ago. Those missed shots likely cost the Cards from moving past Billy Gillispie's highly-regarded Texas AM team, and Gillespie would ride that tournament success all the way to Lexington. Life's funny, ain't it?

So, the point is, he's hated in Wildcat country. But there's not a player on this team I would want taking the brunt of the barrage more than Edgar. Samuels is too sensitive, Jennings can be a bit of a hothead, and our freshman are freshman. I've referenced it before, but Sosa's experience is his greatest asset. He's been a major contributor for 4 years. He's had a rollercoaster career starting from his stellar performance in the Texas AM game mentioned above. He's made a myriad of clutch plays, yet was famously almost asked to transfer by his head coach. He's won cuticle-chewing marquee Big East matchups, triumphed in Rupp Arena two seasons ago, has been to Elite 8s and won conference championships. Sorry to read you his resume, but sometimes it bears repeating. He's been there. He can take it. He can dish it out. We'll need his leadership on Saturday more than ever.

"Should old acquaintance be forgot..."

Happy new year's eve, Cards fans! On the last day before 2010, the CJ sports page rings out the old year with excellent coverage of the Cards, headlined by an article from Florida Today on Charlie Strong's departure from Florida. Meanwhile, with the South Florida game nestled safely in the win column, C.L. Brown encapsulates the victory as the rightful prologue to Saturday's epic showdown, including this nugget: "The Freedom Hall crowd serenaded the Cardinals with chants of 'Beat UK' as the final seconds ticked off the clock." Goosebumps. Bozich also writes a good UK preview column, based on Sosa's thoughts heading into Rupp:

"That will be like walking into hell," the University of Louisville senior guard
said. "They want blood. We know that."

Kudos on the coverage, CJ. As the countdown both to midnight and to the Kentucky game inches closer to the critical hour, the eager anticipation of every Cards fan will only intensify. Happy new year to all, and may our celebrations be merry.

Bring It

Slimy, yet...satisfying

For a game when most of the action looked to come from a second-rate And-1 tour, I still feel remarkably good about the team right now. What's most important, we're 1-0 in the Big East, which is shaping up to be a true dogfight of a conference. Every win is a major notch, and we took care of business in that respect. The Cards pounced to an early lead, let their foot of the gas before the half, and then came out of the locker room blazing, putting the Bulls away with a 15-0 run. Then things got ugly. The only USF player that seemed capable of scoring, Dominique Jones, bizarrely seemed to intentionally foul out with about 12 minutes left. His team, not surprisingly, fell apart at the hinges after that, and seemed content to run up and down the floor making some amazingly bad passes. To their discredit, nursing a sizeable lead, the Cards were all too eager to race them to the bottom. All was worth it, however, to watch Kyle Kuric throw down a one-handed alleyoop that surely made his high-flying UofL forefathers proud. Other thoughts...

* Again, Sosa played with remarkable poise. Earlier in the year most fans were perplexed, wondering in a hypothetical crunch time situation, which player would you want taking the last shot? For my money, that question's been answered. It's Sosa, hands down.

* I don't want to get too excited by the two jump shots knocked down by Sharphead, but they did look pretty smooth didn't they? If he does have some midrange game, it makes me wonder if he's being misused somewhat.

* Samardo played great again. When he's giving 100% effort, he's a true force in the paint. He has great hands, always commands a double-team, and can seemingly get to the foul line whenever he wishes.

* Speaking of foul shots...yikes. Not time to panic yet though.

* Except for Jared Swopshire, our only shining light from the charity stripe. He's playing really good basketball right now, and seems to have a perfect beat on what he can and can't do, focusing on making positive contributions without trying to do too much. I'm glad he's playing with confidence, because he's going to have a big challenge on Saturday if he's matched up on Patterson.

Good win. Epic dunk. On to the Cats.

Views from Florida

I think it's safe to say that fans of Florida will keep a close eye on Charlie Strong's progress at Louisville with a mixture of both appreciation and some"what if" longing. Their goodwill may soon sour, however, if Strong continues to pull elite athletes from their backyard. Here are excellent articles from the Orlando Sentinel on Strong's immediate splash on the Florida recruiting landscape here and here, and another on Georgia decommit, and likely Cardinal, B.J Butler here. And this line from the latter was just too great...

