The House of Blue

I understand what you guys are saying (Cobby, JD, etc)... our annual game with UofL has always been more beneficial to them, than us. I realize the 7 win minimum would raise the stakes to a point where "common sense" says, drop the Cards from our schedule. However, if we (our football program) are truly serious about competing in the SEC, then we should not feel the need to drop a team from the Big Least. That rule would simply mean it's time to step our game up and prove we are a program on the rise... not run away from an instate challenge. If we are serious about turning things around, keeping Louisville on our schedule will show some GUTS. It would go against what "common sense" and all naysayers would expect from UK football... and raise some eye-brows. Friends and foes alike, would be like... "Damn, UK must be confident as hell about winning." That show of confidence and "attitude" will spark an uproar of excitement in BBN and the players will feed off that energy ... and play with greater intensity.

I just see it as reason to get more excited about football... and more motivation for our team to step their game up and come ready to play "inspired" football. We should, at least, keep the game on our schedule for a few years.... before throwing in the towel and ending, what is an exciting game for our fans and recruits.

First let me say that I like the UK, UofL football series. I however can understand why UK might find it necessary to cancel the series if the SEC goes to a nine game conference schedule. It has nothing to do with competition and everything to do with economics. I am sure that UofL could ensure that the game continue. All it would have to do is agree to play the game every year at Commonwealth and both teams split the tickets and the gate. The game could be played outside the season ticket packet at a special rate.

The reason I say play it at Commonwealth is because of capacity. The Pizza Pit is just too small for this cash cow game.

We gain zero by playing UL. How many Ky HS recruits do win or lose due to the UL game? Most already know where they want to go well before their soph. year of HS. Some may switch but that percentage is really small.

Ga.Tech wants and needs UGA. It helps with recruiting the state of Ga. Big difference.

Same with the Florida schools. If FSU beats UF it helps with getting the top kids in state. Huge difference.

To give that game up so easily just shows the "mediocrity mindset" is still alive and well in BBN. We keep hearing that UK football is committed to competing in the SEC... and raising the bar for what is expected of our level of play. If all we keep hearing is true, then we aspire to be better than a 7 win team anyway... and that's WITH our current schedule. Unless we are full of crap and still expect to be a bottom feeder in the SEC, then we SHOULD NOT allow the idea of "just one more win", to push the panic button and boot the "mediocre" Cards from our schedule. If we just wanna make a bowl by beating OOC pansies, along with the other 4 bottom feeders of the SEC... then, we are not serious about football at all.

Just answer this... what would you rather see, an annual game against the Cards that we KNOW is exciting... or the typical, annual toilet bowl game that means absolutely nothing and garners zero excitement from BBN?

If we drop the Cards and just barely make a sh!t bowl... then we are giving up the ONE GAME, that we can count on (every year) to build excitement. I will take a chance on losing to the Cards over the possibility of winning a sh!t bowl anyday.

We either expect better or we don't... but either way, the Cards MUST stay on our schedule.

I'm going to say on this if we go though a 8-9 game Sec schedule and are 2nd that means we are SEC champs or just lost the SEC championship.
If we won it we're in
If we lost that more than likly means we just lost to the SEC champs and I don't see them having another "Rematch" after the bad taste in everyones mouth form the Bama/Lsu game from this yr

I believe the past 6 National Champions (all SEC teams) had at least 3 "cupcakes" on their schedule and still were ranked #1 or #2 in the BCS because of their strength of schedule IN THE SEC. That makes your point moot!

I was against the series to begin with, and my opinion becomes stronger as time goes by. Only UofL benefits from this series. UK would not benefit if we won 10 years in a row. I'm not in favor of the 7 win rule, but if it goes in, and that gives us political cover to drop the UofL series, then that's at least one good thing that would result from the rule.

The UL series has always been more beneficial to them than us. I say drop that game ASAP regardless of whether you need to win 6 or 7 to get bowl-eligible.

Keeping UL actually is the maintaining of the mediocrity mindset.

Recruits don't give a damned if we play UL every year unless they are from Jefferson County.

Recruits care about WINNING and going Bowling. We can add a sure W home game against a team from an area we recruit to help us get better recruits.

UL is not, and I repeat--UL IS NOT BIG TIME FOOTBALL! If you all truly believed UK should play another BIG BOY in our OOC then you would want to play USC, TX, Oklahoma, Ohio State, etc... You don't and you are just blowing smoke and pretending you want to. And playing any of those teams who are vastly superior to UL who is even more ridiculous. We need the W's and to develop a winning mindset amongst the fans and players to advance up the SEC ladder.

