We only got 86 400 seconds in a day to turn it all around or throw it all away we gotta tell Charlie we love him while we got the chance to say gotta liiiiiive like we're dyin'

USC linebacker Jordan Campbell looks to be jumping off the stalled Trojan bandwagon and hopping on the Charlie Strong express. He has two years of eligibility left, can play immediately, and was a 4-star prospect out of high school.

You can officially color me giddy. USC has been the gold standard for producing linebackers the last 4 seasons; the list of impact players coming in to contribute immediately continues to grow.

His twitter from earlier this afternoon...

coming 2 play ball at the university of louisville coach strong is about 2 bring back football in the state of kentucky

Past and Future

Brian Brohm is turning heads in the Buffalo Bills mini-camp. He's outshining Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick, admittedly, not excatly a Herculean feat, but still. Don't be surprised to see him starting on Sundays this fall. Or at least you would if the Bills' were actually televised.

The link also provides some info on local favorite Eric Wood, who's ahead of schedule in rehab for his brutal broken leg suffered last season. (Hat tip: Ditchball)

Also, Seneca stud and future Cardinal Damarcus Smith has been invited to attend the most elite quarterback camp in the country in California, invites extended to only twelve chuckers of the pigskin. We've produced some outstanding quarterbacks from Derby City; the next chapter may outdo them all.

Random thoughts typed in 4.25 seconds

* True story. A few months ago a couple friends and I were going out to dinner around the Highlands but didn't want to go the typical Irish bar route. We instead pulled into a place a little down the road that appeared to be a functioning restaurant.

We walked in the backdoor of the establishment, stepped over some contruction materials, and began to get very wary. The place was completely empty, and for a moment we weren't sure if we were breaking and entering, the place had a haunted feel to it.

We turned a corner and the only soul in the place, a bartendress, walked by and seemed surprised to see other humans. She looked like, and stared like, one of the terrifying locals from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The place smelled like a fart. She asked if we wanted to eat, we said yes for some reason, she told us the cook wasn't there but that she could make us some sandwiches. We were confused, politely declined, and left feeling like we had just lived a Twilight Zone episode.

The point is, that place is now the Big Blue Country Bar and Grill, UK's very own Louisville watering hole. I didn't think it was possible, but the place has actually downgraded.

* Demar...umm...Demar? I've already invested some time in YouTube research on you, don't let me down. What's the hold up?

* Coach Cal's declaration that sending 5 players to the NBA last night was "like winning a national championship" sums up a lot doesn't it? But I guess he can be forgiven the gaffe since he's never actually won one.

* The recruitment of Roburt Sallie seems to have set off a firestorm of speculation that it may reflect upon Justin Coleman's academic eligibility. I don't know what Coleman's status is looking like, but I disagree with jumping to that conclusion.

The Cards are in need of experienced guards since Elisha Justice and Russ Smith, promising though they are, will still be freshman. Preston Knowles will always have a major spot on this squad, but his play in the second half of the season raised some concerns over whether he's already piqued as a player. I see Sallie's recruitment more as insurance for Preston's spot than Coleman's.

Sallie would be another threat from 3 and would add some explosiveness to our shooting guards. I think Sallie at the 2-spot and Coleman at the 3 is still the best scenario for the Cards, and until we hear otherwise, should not just fear the worst.

* Bill Simmons, per usual, does some of his best work on NBA draft night.

Samuels undrafted

Samardo Samuels' NBA aspirations took a hit last night, despite some solid workouts and some pre-draft momentum his name wasn't called. Best of luck to Mardo as he pursues a circuitous path to his NBA dreams.

Roburt

Hmm... I thought that Justin Coleman's academic status was the biggest question mark heading into next season, but, as usual, I was wrong.

The Cards may be looking to add Roburt Sallie, a 6'5'' guard transfering from Memphis. He's got one year left of eligibility, and because he graduated early, would not need to sit out a season. This would be a fine pickup for a team in need of experienced guards.

Taking pause

It's important to note that Demar Dorsey has NOT officially signed with the Cards, but all signs currently point in that direction.

In the meantime, opinions on the situation are in no short supply. Rick Bozich dedicated his column inches to the subject today, going so far as to write: "There are moments when every university decides what kind of football program it intends to have".

I have a couple problems with Bozich's position, and not just with the melodramtic opening. He states that there are "many reasons" for the decline of Louisville football, one of which was Willie Williams. This, for me, is where the logic falters.

