Charlie Strong postgame from last night

Gasps are audible when Strong announces Anthony Conner's career-ending injury, about a minute in.

Huh?

Strange intro to the ESPN recap of last night's game...

Louisville coach Charlie Strong knows his very young Cardinals still have lots of growing up left. And after a career-ending injury to teammate Anthony Conner, the work ahead will be easier coming off a win.

Anthony Conner's career "probably over"

Awful, awful news.

When it came time to talk about Conner after the game, Strong had to stop several times.

“Anthony Conner, it's so sad,” Strong said. “Our prayers go out to him and his family, but he ended up breaking his neck. He isn't paralyzed, but, uh . . . “ 

“His career will probably be over,” he said. “When he was on the field, he was talking. He would squeeze your hand. I just found out, right during a timeout during the game (about the broken neck).

I loved that kid at cornerback. He played with inspiration. As Crawford noted, at least he walks away from this. Story here.

Always a Cardinal Anthony.

Friday Night Flight: Louisville Ends Losing Streak, Beats Rutgers 16-14

Big win tonight for the Louisville Cardinals against historical Cardinal-killer Rutgers.

A reassuring win, powered by Jeremy Wright's career-high 108 yards on only 11 carries.

A much-needed win, keyed by a few deft throws -- minus an endzone interception -- from Teddy Bridgewater.

A Charlie Strong-style win to be sure, as only a late game interception by Dexter Heyman sealed the deal for the Cards following an entire quarter of nail-biting uncertainty, but which capped another inspiring, clutch team performance. They were the most impressive of all.

Stats here.

More from us to come in the next few days. For now, let it ring solidly into the evening: Louisville owns Friday Night.

GO CARDS!

Game Time

BEAT RUTGERS.


Game available here.

Big East Media Day, part 2

So, like I was sayin' the food was terrific. And since the buffet room was cramped and the sitting space premium, a couple other competitors and I asked USF coach Stan Heath if we could sit next to him (the Louisville contingent had already made a quick exit, no doubt with Rick asking Kenny Klein: I said what? I said WHAT? Oh, hell). So we plopped down with Coach Heath, who was very nice and chatty. Stud big man Augustus Gilchrist was also at the table, and let's just say I wasn't as impressed. He came off as a little cocky and immature; he was putting off some bad vibes. Hell of a player though, and likely NBA-bound after this year. He and Yancy Gates were the two most physically intimidating guys to stand next to.

* Jay Wright. Handsome? Yes. As dreamy as he appears on TV? Not so much. He looked a little horsey.

* Oh, Rick. I was standing pretty close when he uttered his now famous infidelity-analogy. And I think a small blip went off in my brain at the time, but I didn't register just how bad a faux-pas it was till I read it in the New York Post the next day.

It never ceases to amaze me how someone so capable and shrewd, someone so comfortable in front of a microphone, can still be so tone-deaf at times. It's almost as if he's trying to set himself up for mockery. We've known for awhile, but we keep getting reminded that a part of Rick's filter broke off some time ago, and the occasional cringeworthy quote is just something we have to live with. As long as he can coach up his basketball team, however, none of that stuff truly matters.

* Very discouraging quotes from Pitino about the Wayne Blackshear situation; he said he expects a decision within two-weeks. Meaning, even if Blackshear is cleared to play he will likely miss the beginning of the exhibition season, and Pitino was quick to point out that Blackshear hasn't played high-level basketball in over 6 months, so expectations should be tamped down of what he'll be able to contribute right away.

And then he went on to say that with Wayne Blackshear, this can be a great Louisville team, and without him, we'll still be very good. I don't want to be hearing any "without Wayne Blackshear" talk just yet. I still don't think I've fully wrapped my brain around the repurcussions of losing out on another prospect, this time one that Louisville fans have been eagerly anticipating for two years. I'm not ready to face that reality yet, so let's just wait and see what the NCAA has to say.

* I asked Rick if he planned on using the "2 out of every 3 conference games" gimmick or anything similar for this season. He said no, that strategy was specifically tailored for a young team many thought would struggle to be .500 in the Big East. This team has greater expectations.

* I asked Siva about his Homecoming King nomination and he laughed and said none of that matters close to winning the Big East.

* I asked Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith about, ughh, see Part 1. Sigh.

