flu-isville....from the louisville papers

gardenweasel

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the flu has hit the cardinals pretty hard...and exams have ben a distraction....lousy fan base..

Cards take finals on road

"While Texas Christian got plenty of notoriety for declining the GMAC Bowl's invitation because the game fell during the school's finals week, UofL accepted the bid despite its players having finals at the same time.

Two players missed Monday's practice because they were taking a final at the team hotel. Eight players took finals yesterday after the team practiced. Professors require that the players take the exams at the same time the rest of their class is taking them back in Louisville.

1,000 U of L fans expected

The timing of the game also appears to have been tough for UofL fans. Football sports information Rocco Gasparro said the school has sold little more than 1,000 tickets to the game, a far cry from the more than 20,000 it took to its New Year's Eve Liberty Bowl appearances several years ago.

Not only is the GMAC Bowl a non-holiday weeknight game during finals and in conflict with winter commencement ceremonies, but it also comes at a time when schools at all levels in the Louisville area still are in session.

Medical report

The flu bug continues to hit the Cards, with running back Michael Bush the latest victim. He struggled through practice yesterday with pains in his chest and throat. Safety Brent Johnson, meanwhile, fought a stomach ailment and threw up once on the field.

Coaches estimate that 16-20 players have experienced symptoms.

"It's rough," Bush said, "but I'm going to play. You take your medicine, and once the game starts, the adrenaline starts going and you forget all about it."

Big man, big appetite

Miami's players and coaching staff are effusive in their praise of their star quarterback. The only RedHawk to find fault with the 6-foot-5, 248-pound Ben Roethlisberger was his long-time roommate, wide receiver Michael Larkin.

"He eats a lot," Larkin said. "Anything you put in front of him, he'll eat it: Doritos, pizza, Mexican food, my food. If I don't keep a close eye on it, he'll eat it. We went to Waffle House and he ate his food, some of my food, half of another teammate's food."










"
 

wideopen

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is this from the same source that was saying that the memphis players were partying until 4am before the game and were just happy to be there? take these pre-bowl game reports with a grain of salt.
 

gardenweasel

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from respected sources

from respected sources

Louisville getting pummeled by flu virus
Jon Campbell


The 13 1/2-point spread continues to get loftier for the Louisville Cardinals at Thursday's GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

The Louisville Courier-Journal is reporting the Cards have come down with a nasty flu bug. Although no one is expected to miss Thursday's game, the bug continues to spread rapidly throughout the team.

"It has been a concern," Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino said. "We've had some guys miss practice. We've had coaches sick, their families sick. So we're dealing with it."

? GMAC Bowl ? Bowl Central ?
Sixteen to 20 players have been effected by the flu in recent days, several of them key to the Cards' success. The following is a breakdown of some of the top Louisville players who've been hit by the bug:


Michael Bush - freshman tailback/backup quarterback - Bush had a tough time in practice on Tuesday as he struggled with a sore throat and chest. He is the Cards' third-leading rusher overall this season, but played a crucial part in the team's final two games of the season. Bush ran for 137 yards in a win over Houston and 125 yards in a win over Cincinnati to help Louisville win both contests.

Brent Johnson - sophomore safety - Johnson had it so bad Tuesday in practice, he threw up on the field. He is one of Louisville's most important defensive players, ranking second on the team with 101 total tackles. The sophomore also had 71 solo tackles, nine tackles for loss, four passes defended and three quarterback hurries this season.

J.R. Russell - Junior wide receiver - The team's No. 1 wide receiver, said he came down with the virus last week but is recovering. Russell led the club with 1,069 receiving yards and five touchdowns this campaign.

Ronnie Ghent - senior tight end - Ghent was Louisville's second-leading receiver this season as he finished with 376 yards and four TDs. He caught the flu bug shortly after the wideout fell ill. He was hacking and had the sniffles after practice on Monday and needed to take intravenous fluids at the hotel to recuperate.


don`t kill the messenger......:nono:
 

wideopen

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the info is VERY appreciated. I was just saying that i think sometimes this information tends to sway people way too much before bowl games.
 

DCPlayer

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Not sure Wide's being negative. I think he (maybe "she" considering the username) :D, has a point.

Since Bowl games, the early ones in particular, are typically the only game being played that day, everyone's looking at them closely. For good or bad, issue's that you normally might not consider, or even hear about on a normal Saturday tend to get magnified.
I personally think it's always good to know this info!
Thanks Weasel!!
Good luck everyone. :)
 

gardenweasel

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Jan 10, 2002
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i understand

i understand

where wide`s coming from......and i agree,it`s hard to know how much credulity to give to some of this info....

i`m always amazed at how these guys recover from the flu in 2 days and i`m laid up for almost a week...totally incapacitated.....

must be more than just fluid replenishment in those i.v.`s.....

g.l.,guys....
 
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