Its brutal being a Cards fan

[TheRealVille]

After the stunning collapse of the women's team tonight against NC State, I'm convinced there's a supernatural force that hates UofL sports.

Think about it. The only championship in all the major sports in the last 30 years was the 2013 title and that was taken away. This despite having high level programs in four major sports.

Hell, even the Volleyball team lost when they were undefeated and the men's soccer team even had a chance a few years ago in a title game loss.

It's just not in the Cards.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

I feel you.

Unsure of your age range but I think after so many years kicking around the can it becomes a little easier to handle the good and bad times in stride. With college sports going full speed business model with $ exchanging hands at such a high level, it's easier to keep it more casual than ever before I think. We're just such outsiders in the big picture.

To be clear not lecturing. With players coming and going so fast it's just hard to get too emotionally invested. 20 years ago we would have witnessed David Johnson go through a 4 year career with ups and downs. There's no longer that journey where you feel you watch these guys grow up and got to see their struggles and ultimate triumphs. The window is closing so fast, it's pretty easy to half way tap out on it.

When you start burying friends and family this stuff will become even less meaningful.

Winning a title requires a lotta things going right anyway. If you're Alabama football or some other traditional monster power in a given sport you can make it look easy and already start thinking about your next title shortly after winning one.

 

[Steelers2012]

While I can relate to your frustration and disappointment in not accumulating titles with multiple “high level programs in major sports”, I believe the reality is that the vast majority of programs would gladly trade places with us in terms of multiple program achievement. The women‘s basketball team (tip of the hat; that was one hell of a 4th quarter run the Wolfpack put on us) has played in the title game twice (2009 and 2013); the men’s soccer team played in a title game (2010); the baseball team is a regular in the College World Series (2007, 2013, 2014, 2017 & 2019); the volleyball team has emerged as a title contender; and in the 2 major sports, the football team, despite recent hard times, has been a consistent bowl team and has finished the year in the nation‘s Top 6 twice (2004 & 2006), and the men‘s basketball team is still in the Top 10 nationally in titles, final fours, and total wins. So, although the above stats do indicate some level of “close but no cigar” futility, I believe the overwhelming takeaway should be one of multiple high achieving programs that have and continue to compete and play for titles that would make most other school fanbases envious.

 

[TheRealVille]

That's the thing. UofL is good enough to be right there but not good enough to finish the job.

Take women's hoops and baseball. Ever since Walz and McDonnell took over those programs, they are both top 3 winningnest programs over all those years. Both have gotten close and had championship quality teams, but something always happened to keep them from winning it all.

The football program had one of the best college quarterbacks of all time and were on their way to a possible playoff until they totally collapsed. During Petrino 1.0 the weird loss to Rutgers likely kept the Cards out of the championship game against Florida.

Speaking of Florida, the Cards spanked the Gators to win the Orange bowl a few years later but another weird lone loss to UCF also kept the Cards out of a possible title game.

I'm in my 5th decade on the planet and have been a Cards fan since I was 14 years old. I have seen just the three titles by the men's team and the two that still stand, I was a teenager.

I'm tired of almost. I'm frustrated with all the weirdness that accompanies UofL sports. It's old and I've about had enough. My wise says I'm this way with everything so there's that.

I will always be a fan, but expectations they are done with me.

 

[zipp]

We WERE fine...were.

That 2013 run for the major programs was epic. Minus a juvenile in charge of preschool and pay-for-play nonsense that's now OK, it would still be that way.

Things are MUCH different now, and too much stuff is headed in the wrong direction for me to be optimistic. I wonder how long our successful programs will continue thriving when a sport like women's basketball that had budget growth of 62% between 2011 and 2018, has now gone four years (2018-2022) with that growth constrained to around 5%.

Or baseball with comparable growth rates of 88% then and 2% now.

How long until defunding athletics affects those programs? Or do their esteemed coaches hang around long enough to find out? Wouldn't surprise me if any of them leave considering what they're now being subjected to. You thank guys like Walz and McDonnell every time you see them--because without them, ALL of the good times are in the past...

 

[Thecycle27]

I think history tells you there is 1 sport where funding really matters…..football. Money matters in football. It is feeding everything else.

The rest of the sports can be successful with adequate funding. Basketball isn’t always won by schools that are the top earners in the sport. Baylor, Gonzaga, Virginia, and Villanova don’t have near the funding or resources as other top programs.

NIL is the question. How is Louisville going to move forward in that world. That is the question.

It is incredibly hard to win a title. It is really hard to be a top program. Fans support is crucial and lately fans have become disinterested in the 2 main sports.

