The Season Ends The Only Way It Could
by CardsFan922 on Mar 20, 2010 12:32 AM EDT
Email
PrintClanking threes, giving up wide open threes, losing because of a "bad matchup."
Positives: Buckles played the game of his life.
Negatives: Seriously, we have a whole week to come up with a game plan to play a team we know a) is going to shoot lots of 3s and b) is going to double team Samardo and that's how we play?
Seriously?
The season is over. Lots of memories, lots of frustration, but for the rest of our lives we'll always look back at the last game at Freedom Hall and smile. And just add tonight to the blur of other seasons that ended too early, and it won't hurt that bad.
172 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Interesting stat from earlier....
…Texas A&M and Pitt are the only two teams to win each of their opening games in the last five tourneys.
Doesn’t make losing any easier, but seriously, its just so cyclical and random.
True - we could have been UConn or UNC this year and missed the tourney entirely.
Then again, UNC has a national championship to console themselves with, and UConn has a Final Four. And both have multiple national titles since our last one. Fuck.
by cardsinindy2010 on Mar 20, 2010 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions
i give props to samardo and buckles tonight
they played with great intensity and passion, i have never seen samardo fight for rebounds like that the whole year, he never gave up. And buckles sure was a bright spot for next year. 30 plus points from our bench and we cant win? WTF
by itsALLintheCARDS on Mar 20, 2010 12:37 AM EDT reply actions
bucks was the only reason we had half a chance.
by the_cisco_keed on Mar 20, 2010 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions
I like Samardo
but Jennings deserves a lot more PT. It’s like the guy gets penalized for playing well.
samardo and tj were both horrible tonight.
one was committing intentional fouls and giving up layups,while the other was getting called for traveling, 3 seconds and giving up layups. only difference was samardo got more playing time but tj only has himself to blame because rick took him out for committing that stupid intentional foul.
CARDS RULE!!BRONCOS RULE!!GO LAKERS!!!
by esphurricane on Mar 20, 2010 1:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Finally!!!
Thank god I dont ever have to watch edgar sosa play another basketball game! The exact opposite in what a point guard is supposed to be. He’s selfish, plays no d, is a terrible free throw shooter and did i mention hes extremely selfish? Glad his career is over, sorry to see jerry and reggie go!
Partially agree, but . . .
Siva can only charitably be considered a work in progress, Knowles is extremely hit-and-miss, and Kuric isn’t much outside of Freedom Hall finales. And Marra is even less.
yes but...
Siva is definitely a work in progress, I’ll give you that, but atleast he is unselfish(unlike sosa, most selfish player I have ever seen behind Allen Iverson) and Siva also atleast tries to play a little bit of defense. As far as I’m concerned, Preston Knowles had a very disappointing year, althought he always plays defense his offense was nowhere to be found this year. But I also agree with you on Kuric and Marra
by cardinal4ever on Mar 20, 2010 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
while i wont shed any tears over sosa being gone
i definately wont shed any over jerry and reggie being gone.seriously edgar played way better than jerry or reggie,not only tonight but all season.i agree with you he is selfish but he did some good things in the game on offense. his defense was horrible because he couldn’t pickup another foul.how many wide open 3’s did jerry shoot tonight,at least 4 or 5 it seemed like, and not 1 of them was even remotely close to going in.reggie didnt get much of a chance today,cal wouldnt let him have a shot.jerry’s bad shooting is the number 1 reason this team wasnt alot better this year. if he would have just shot decent from 3 this year we could have won 4 or 5 more games this year, but it wasnt meant to be.
CARDS RULE!!BRONCOS RULE!!GO LAKERS!!!
by esphurricane on Mar 20, 2010 1:11 AM EDT up reply actions
...
I agree with Jerry being gone, it was his year to step up and he did not! I will argue Reggie didnt get near enough shots and is our most underrated player. And about sosa’s defense being terrible because he couldnt pick up another foul, he had the fouls because….He plays terrible defense! His man drives right around him and he just reaches or slaps at him which makes it even worse. The guy flat out hasn’t played a lick of d since he has been here! I slept pretty well last night knowing I never had to watch him in a Louisville uniform again!!! Jerry and Preston were supposed to be the 2 to step it up on offense this year and what happened, they had the lowest 3-point % of all guards! Thats why we just flat out werent very good.
by cardinal4ever on Mar 20, 2010 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Time to man up in the presser Pitino
You recruited the lack of athleticism.
You facilitated the youth and inexperience.
You refused to alter game plans when losing miserably.
You failed to give SS and TJ enough time on the floor together.
You created distractions around your program.
And you got out coached by two bit coaches with less talent.
But something tells me that these issues are not what you will be addressing.
Time to get it together Rick. Your legacy is crumbling.
Thank u for sayin that. When i posted “pitino should go” a few weeks ago, all tha fellow Cards fan where having his back. I wanna hear what they gotta say now!!!!!!! PITINO NEEDS TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!
by louisvillefan#21 on Mar 20, 2010 12:48 AM EDT up reply actions
How many coaches have outperformed him since he's been here?
I agree, it can get frustrating. But I don’t think a lot of us realize how good we have it.
Agreed. Rick has been among the top 10 in college hoops since he has been here.