Cobby and DB4... you are both wrong. I'm not saying Louisville is some power house... nor am I agreeing that keeping them, is accepting mediocrity. The fact is... you and I (and everyone else) knows for certain, that if we do drop the Cards, they will be replaced with a cup-cake ... which in turn, WILL make us appear to be accepting mediocrity. Louisville is not an Oregon or Oklahoma, but they damn sure present a tougher challenge, than what they'd be replaced with.

DB4, you are way off base saying I'm accepting mediocrity by wanting to keep them... cuz you know UK would not replace them with anyone who's actually better. Therefore, by wanting to keep them... I'm admitting that I prefer the tougher challenge we'd get from the Cards, vs that of a cup-cake team. That means... YOU are the one who prefers an easier schedule and thus, mediocrity.

JJ, you are wrong as two boys ** on this one bro!

I don't care if we replace them with little sisters of the poor. We have to win games and that doesn't matter whom it's against. UL built their program by playing a pansy schedule and racking up the W's. Same goes for Utah, TCU, and a plethora of other mid-major programs. People don't blame them for who they play. They forget that they play in a cupcake conference and only look at one thing, "Do they win?" When they are able to see multiple years of winning records and bowl games recruits take notice.

You want better recruits? Win more games against anyone! Once we get to the point that we consistently win 9-10 games a year we can toughen the schedule but until then, UK should be doing anything it can to have a winning season.

I don't care what some lame UL fans say. It's easy for them to crow about dodging them when we are the 2nd toughest team they face all year. We don't have the luxury of playing 5 OOC cupcakes and then a boatload more of cupcakes in our conference. We face the likes of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, TN, LSU, SCAR, Miss St, Ark, TAMU, Mizzo... They face Rutgers, Cinci, USF, Central Florida, Uconn... It's not dodging or accepting mediocrity to want to have built in W's OOC. It's smart economic policy.

Ouch!!! Now I will admit there's a chance I'm wrong on this one... for economic or other reasons, I'm not taking into consideration, BUT I ABSOLUTELY, UNDENIABLY, NO DOUBT, KNOW FOR CERTAIN... THAT I AM 100% SURE... AND ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, KNOW FOR A FACT... THAT I "AM NOT AS WRONG AS TWO BOYS F***ING"!!!!!!!!

You Army feller's AIN'T RIGHT!!!

Seriously, to be honest... this may boil down to personal preference and flat out selfishness. Nevertheless, I wanna keep Louisville, because I enjoy the excitement that annual rivalry game brings to the Commonwealth. For me, it's not about how it benefits them or hurts us... I don't look at it that way. I think WE SHOULD be better than them.... and SHOULD beat them more often than not. For that reason... I prefer to keep them on our schedule, so we can prove to them (and everyone else) that they are no different or no more of a threat, than any other OOC cup cake on our schedule.

I hate the idea of dropping them, simply because so many in BBN think they present an obstacle that we cannot overcome... to make a bowl game. That's a pathetic attitude... economically smart or not. To prefer a much easier "win" over a mediocre team like the Cards, is proof that SOME expect no more than mediocrity from UK football.

Again, where's the pride in making a bowl... when the only reason we play in a bowl, is because we beat all the cup cakes we (maxi) padded our schedule with? If we are gonna let ONE MORE WIN (to be bowl eligible), be reason enough to run from a team, who we SHOULD beat anyway... and be stomping their asses in the dirt annually... then, this whole idea of UK working toward competing in the SEC and becoming a legit contender, is nothing more than a crock of shit.

With that said, ANYONE (you and JD included) who are willing to give up the Cards for a pansy ass team (who won't fill CWS anyway), are the fans who, not only EXPECT the same old mediocrity, but WELCOME it... and quite frankly... ARE AS WRONG AS TWO BOYS F***ING!!!!!

I still love ya tho... like a brother from another mother.

I agree with all that. I think what sparked my rant... or my desire to make a convincing argument, is what I believe to be the inevitable truth... which is, UK will deem it necessary to drop the Cards (if or when the 7 Win minimum rule becomes reality)... and the thought of that just pisses me off.

The fact that our program allowed themselves, to be put in this position in the first place (where they feel the need that we MUST drop a mediocre team like the Cards)... just blows my mind and irks me to no end.

I understand those of you who are making the opposing argument... and the fact that I really (deep down inside) know you, most likely, are absolutely right about what will ultimately be the case, only adds to my "pissed offness"... and "irkness" as well.

That is gonna be a sad day... when I have to say goodbye to the Cards and hello to the Blind Pansy Ass Sissy's of the Poor.

But hey... we just might make a bowl game by golly!!!