 

[2330859]

Its all about quality coaching: it is no coincidence that Jay's presence at Villanova, Tony at UVA and Mark at Gonzaga make each basketball program enviable and successful regardless of the season, the talent or how much revenue they have.

We had it here with Denny and Rick; not so much since.

 

[zipp]

"Funding" is investment. If you only wanna financially support football, then cut all of your other sports except a handful that provide 85 scholarships to female athletes--to comply with gender equity. Or cut everything except football and stop taking federal money that requires you to comply with federal mandates like gender equity.

Our two "sports" would then be football and Spring football. Of course, we'll have to find another conference to play in because we can't stay in the ACC with just a handful of sports.

There was nothing wrong with Mack and Satterfield when they got to U of L. There was little wrong with Petrino prior to 2018. Coaches like McDonnell and Walz and Albiero weren't national names when they got here. In addition to their abilities, their outcomes have largely been predicated on the support they received here.

What's wrong with athletics the last several years starts at the top. Not every coaching hire is the right one, but every coaching hire should not be wrong. This department is a train wreck, and you start investigating a train wreck with who's piloting the locomotive...

 

[cardinalrod]

If there were stock to buy; it would be now when its low. Once you buy it when its low, you'll keep a watchful eye on it and and support the product every way you can. Then when it pays off its even sweeter. Keep supporting what you love and enjoy the ride.

 

[zipp]

In stock trading as you know, that’s trying to catch a falling knife. Not with my hand, thank you.

No one knows for sure how low it can go. My guess is we’re not done falling…

 

[glassmanJ]

After the stunning collapse of the women's team tonight against NC State, I'm convinced there's a supernatural force that hates UofL sports.

Think about it. The only championship in all the major sports in the last 30 years was the 2013 title and that was taken away. This despite having high level programs in four major sports.

Hell, even the Volleyball team lost when they were undefeated and the men's soccer team even had a chance a few years ago in a title game loss.

It's just not in the Cards.

i'll play devil's advocate and say most teams don't win the title in their first tries. the women's volleyball losing was expected as there was too much hype about what the accomlishment would be. going undefeated + first woman coach jsut all the team had to hear about and that put tons of pressure on them. going to the world series multiple times is awesome, period. we changed soccer coaches. the women's bball team has made the finals and that's fantastic. only 1 team wins each year.

 

[earsky]

I'll keep keepin on. Wear my gear,support any and all student athletes that put their all into it on the field of play and in the classroom.
There are so many other sports on campus besides football and basketball that deserve it.
Come over and get behind some of them this Spring. We'll bounce back in these higher revenue sports at some point. Try to enjoy something else happening with UofL athletics.
See you at Patterson Stadium.

 

[nccardfan]

I'll keep keepin on. Wear my gear,support any and all student athletes that put their all into it on the field of play and in the classroom.
There are so many other sports on campus besides football and basketball that deserve it.
Come over and get behind some of them this Spring. We'll bounce back in these higher revenue sports at some point. Try to enjoy something else happening with UofL athletics.
See you at Patterson Stadium.

Believe me I am focusing on WBB’s and upcoming baseball! Probably more than ever now Go Cards!

 

[Knucklehank1]

Cards not in top 25 of Baseball America preseason poll. What’s up with that?!

 

[earsky]

Believe me I am focusing on WBB’s and upcoming baseball! Probably more than ever now Go Cards!

I saw more softball games last season than ever. They struggled but were really young too. That's a pretty good atmosphere over there. Would love to get to some of these other Spring sports as well as I have had some more time due to an illness. It's tough to do sometimes but it is a mindset. Obviously,if you live close like I do,it's much easier.

 

[earsky]

Cards not in top 25 of Baseball America preseason poll. What’s up with that?!

Yeah,I think they just have too many question marks. Usher,Masterman and Rushing are all back along with Metzinger but those first three were expected to anchor last season and all three had bad years...all three.
Metz had injuries but came back late. He looks like a star in the making at 3rd base,but they also have to get a weekend rotation nailed down.
There are some new faces,Red shirt and true Frosh that will make an impact.
I kinda like it like this. Put the bullseye on another team.

 

[nccardfan]

Yeah,I think they just have too many question marks. Usher,Masterman and Rushing are all back along with Metzinger but those first three were expected to anchor last season and all three had bad years...all three.
Metz had injuries but came back late. He looks like a star in the making at 3rd base,but they also have to get a weekend rotation nailed down.
There are some new faces,Red shirt and true Frosh that will make an impact.
I kinda like it like this. Put the bullseye on another team.

It’s usually all about the pitching and that’s still an unknown for the Cards.

 

[indaville]

Jeff can coach rings around Mack