That said, at that salary, he should be. Let’s hope he has one more national title run in him.
by cardsinindy2010 on Mar 20, 2010 12:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Yep, saw a good stat earlier...
Only 2 programs have won a single game in the tournament each of the past 5 years – Pitt and A&M. Tells you how difficult it is to win these days.
Name 10 who have done a much better job than him
by Chris Redman is my hero on Mar 20, 2010 6:15 PM EDT up reply actions
There's a pretty good list down a little bit
I think he’s top 15-20, not top 10. I thought he was overrated at UK as well.
I think you could poke holes in a lot of those, just like you could with Rick
Bill Self and Jay Wright this year losing early is short-sighted, but still
by Chris Redman is my hero on Mar 21, 2010 3:51 AM EDT up reply actions
Plenty of us appreciate Rick.
Plenty of us even recognize that we aren’t qualified to tell him who to play, how to recruit, how to read a scouting report, etc., etc., etc. I agree with the poster below who suggests that those who want to air bitter, negative crap need to take it elsewhere.
Potential recruits likely read this board. If for no other reason, some of the posters on here need to edit themselves.
Yeah, i’m one of those people that say negative shit but you’re right “Loouvul”
by louisvillefan#21 on Mar 20, 2010 1:00 AM EDT up reply actions
All of those who want to air bitter, negative crap
Take it to ITV. We weren’t ready to play tonight, they were, they deserved it. Well said by 922, remember the final game in the Hall for a long time, it’ll be even cooler if Syracuse wins the title.
I’m not making excuses for our team, we were unprepared and looked like we were ready to play Duke, but trashing guys because you’re drunk or pissed after two hours is not for this site. Take it elsewhere. We got beat by a team who played better tonight.
I'll be rootng for the 'Cuse for sure
Has anybody ever beaten the national champions twice in the championship season? Prolly someone in the ACC beat NC State twice in ’85. Still, it would be a good thing to remember about this up-and-down season.
Is it just me, or did this team seem to take on Sosas personality? One word: Schizophrenic. They just don’t have the players to execute the gameplan. If Samardo could get it out of the double, shooters can’t knock it down. Good defense cures many ills, but that isn’t available either. Too many issues to address. Hopefully they’ll continue to work and grow, and add a stellar class in the next couple of years.
This team was one giant head case
Edgar’s clutch free-throw woes were as symbolic as anything of the way we played all year. Tell us we can’t win, and we rise to the occasion. Tell us we’re favorites, and we suck.
Remember how Milt Wagner was called “Ice” because he was so cool at the free throw line in the clutch? Edgar this year was the opposite of ice, whatever that is. He choked time and again under pressure.
As pissed off as I am right now...
I’ve realized this year how lucky we are to be Louisville fans. Just check out the number of tournament appearances and wins from other programs. We’ve been one of the top 5 programs this decade and one of the top 10 ever.
game was over after cal went 12-0.
nothing else needs to be said. this team never ever could ever reconcile a bad start into buckling down and playing defense. this team could never reconcile a bad stretch into buckling down and playing defense. this team could never play defense.
i had been telling people i want us to either lose game one or go to indy. and we were very capable of wining by 20 or losing by 20. this team has been so up and down that i wanted to go big or go home and not waste any more emotional investment in this team.
The threes didn't fall.
Period. We couldn’t open up the interior because they had no reason to come out of the paint on defense. Samardo was covered up because of that, and only that. If our outside shot isn’t falling, we’re toast.
I’m not going to get down on this team. Preston’s shot hasn’t been there since he hurt his hand, and God alone knows what happened to Jerry’s.
I really can't decide if I think we'll be better or NIT material next year.
But I’m leaning toward better. Siva and Buckles will develop, and hopefully TJ will get out of Rick’s doghouse with a good summer. And I hope Coleman is the 4.5-star he is advertised to be. But we need a lot of improvement out of a few guys to improve as a team. Here’s hoping it happens.
by cardsinindy2010 on Mar 20, 2010 12:46 AM EDT reply actions
depends on siva
if he’s an actual point guard and we are probably a bit improved. if he plays like sosa, the 28 point 3 assist version, we are probably cbi material.
for those who don’t know, that’s the one after the nit says you suck and can’t play in our tournament.
I hope we never go to the CBI
If you can’t even make the NIT, you shouldn’t be playing post-season ball.
I’d say it will look pretty similar. Guard play will be shaky. We have issues inside that I’m not sure will be addressed. Deing would help.
by davidkpowers on Mar 20, 2010 12:52 AM EDT up reply actions
It's over
It’s the first time I remember the Cards losing in the first round of the tourney and not being upset about it. This season was frustrating, and I am relieved it’s over.
You know, it’s been a truly shitball year for UofL sports since that loss to Mich. St. last year.
by louisville lisa on Mar 20, 2010 12:47 AM EDT reply actions
Yeah,
and Charlie Strong is a plus and our Women’s Bball team was fun to watch last year, too. I guess I shouldn’t be so negative, but lordy lordy it has been a tough and frustrating season.