...and predictions

What will it take for Louisville to score inside the twenty? Assuming the same competency from our defense that we've seen in previous few weeks, this game is a win if Louisville can convert on two, maybe even just one red zone visit. Putting seven points on the board to end a concerted drive would also do wonders for our team psyche,  rather than blunting our own momentum with a disappointing field goal attempt -- or worse.

But how do you do it? If I knew the answer for this particular squad, I might be next in line for offensive coordinator (as is, I think I'm seventh). I do know that with the offensive philosophy in place, for better or worse it's going to have to require one of our running backs breaking out for 70-plus yards. We've seen how this offense functions without 100 plus yards rushing. It doesn't.

Looking at the stats for last week... 41 yards on 17 carries from Brown... 25 yards on 6 carries from Jeremy Wright... I can't be too certain exactly where it's going to come from tonight. But let's go with Wright, who's due for a breakout performance. Jeremy finally puts a good game together and hints again at all that potential he showed on the field last year. He might not eclipse seventy yards, but somehow he'll power his way in for that elusive rushing touchdown.

Provided an improved running game, another competent performance with flashes of brilliance to come from Bridgewater, and solid play from our offensive line, the Louisville defense will take care of the rest. Rutgers may have an impressive wideout in Mohamed Sanu, but the Bedford Blitz will ruin freshman quarterback Gary Nova's poise and make it impossible for him to deliver the ball that way. Let's call this one for the Cards 24-10. Player of the Game: Wright. Go Cards!

Missouri dithers; Geno speaks some truth

The Mizzou bigwigs had a big press conference today to announce...nothing. That they are still exploring their options, will pursue the best interests of the university blah blah blah. So all the contingent shuffling stalls again, and sportwriters and fans are left to wail and gnash teeth.

But with the complex maneuverings being negotiated, UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma applied some pretty simple logic to the situation at Media Day, and blasted Notre Dame failing the Big East. His words...

In this whole thing, it's only one sure thing, Notre Dame doesn't play football in our league and that's a bone of contention with a lot of us. They don't play in our league and they never want to play in our league. To a lot of us, it's a huge problem.

They've been in our league 18 years (sic), something like that. How long are we going to date before we decide this just ain't working? I'm not happy about it. That's not the opinion of the University of Connecticut, the Big East conference, my president, my athletic director. That's just Geno Auriemma's opinion. I'm pissed about it

If Notre Dame had come in as a football and basketball school when they came in, we wouldn't have a problem with this (expansion), Miami wouldn't have left. Virginia Tech wouldn't have left. Boston College wouldn't have left.

We probably wouldn't have any of these issues. It's one school that holds the future of our league in the palm of their hands and they're really not that concerned about it

They're looking out for their best interest and I don't blame them. But join us in football and then look out for your own best interest. I just don't like the way we've gone about it.

Tough to argue with him. Notre Dame could still be the silver bullet that ends the madness. Not holding my breath though.

Predictions predictions...

Vegas hasn't given up on these Cardinals, so neither should we. It's become clear that this season is about laying the foundation for the future and learning, as Charlie Strong puts it, "how to win". I think the lesson begins to sink in this week.

We won't see any miracles. But our rugged defense can carry the burden to keep us in the game in the first half. And finally, finally, at long last, our offense will find the endzone. I expect more deep balls this week, attempting to relight the downfield magic from the UK win. When that train whistle finally sounds off, like a Viking war horn, I think it could break the spell that has ensnared this offense to date.

Our receivers have to win the day. Teddy Bridgewater's accuracy hasn't always been pinpoint, but still, too many drives are being stalled with drops on catchable balls. I forsee another statistically solid but not spectacular game from TB; with 240 yards passing, a TD and an INT. The defense will force 2 turnovers, and Dominique Brown will rush for paydirt as well.

If the Cards can score a touchdown in the first half and exorcise that demon, then this team will take that big step forwards we've all been waiting for. Final score: Cards 20-17. Player of the game? Andrell Smith.

Big East Media Day, part 1

Because of renovations being done at Madison Square Gardens, 2011 Big East Media Day was moved to the historic New York Athletic Club. The Club is a New York landmark; built in 1868, it was traditionally the training grounds for Olympic athletes and its members have won over 230 Olympic medals. It's an old structure, the kind with overbearing wooden decor and ugly carpeting. For some reason, it seemed like a perfect place for this year's Big East Media Day, another institution struggling between a proud past and an uncertain future.

