Quick thoughts on Cincinnati, Kragthorpe and the remainder of the '09 season
by Mike Rutherford on Oct 27, 2009 10:08 AM EDT
in Football
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PrintI've mentioned the numb feeling I have regarding the Louisville football program multiple times over the course of this season. It's the reason behind the lack of stimulating (or at least wordy) postgame and pregame blather on this site.
I still care and I still want the Cards to win every time they take the field, it's just that now, with rare exception, I expect them to lose and am not surprised in the least when they lose by a lot.
That's really all I can say. This sucks.
I caught a little bit of the press conference yesterday and Steve Kragthorpe is the happiest head coach who hasn't won a conference game in over a year ever. I suppose it's just that he's come to terms with the fact that he's done here and that the Derby City is never going to view him in a particularly positive light.
Or maybe he's thinking about the fact that he's being paid more than a million dollars to do a job he's been consistently terrible at for 36 months. I'd probably smile and tell jokes in situations where it seems ridiculous too.
I'm being 100% serious when I say this: my biggest focus for the rest of the season is keeping people healthy for next year.
The whole "Vic isn't healthy enough to start but he's healthy enough to play sparingly" thing is maddening. It won't happen, but the best thing for the program is probably for No. 20 to be shelved for the rest of the season. Darius Ashley's talent is becoming evident, Bilal Powell is playing hard: go ahead and protect your best player so that he can be used by a coach with at least some degree of competence.
I know how much he loves Louisville and how much Louisville loves him, but I wish I could go back in time six years and tell Scott Long to go play college ball somewhere else. No one deserves what's happened here less than he does.
Can you name one player who looks like he's gotten better over the course of the season?
I had a former player tell me after taking in a practice this spring that this team "really wasn't all that far behind the Orange Bowl team in terms of talent," but that the difference was none of these guys were going to improve under this staff. I'm not sure how much I agree with the first part of the statement, but the second definitely appears to be spot on.
Our ninth reason to be excited about the 2009 season was having a game on Halloween. While what's taking place on the field Saturday is likely to be less than appealing, the show in the stands should be interesting.
The folks at Bag Krag are attempting to "set the Guinness World Record for Bagging Krag," and they're apparently receiving a healthy amount of support.
We’re going to have complimentary paper bags and, in the spirit of Halloween, plenty of markers and accessories to decorate your bag. Don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of world history
There will be more details to come as the week progresses. In the meantime, please continue Bagging Krag and filling our inbox with photos.
The folks at Inside the Cards are also in on the act, and justify it here.
The "I was hoping Tony Pike would play" comment was unbelievably ridiculous, and Eric Crawford did a terrific job of addressing it yesterday.
If Steve Kragthorpe were retained for another season, I'd set the over/under of the subsequent Zack Stoudt transfer announcement at 30 seconds.
I don't understand Kragthorpe's animosity towards Brian Kelly. Is this really still because some of his players prayed around the Cardinal logo last year? Or because they were hired at the same time and Kelly has won about 73 more Big East games?
Has there ever been a head coach who's been so consistently awful with timeouts? It's borderline amazing. I really do think the man is just completely overwhelmed during games.
We are currently just a four-point favorite for a home game against a 2-4 Arkansas State team. Let that sink in for a second. Three years ago at this time we were an undefeated month away from playing for the national championship.
How in the hell did this happen?
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Sucking the air out of the ball
"Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope." My “hope” football is going flat, damn it.
About that going back in time thing
Don’t you wish you go back and convince Jurich to hire Kelly instead?
remember when the WRs were running all over the place? ahhh.... those were the days...
"Long is a holdover from when those receivers were running all over the place at Louisville when I got here," (Brian) Kelly said. "He’s an outstanding receiver. You can see this thing coming together (for Louisville)." – CJ
Scott is the man, I hope gets a shot on Sundays.
