I will never forget that Monday night in 2013 when Louisville defeated Michigan for the national championship. It was indeed the year of the Cardinals.
Walz had the ladies in the final 4, McDonnell the boys in the World Series and Teddy Bridgewater slicing and dicing the big bad Florida Gators.
Cards fans were on top of the world.
Ten years later, not so much.
The 2022/23 season has been as frustrating as it gets with the big 4 sports teams.
Football started the season with a dreadful start but turned it around a bit only to lose to UK again. Malik's 6th year was a total bust and the bowl win was over a very depleted Cincinnati team. Hiring Brohm though did salvage the season.
The men's basketball team needs no further commentary of the complete disaster of a season. This athletic program all by itself is holding down the University.
The women's team was a big disappointment. A pre-season top 10 team fell out in December and never returned. They finally found their groove in March only to lose to the Supergirl from Iowa. Then HVL transfers and Walz has no HS recruits. That still hasn't been explained. Not even one? Why?
The last team of the season is the baseball team. Much like the Lady Cards, the baseball team was pre-season ranked in the top 10. But it's apparent now that they are not as good as thought. Unlike Walz, it's McDonnell not using the transfer portal that hasn't been explained well.
This season overall has not been a disaster, but all four programs are straining to maintain their upper level status. Coach Walz and McDonnell are somewhat at a crossroads. Their past success means little now in this new era of NIL.
I don't think anyone knows what the KP results will ultimately be. The 4 win season is a outlier but I'm afraid the program could be middle of the road for several years. A new normal that I wouldn't think would be acceptable to fans, but times are a changing.
It's Jeff Brohm and the football team that has the most hope for a return to glory. Maybe, just maybe the football team gets UofL sports back to where it's supposed to be?
It's been a long 10 years since the year of the Cardinals. For me, sports itself has lost a bit of its luster. I'm concerned that the great memories I have collected over the past four decades will be it. I may never see that consistency of winning again.
But I will still pull for them, complain about them, and defend them. I have no other favorite team more important to me than the University of Louisville.
Go Cards!
Walz had the ladies in the final 4, McDonnell the boys in the World Series and Teddy Bridgewater slicing and dicing the big bad Florida Gators.
Cards fans were on top of the world.
Ten years later, not so much.
The 2022/23 season has been as frustrating as it gets with the big 4 sports teams.
Football started the season with a dreadful start but turned it around a bit only to lose to UK again. Malik's 6th year was a total bust and the bowl win was over a very depleted Cincinnati team. Hiring Brohm though did salvage the season.
The men's basketball team needs no further commentary of the complete disaster of a season. This athletic program all by itself is holding down the University.
The women's team was a big disappointment. A pre-season top 10 team fell out in December and never returned. They finally found their groove in March only to lose to the Supergirl from Iowa. Then HVL transfers and Walz has no HS recruits. That still hasn't been explained. Not even one? Why?
The last team of the season is the baseball team. Much like the Lady Cards, the baseball team was pre-season ranked in the top 10. But it's apparent now that they are not as good as thought. Unlike Walz, it's McDonnell not using the transfer portal that hasn't been explained well.
This season overall has not been a disaster, but all four programs are straining to maintain their upper level status. Coach Walz and McDonnell are somewhat at a crossroads. Their past success means little now in this new era of NIL.
I don't think anyone knows what the KP results will ultimately be. The 4 win season is a outlier but I'm afraid the program could be middle of the road for several years. A new normal that I wouldn't think would be acceptable to fans, but times are a changing.
It's Jeff Brohm and the football team that has the most hope for a return to glory. Maybe, just maybe the football team gets UofL sports back to where it's supposed to be?
It's been a long 10 years since the year of the Cardinals. For me, sports itself has lost a bit of its luster. I'm concerned that the great memories I have collected over the past four decades will be it. I may never see that consistency of winning again.
But I will still pull for them, complain about them, and defend them. I have no other favorite team more important to me than the University of Louisville.
Go Cards!
