Louisville Cardinals: The losses that define the fanbase

Louisville Cardinals fans reflect on the tough losses that define a program.

In every fanhood, there are games that literally change the way that you perceive your team forever. For Louisville Cardinals fans, there have been plenty of these moments to celebrate over the last decade.

However, what we rarely talk about as fans are the tough losses. Die hard Louisville Cardinals fans know these games all too well.

These are the games that we lost sleep over, that we missed work the next day over, and that we cried over as kids. They will make you lose your appetite just at the thought of what could have been if said game went just a little bit differently.

As Louisville Cardinals faithful, we often discuss the good times, and maybe its because there are so many great memories to fall back on.

However, what we regularly fail to do is rehash some old memories. The bad memories. The games that make us want to pull our hair out (if we have any left).

After all, these are what define us. The losses, not the wins, are what make the Louisville Cardinals fanbase so great.

Think about it. The 2013 national title would not have felt remotely as rewarding if not for 27 years of futility. The Orange Bowl in 2006 was the product of decades of watching a losing product. Hell, getting accepted into the ACC was a massive accomplishment given the years of bouncing around from conference to conference.

That’s why, in a time of no sports to entertain us, we wanted to bring back some memories that truly defined us. The valleys make the peaks feel that much better, and reflecting on these times may make us appreciate what we have as a fanbase a little bit more.

Four of our BRL contributors chipped in to provide their takes on the losses that defined us as a fanbase.