I suppose we’ll always have TLGIFH.
by louisville lisa on Mar 20, 2010 12:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Call me pessimistic...
but I am over this coaching regime. I cannot say with any certainty that anyone on this team has improved under Rick’s system. We run zero out of bounds plays, we have zero offensive plays, and make no half time adjustments. We make runs and then sub out for those guys who helped create the run. His substitution patterns are sporatic, and his ability to develop talent is missing. In a 10 year span, we have 1 final four, two elite 8’s, and 7 disappointing seasons.
AAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by louisvillefan#21 on Mar 20, 2010 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Where was you when i posted “Ricky P must go” weeks ago, lol!!!!!!
by louisvillefan#21 on Mar 20, 2010 12:57 AM EDT up reply actions
He's been here nine years
And name more than 5 coaches who have outperformed him since he’s been here.
don't waste your time with people like this centre
they have been coming out of the woodwork at the end of each season. they apparently don’t remember the end of the crum era.
by doctorofdunk on Mar 20, 2010 1:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Simple
Roy Williams, John Calipari (at Memphis), Tom Izzo, mike k, calhoun, jim boeheim, bill self, billy donovan
guys, how many times has rick missed ncaa tournament since hes been here? I can think of a year or two of no post season play, a few NIT’s a couple one and dones, and a final four, and 2 elite 8’s
You're obviously not a fan
He’s been to 7 NCAA tournaments and 2 NITs. Of the 7, he’s been one-and-done twice.
OK
The same Cal that has one final four (vacated) and one elite eight? The same Mike K that has been past the Sweet 16 once since 2001? Boeheim does have 1 championship, but that’s about it (pending the tourny this year). I’ll give you Williams, Izzo, Calhoun, Self, and Donovan.
Donovan in NIT last year, 1 & done this year.
He caught lightning in a bottle with Noah, Brewer & Co, and John Pelphrey recruited them.
good point – - 2 nat’l championships should have an asterik since someone else recruited them – - speaking of, what kind of disservice you think Rick is doing with his bench? Massiello must be a solid coach…Willard couldn’t recruit a choir boy to serve mass on Easter Sunday, and Walter McCarty is in charge of Samardo & TJ development, both of which are absent
My point, poorly explained, was
that Pelphrey is not at Florida recruiting any more, and since that one super team, Florida and Donovan have not performed exceptionally well. Of course their championships don’t deserve an “asterisk.”
like i said, don't waste your time
i agree, but this guy can think what he wants to think. as you can see below, he calls edgar and jerry parasites who fed off E5 and T-Will. He clearly doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Here’s something for you, louisvillefan#21 and Dog whatever the fuck your name is:
Give me the extensive list of college seniors who made the tourney every year, in the last 5 years. I’ll wait.
by doctorofdunk on Mar 20, 2010 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions
That shit dont make any of them seasons disappointing
by louisvillefan#21 on Mar 20, 2010 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm not giving him donovan
guy missed the tourney the last two years. got knocked out as early as we did this year.
e
and even donovan has struggled
these were the points I was going to make
by Chris Redman is my hero on Mar 20, 2010 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Self, Howland, Jay Wright, Thad Matta
I’m not ripping on Pitino on purpose, but he’s a little overrated.
He is overrated...until you realize how much parity there has been this decade.
Wright and Matta have not outperformed Pitino this decade. Each have one final four.
Yes and I did.
He won at Butler, won at Xavier and won at OSU all since 2000. Plus, he has brought in top notch recruits his whole OSU career.
But he had two top 5 picks in Oden and Conley
and didn’t win it all with them. Then they lost to Siena in the 8-9 game last year one year (that doesn’t sound right) after those guys left. Sound familiar at all?
by Chris Redman is my hero on Mar 20, 2010 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions
heres the deal
I love UL as much as the next guy, but every year, we give Pitino a pass b/c of his credentials. Crum was a Hall of Famer, and we ran him off, all I am saying, is we pay a lot of money for very little result for UL standards as far as I can see. Granted, Crum’s last days were bad, but Pitino’s tenure has been average at best as best I can see, and I am tired of mediocrity. We had 2 lottery picks and didnt go to final 4, weve had 3 yrs of one and done, some NIT appearances, some no-shows, and frankly, I am unimpressed
He hasn't lived up to expectations
But you need to check your “research.”
7 NCAA appearances – 2 Elight 8s, 1 Final Four, 2 one-and-dones
2 NITs – 1 Final Four
And just compare what he has done to other coaches. It’s amazing how much parity there has been in college basketball. Hell, UNC, UConn, Arizona, and UCLA are not in the tourny this year.
fair enough – - was so unimpressed with an austin peay win that i forgot – - season ticket holder since 1973 – -forgotten more final four trips then youve experienced im sure, but, still, 3 ncaa appearances past the first weekend – - strike up the band
Again, you need to compare him against other coaches this decade
And he stacks up pretty well. Rick frustrates the hell out of me, but when you take a step back, he’s done a pretty damn good job. It’s not like we could fire the guy.
Why be satified wit just making tha tournament and pitino has coached and acted like that’s all we needed to do all season. I agree…unimpressed
by louisvillefan#21 on Mar 20, 2010 1:23 AM EDT up reply actions
We were happy with...
..making the tourney THIS year.
