Anatomy of a Loss

It has been a week now since one of the biggest wins in the history of Kentucky football. Fans of the big blue have celebrated, gloated to the little guys in red, read the articles in the newspapers, and watched the replays on ESPN. But what about 'lil brother, where does Louisville go from here. Last year there were aspirations of playing for the national title. This year, the Cardinals could not even beat lowly Kentucky. I have heard one UofL fan proclaim that the loss was one of the top three most embarrassing things to ever happen to the 'ville. He didn't tell me what the other two were. However, I have to assume one was the UofL cheerleading episode of Girls Gone Wild. The other is probably the hiring of Rick Pitino.

The loss for UofL was a confirmation. The game confirmed what I had thought to be true once Mr. Petrino left town to referee dog fights. Louisville's tryst with football fame and fortune is coming to a close. And honestly, there is no reason to be ashamed. Last year the Cardinals were an offsides penalty away from playing for the national championship. However, there is something Louisville fans have to realize. To be a dominant program on the national level, the school has to be a destination for coaches, not a stepping stone. Not that being the football coach of the Cardinals is a bad job, but it's also not Notre Dame, USC, Alabama, or Florida. Coaches do not aspire to be the coach at UofL; coaches take the job as an opportunity to better their coaching resume. Kentucky faces a similar dilemma.

Luckily for fans of the blue, Petrino is gone and things are back to normal - two programs battling for bragging rights in the commonwealth.