"Ex-Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong's exodus to Louisville has caused plenty of stir around the SEC region, and most of it has had a magnetic pull toward the Cardinals. In fact, Butler said late Christmas Eve that he will decommit Georgia if offered by Strong."

Pinch me.

Elvis Duuuuuuuuuuumervil

Former Cardinal and current NFL force Elvis Dumervil made his first Pro Bowl today. Here's the NFL sack leader doing 5 good minutes on PTI from earlier in the season...

Where have all the fistpumps gone? Duh duh na, duh duh na...

It's been a rocky start to co-captain Jerry Smith's senior campaign. His shot's been off, and his defense is good, but often too handsy. Even when he has played well he has gotten most of his points by going to the basket, not from behind the arc, where his bread is supposed to be buttered.

Whether he's feeling intimidated by Knowles' play, nursing lingering injuries, or suffering the pressures of being a new young dad, everyone seems to have a theory to explain Jerry's struggles. He's just been too reliable for three seasons to all of the sudden disappear. A buddy of mine told me a new one last night, sheerly speculative of course, but interesting nonetheless. Remember in the preseason when Jerry's off-season conditioning was praised, Pitino raving that he was entering the season in the best shape of his life? Well, his theory goes that gaining strength while losing weight is good for almost everything, but not for a shooter's touch. Like a golf swing, a shooting stroke is mostly muscle memory; it's plausible that such a physical change effected him in a negative way, we are talking about milimeters here.

So, who knows? To his credit, if he's feeling frustrated he sure doesn't wear it. His attitude and energy are still terriffic. And what's more, I don't know of any fans griping as he continues to try and shoot through his struggles. He's earned that much goodwill through his career, I'm always expecting the next one to go in. Assuming the Cards can take care of business tonight, the irrational fan inside me wants him to continue to struggle for one more game, so he'll be fully poised for a breakout performance on Saturday, a 6 for7 shooting display or something. We all know he has a sense of the moment. So Jerry, eat a donut and keep on shootin'.

Michaelee

Meet Michaelee Harris, the newest addition to what's shaping up to a truly special class for Louisville football. The 4-star receiver from Miami verballed yesterday, and is the latest indication that the pipeline of talent from the sunshine state is flowing towards the Cards. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but we're going to be good. Not right away, but we're going to be really good.

Beat the blues, then the Blue

Post-holiday depression is common. If you're like me, you may have been thrilled to receive $75 dollars worth of iTunes credit for Christmas, but then remembered that there hasn't been a decent song released in 9 months. Seriously, my favorite song on the radio right now is that Britney Spears song about threesomes. Something's gotta give. What was I talking about? Oh yea, the point is that UofL cannot afford a night of post-holiday malaise. This game against USF, a classic trap, is important. It's been commented on incessantly, and maybe I'm projecting my own insecurities about this team a tad, but momentum is paramount. This team doesn't have a light switch; it can't just start playing dominant basketball. We need to get better by steady accretion. Things are starting to click. Take care of business tonight and we can enter Rupp on Saturday with quiet confidence.

Samardo's team

With apologies to Edgar and Jerry, the last two games have reinforced my conviction that Samardo Samuels is the key to our season. Against Louisiana Lafayette, the Cards played horrible offensive basketball. I actually left that game deeply uncertain about our chances for the season. However, offensive rebounding can forgive a thousand sins (That's a Pitino witticism, right?), and Samuels pulled down 15 boards including 9 (!) offensive to go with his 29 points, leading the offensively hapless Cards to a fifteen point victory. Against Radford, Samuels again led the way with 18 points and 14 rebounds, 5 of them offensive, despite being guarded by legit big man Art Parakhouski. I was also impressed with the way Samardo ran the floor and made difficult shots in transition. The rest of the Cards played much better than they did against Lafayette, and Louisville won by 25. Even against weaker competition, what's important to take away is that the Cards found ways to control each game and win handily despite not playing their best ball -- so long as Samardo shows up ready to bang around down low, rebound the ball, and get out on the break. I think this basic calculus is true of every game on the Cardinals' schedule.

The Man

How good does Tom Jurich look right now? In the wake of Urban Meyer's waffling, Jurich nailed it, sounding classy and confident throughout the brief but tense episode. He expressed the appropriate concern about Meyer's  health (I had forgotten about their relationship) and even stated that because Strong had only been at Louisville for a few weeks, he would not hold him to his buyout clause should Florida come knocking. What's more, he managed to bolster Strong's image even higher, saying of course the Gators will want him, he's that good. I'm not suggesting that Jurich's concern for Urban Meyer was disingenuous, but it's possible to be both shrewd and honest. Tom Jurich displayed again why he's the best in the business. Kudos.