My experience of the experience...

-Rick Pitino was a star attraction, surrrounded by a sizable mob of reporters for most of the afternoon. And he wasn't talking about Gorgui Dieng's improvement either. Apparently the word is out that Rick is one of the few coaches eager to share his thoughts on conference realignment, and to this crowd, that was like chum in the water. He talked expansion, he talked ACC, he talked Big 12, he talked loyalty and history. He talked so long the first wave of reporters trickled away and were replaced by others. Then they were replaced.

-I felt really sorry for the players dragged to this thing. The coaches are the ones providing all the quotes, and the guys looked soooo bored. UofL's Peyton Siva, Chris Smith, and Kyle Kuric were no exception. Occassionally someone would waltz up to ask a silly question about defense or something and they would perk up for a moment, but mostly they just sat, stared, and fumbled with their phones.

-One side-effect I noticed when being in a room with so many famous people is that I start to see famous people everywhere. I would get so amped by all the basketball starpower around me that I start imagining things: "Holy crap is that Oscar Robertson?!? No, no, that's just some dude."

-The teams go through Media Day in shifts. So while half the teams were on the 2nd floor going through the formal interview wringer, the other half were on the 9th floor being made available for general press questions at separate tables. When the Louisville contingent finished and left their table, I walked up, noticed they had left behind the programs, player notes, water glasses...and the pretty slick UofL placard. So I took a look around and yoink, had myself a nice addition to the Cards wall in my mancave.

I walked around with it in my notebook and materials for like an hour or so, and then right before we're about to leave some passive-aggressive little twerp walks up to me and says...

PALT: Excuse me, are you finished with that?

RED: I'm sorry?

PALT: Are you finished with that (taps placard) Can I put that back on the table now?

RED: Well, the Louisville team's not here anymore. They left.

PALT: (that clearly didn't know that) Oh, well, what do you want it for?

RED: I dunno, a souvenir.

PALT: Well, I'd like it back. We may use it again next year.

I don't know why little stuff like this bothers me so much. My car could get stolen and I'd be like, eh, cars get stolen. But I'll be stewing over this for the next two weeks. It did get a good line from Villanova Fan though, who said: "You should have told him you were taking it to the Big 12.

 - 2 for 2 for media events with free food. And this spread was incredible. A sprawling banquet of a buffet of high-quality fare. It looked like the scene in "Hook" when Pan can see all the food for the first time.

-I still want to hate Jim Calhoun, but I did see him do something nice. He was eating at the UConn table, obviously, and he was kinda of sitting against the wall, and a someone in the wait staff tripped over his chair and rattled stuff around and that may have spilled on him. She was mortified, but he was kind, said it was no big deal, don't worry about it. It was a small thing, but it was done when no one was really watching, so that's something. Nahhhh, still a jerk.

-During the questioning, I had a pleasant little back and forth with Peyton Siva and even asked Rick Pitino two questions that he answered thoughtfully. But then I went to the well one too many times which resulted in some awkwardness with Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith.

Looking back, I think I made two mistakes. One, you never should approach a player, espcially one known for his shyness, without a clear plan of how you want the questioning to go. Two, I made eye contact too early. Kuric and Smith were just sitting over there twiddling thumbs, and I was overcome with the sudden urge of, I'm gonna go talk to them. So I started over confidently, and Kuric looks up and we make eye contact a good 30 feet away. So there's a few moments of buildup here, some "oh lord, why's this guy staring at me and what's he gonna say" going on.

But undeterred, I get there and say hi, introduce myself. I asked them something about if they get to have any fun while they're in the city, or just media stuff.

Kuric: We went out to dinner last night.

Cool, cool. Do you guys think about how this is the last year of the Big East as it stands now, do you talk about how it'd be special to win it in the final season when it's at its peak?

Kuric: Well, we want to win it anyways.

I laugh awkwardly. Then realize I don't really have any more questions. And you have to realize that while I'm addressing Kuric, Chris Smith is giving me an unblinking stare that betrays no human emotion. But not ready to turn away, just blurt out, um, so what are your thoughts on Kevin Keatts? Is he a hands on coach more of a recruitier (trail off)...