Williams famously only played four games before being booted from the team for possession of marijuana, an "embarassing incident for the program" according to Bozich.

This has exasperated me for awhile now. Sure, it didn't turn out well, but was it really that "embarassing" for the program? UofL gave Williams a chance, he didn't fulfill his side of the bargain, he was promptly booted from the team. What exactly is so embarassing about that? Was the indelible stain of the Willie Williams Era really that bad, or was it just a blip on the radar of a ship already sinking due to captain incompetence? I don't think there's a person in the city that overestimates the impact of Willie Williams' four game Louisville career more than Rick Bozich.

His other examples are equally muddled. He mentions Nate Harris, who was arrested for robbery as a juvenile, but matured to be a leader of the Louisville defense for four seasons. So which is it, Mr. Bozich? Should Harris have not been given the opportunity either?

These situations stink. They're cliched, they're ugly, they're often tinged with racism, they can make hypocrites out of some, and holier-than-thou naysayers out of others. But so long as they are entered into with full disclosure and full communication, there's no reason why Demar Dorsey and UofL should not benefit from one another.

The "No Fly Zone" can fly

"I never really played when I was younger, I mostly just ran at the park. But then I saw some games and wanted to try it. I was pretty good at making plays right away so I just pursued it."

-Demar "No Fly Zone" Dorsey

The nickname was originally coined by high school teammate Cliff Coleman. The "No Fly Zone" was the term he gave to what he believed to be the best secondary in the state of Florida. After blowing up in his junior season, the nickname began to be solely attached to Dorsey.

He's a dream for any coach. His athleticism would be coveted by even the most gifted athletes, but he's still raw on technique and in need of mentoring. Oh, and did I mention he's fast? At the Under Armour combine in 2009 he turned heads recording a blazing 4.31/40, before coming out and topping it on his second attempt with a 4.25. In the words of Rocky's trainer Mick after he finally caught the chicken, "That's speed!" 

The times were so fast that there was originally some doubt as to their validity. Any doubts were put to rest, however, when he finished second in the state for the 100 meter dash, running it in 10.6 seconds (he would post 10.55 later in the year). He was bested only by his cousin who ran 10.44, second best in the nation that year. Aw, hell, just see for yourself. Watch him turn on the jets after picking off a pass at the 2:10 mark...

Dorsey on Dorsey

So long, Walter

Last week Walter McCarty took the assistant coaching position with the Indiana Pacers. While I appreciate his seasons of service to the Cards, the fact that I didn't feel the need to break our 4-day radio silence with the news sums up my feelings towards the situation.

The Cards need some new blood alongside Pitino on the sidelines. Before he successfully wooed new big man Gorgui Dieng, most were uncertain just what McCarty's accomplishments were with the Cardinals. He's apparently one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, but I think Pitino's circle had become a tad too clannish in recent years. That's a natural reaction for an embattled public figure, but it can do a disservice to the program as a whole. What's more, I don't think it's too early to start thinking about the future and a transfer of power. I'd like to see a dynamic recruiter with the potential to one day take over the Big Chair.

Best of luck to you, Walter. On to the future.   

Don't call my name, don't call my name, Charliestron-go

Soren Kierkegaard once said, "Without risk there is no faith". In that spirit, the Cardinal faithful need to take a leap in support of bringing aboard Demar Dorsey, the troubled but immensely talented defensive back formerly committed to Michigan.

There's no sugarcoating his past. He was charged with participating in as many as three burglaries while a juvenile in Broward County, Florida, but was later acquitted. Though he meets the NCAA academic requirements, he did not meet the Wolverine's standards and was denied admission. It took Charlie Strong less than 48 hours to scoop him up.

Is he worth it? Absolutely. In a thin and depleted secondary, he'll play immediately. He's a hardhitting ballhawk, the physical presence that's been missing in the Cardinal secondary for seasons. Dorsey could be the cortisone shot of swagger and intimidation that sets the tone on the defensive side of the ball.

I never understood the backlash against taking a chance on these type of players. The Willie Williams experiment, failure though it was, always seemed overblown to me. What's the harm in giving a kid a chance, putting him on a short leash, and if he screws it up, suspend him or kick him off the team? You don't want a team full of question marks, but if put in the right culture surrounded by the right people, the dividends can pay off.

Demar Dorsey could possibly be the best player on the Louisville defense next season. If he gets his shit together, his own comeback story could mirror that of the Cardinal defense. Watch the highlights below, the kid is a human freight train. The hit at the :57 second mark is bonecrushing.