The uc praying around the logo controversy
Might be the most ridiculous thing of the krag era. How it ever became something to be talked about is head scratching. At least we have exhibition basketball tomorrow
by cardscott5 on Oct 27, 2009 12:48 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
You said it
it’s boring at this point. Coach K says the same things over and over, does the same things over and over and he gets the same results over and over. Enough with the excuses! Mike has it right. Keep the kids healthy and happy so they can have a productive year(s) under a coach who can be proactive and reactive as needed.
Basketball!
Go Cards!
Maddie in Portland, Oregon
Think of one memorable thing Kragthorpe has said in the past 3 years.
Seriously. One memorable thing. He’s been here three years and left us with nothing. His performance in front of camera’s mirrors his sideline demeanor. He speaks in meaningless, vapid cliches; his inspiration quotient is zero. He’s vanilla ice cream in a thirty-eight flavor world.
Great post, by the way.
theoldman
Memorable
"We’ve got to win games and I’m paid to win games. We’re not winning games right now, which means I’m not winning games."
by Mike Rutherford on Oct 27, 2009 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
That is a good one
becuase it brings up the obvious question “Then why are you still getting paid?”
by sarasota-card on Oct 27, 2009 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions
The most memorable tactic of his tenure here
In my mind will probably be the ridiculous refusal to discuss injuries, it was equal parts confrontational and unnecessary at the time, and the fact that he’s still doing it is ludicrous.
I still like the idea
of having a Playstation3 tournament to select the interim offensive coordinator. It couldn’t be any worse could it?
DocCardsFan
The 'Ville, KY
I'm down.
Of course, knowing what plays to call in a situation is still drastically different than being an OC. There are so many hand signals, audibles, on-the-field changes, and pre-snap counts that you could literally swim through them.
So explain to me how somebody can get all that and yet not figure out that maybe you shouldn’t run a halfback dive from the I or the Ace every single first down. The best part was when he had both Froman and Stoudt on the sidelines doing hand signals to Burke for the play call, and one was a decoy. Yeah, cause that’s going to throw them off your gameplan… even the frickin’ Big East Network announcer figured out which was real and which was fake.
OK, instead of the OC
we’ll call him the “Dean’s Milk Chug Interim Junior Play Caller”
DocCardsFan
The 'Ville, KY
Can you name one player who looks like he’s gotten better over the course of the season?
YEAH, OUR LEFT TACKLE STINGELY HAD ONLY ONE FALSE START.
If Steve Kragthorpe were retained for another season, I’d set the over/under of the subsequent Zack Stoudt transfer announcement at 30 seconds.
I’LL TAKE THE UNDER AND TRIPLE THE BET.
I don’t understand Kragthorpe’s animosity towards Brian Kelly. Is this really still because some of his players prayed around the Cardinal logo last year? Or because they were hired at the same time and Kelly has won about 73 more Big East games?
MORE LIKELY THE PRAYING. KRAPTHORPE HAS NO CLUE HOW FAR BEHIND HE IS.
Has there ever been a head coach who’s been so consistently awful with timeouts? NO. AND THERE IS NO ONE IN SECOND PLACE. PERHAPS THIRD. BUT WAIT, I FORGET BOB WEBER WHO COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT HOW TO SIGNAL IN THE PLAY.
Three years ago at this time we were an undefeated month away from playing for the national championship. How in the hell did this happen?
PETRINO LEFT, KRAGTHROWUP ARRIVED. BUT I BET YOU KNEW THAT.
I really hope the "bags" show up
in full force. Cheer for the team, but boo Krap at every opportunity. The dude JUST PLAIN S-U-C-K-S.
Please leave, Steve
Kragssss
Last night on Kragthorpe’s Radio call in show, the first caller gave Kraqs record and asked him to resign. Kragthorpe thanked him for his comments and said that he would not resign. I guess he should have asked what it would take for him to resign.
They only took one more call. One hour radio call in show and they take TWO calls?
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