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Planning to write about UC football every week this year. Thought I'd share with everyone. Here's a link to my preseason piece as well as a quote from a portion that explains the premise for my writing this season:

Quote:Much like 2009, 2019 is a season with some real questions, but that unmistakable feeling that we could potentially see something great. And so I want to do something different this year. I want you to ride along with me as we experience the 2019 season through the lens of the 2009 season we’ll never forget. I want to make this about Bearcat football, but I also want to use it to talk about life. I’m going to try to write every week. I’m going to try to discuss this year and revisit the wonder of 2009. I’m going to look at the program a decade apart and evaluate where we are… but most importantly I am going to celebrate being a Bearcat football fan and all the joy it had brought me.

http://bearcatmark.blogspot.com/2019/08/...ecade.html

That's cool.

And might I add...

Those of you who have only been UC football fans since the Kelly days... you're very spoiled.

Bearcat football in the 80's... not so joyous.

(08-21-2019 03:35 PM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  That's cool.

And might I add...

Those of you who have only been UC football fans since the Kelly days... you're very spoiled.

Bearcat football in the 80's... not so joyous.

Maybe... but there is something incredibly special about being a fan of an entirely different kind of program that makes an enormous leap. I became a huge fan in the 90s. I enjoyed it. UC football was one of my favorite things, but it was largely mediocrity with moments of fun that stick out. The 2008-2009 run would have been unfathomable. I'm a Cubs fan and I'd put winning that Pitt game above even the Cubs world series for me in sports moments because the unbelievable nature of UC's college football ascension.

(08-21-2019 03:39 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(08-21-2019 03:35 PM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  That's cool.

And might I add...

Those of you who have only been UC football fans since the Kelly days... you're very spoiled.

Bearcat football in the 80's... not so joyous.

Maybe... but there is something incredibly special about being a fan of an entirely different kind of program that makes an enormous leap. I became a huge fan in the 90s. I enjoyed it. UC football was one of my favorite things, but it was largely mediocrity with moments of fun that stick out. The 2008-2009 run would have been unfathomable. I'm a Cubs fan and I'd put winning that Pitt game above even the Cubs world series for me in sports moments because the unbelievable nature of UC's college football ascension.

Oh yeah, you're right. I'm with you 100% on that.

I was just speaking from experience. The Kelly years were in fact unfathomable.

I remember watching that Orange Bowl and thinking to myself...

Am I really watching... the ORANGE BOWL... WITH UC IN IT ???

Thanks for doing this Mark. Will be an enjoyable visit thru that 09 season. Watching the UC team bus roll into the Orange Bowl stadium to blaring sirens will always be in my memory. I started following Bearcat Football in 1968 with Jim O'Brien, Tom Rossely, Greg Cook with the fourth quarter push against Miami (O). '68 was a wild season with a 33-77 loss to Houston and 48-60 loss to Ohio U. The Miami victory erased all the bad memories of that season.

(08-21-2019 03:49 PM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  

(08-21-2019 03:39 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(08-21-2019 03:35 PM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  That's cool.

And might I add...

Those of you who have only been UC football fans since the Kelly days... you're very spoiled.

Bearcat football in the 80's... not so joyous.

Maybe... but there is something incredibly special about being a fan of an entirely different kind of program that makes an enormous leap. I became a huge fan in the 90s. I enjoyed it. UC football was one of my favorite things, but it was largely mediocrity with moments of fun that stick out. The 2008-2009 run would have been unfathomable. I'm a Cubs fan and I'd put winning that Pitt game above even the Cubs world series for me in sports moments because the unbelievable nature of UC's college football ascension.

Oh yeah, you're right. I'm with you 100% on that.

I was just speaking from experience. The Kelly years were in fact unfathomable.

I remember watching that Orange Bowl and thinking to myself...

Am I really watching... the ORANGE BOWL... WITH UC IN IT ???

Bolded! I know some folks go back further than me but Dave Curry and Tim Murphy were the coaches when I was attending UC back in the day. We have come a long, long way since then. I'm extremely grateful to be where we are now!

(08-21-2019 03:49 PM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  

(08-21-2019 03:39 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(08-21-2019 03:35 PM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  That's cool.

And might I add...

Those of you who have only been UC football fans since the Kelly days... you're very spoiled.

Bearcat football in the 80's... not so joyous.

Maybe... but there is something incredibly special about being a fan of an entirely different kind of program that makes an enormous leap. I became a huge fan in the 90s. I enjoyed it. UC football was one of my favorite things, but it was largely mediocrity with moments of fun that stick out. The 2008-2009 run would have been unfathomable. I'm a Cubs fan and I'd put winning that Pitt game above even the Cubs world series for me in sports moments because the unbelievable nature of UC's college football ascension.

Oh yeah, you're right. I'm with you 100% on that.

I was just speaking from experience. The Kelly years were in fact unfathomable.

I remember watching that Orange Bowl and thinking to myself...

Am I really watching... the ORANGE BOWL... WITH UC IN IT ???

I said the same thing to myself. No lie- I actually got a bit of a lump in my throat and shed a tear at the Sugar Bowl the following year listening to the fans doing Down the Drive in the arena.

I have been a fan since I arrived on campus during the Tim Murphy years. I appreciated Minter and Dantonio, but BK convinced me we could have sustained success here with the right coaching and recruiting.

