We need to get on the road and beat the bushes right now

Louisville coach Rick Pitino has often blamed a microwave society for criticisms aimed at his basketball team. Pitino says people want things too quicklya perfect non-conference record for examplewhen it takes the Cardinals a little longer than most to settle into his system and prepare for March That's understandable. A 91-83 loss to Western Carolina on your home court isn'tespecially one that followed a gruesome loss to Charlotte a game earlier. Louisville went to the National Invitational Tournament the next season, eventually returning the Top 25 in late 2006. The Cardinals have been a virtual mainstay on the national scene ever sinceuntil this past week, when the Charlotte loss booted them from the rankings. Pitino also said Louisville would always reloadnever rebuildand that talent would stream onto campus as long as he was there Apparently, he's taking that back.

We have to recruit, Pitino said after the Western Carolina game Our talent level is not where it needs to be right now. We need to get on the road and beat the bushes right now. Perhaps Pitino needs to stop cooking an NCAA Championship at Louisville in a crock pot and stick it in a microwave, because all signs point to an appearance in a post-season tournament that doesnt feature a field of 65. Pitino lost his top recruiter, son Richard Pitino, to Billy Donovan at Florida this past offseason Then came the all-too-famous off-court transgressions. Finally, the season started, but the holes left by offseason distractions are obvious Sophomore Samardo Samuels hasnt shown improvement Sophomore Jared Swopshire still isnt ready.

Turns out freshman Mike Marra isnt the best shooter to ever hit the basketball court. And now the Cardinals are a loss away from three straightenough for Louisville fans to hit the panic button and wonder just what Pitinos future plans at Louisville entail. Louisville fans will ask, Why cant Rick do that Maybe Louisville athletics director Tom Jurich will too. But maybe, just maybe, its the early-season critics that are once again at fault.

There were never three losses in a rownot since the Cardinals 2005-2006 NIT season, which followed the Final Four appearance. Should Louisville lose at home to Oral Roberts on Wednesday, its safe to say fans shouldnt expect another turnaround. Pitino said he can draw parallels between this seasons bunch and his last NIT team. The next year the guys thought they were the reason for the Final Four and they didn't play well defensively It is almost a carbon copy of that. At two losses, worry At three, panic. Three straight losses have set the standard for Pitino's down years in the past. I've made this point already, and I don't think I can actually articulate my thoughts in a meaningful way, but I don't care. Lovie Smith is the worst coach in football at any level and at any position, and we as Bear fans need to seriously consider boycotting this team for every minute he remains on the Chicago sidelines.Greg Olsen clearly didn't catch that pass in the fourth quarter, it was clear as day to anyone with a functional brain cell in their head.