We went to two straight Elite 8s. It’s not like this is the 5th straight one-and-done or NIT.
Your right........
but damn, he keeps getting outcoached! That type shit isnt suppose to happen to tha proclaimed best in-game adjustment coach!!!
by louisvillefan#21 on Mar 20, 2010 1:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Pitino has never been known to make adjustments
His reputation was built on his ability to recruit and motivate.
yeah, whatever....
he hasnt done to much of that lately. Hopefully our 2011 class dont disappear like our once great 2010 class did wit Jeremy Tyler and co.
by louisvillefan#21 on Mar 20, 2010 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Postgame
Rick is saying we need to play man to man defense to win in the NCAA tournament. Um, call me doubting Thomas, but if you need to play man to win, why dont we try that against Podunk U at the beginning of the season? maybe work on these things early on? Adios Sosa, adios Smith, glad you guys could parasite off the success created by David Padgett, Earl Clark, T-Will, etc
Really, he said that?
Then why have we played zone the last 3 seasons? I don’t get what his point is. He didn’t realize this last year when Sparty tore us apart?
We had the personnel to play man last year, so I don't get this comment either.
Rick can be maddeningly inconsistent in his comments.
by cardsinindy2010 on Mar 20, 2010 1:09 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m not ready to toss the coach for a first round loss. Who would you like to bring in? This team has a lot of holes. It’s a miracle they accomlished what they did. Players have to execute. The losses from last year were key. There was no one to replace those guys. An injection of talent will erase most of the talk.
Cal played well
and for this reason, I am not sore. Okay, I’m still sore, but not as much as I should be.
by REALISTICCARDSFAN on Mar 20, 2010 1:11 AM EDT reply actions
Dude why are we fighting?
We all want to see our team win, why fight enternally as well, i mean come on. Yeah everything is frustrating but these are 18-22 year old men and its a game. Be a good fan and support your team DAMNIT
by itsALLintheCARDS on Mar 20, 2010 1:11 AM EDT reply actions
agreed, i don't like fighting
but when i see the trash that’s being posted about our guys and pitino’s coaching chops, i have to speak up. blame the players tonight, blame pitino, but DO NOT use this as a platform to rip pitino’s tenure or the careers of edgar and jerry.
first year: a sosa shot away from the sweet 16 in rupp
second year: elite eight, playing toe to toe with the no. 1 overall seed in their home state
third year: the no. 1 overall seed, shooting horribly at the worst possible time.
fourth year: 11 wins in the big east despite a mess of an offseason, including the best win i’ve ever experienced as a cards fan.
in conclusion, sober up, go post on inside the ville from now on if you want to post some of this trash.
by doctorofdunk on Mar 20, 2010 1:14 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
DEF
i love reading this site to learn more about my team and understand how we need to get better, not to read ppl trash our players and coach. This is not what this site is about
by itsALLintheCARDS on Mar 20, 2010 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions
to all of our senior.........
thank you very much for giving everything you had to give.i wont ever forget sosa’s game winning shot against uk, and uconn. jerry’s game winner against marquette,and all his towel waving antics and great hustle,he wasnt the most gifted player athletically but he sure gave it all he had.thank you reggie for all those corner 3’s.i wish you could have played all four years here.and thank you brickley for wanting to be a card even though you knew you wouldnt get to play.i’m sure you helped us behind the scenes, in practice and in the film room more than any of us know.these guys gave us the magical last game in the hall and i will always love them for that. somethings didn’t turn out like we all wanted but FUCK,AT LEAST WE ARENT KY FANS.we have a new arena to look forward to, a new football coach and stadium expansion.things arent really all that bad.it just hurts to lose when you always expect to win.see you guys at spring practice,i hope. GO CARDS!
CARDS RULE!!BRONCOS RULE!!GO LAKERS!!!
and anyone that thinks we can do better than rick pitino, i would love to hear who you think is a better coach that would come here if we fire rick.there arent any.izzo,williams,coach k,and maybe 1 or 2 others have better records in the last 9 years. but in case you havent realised it none of those guys are comming here.just because we dont go to the final 4 every year doesn’t mean we need to fire our coach.how many championships have ucla,indiana,uk,villanova,marquette,g town memphis,etc won in the last 9 years. 0.
CARDS RULE!!BRONCOS RULE!!GO LAKERS!!!
Apparently some have forgotten Crum's last days
“I love UL as much as the next guy, but every year, we give Pitino a pass b/c of his credentials. Crum was a Hall of Famer, and we ran him off, all I am saying, is we pay a lot of money for very little result for UL standards as far as I can see. Granted, Crum’s last days were bad, but Pitino’s tenure has been average at best as best I can see, and I am tired of mediocrity. We had 2 lottery picks and didnt go to final 4, weve had 3 yrs of one and done, some NIT appearances, some no-shows, and frankly, I am unimpressed”
Crum’s last days were not bad. They were a disaster. Two of the last four years we had a losing record. The other two, we were badly outclassed in the first round. This all happened in a mid-major league, when he stopped recruiting. If you’re going to compare Denny’s last 4 years with Pitino’s first 9 years, you need to choose some different words.