(08-21-2019 03:35 PM)Def Berkkat Wrote:  That's cool.

And might I add...

Those of you who have only been UC football fans since the Kelly days... you're very spoiled.

Bearcat football in the 80's... not so joyous.

My brothers and I grew up as basketball fans in the 90s. (I was so basketball-focused that I thought Ohio State was a mediocre sports school, even as a 20-year old).

My brother went to UC for undergrad started going to football games in 2002. I went to undergrad somewhere else, then grad school at UC & started going to football games in 2006. Just a 4 year difference, but an amazing difference in our experience of Bearcat football. One of the first games I went to was the win over #7 Rutgers at the end of 2006. My brother had tears in his eyes to see Nippert so full during that game - his beginnings of UC football was of games where only a couple hundred people would be left after halftime if the weather was bad.

I still get tears in my eyes when I go to Nippert and see a full student section. How I would have loved that when I was a student.

I've mentioned this in the past. The low point for me was watching UC get crushed by 1-AA Indiana State in the Hoosier Dome. I was actually yelling at the UC coaches and players to wake up and the entire stadium could hear me.

Then I too went to the Orange Bowl game. I could not believe I was there watching UC football play in the Orange Bowl!

Good luck bearcatmark with your writing.

(08-22-2019 09:47 AM)bearcatfan Wrote:  I've mentioned this in the past. The low point for me was watching UC get crushed by 1-AA Indiana State in the Hoosier Dome. I was actually yelling at the UC coaches and players to wake up and the entire stadium could hear me.

Then I too went to the Orange Bowl game. I could not believe I was there watching UC football play in the Orange Bowl!

Good luck bearcatmark with your writing.

THAT... is a true statement.

I was there too. We had a decent amount of people there but when ISU started handing us our asses, everybody just slumped down and shut up.

I started to make a comment to the people I was with and in mid sentence I had to pipe down because everyone in the place could hear me.

I was like "jeesh. this is the first football game I've ever gone to that I had to whisper."

It was like being in the waiting room at the dentist.

There was nothing like being in New Orleans for Sugar Bowl and walking around and seeing Bearcat gear everywhere (very little Florida gear). Walking into the team hotel and seeing basically a who's-who of Cincy sitting in the lobby. It was surreal.

We flew in from Phoenix - I told my girlfriend at the time (not a football fan at all), if you want to spend New Year's with me, I'll be in N.O. because this may never happen again in my lifetime. Glad I went (she made the trip too).

Oh and I knew we were going to lose the moment the Florida band came out pre-game and flexed on us by writing Florida in cursive (after our band did some crisscross action). It was clear from the band and fans on up, we were playing a PROGRAM, not just a team. Looking back at that Florida team it's ridiculous who was on it (and coaching it).

(08-22-2019 09:47 AM)bearcatfan Wrote:  I've mentioned this in the past. The low point for me was watching UC get crushed by 1-AA Indiana State in the Hoosier Dome. I was actually yelling at the UC coaches and players to wake up and the entire stadium could hear me.

I was at that game also. Between the three of us, I think we account for 1% of the crowd at that game.

I actually enjoyed the Orange Bowl experience more as i thought we had a real chance of winning the game. ....... and if Kelly doesn't go brain dead and coach one of the worst games of his life we'd had another win over Va Tech. Sugar Bowl was a blast, but i didn't feel we had a shot going in. Trip was great. Most underrated was the trip and win on New Years to the Liberty Bowl and beating Vandy. Great game and beautiful weather. Was hungover for a couple days after than one.

(08-22-2019 05:03 PM)dsquare Wrote:  I actually enjoyed the Orange Bowl experience more as i thought we had a real chance of winning the game. ....... and if Kelly doesn't go brain dead and coach one of the worst games of his life we'd had another win over Va Tech. Sugar Bowl was a blast, but i didn't feel we had a shot going in. Trip was great. Most underrated was the trip and win on New Years to the Liberty Bowl and beating Vandy. Great game and beautiful weather. Was hungover for a couple days after than one.

Walk down memory lane. Should have won the Orange Bowl. No chance in Sugar because lyin Brian and almost all coaches split.

Liberty was great. A wonderful day of weather. The chant of SEC by Vandy replaced by SEC SUCKS by UC.

We got to the mountains and now we get the swamp.

Part two of my look at Bearcat football in 2019 through the lens of the 2009 season is up. Discussing the UCLA game and the incredible performance at Rutgers that got 2009 rolling.

https://bearcatmark.blogspot.com/2019/09...ation.html

Mark, I'm going to enjoy this series about as well as I figure to enjoy this season.

Well done sir

Before I look, how many stats & metrics are involved? They make my head hurt

(09-03-2019 08:04 PM)gerhard911 Wrote:  Before I look, how many stats & metrics are involved? They make my head hurt

zero.

(08-22-2019 03:42 PM)Bruce Monnin Wrote:  

(08-22-2019 09:47 AM)bearcatfan Wrote:  I've mentioned this in the past. The low point for me was watching UC get crushed by 1-AA Indiana State in the Hoosier Dome. I was actually yelling at the UC coaches and players to wake up and the entire stadium could hear me.

I was at that game also. Between the three of us, I think we account for 1% of the crowd at that game.

Indiana State had a fair amount of former UC players that contributed to that victory.
They transferred from UC because of the $hit going on with the UC program at the time. I was also at that game, but I was in fact rooting for the Sycamores.