SB Nation - Cincinnati Bearcats

Boston Sports TV Schedule, Dec. 27: Celtics attempt to end Clippers' streak, plus bowl games

tim.blank2 — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 15:43:57 -0000

A busy night on television in Boston culminates with the Celtics in a west coast showdown as they attempt to snap the longest winning streak in the NBA right now.

National Basketball Association:

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Boston Celtics - 10:30 p.m. EST (TV/Radio: TNT/ 93.7 WEEI FM): The Celtics get a chance on a national stage to defeat the hottest team in the NBA right now. The Clippers have won 14-straight games thanks to the play of guard Chris Paul and forward Blake Griffin. But their bench is also coming up big, scoring 64 points in Tuesday's win against the Denver Nuggets. The Celtics have won three of their last four games against the Clippers and began their current road trip with a 93-76 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder - 8 p.m. EST (TV: TNT): The preceding game has the Thunder trying to snap a two-game losing streak against the struggling Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks have lost six of their last seven games including three in a row. The Thunder fell in their NBA Finals rematch with the Miami Heat on Tuesday, 103-97 but have won six-straight games against the Mavericks, including last year's playoff sweep.

College Football:

Military Bowl: San Jose St. Spartans vs. Bowling Green Falcons - 3 p.m. ESPN

Belk Bowl: Duke Blue Devils vs. Cincinnati Bearcats - 6:30 p.m. ESPN

Holiday Bowl: Baylor Bears vs. UCLA Bruins - 9:45 p.m. ESPN

College Basketball:

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. New Mexico Lobos - 9 p.m. ESPN2

The Bearcat: A Shrieking Nightmare Of Blood-Soaked Claws

Bill Hanstock — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 22:33:46 -0000

The Cincinnati Bearcats are preparing to do battle with the Pittsburgh Panthers on Thursday night. The real-life "bearcat" is an unusual animal with which most of us in North America are wholly unfamiliar. But Cincinnati has presented us with the visage of their mascot, which looks like a diabolical, Lovecraftian hellbeast emerging from the netherworld. Look below the jump, ye mighty and despair.

Big East football broadcaster John Rooke took the picture below and shared this horrifying sight with the world via Twitter:

This towering hellbeast foretells the arrival of something sinister indeed. This seems like the portent of something far more odious than a mere football team; surely any number of low beasts will slouch toward ~~Babylon~~ the gridiron this evening, passing through the blood-stained claw of their dark lord on a mission of nefarious, unspeakable evil. Woe! Woe be upon us, for this is the hour of our demise!

Or, you know, there might just be some middling football being played. Whichever.

For more on Pittsburgh football, visit Pitt blog Cardiac Hill, plus SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on Bearcats football, visit Cincinnati blog Down The Drive. And Big East Coast Bias, for the time being.

ANIMATED: Cincinnati's Justin Jackson Unkind To Aaron Craft

Brendan Porath — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 02:25:11 -0000

Aaron Craft is one of the best defenders in the country but early on in Ohio State's Sweet 16 matchup against Cincinnati, he was on the other end of an amazingly athletic defensive play by the Bearcats' Justin Jackson. Craft, off a steal no less, got out on the break and appeared to be heading in for an easy layup over Cashmere Wright. But Jackson came flying in from nowhere for an emphatic block. Jackson then got another "chasedown" on Lenzelle Smith later on in the half.

Animated gifs of each block after the jump:

For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Buckeyes, visit Along the Olentangy.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

VIDEO: NCAA Tournament Predictions For The Four Ohio Teams In The Sweet 16

Brendan Porath — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:55:11 -0000

Buckeye state basketball fans have plenty to look forward to this week, with four teams in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. It's the first time in the history of the tournament that four teams from one state have made it this far. Ohio State and Cincinnati get things underway tonight in Boston.

Matt Sussman, comedic genius and manager of MAC blog, Hustle Belt, weighed in with a video to deliver his predictions for Ohio, OSU, Xavier, and Cincinnati. Sussman's not exactly high on the Ohio teams' chances, with three of four handicapped as heavy underdogs in their regional semifinal matchups. The Buckeyes and Bearcats should tip just before 10:00 pm tonight.

Video after the jump:

ANIMATED: Texas Struggling Early Against Cincinnati, Rifling Passes Of Teammates' Faces

Brendan Porath — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:57:05 -0000

The Cincinnati Bearcats jumped all over Texas early in their first round matchup on Friday. The Horns started the day just one of 14 from the field and were stuck on two points for ten plus minutes in the first half. The most comical moment, if you're a Bearcat fan, came on a Texas pick and roll pass. You see, it takes two people to execute a pass - one to throw the ball, and one to catch it. It's very complicated stuff. There's such a thing as the no-look pass but we still have yet to perfect the no-look catch - especially when your point guard rifles it at your head underhand.