Louisville-Radford highlights

America's World Class Beer

This player from Radford, now hairier, fascinated me. He looked like the brewmaster for Samuel Adams.

What's My Name

Men and women deserve to be called what they wish. Bob Valvano informed us during the Radford game that emerging glue guy Kyle Kuric's name is pronounced "cure-ic", not "cuh-ric". So save the latter for sexy newsladies. And for the record, Reginald Delk prefers to be called just that, not "Reggie". Here's the most infamous name clarification in sporting history; Ali at his most colorful and cruel, not the teddy-beared image put out there by some media.



In Ali's defense, refs are there for a reason. What's he supposed to do, stop punching?

New Year's Resolution

I hate UK. Always have. During the Dream Game in '92, I cheered wildly for Duke. And I hated Duke too, but my 9-year old antipathy for the Wildcats knew no bounds, and still doesn't. In some ways it's hard to explain. I learned fanhood from my Dad, a passionate Louisville fan to be sure, but no "hater". But for better or worse, it's been a part of who I am, and I've never thought it that abnormal. Just a regular level of loathing most fans feel towards an archrival.

All changed with the hiring of one John Calipari, when big blue nation decided to become a big blue parody of itself. From that moment on, with all the subsequent fallout, my hatred for UK has reached unprecedented levels. It's raw. It's visceral. And frankly, it's unhealthy.

I knew I had a problem on my hands with the sheer revulsion I felt hearing Cal's revivalist "state of the union" speech. Then I started developing a tic every time I saw a "John Wall dance" pose. I hit rock bottom recently while watching the UK-Indiana game with a couple friends. The revoltingly contrived image of Cal giving a noogie to Demarcus Cousins was just too much. I can't keep it up. Harboring an ocean of hatred, without a real outlet, just isn't sustainable. And as my parole officer says about my rampant alcoholism, I need to tamp this thing back down to a functional level.

So starting next week things are going to change. No more UK blogs, no message boards. I'll watch as little of their games as is realistic. My news will be restricted to what's in the CJ. Jabs and back-and-forth with my pre-existing UK fiends friends can continue as before, but communications with new folks will be kept perfunctory and bland. I don't want to know where they are, or what they do. When they come to Freedom Hall I want to know 24 hours in advance, so I won't be there. Like the polarization of the American electorate, it's a "don't know 'em, don't wanna know 'em" situation. We'll see how it goes. Maybe I can tack a couple of years back onto my life to compensate for the ones the Kragthorpe Era took off. Starting next week, obviously.

Still got it

Good by Bills standards

Those of you that only saw Brian Brohm's underwhelming statistics from yesterday's loss to the Falcons, fear not. Apparently throwing for 146 yards with 2 picks and no TDs is pretty good by Buffalo Bills standards. Here's what interim coach Perry Fewell said about Brohm's performance...

"For a guy that came in three or four weeks ago, 30 days ago, and was thrust into a starting position, I thought he handled himself OK. He was put in a tough position. He tried to answer the challenge. I think he's got a future. More reps. More work. There's some promise there."

Though it probably says more about the Bills than Brohm, it's good to see Brian will continue to get opportunities to prove himself. I always considered him a surefire pro; I'm starting to have my doubts. Perhaps the most telling statistic from Brohm's outing was that his longest completion was for 13 yards. Remember when the Cards would sub in Hunter Cantwell for Hail Mary situations? Apparently Brohm's arm strength is his downfall. What's more, during most of his tenure at UofL, his receivers downfield were open, and I mean WIDE open. Perhaps he has struggled to thread the needle in the pros, where receivers without a defender within 15 yards are hard to come by.