Kuric: (awkward pause) He's more of a recruiter.

Longer pause. Alright! Thanks guys! Walk away quickly. I also looked over my shoulder in shame to see Kuric and Smith share a "what the hell was that?" look. At that moment I really needed to be able to call Phillip Seymour Hoffmann in "Almost Famous" to berate me: "You didn't try to make make friends with them did you? You are not cool. You are NOT cool."

-The best thing about Media Day is that almost everyone there has some sort of interesting story. When we were eating lunch, the room was crowded, and a small squirrelly man walks over and asks if he can take the last seat at our table. Turns out, he's the play by play announcer for Villanova and has been for years. And those guys are like archivists of knowledge. So he was great to talk with if you peppered him with questions like what was the best team you ever saw? Oh, back in '98 we had a stellar team. I can listen to that kind of stuff all day.

OK. Pause, I gotta catch a flight. Part II tomorrow. Louisville here I come.

Media Day Marathon

Whew. What a whirlwind. Big East Media Day wrapped up a little while ago from the New York Athletic Club, though I'm pretty sure Rick Pitino is still talking somewhere.

In case you haven't been following Cardinal Laws closely (first, shame on you), Mr. Red has kicked off a campaign to be named the "Big East Fan of the Year" in a contest sponsored by Volvo. The competition has representatives from all the 16 Big East schools, and will run for five months with a number of blogging "challenges" throughout the season. There will be ways for you to support me in the near future if you so choose, so I'll keep you posted on that.

But the first event in this endeavor was attending Big East Media Day. For someone who still damn near wets himself if he sees Larry O'Bannon at Speedway, as you can imagine, this was quite a thrill. Just like the old city itself, Media Day is complete and surreal overload. The whole thing goes by like a weird dream: Oh look, there's Ashton Gibbs doing calisthenics in a suit in the hallway. Is that Jim Nantz? He's really tall. Wow, Bob Huggins is using the urinal right next to me. Yancy Gates is over there laying on the floor for some reason. Damn, Jamie Dixon can eat a lot of potato salad.

And as much as I like to generate faux-animosity, all the contestants from the other schools that I spoke with were really cool and very knowlegeable about their teams. It's gonna be a tough battle.

Right now, I'm off to make the most of the rest of my trip and explore Gotham. Tune in tomorrow for my full Big East Media Day recap, with thrilling topics like...what did Mr. Red get caught trying to steal from the event? Did he bury the hatchet with crotechety old Jim Calhoun? How embarassingly bad was his little video interview for the contest that will soon be posted online? And, what did Mr. Red do to creep out Chris Smith and Kyle Kuric?

It was a lot of fun. See you tomorrow. Go Cards.

Charlie Strong signs contract extension through 2018

From the CJ:

The University of Louisville has agreed to a seven-year contract extension with football coach Charlie Strong, that will increase his base from $1.6 million to $2.3 million annually through June 30, 2018.

The contract, which was announced Tuesday although it has not been formally completed, will include plenty of financial incentives for Strong to stay at U of L. If he’s still the coach on June 30, 2015, he will receive a bonus of $1.25 million, plus a $1 million annuity to be paid when he’s 65. He will also receive loyalty bonuses of $1 million in 2016, $200,000 in 2017 and another $200,000 in 2018.

U of L fans know, of course, that these lucrative offers don't always guarantee a talented coach's service through the duration of that contract. Nonetheless, this is good news and it sends the right message about our program right when the prospects of this ugly business of conference realignment is hanging in the balance. 

Link here.

Former UofL offensive coordinator...

Mike Sanford. Charlie Strong provided finality to the saga after practice today, and surprising no one, announced that Mike Sanford is no longer with the program.

CJ story here, with video.

So long Mike, we barely knew ye. Evidenced by the fact that I often called you Mark. It's all Watson from here on.

Quote of the Day

"A lot of times when you look at it we're waiting for something bad to happen. It's not going to just happen, create opportunities for something good to happen for you."

