Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: NFL Players Ready To Welcome Gay Teammate

Louisville v. WVU: The Five Stages of Grief

“Sleep on it.”

When faced with a perplexing dilemma—and, I imagine, writing something on the heels of an incredibly frustrating loss—that mantra offers worthwhile advice.

Well, my nap is over.

And because I’ve seen Inception—not once, but twice—my dreams reenacted the debacle that was the conclusion of the Cards regular season, thus allowing me to experience each of the Five Stages of Grief in a strange, gravity-defying mental microwave.

Stage One: Denial

It went something like this: No, no, no, no, no.  There’s no way they called that foul!  They’re not in the bonus, are they? Wait, of course they are—maybe he’ll miss them both.

(Two minutes later, after he makes them both: _______!  Insert various vitriolic expressions, specifically hurled at the offending referee, any West Virginia player, Bob Huggins, and—even though he didn’t deserve it—John Denver.)

Stage Two: Anger

I hit a wall—open-handed, mind you. I don’t have a wild enough streak of rage to potentially break all of my metacarpals. And by “I don’t have a wild enough a streak of rage” I actually mean I’m too scared to actually punch anything.

Also, I vehemently vented about the shockingly one-sided refs, Preston’s rushed shot and asinine foul, everyone in Red for missing their free throws, and Pitino’s haphazard use of timeouts and stubborn substitution patterns.

Stage Three: Bargaining

To put it mildly, I engaged in mental tomfoolery and I am ashamed.  Here’s the low point: “We need Samardo—at least he could rebound.” If that’s not bargaining, Charlie Sheen isn’t a winner. And we all know Charlie Sheen is a winner.

Stage Four: Depression

At this point, I began assuming—and in retrospect, greatly over-exaggerating—the long-range ramifications of the loss: Will this bury us? Can we recover from a such a bad loss? We might not win another game this year. The cynicism fatigued my mind—not a good way to spend the first day of spring break.

Stage Five: Acceptance & Hope

Fatalist-Me thinks that such a colossal give-away will euthanize this surprisingly sublime season. But then I came to my senses: haven’t I learned anything?

If there’s a team that will use adversity to motivate, it’s the 2010-2011 University of Louisville men’s basketball team.  If there’s a guy who will ensure that his own mistakes galvanize the group, it’s Preston Knowles.  And if there’s a coach who is able to mix and match and motivate all the moving parts, it’s Coach Pitino.
Will U of L win the Big East tournament, make the Final Four, and hang up a championship banner in the Yum!’s inaugural season?

Will they even win another game?

I have no idea.

But will they sulk and pout and let this game destroy any potential of the aforementioned?  Will this loss shake their confidence and strip them of their hard-earned swagger?

Will they give up?

There’s not a chance.

And to answer those questions, I don’t even need to sleep on it.

Comment 22 comments  |  6 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

+1!

Very well written, sir.

"I'm going to Wichita. Far from this opera forever more."

by FluffyFluffyDoubleChunk on Mar 5, 2011 10:36 PM EST reply actions  

ja rule

"During my ME time in the shower the other day I thought, we really havn’t goteen THAT signature game yet" - Austin Montgomery

by UofL Redbirds on Mar 6, 2011 2:54 AM EST up reply actions  

Damn

This guy’s legit. Sign him up.

by Peter McSheisty on Mar 6, 2011 3:59 AM EST via mobile reply actions  

Well said.

"Screech, you CAN'T elope!"
"Who are you calling a cantaloupe, you melonhead?"

by rickmbari on Mar 6, 2011 9:24 AM EST reply actions  

if the season goes how it has then..

we will win the quarter final, and the semi final. Then lose in the championship. I would be ok making it to the championship game.

by aaron Peck on Mar 6, 2011 1:31 PM EST reply actions  

I cried real tears after this game ...

I haven’t done that since the 2006 Rutgers football game.

by CardChick on Mar 7, 2011 5:00 PM EST reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to Card Chronicle, the Louisville sports blog Otis George might read if he knew it existed.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

Whiteout_small
The Cardinal Countdown...99 days till kickoff
Whiteout_small
100 Days....
Small
Tim Higgins is retiring
313364_2222722366459_1199700380_32210649_1027867481_n_small
Neutral Zone's Memorial Day Sale
Small
2012-13 Schedule
Blkcrd_small
Defining Moments of a Fanhood; The Vote-Off
Small
Francisco Garcia Wallpaper/Illustration
Whiteout_small
The Lady Cards nine...
Strongbasketball_small
Louisville should take note of new SEC-Big 12 bowl
Small
Michael Bush Illustration/Wallpaper (typo fixed)

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >


Managers

Admm_small Mike Rutherford