I know Crum is what made this program, I’m not stupid. I can’t believe I’m actually engaging someone in this debate, but yes, we made the right choice in canning him when we did and hiring Pitino. We shouldn’t have to have this debate after every disappointing postseason loss. Pitino is THE REASON we are in the Big East. He is THE REASON we’re on national TV 20 times a year. He has taken this program from 12-20 years when fans were handing in their season tickets and turned it around. Have some years been better than others? Absolutely. But if you can win 11 games in a power conference and make the tournament in a “down” year, that is pretty damn good. Williams, Howland, Calhoun and several other big-name coaches were sitting at home this season, it happens to nearly every program at some point.
Everyone wishes it had ended better, but CardFan922 is right. When you look back on this in the long run, you’ll remember the last game in Freedom Hall. Don’t use the frustration to trash our program and its players. You are better than that. Some of you are absolutely clueless as to how good we’ve had it on the whole these last nine years.
Is this what we have become?
Any season that doesn’t result in a Final Four or national championship is a let down? And if we don’t get to the third weekend we have to overachieve?
Look, I’m just as frustrated as anybody about this year’s team maddeningly inconsistent play. But we have put together one hell of a decade under Rick Pitino. Last year was a disappointment and this year was frustrating, but does that mean that we are doomed forever? No. We’ll be back. Looking at teams like UConn and Unc, with the talent they have, I can hardly believe we made the tournament.
I understand that this really boils down to people that are uncomfortable with Pitino getting laid in a shady restaurant after hours, but if you’re going to be mad about that, complain about that, not his coaching abilities. Yes, he can be frustrating (like why didn’t we have any point guards in the game down 8 under 4 minutes left?), but the end results have been far from terrible. At least, not as terrible as what you guys like to make out.
You know, I hate to do this (I really really do), but this is the exact same thing that happened to Tubby Smith at UK. No matter what he did it wasn’t good enough. It was National Championship every other year (at least) or get the fuck out. Well, they’ve got the guy that can get them there now. Some of you even mentioned that Calipari has out-coached Pitino this decade. So let me ask you… is that what you want? You want a guy that recruits players the entire nation loves to hate? You want to watch every offseason wondering exactly how much money is being poured into young athletes’ pockets? You want to spend every season worrying when the next NCAA investigation will begin? You want to become the team purists point to as the sign of the death of college basketball? Are you willing to exchange all of that for a few banners that will probably end up being taken down one day?
If that’s what you want, I know a school not far from here that fits the bill. I remember when fans were just happy to see a team play hard. What happened to that? The hardest thing I’ve had to endure the past few years (sports-wise) is watching our football team go out week in and week out and just go through the motions; be content with mediocrity. Sure, there have been flashes of that here and there this season, but in general, the Pitino era has not produced those types of teams. They’ve played hard, been competitive, been easy to love, easy to root for, and have had very few off-court issues compared to other “top-tier” schools.
These are the reasons I abandoned my family’s (and admittedly, my own) love for UK athletics a few years ago and came to love the University of Louisville. I don’t know about you, but I don’t personally ever want to go back to measuring success by ONLY the number of banners and rings you accumulate, no matter the cost. As a fan, I hope and pray that we do get the big one soon, but I’m not ready to start throwing perfectly good players and coaches overboard when we fall just short a few times. I’ve seen that mentality; I’ve lived it. And I’m never going back.
by CARD_G6 on Mar 20, 2010 4:29 AM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Nice post
The problem is, it’s tougher than ever to get into the tournament, much less win, and there’s more of an emphasis on the tournament than ever before. To me, the tournament doesn’t make or break a season. As a fan, I want to be entertained, I want to see my team play hard, and I want to see them improve. Although this team sure was frustrating, I feel like they accomplished all three. The last game in Freedom Hall is a memory I will have forever.
Agreed.
I think a lot of “fans” need to put things in perspective. I like our players and even though I was frustrated many times during our games (because we weren’t playing to our potential) I liked watching those guys play.
by Remote Cardinal on Mar 20, 2010 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions
You were a UK fan?
I’m not sure I can like you anymore…
by Chris Redman is my hero on Mar 20, 2010 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I use "fan" loosely.
I was guilty by association, but didn’t follow sports much until college. I attend UofL and ever since I’ve been exposed to what I refer to as “The Real World,” I’ve been a Cardinal fan.
Keep in mind that south of Louisville, the state is painted blue. You’re expected to be a UK fan even if you don’t give a shit about sports. I think you’ll find that there are a lot if people (including several on this board) that are converts; they grew up outside Louisville in Big Blue country, but became a Cards fan after they were allowed to think for themselves.
It’s almost a personal renaissance.
by CARD_G6 on Mar 21, 2010 1:33 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Pitino
We know that this team is getting a huge nudge in recruiting in two years, way better than Denny in his last years. Next year has some recruits pending and there is reason for optimism, namely that every player gains another year (although I think we should hope that development is not an issue). We won’t be knocking on the door of a title but we should resemble those pre final four teams and they had real potential to do better than they did. I think it is possible that Samuels, Jennings, and Siva could have a great season next year. As frustrated as I am with what has gone on with Pitino and his far-too-short results, I simply can’t imagine a scenario where we go out and get a better opportunity to win with another coach. And that really is the main issue, we will not get a better 2011 class and the 2010 is good enough (just with Justin Coleman) to give us a year we can live with or better.