-Charlie Strong, today

There's a lot of understandable frustration, but one silver-lining I think, is that like last week, Charlie Strong still seems able to diagnose the problems and evaluate the performances perfectly. Laugh if you want, and of course, being able to diagnose means nothing if you can't eventually correct those weaknesses, but I still maintain it's a legit feather in a coach's cap.

Losing is never fun, but it's even worse if your coach says things after a loss from way out in left field like, "I liked our poise on offense" when the offense stunk or "Focus wasn't a problem" when you have 11 penalties.

I think the quote above perfectly captures our offensive woes. The unit plays scared, especially in crunchtime moments; you have to make plays, instead of waiting for someone else to step up. Trite, maybe, but true. And we won't break through until they start playing with more confidence in themselves. Like Strong said: Time to grow up.

Hold the dictaphone! Mr. Red gets press pass for Red-White scrimmage

We're trying to strike the iron while hot. Well, warm at least. No, no, hot's appropriate. A nice, medium-heat iron, that's what we're cookin' with at Cardinal Laws.

I just turned in my first sports column for "The Paper" that will run November 1, so check it out at newsstands, I'm excited about it. And I depart for the Big Apple tomorrow to defend the Louisville crown in the "Biggest Fan of the Big East" competition. So it seemed like a good time to contact the venerable Kenny Klein to inquire about press credentials. Busy with Tipoff Luncheon stuff no doubt, Kenny didn't get back with me till Friday afternoon, but when he did, he brought the excellent news that a press credential would be waiting for me at media will-call for the Red-White scrimmage Friday night.

I changed attire quickly into a green sweatshirt (gotta respect the rules) and headed out. Thoughts on the game, and my first exercise as member of the media...

* The secret is out on my ultra-secret downtown parking space. It was shut down, so I had to scramble to park and make tipoff. The quest for a new secret space begins next week.

* I asked about 5 security guards for directions to the media will call window and got 5 different answers. But I finally found the right one, received my pass that you must loop through your belt, and was accessed through the bowels of the Kayefseum.

And impressive bowels they were. Granted, I don't have much to compare to, but I did sell Dippin' Dots at games and concerts during my undergrad days at Murray State, so I can say with certainty that these behind- the-scenes amenities were much nicer.

* I walked up the player ramp just in time for the black-out introductions, which was quite a thrill from floor level. When the lights came on I found my seat, 3 rows back behind the goal.

* The arena was nowhere near capacity. If I had to Rainman it, I'd guess 13,000. And I don't want to go all "Occupy Wall Street", but it did strike me as dumb that there were two tickets sold; $10 for lower bowl and $5 for upper. What you get is a 3/5ths-full lower level, with plenty of premium seats still available, and large pockets of fans in the "Galactic Senate" chambers above. How 'bout you just sell a $5 general admission ticket (or free, a novel concept) and at least pack the lower bowl to capacity. That stuff matters. Ask Derek Willis.

Oh well. I was in the 3rd row getting hit by sweat, so concern for my nose-bled Cardinal brethren faded quickly once the ball was tipped.

* OK, a creepy run through of some player physiques. Chane's body is as advertised, noticeably better than the last time we saw him in the Bahamas. Especially the upper body, he's got some pythons. Gorgui looks the part too, and wears his added bulk well. But he was winded early; strangely, Gorgui gained his legs and lungs more as the game went on. Zach Price also impressed me from a physical standpoint; he's further along than I expected.

But the prize pig in this little eye-test was Peyton Siva, who looked like a sports car out there. He's much stronger, but hasn't lost a nanosecond of speed, and his body control is through the roof. Seeing him sky for a rebound, whip the ball behind his back and push tempo to full speed in one motion was the most encouraging sight of the scrimmage.

* Rick was mic-ed up for the event, so you could hear all his instructions and quips; he was in his element, as you can imagine. But the funniest parts were when he forgot he was live. One time, Zach Price got a pretty bad cut on his hand and was getting treatment. Pitino walked over and you could hear him say "Not till halftime, wait till halftime". Price kinda shrugged, got bandaged up, and went back in on the next play. Rick proudly announced to the crowd: "Zach needs some stitches. But he told me, I'm from Louisville. I'm tougher than that". Umm, ok, Coach. If you say so.

* But the common refrain to Rick's barking was the "Let's go let's go let's go" that echoed every rebound. This was no walk-through or showcase, the guys were going hard. They pushed tempo on every possession and were sucking wind at every whistle.