Hyperventilate, then appreciate

Well, my 14 hour long panic attack is over and done with. With Urban Meyer pulling a...I'm not sure what he pulled, but the point is, he's staying at Florida in some capacity. Charlie Strong is ours, he's all ours. There's not much you can take from the odd episode, but it does reinforce the fact that Strong's hiring was indeed a homerun. A slam dunk. A...what are those things called again? Touchdown! That's it. I do think the fact that Strong was given the go-ahead to take the Louisville job means the higher ups at Florida probably did not want Strong to take the big headset, and were instead opting for a more proven head coach all along. Nevertheless, Strong was the populist choice, if you will, and was riding a groundswell of fan support during the tumultuous few hours after Urban Meyer stepped down. At the premier college football program in the nation, that tells you something. As a more concrete example, Jody Demling penned a nugget that was a little overshadowed last week. UofL is on the verge of swooping in and taking a huge commitment from the Georgia Bulldogs. Defensive stud B.J. Butler, currently commited to Georgia, will nonetheless be visiting the Louisville campus in early January. Asked if Strong makes him a scholarship offer (a no brainer) will he accept? "Yes, sir" was his reply. "I really want to play for Coach Strong."

Yes sir, indeed.

Oh Charles, I like this one

Newest Cardinal Wayne Blackshear's measurements from that game? 42-18-5. Welcome aboard, Mr. Blackshear. Now, it's not uncommon to get homesick during your freshman year. Maybe you should bring a friend.

Thoughts on "Little Brother"

Rivalry Week. When the highest love of college sports meets the lowest lows of lame cutdowns. Case in point? The term "little brother". It's hurled towards Louisville fans often by our blue brethren. It irks some, but it's never bothered me. Why? Because it's always seemed natural to me that UK have a larger, louder fanbase. The Wildcats derive support from 119 and 1/3 of the counties of Kentucky. We derive ours from the majority of Derby City. We are the underdog. The real question is why "little brother" matches UK dollar for dollar in profitability, goes head to head for every recruit, and more than holds its own in every contest involving ball, pool, or track. From Sonny and Michael Corleone, Jacob and Esau, Zach and Randy Taylor, or Joel and Ethan Coen, the "big brother" is invariably the brawny, dumb one. The younger brother is always smart and successful. Forgive me for being nonplussed.

What's more, the term "little brother" is hurled in a dismissive fashion, as if UK couldn't care less about this small rivalry. Don't believe it for a second. They follow every Cardinal move with obsession, displaying the unique Wildcat inferiority/superiority complex at every juncture. As further evidence of UK's non-caring caring of UofL, here is one of KSRs weaker links, Patrick Barker, on UK's best shot of the last decade, the Patrick Sparks-two step that downed the Cards in '04...

 #1 December 18, 2004 - Happy Feet
–So #1 is not one shot but rather 3 free throws. Louisville fans can claim he walked twice in that 2.5 second span, but it doesn’t matter. They deserved to be penalized for their senior leader (sic) fouling a jump shooter. Somehow I think we won’t need late-game heroics to win this Saturday.

Somehow, the greatest UK shot of the last decade was not in a tournament game, not a championship shot, not an epic dunk, but an acknowledged traveling violation to triumph over "little brother". Somehow, Mr. Barker, fuck off.

Louisville lights a candle

Reports are flooding in that spontaneous prayer vigils for Charlie Strong staying on as Louisville head coach are taking place across the city. Broadway is shut down after Mr. Red dragged his soapbox into the street and started ranting incessantly about the end of the world, repeating over and again, "His time cometh in this dark city; a strong man must await!"

Okay, I'm lying... no prayer vigil reports, and while Mr. Red is indeed foaming, he's locked away in his padded-walled room (installed during the Kragthorpe era) until we can make better sense of all this. Nonetheless, I don't think I exaggerate when I report that Cards fans are feeling very affected and concerned at the news that Urban Meyer (poor guy) is stepping down at Florida, at a time when Charlie Strong has yet to sign a permanent contract at Louisville. Do I think Strong could end up with the Florida job? Hypothetically, yes, but at this point there is no evidence that either party is likely to move in that direction. Apart from whether Strong would even accept the job, I don't think Florida is likely to offer it to him. Let's hope that in 24 hours or less, it will have been made clear that Strong is only looking forward to coaching the Cards next year. If, after Monday, that hasn't been made clear, then we could have a very critical situation on our hands. So, Louisville fans, say your prayers and hope for good karma -- the powers that be (and by this, I mean Tom Jurich) should do everything possible to keep Charlie Strong a Cardinal.

Here are the earliest links I've come across in this past half hour commenting on the relative likelihood of Charlie Strong's candidacy for the Florida head coaching job... Card Game, SB Nation, Palm Beach Sports, ABC News, and the CJ.