Animated gif of the failpass after the jump:

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket stick with SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on every March Madness game.

Basketball Ennui, Big East Edition

Michael B&B — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:42:26 -0000

Apparently, the ACC is not the only college basketball conference where fans are pining for the good ol' days. Charles Pierce strikes a similar chord discussing the Big East Tournament:

On Saturday night, Louisville beat Cincinnati, 50-44, to win the Big East championship in what was one of the more singularly preposterous matchups of the entire run-up to the NCAA tournament. Prior to this weekend, these two teams had played each other in championship games in two other conferences - the Metro and Conference USA. One of those conferences even still exists.

All weekend, there was about the tournament the slightly musty smell of encroaching obsolescence. There was a time, and not so long ago, when the Big East was a spotlit thing, playing its tournament in New York, its original membership constructed from schools with long basketball traditions and large eastern media markets. It made stars, like Pearl Washington at Syracuse, and it made people like Patrick Ewing who already were stars into superstars. This year, its championship game was a contest between two teams from the Ohio River basin.

Pierce goes on to complain that the Big East is losing its identity with Pitt and Syracuse decamping for the ACC and West Virginia headed for the Big XII. My first reaction to this piece was that Pierce is writing from his roots. College football now dominates college basketball and the various moves that schools are making are all based on football. The Big East lost the aforementioned teams not because the conference is weak in basketball, but rather because it was imploding in football (especially with the prospect of BCS auto-bids going away) and the ACC and Big XII presented better options. In fact, the Big East brought about its own demise by ignoring the importance of college football, most notably when they turned Penn State away in 1989. Shockingly enough, a writer from Massachusetts - a college football wasteland - cannot quite come to grips with this reality.

My second thought is to wonder whether the addition of Pitt and Syracuse will make the ACC a better basketball property and re-energize the league. The obvious answer is that it will. If Syracuse remains at its current level, then it will, at a minimum, turn a bi-polar league into a tri-polar one. More good teams means more good games, which in turn means more interest. On the other hand, what Pierce is talking about with the Big East is the loss of its brand as a Northeastern basketball conference. He does not feel the same attachment to the conference when two teams from the Ohio Valley are playing at MSG in a tournament final. If Pierce is representative, then adding Pitt and Syracuse poses a challenge for the ACC. The league's identity has always been as a Southern basketball conference. Does the brand suffer when it adds excellent basketball programs from outside of the region?

TV Schedule, Feb. 15: Bruins Face Canadiens; Celtics Host Pistons

Gethin Coolbaugh — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:00:54 -0000

Wednesday's TV schedule, complete with channels and times, customized for the Boston sports fan. Click on any team's name for complete schedules, scores, and previews, plus an active community devoted to your team. All times ET.

National Hockey League

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens - 7:30 p.m. (TV/Radio: NESN/98.5 The Sports Hub): No longer are the Bruins invincible. After a great stretch in the earlier part of the season, the B's have fallen on tough times. Boston's latest shortcoming came against the New York Rangers on Tuesday -- a 3-0 loss at TD Garden. Now, the Bruins face their arch rivals -- the Habs. The rivalry hasn't been the same this season, but we should still be in for a good battle.

National Basketball Association

Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics - 7:30 p.m. (TV/Radio: CSN/WEEI Sports Radio Network): Boston and Detroit used to be big rivals on the hardwood, even as recently as a couple of years ago. Those days are long gone, though, as the Pistons have become stuck in the rebuilding stage while the C's try to get every last bit of productivity out of the Big Three. It should be an easy win for the Celtics, but then again, nothing is surprising in this league.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. New Jersey Nets, 7:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)

More sports on TV Wednesday following the jump.

College Basketball

New Hampshire Wildcats vs. Boston U. Terriers, 7:00 p.m. (Radio: 1510 AM)
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 7:30 p.m. (NESN)
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Miami Hurricanes, 8:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Providence Friars vs. Cincinnati Bearcats, 9:00 p.m. (ESPNU)

TV Schedule, Jan. 18: Celtics Host Raptors: UConn Faces Cincinnati

Gethin Coolbaugh — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:01:16 -0000

National Basketball League

Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics - 7:30 p.m. (TV/Radio: CSNNE/WEEI): Five straight losses is just too much. Alas, the Celtics are facing a weak opponent in the Raptors on Wednesday night, and should be able to right the ship. Granted, nothing is guaranteed, but the C's did beat this Toronto squad twice this season (even if it was in the preseason). Will Rajon Rondo and company make it three straight wins over Toronto?
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Atlanta Hawks, 8:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)

More sports on TV Wednesday after the jump.

