CINCINNATI SPORTS LAST WEEK

On Halloween, the Bearcat basketball team opened preseason games against division II Northern Kentucky University. They trailed at the half and won by only a 76-71 score. Looking at their roster you discover the following: they have 14 players; one is a walk-on; one player is out for the year injured; one is a senior with no division I experience; they have four seniors with one year experience; they have no juniors; they have only one sophomore with one year experience; they have six freshmen (none are red shirts) with no experience. If they win 15, it will be a great year.

The Xavier Musketeers, who should be very good, decided not to play two preseason games and were idle this weekend. This is mysterious. They may be the only team in the country taking this approach.

Dusty Baker filled out his coaching staff by adding Chris Speier as bench coach. Chris will also work with the infielders.

On Saturday afternoon in Tampa, before a national audience on ABC, the UC Bearcats jumped on the #20 South Florida Bulls for 31 first quarter points. The Bulls had never given up more than 30 points in a whole game prior to this one. USF got two first quarter touchdowns on a kick-off return and and interception return. It was the longest first quarter you could imagine. From then on, the Cats hung on. Seven turnovers and some trick plays kept them alive to pull out a 38-33 win.

Meanwhile, up north in Indiana, The US Naval Academy beat Notre Dame for the first time since Cincinnatian Roger Staubach quarterbacked the Midshipmen in 1963. And with this win, Charlie Weis forever takes the heat off of Cincinnatian Gerry Faust and several other coaches as the most inept in their long history.


In the first round of the high school playoffs; in division 1 St. X smashed Elder, Colerain shutout Northmont, Moeller edged Sycamore, and Centerville beat Princeton. Both St. X and Colerain, the best two teams in the state, have lost their starting quarterbacks for the season in the last two weeks.

The Bengals went to work in Buffalo on Sunday. As has been their habit on the road, they gave up a bunch of points and were inept at running the ball in a sad 33-21 loss. Oh yeah, Chad Johnson had the drops and then got dropped. Hopefully, Chris Henry will be coming back next week. My wife says they should fire that Martin and Lewis guy.