And so it begins

Here is the first post in the history of Dr. David Schulte.As a life long Louisville Cardinal fan and a graduate of Vanderbilt University, I will use this page to chronicle my life as a Cards and Dores fan.Today is a great day as a fan of both schools.Today both the cards and the dores were rewarded for fantastic wins on the hardwood this weekend. Both my squads enter the AP Top 25 (Vandy #17, Ville # 20) and may have played themselves off the bubble and into the big dance!

Let me chronicle for you the events that led to this feeling of elation...

- Saturday February 10, 2007
I spent a great afternoon in Palm Beach, FL playing golf with my dad at one of the premeir courses in the Nation, PGA National which is home to the Honda Classic. Playing in tournament conditions, I recover from a sloppy front nine to par 2 of the final 4 holes...a treacherous stretch named "The Bear Trap" by designer Jack Nicklaus who wanted his tournament to be won or lost in the finishing stretch. I lived up to the call of The Bear and shoot the low total of the group and claim victory for the second year in a row.

Anyways, we settle into rental cottage after the round and start looking for a U of L- USF score. Due to the vast number of Top 25 teams in action on this day, the Cards get no respect on the haltime/post game wrap-ups . Eventually we learn that the Cards pulled out out a win...and the world was right again. At that point we didn't know any details of the victory.

After a solid dinner of Italian food for for the third night in a row we head in for the night an catch up with the ESPN GameDay Crew in Lexington for the UK-UF matchup. We proceed to watch UK get romped and all the sill UK fans in their stupid t-shirts go home depressed. WHooHoo! (I hate UK fans by the way)

- Sunday February 11, 2007
We wake up and hit the links trying ot fit in as many holes as possible before having to head to the airport to get back to Louisville. I dominated the group once again shooting 39 on the front nine and paring 4 of the 5 holes we play on the back nine. Anyways we make it to the airport and I grab a USA Today that supplies only mininal coverage of the Cards. Only they do point out a surprising point. Derrick Caracter actually played...what's more is that he drops a double double in his first action in over a month. To quote Kyle's mom from South Park "Wha Wha Whaaaaat!" Rick is becoming frickin Bill Belichick when it comes to his roster situations.

- Monday February 12, 2007
On a cold snowy day back home, I slog through a terrible day at school. The only thing that I have to look forward to is the big game at Pitt for Big Monday.And what happens...the Cards deliver the perfect pick-me-up for my frostbitten/sunburned butt. The young kids go out and dominate from the start. Something finally clicked and TWill begins to drive and dish. Padgett (who was doubtful for the game) looks unstoppable when guarded straight up Gray (Which is how he usually looks when guarded strait up by most everyone).

What's more is that DC shows up again and tools on Gray just as easily. The guards harass Pitt's backcourt and force a season high in turnovers for the Panthers. We finally look like the team we were meant to be...a real contender.

- Saturday February 17, 2007
1:00 PM
Dores vs. Gators on CBS...damn were in for a good day. The Dores take control early and you can tell the Memorial Maniacs and Vandy Psycho's are gonna make it tough on the nations No. 1 team. Derrick Byars looks like Kobe Bryant out there doing everything and Shan Foster kocks down 5 three-pointers. The kids from West End Avenue dominate and drop the hammer even harder when Joakim Noah tries to snatch the ball out of the hands of Coach Kevin Stallings. Stallings stood his ground and made Noah look like a little twit...HAHAHAA

A 13 point win and $25,000 fine for rushing the court make me think everything is going to be just fine come Selection Sunday

3:30 PM
Cats get their junk handed to them by Alabama for the third game in a row. In a perfect example of why I hate that squad so much, the three star juniors can't get on the same page at the same time and can't decide which one of them is the real star. Even though Randy, Joe, and Ramel put up good numbers, their complete lack of focus on the team dooms them...

9:00 PM
Cards take the floor against #12 Marquette at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. The refs immediately make thier mark and whistle Padgett for two quick/questionable fouls. With Caracter waiting at the table to replace him, Padgett inexplicably swipes at another shot and get called for his third fould at the 18:02 mark...are you kidding me?

With our hopes for a win in the celler, Caracter comes in and immediately lifts them. Pitino continues to order his troops to pound it inside and the big kid responds with 10 points and completely dominates the game for a stretch in the first half.

The Eagles get hot and hit a few threes and took the lead in the second half...just like they did back at Freedom Hall. But down the stretch you could sense that they never completely controlled the game.Maybe it was all the losses early in the season, maybe it was the recent confidence gained from beation pit on the road, but the Cards wouldn't give up.At the 5 minute mark I said to Megan, "We've got to get the guards going, We can't win this game without getting Jerry Smith going...WE NEED JERRY!"

Ask and you shall recieve, I guess. Jerry hits a three from the corner and Edgar keeps the ball moving. With the shaky Eagles up 4 , Jerry buries another corner 3 with just 20 seconds remaining. Cue Marquette missing 1 of 2 freebies and Edgar races back down the court, slices through the D and gets an easy layup with 11 seconds.WOW...we are tied in the last 10 seconds after all that we've been through...I sure didn't see that coming.

After 2 timeouts on the inbounds, Smith is called for a bumping fouls on Marquette star Dominic James with 5.5 seconds on the clock. Some fans were troubled by this, but not me. 5.5 seconds is a ton of time. Again Marquette only gets one of two freethrows and the door is left wide open if the Cards and find a hero...

(0:05)...Inbounds pass to Sosa
(0:04)...Dribble past midcourt
(0:03)...Confronted by defenders
(0:02)...Pass to Jerry Smith on the Wing for 3
(0:01)...The local kid gets a clean look
(0:00)...Swish
(The rest of the night)...GO FREAKIN CRAZY

And thats just the beginning !