College Basketball

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Connecticut Huskies, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2)

Clemson Tigers vs. Miami Hurricanes, 7:00 p.m. (NESN)

UMass Minutemen vs. Duquesne Dukes, 7:00 p.m. (Radio: 1510 AM)

National Hockey League

Buffalo Sabres vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

Tennis

Australian Open, 11 p.m./3 a.m. Thursday (ESPN2)

Xavier-Cincinnati Fight: Sean Miller Makes Statement, ESPN Blows It Out Of Proportion

Scott Coleman — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:30:53 -0000

Sean Miller earned a name for himself at Xavier University. He would not be in the situation he currently is at now in Tucson without the help and support of the Musketeers and he has continually praised their program since joining Arizona in March of 2009. When he supported his former players after their brawl with Cincinnati this past weekend, it should not have come as a surprise to anyone.

Well, anyone except for Eamonn Brennan at ESPN, who blew everything out of proportion.

Here is what coach Miller said regarding the fight:

"If Cincinnati tries to do what they did (Saturday) they're going to get a fight," Miller said after UA beat Clemson on Saturday. "So I'm proud of those guys." [...] "They have a chance to win it all," Miller said. "It's just such a great story. I'm really proud of those guys and I watch them any time that I can. No one's going to bully those guys."

"Happens every game (the heated environment and scrappy play). I'm proud of those guys, I really am," Miller said of Xavier, his former team. "I would fully expect there to be a fight."

Miller said nothing more other than he supported his former players and that they would not back down to anyone. That's a trait of a good team. That's the kind of team we want at Arizona.

And for what Brennan wrote about the statement this morning:

Were I a college basketball coach, I would probably want to stay as far away from Xavier and Cincinnati as possible right now ... Apparently, Sean Miller disagrees. The current Arizona and former Xavier coach spoke out in support of his former players Saturday.

[Statement from Miller]

Lo and behold, that seems to be the exact same attitude Xavier stars Mark Lyons and Tu Holloway took in their postgame news conferences, the ones that included poorly chosen phrases like "gangsters" and "thugs" and "where we come from" and only drew further criticism and ire.

Brennan proceeds to give a 4th grade textbook definition of what 'toughness' means, before ending with this:

Cincinnati-Xavier erupted into what it did because nobody involved apparently understood what "toughness" really is. That's the biggest criticism we've heard in the past few days, especially of Xavier -- that "these guys just don't get it."

If their former coach is "proud" of what he saw Saturday, well, no wonder.

The annual Xavier-Cincinnati game is one of the most heated rivalries in college basketball. For Arizona fans, they can compare it to the annual games with Arizona State. A brawl is never good for a program, but they happen when emotions get the better of players. Coach Miller knows first-hand just how intense these games can get. Sean would not be where he is now without the help of Xavier and his comments backing up his former-players are completely warranted.

Because of ESPN's article, Miller clarified his comments:

"I made comments following our win Saturday over Clemson regarding my former team, Xavier University. These remarks were in response to a question as to whether I have been following Xavier's on-the-court successes this season. My comments were directed toward my admiration of their on-the-court toughness and their respective approach to giving great effort as a team."

"In no way was I condoning a fight. At the time of my press conference, I was only responding to my belief in several players that I once coached and a head coach, Chris Mack, that I have great respect for."

Next time, we can only hope ESPN does not jump the gun and put words into coach Miller's mouth. He never once said he condoned fighting or that what transpired on Saturday afternoon was acceptable; all he did was support his former players and coaches. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that and ESPN blew it out of context. Eamonn Brennan owes Sean Miller an apology.

TV Schedule, Dec. 3: Bruins Host Maple Leafs; UConn Takes On Cincinnati

Jesse Holland — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:01:13 -0000

Saturday's TV schedule, complete with channels and times, customized for the Boston sports fan. Click on any team's name for complete schedules, scores, and previews, plus an active community devoted to your team. All times ET.

National Hockey League

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins - 7:00 p.m. (TV/Radio: NESN/98.5 The Sports Hub): The Bruins look to win their third straight game including their second straight against the Maple Leafs tonight at the TD Garden in "Beantown."

College Football

Connecticut Huskies vs. Cincinnati Bearcats - 12:00 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN3): Cincinnati will try and stake their claim to the Big East title alongside West Virginia and Louisville -- but first they have to get past the always-dangerous Huskies.

More sports on TV Saturday after the jump.

College Basketball

Boston U. Terriers vs. Boston College Eagles - 7:00 p.m. (ESPN3)

UMass Minutemen vs. Miami Hurricanes - 1:00 p.m. (ESPNU)

Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Connecticut Huskies - 3:15 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN3)