Now, can you name a coach that could come in and give us better results, that we really coud hire, that could do better than Pitino in the next four years? I can’t see it. Anyone we would get would be a three to four year rebuilding process during which we would be wishing Pitino didn’t leave. Has gotten the job done? No way he has been a monumental disappointment, but the odd irony is that we are back where we were 9 years ago: a coach with great potential (despite his age). The only difference is that we are in much better shape than we were nine years ago. If we were to punish Pitino for not living up to expectations we would really only be punishing ourselves.
The Pitino haters remind me of the LaRussa haters in St. Louis.
LaRussa consistently delivered playoff appearances and outstanding baseball from the time he arrived in St. Louis in 1996, but there was always a vocal minority of fans calling for his head because of playoff disappointments and the fact that he hadn’t won a World Series (in St. Louis). Most fans understood the frustration with the playoff disappointments, but realized how good they had it, and how fortunate the Cardinals were relative to just about every other MLB franchise. Of course, in ’06, La Russa was able to quiet (not silence, b/c the haters never go away) the haters with a World Series victory.
The ‘04 and 05’ Cardinals — 100+ wins, dominating teams — were like last year’s Louisville squad, and to a lesser extent, 07-08, to me. Unbelievable regular seasons, teams that the fans truly believed in, but they came up a little short of the big prize in the postseason, and in disappointing fashion.
The ‘06 Cardinals (St. Louis) were just a function of knocking at the door so many times that eventually, you’re going to get in. We’ve knocked at the door a lot with Pitino, and we will continue to do so far more than with just about any other coach we could have. Sooner or later, I think we’ll get all the way in. Even if we don’t, we have to appreciate the fact that we have the opportunity on a regular basis.
by cardsinindy2010 on Mar 20, 2010 9:36 AM EDT reply actions
Hahaha
What do you think of the Pac-10 now? My god, east of the Mississippi only dominates in having the most fawning media, because they definitely do not dominate basketball!
by This is bear territory on Mar 20, 2010 11:18 AM EDT reply actions
Still think the Pac-10 sucks.
One team does not a conference make.
by CardinalDude on Mar 20, 2010 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Pac-10 sucks big d*ck
And so does Cal. They were DOMINATED and DESTROYED.
How do you like your Blue Devil? Beatin’ that ass, or just making your look as foolish as you are?
You tell me.
________________________________________________
~LK
www.myspace.com/lordkayoss
www.youtube.com/lordkayossrippro
www.welcometomynightmare.tk
making you*
Like it matters.
________________________________________________
~LK
www.myspace.com/lordkayoss
www.youtube.com/lordkayossrippro
www.welcometomynightmare.tk
You know it, you tell the story,
You tell the whole d*mn world this is BEAR TERRITORY!
by This is bear territory on Mar 20, 2010 11:27 AM EDT reply actions
If there was one positive last night, it's that Cal finally got a win in the NCAA tournament
Good for their fans. Still don’t like Montgomery though. What a prick.
gotta love
one guy coming over to gloat about an 8-9 game.
by doctorofdunk on Mar 20, 2010 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Cal is now clearly going to dominate every game, including the championship.
Clearly.
by CARD_G6 on Mar 20, 2010 2:04 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
no they just dominated louisville
I bet you guys aren’t even as good at stealing ipods
by This is bear territory on Mar 20, 2010 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Liked the comment about the Big East by Seth Davis
“What’s this 4-4 record mean in the tournament? Nothing, conferences don’t play conferences in the tournament, teams play teams. That doesn’t change the fact that during the regular season, the Big East was the toughest conference.”
OK Big East fan
It also doesn’t change the fact that Cal beat your asses on Friday
by This is bear territory on Mar 20, 2010 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions
It also doesn't change the fact that the sky is blue.
Which makes about as much sense.
But hey, congratulations on being the number one team in your conference and beating the number 6 Big East team. What a milestone acheivement.
by CARD_G6 on Mar 20, 2010 2:03 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Like Duke thoroughly smashed your asses today.
________________________________________________
~LK
www.myspace.com/lordkayoss
www.youtube.com/lordkayossrippro
www.welcometomynightmare.tk
yes
but it does mean that your team sucks. and montgomery is a prick. I wish we could give him back to Stanford. But not one one hundredth of one percent of the prick that Pitino is. How can you even go there?
by This is bear territory on Mar 20, 2010 1:26 PM EDT reply actions
Dude...
Why?
I’m going to come over to your board and copy/paste your comments when you get blown out by Duke.
by CARD_G6 on Mar 20, 2010 2:01 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
No wait... I won't.
Maybe because I’m not a petulant child.
by CARD_G6 on Mar 20, 2010 2:01 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
good job
you got out if the first game, when is the last time you got out of the first weekend? because your acting like it has never happened
by Final4Galore on Mar 20, 2010 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
I hope you do
I’ve never been on that board. Hassling you hicks from Kentucky is way more fun! Why bother talking with people who agree with me. Oh.. wait… that’s what you idiots do all day! My mistake.
by This is bear territory on Mar 20, 2010 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Are you upset because the press never talks about your team?
its ok, they still won’t
by Final4Galore on Mar 20, 2010 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Do we have annoying ass bag fans that do this shit on other's boards?