* Kyle Kuric's girlfriend came through our section wearing jeans and a UofL tee; about 30 men suffered sprained necks as a result. Not me though, I'm a media professional.

* My other observation from the first half was that guys need to finish better. They were attacking the lane and the rim impressively, but touch around the basket was missing.

* Halftime. I followed the media peeps back down the player ramp, and was doing my best to pretend this was all old-hat for me. But then I took a wrong turn somewhere off of the media path and went down the player path. I wound up outside the locker room, guarded by Rakeem Buckles, with trainer types whispering and doing trainer things. The funny thing was that nobody stopped me, proving once again that 98% is just trying to look like you know what you're doing. I did an about face back to the media confines after giving Buckles the ultra smooth "Sup, Rock?" line.

* Buckles in warm ups was a sad sight. The guy just exudes "elite power forward". I really hope his luck changes the second half of his college career.

* The media room is really cool. I'd heard legends of sportswriters' penchant for free food and the stories appear to be true; there was a buffet spread. I was too excited to eat, but I did get some coffee at the same time as Kenny Klein and thanked him. He was polite but I'm pretty sure he had no recollection of emailing me 2-hours prior. I also worked up the nerve to introduce myself to Rick Bozich and Eric Crawford who were sitting together. They were both very friendly and down to earth.

* The other funny thing I witnessed was when Andre McGee was taking care of some young recruits. They were milling about and McGee was hooking them up with food and such. One had a plate and was eating standing-up in the hallway, a mere 15 feet from the media room where everyone else was feasting. McGee left momentarily, and a security guard came flying in and starting yelling: "You can't eat out here! You can't eat out here! I'm sorry, those are the rules".

The recruit had a look on his face like most adolescents would in a similar situation. He was young, I didn't recognize him, he looked to be a few years down the road. But still, let's ease up on those eating-rules in future situations. I don't want to lose the next great small forward because Barney Fife the security guard can't risk some spilled pasta.

* Alright, this is running long, so I'll quick hit the rest. Transfer Luke Hancock struggled mightily early on. But he and Pitino are clearly still in the honeymoon period, because Hancock and Siva were the only guys immune from Pitino's criticism.

* Swop looked good, fu manchu and all. He can be the glue guy for this team that does a little bit of everything.

* I'm running out of reasons to doubt Russ Smith. He can flat out ball.

* Samardo Samuels is huge and I got to exchange an awkward handshake/hi-five with him, always fun. But I think he may have gone overboard with some, umm, allergy medicine before the game, cause his in-game interview was nigh incomprehensible.

* There was another recruit I didn't recognize that was blatantly burning a hole through the Ladybirds during a performance and taking video with his cell phone. Forget facilities, the Ladybirds may be the best recruiting tool we have.

* Chane can do more than bang in the post. I hope Pitino lets him explore the perimeter, he can be a complete player.

* The final play of the game was very exciting, more than a scrimmage should be. Pitino had promised a Siva victory, which looked to be jeopardy. The crowd rose to its feet, the place got loud, and Peyton Siva started biding his time, milking the clock, dribbling stylishly. Then he made his move, blitzed to the basket, stutter-stepped and drained an acrobatic layup. It was a la UConn game, a la Syracuse game, a la Allah. White team victory.

I immediately looked over at Pitino. He had a knowing smile.

Wayne Blackshear not yet cleared by NCAA

Rick Pitino broke the news to CBS sports today that Wayne Blackshear has yet to be given the nod from the NCAA clearinghouse to be eligible to play this year. When asked about the situation, Rick said:

They're being a lot tougher this year than they have been in the past. But Wayne's situation is, I think, pretty good. We are optimistic.

I think UofL fans can be forgiven for the "here we go again" sentiment. I've never seen anything like it. It's extra frustrating because it appears Rick has been covering up the situation by claiming Blackshear has been slow rehabbing, and cannot play because he is morbidly obese. If fans are quick to hit the panic button, it's because it is a situation where the cover-up is worse than the transgression. Players routinely get held up by the NCAA, but the fact that Pitino is dropping this on us now only adds to the perception that he's lost control.

Hopefully it will be a moot point. But still awful news for what has been a craptastic 48-hours for Cards fans.