I’m pretty sure we don’t because I have checked the ’Cuse board several times after we beat them and never spotted any annoying fucks like this guy.
Dear This is bear territory,
I hope you’re getting a kick out of being a jackass because no one else is. You calling us hicks is funny because you actually remind me more of the hicks that support Kentucky basketball. I can tell you’re not a member of californiagoldenblogs because the members there, and I assumed Cal fans in general, are better people (compared with you, it doesn’t take much).
Go Fuck Yourself.
by REALISTICCARDSFAN on Mar 20, 2010 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Hey he has to occupy his time somehow
His state is broke, his athletic programs have been a joke, and he is more than likely unemployed.
Let him have his day in the sun!
by doctorofdunk on Mar 20, 2010 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions
NOOOOOOOO NOT THE WEED CARD!!!!
As a Cal fan, I’m sorry about This is bear territory, please ignore him and know that he does not represent Cal fans as a whole. Your site is great, keep up the good work and good luck in the future.
by ucsdgoldenbear on Mar 21, 2010 3:53 AM EDT up reply actions
On Behalf of Cal Fans
I would like to state this guy is being a jackass, is not representative of the Cal fan base, and seeing as his only blog membership represents that of Louisville thorough question both his allegiance to Cal and motivation for trolling the Card Chronicle.
Unfortunately, I did not see the game (a byproduct of having both the first half of my master’s thesis due on Tuesday and living in England) therefore will not comment on the game, but wish nothing but the best for Louisville in the offseason.
Mercifully, this season is over
I hope the ‘rebuilding’ year is all done. Next year we’ll once again be minus three seniors. I’m honestly happy to see Sosa go. One less head case out there with game-changing mood swings. Smith might as well have been a ghost this season. Losing his defense is about the only negative there. He shot us right out of the game last night. Losing Delk sucks. It feels like we’re just now getting to know him. No way he reached his full potential. Did he even get one shot off last night? I remember seeing his arms up, physically screaming I’M OPEN! Yet, Sosa takes it upon himself to try to split a double-team and drive to the basket anyway to get fouled, only to miss yet more crucial freebies. Aside from Knowles’ one spot-up jumper, he took stupid shots the whole game.
Ugh — the selfish play, the stupid turnovers, the g*dd*mn 2-3 zone – again allowing the hot 3-shooting team to murder us all night. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Pitino team lack this much chemistry this late in the season. Seeing Rock come out of his shell was the only positive thing to take away from it all.
Here’s to next season. Hopefully we can at least start the era of the new arena off with a good win. But, if recent seasons are any indication, don’t schedule any team in the top 70 RPI to come in here opening night. Might wanna go with Bellarmine or Chicago State. Till then, go Coach Strong and the gridiron Cards!
________________________________________________
~LK
www.myspace.com/lordkayoss
www.youtube.com/lordkayossrippro
www.welcometomynightmare.tk
"If u don't believe Rick pitino is going to St.johns ur in for a shocker it is almost a done dada"
That’s from Brandon Bender. I only posted this because I find it weird that he of all people would post this. I don’t even believe what Brandon Bender says about Brandon Bender. But if Rick leaves, BB is the new Seth Davis
Happy trails, Friend
Go ahead, talk some more shit.
D-U-K-E
________________________________________________
~LK
www.myspace.com/lordkayoss
www.youtube.com/lordkayossrippro
www.welcometomynightmare.tk
You guys were a good team
We were just better and wanted it more I think. I think its a little bit or karma for all you Cards fans (the vast majority of you), that kept talking about your matchup against Duke and talking about how Cal must suck because the east-coast biased media tells you so. I think last night just showed that most of you drastically underrated the Golden Bears. And for all of you who are posting shit like “Cal still sucks” and “Duke will OWN Cal”, that just shows that some of you are very sore losers. GO BEARS!
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
Good job guys
you can feel what the secound round is like now.
by Final4Galore on Mar 20, 2010 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah Cal fans
You have us pinned down. We think everything out west sucks. We have a HUGE east coast bias. None of us have any idea how good Cal is or think that Cal’s roster has any talent whatsoever. That’s it. You have been royally disrespected all year because people hate things in the Pac 10. It’s not because you got beat by EVERYONE you played out of conference, right? It can’t possibly be because half the teams in your conference are under .500, right? But oh yeah, if you’d have Theo Robertson you would’ve definitely beaten Ohio State and Syracuse. Give me a fucking break.
You guys have talent, but the Pac 10 sucked out-of-conference this year, that’s the bottom line. If Kentucky and Tennessee make deep runs, does that mean the SEC was good this year? Of course not. The SEC and the Pac-10 were both bad, but they have athletes and teams talented enough to make runs if they play well. This says nothing about the Pac 10 or Big East in the regular season. Enjoy the rest of your short-lived tournament run and subsequently abandoning the bandwagon when it ends.
by doctorofdunk on Mar 20, 2010 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I still think the PAC-10 sucks this year.
It’s not personal, it’s just a down year for the conference. The SEC has been going through it for almost half a decade.
I would hope that most fans would be big enough to admit that we just aren’t that good this year. We wouldn’t even have been in the tournament if we weren’t Syracuse kryptonite. And honestly, it wasn’t really Cards fans talking about the Duke matchup, it was ESPN talking heads. Personally, as soon as I heard all the Duke talk, I knew we would lose to Cal. It’s just the way this team is.
Not to take anything away from how your team played… you definitely outplayed us. But Duke is a completely different story; they’re incredibly good shooters and passers, an I think they’ll win going away. Good luck either way; I hope you do win since I hate Duke.
by CARD_G6 on Mar 21, 2010 1:44 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
What a smart man Frank Cohen must be
but I bet he can’t pick a horse race. Jeez, I wish I could live in Louisville!
by This is bear territory on Mar 20, 2010 2:52 PM EDT reply actions
Believe me, we are really glad you don't
Although the cost of living in your parent’s basement is definitely cheaper than it is out there.
by doctorofdunk on Mar 20, 2010 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions
This is what
fans completely unused to success do. No Louisville fan I know would taunt the team they just beat in the Dance when that team was the lower seed. But fans of teams that have not really ever tasted success in the Dance are always the sorest winners. Perhaps if Cal strings together more than one season of success, their fans will begin to learn how to win graciously. We Louisville fans should help these Cal fans through their growing pains. Good luck against Duke.
On behalf of Cal fans...
I am so sorry for these trolls posting on your message boards. You guys have a great site and 99% of Cal fans wouldn’t post stupid and ignorant shit like a couple posters are doing here. It’s sad but every fan base has that 1% (or in U$C’s case, 50%) that nobody is proud of. Please don’t think badly of California Golden Blogs, and feel free to visit us whenever you can.
Sorry again, and maybe we’ll see you in a bowl game sometime!
by ucsdgoldenbear on Mar 21, 2010 3:47 AM EDT up reply actions
You guys don't know how nice you have it
You guys go to the Big Dance every year, have a lot of success, then want to fire the coach just because you haven’t won it in the last 5 years. You guys have a good program, recruit nationally and get good players. You just got so used to winning anything short of a National Championship is a failure to you. Its nice to have goals, but be realistic. You can’t win every year. There’s a lot of parity in College Basketball these days. Give your coach a chance.
the regular contributors are well aware
and that is evident on this thread. it was a frustrating season, but most of us have some perspective.
by doctorofdunk on Mar 20, 2010 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed. Most of our fans are appreciative of what CRP does and is for UofL.
You won’t here the regulars on the CC asking for Rick’s head, just the bandwagoning fans that started watching during our better days last season.
What really bothers me is that all these bonehead fans won’t be around if Rick were to retire, since we’d go straight to the dump if Rick left in the off-season and thus they would abandon the wagon.
by Remote Cardinal on Mar 20, 2010 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions
What happened is
CC got linked on the U of L message boards, and thef trolls started showing up.
And just like last year (MSU), 1 troll from the opposing winning team showed up and started talking smack.
A person who takes pleasure in another’s misery will forever find themselves in situations of their own (un)doing.
ThreadKiller
Skimmed over most of the posts and all I have to say about the game is
the same comment I made late in the game last night. That comment was essentially that last night’s game was pretty well a snapshot of the entire season.
We lacked leadership, started extremely flat, showed flashes of brilliance, were overall offensively inept, used our defensive to stay in it, were on the short end of nearly every 50-50 call, allowed our emotions to works against us, had one hot hand for the game and in the end, didn’t play up to the talent level we posses ultimately disappointing ourselves with our play.
That said, I think we have plenty of potential for next season (much like this one) and depending on the amount of leadership that develops in the off-season we could end up in the Final Four or the NIT this time next season.
by Remote Cardinal on Mar 20, 2010 6:10 PM EDT reply actions
Don't relly feel like writing a long-drawn out post
I’m too emotionally rained from this season, both the good and the bad.
I’m appreciative to Edgar and Jerry and Reggie for all that they gave us this year, but they played poorly last night.
We played fine other than the 22-4 run at the beginning of the game when we didn’t play D. Other than that we would’ve given Cal a great game.
Jerome Randle is as good as I thought he was, and when he hit that shot at the end of the first half I knew the game was over.
I live in Cal, and granted I don’t have a ton of local coverage, but frankly Cal/Pac-10 doesn’t get a ton of love out here, so it’s not ENTIRELY east coast bias.
I’m just glad I can look forward to next season now. I don’t think we’ve got a deep run in us, but Sweet 16 would be nice. Maybe a 6-seed? Just improvement over this past year would be welcome.
by Chris Redman is my hero on Mar 20, 2010 6:37 PM EDT reply actions
A 20 win season
the last game at Freedom Hall, and a tourney appearance.
In the grand scheme of things not too bad after losing (2) 1st round draft picks.
Damn expectations get me every time, even though I know better.
ThreadKiller
Not saying I'm disappointed in this season
Lot of ups and downs, but ultimately a mildly successful season. But for selfish reasons, I’d like to see us do a little better. I just would like to see the guys improve. They’ve got so much potential.
by Chris Redman is my hero on Mar 21, 2010 3:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
