What Made You Become A Bearcat Fan

[TheShoeFits]

I was thinking about this the other day and thought it would be a fun topic and interested to see how each one of you became a Bearcat fan.

I was 7 or 8 years old and was a UK fan. I can remember being devastated when Laettner hit "The Shot" against Kentucky.

I loved basketball and I really looked up to my dad. When he told me he was going with a buddy to the Crosstown Shootout I was jealous. Before he left he told me to watch the game and that I may see him on t.v.

Watching the game I thought it was so cool that my dad was actually there. Then just before halftime something happened. The defining moment that swayed a young boy to give up bleeding blue cold turkey and convert to the Red and Black. Nick Van Exel sank a half court shot at the buzzer.

My eyes were opened. The crowds reaction, the excitement in the announcers voice, myself being a young boy, my dad was at the game. It was a perfect storm.

I'd like to hear some of your stories.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe19NmDOdik[/ame]

 

[nparker1]

great topic idea...

when i was a kid, there was a lot of Xavier influence...i even shot hoops with Brian Grant...but it was the style of play/energy of Herb Jones, then Van Exel, Durden and so on that was the catalyst for my UC addiction...my aunt and uncle took me to my first UC game at the Shoe when i was in middle school and it was signed, sealed, and delivered...Bearcats fan for life and what would become a proud Alumn...

Go Bearcats!

 

[Robert]

Basketball has ALWAYS been my favorite sport. I played baseball as a youth as well and dabbled in other sports, but basketball is the one sport I always played and watched.

I got my first mini hoop when I was about 4 and my first real one (one of those portable/adjustable ones) when I was about 5 and started playing in youth leagues in 1st grade. I was a Michael Jordan/Bulls fan, like many children at the time (I was born in 1985).

I first started actually watching college basketball during the 91-92 season. I liked Michigan a lot because they were the cool team at the time -- I even got a Michigan coat and jersey for Christmas that year. I was definitely still more of an NBA fan, but I thought the Fab Five was the coolest thing outside of MJ. Then Cincinnati went on their tournament run that March, and being a fickle child, I started rooting for them as well because they were the hometown team. So I sort of had 2 teams, but Michigan was still my favorite.

At some point in the next year or two, I started to become more of a Cincinnati fan. My older cousin was a North Carolina fan, so we had a lot of fun with the Elite 8 match-up. After wearing my Michigan coat for about 2 years, I was outgrowing it. So I replaced my Michigan coat with a Cincinnati Bearcats coat, then the Fab Five guys left... and I never looked back.

Started going to games in the mid-90s with both my parents and uncle, who was a Cincinnati alum and donor. Cried when Iowa State beat us in 1997. Cried again when WVU won on the bank shot 3 the next season. Almost cried again when Kenyon Martin broke his leg, but at this point I was 14 and managed to keep it in.

My only regret as a Bearcats fan was not supporting the hire of Mick Cronin. I was an Andy Kennedy guy, and I honestly lost interest in the team until the Lance Stephenson year. I mean, they were still my team, but I would only watch a game if it was convenient for me -- it was never a priority. I will never do that again, regardless of who is coaching.

 

[BEARCAT-4-LIFE]

Growing up in Eastern Kentucky on a station based out of West Virgina they used to show the Bearcats game all the time I didnt know if it was because Huggy was from there or what but I remember being a kid and just loving that black and red color and toughness they had. Me and my brother use to go outside (my family by the way UK fans) would play 1 on 1 he would always be a UK player and I always wanted to be Danny Fortson, but the biggest thrill was my dad taking me to the elite 8 at Rupp when I watched my first bearcat game and seen my two favorite players Fortson and Flint live as Mississippi State beat the Cats by 10.
I
will remain a Bearcat fan as long as they have a program....GO Bearcats!

 

[Cin City]

Growing up in Milan, basketball was a big deal. It seemed as though all of my friends followed IU, Purdue, or UK. As a 2nd grader I think I leaned toward Purdue since my best friend liked them. But one fateful evening I turned on channel 19 and heard the name Van Exel...grouped with red and black....grouped with fast paced basketball...and I found a niche. No one talked about Cincinnati. When they did they referred to them as thugs and Vegas East...but there was something about the new kids on the block, about the swagger, and about the name Van Exel.

That year I was a 3rd grader and ironically enough UC went to the Final Four...which only added fuel to the fire for the UK fans etc.


Ever since then I've loved them...had lunch with Huggins on Father's day of '95 at Huggs Inn (which was totally random...I was 12)... Moved to Louisville area in 1996...which spawned the hatred for U of L.... Came to UC in the fall of 2001....Became friends with Jamaal Davis...had class with Mel Levett when he came back to UC to finish his degree....lots of cool memories, hell I even have a UC room in my house with red and black walls, framed autograpohed pictures, a framed signed K-Mart jersey (got it at midnight madness years ago)...lots of really cool stuff.

Anyway...loved them ever since the TV said the name Van Exel.

 

[HoosierCat]

Until I was around 9 or 10 years old, I had nothing but IU basketball shoved down my throat by my Mom. She would go crazy yelling at the TV whenever they were on. Needless to say, I was never really a fan of the Hoosiers. It was also around this time that I started playing organized basketball. I wondered why more people in the Lawrenceburg area didn't root for UC. They cheered for the Bengals and the Reds, but cheered for a team hours away for basketball. So I started to watch them. I was immediatly enamored with Nick Van Exel. He still is and will probably always will be my favorite Bearcat. I loved that team. They were the opposite of the Hoosiers which made me like them even more. Fast paced, up and down the court, pressing defense. I loved it. Been hooked ever since.

Great topic!

 

[#BearcatNation]

My parents were both born and raised in Dayton. All of their family went to a Private Catholic High School (Alter), so practically all of my aunts and uncles went to UD. My dad went to UC for engineering, and my mom went to UC for social work. They lived in Dabney. After graduation, they stayed in the Cincy area and bought a home in Sharonville. I was raised from the start to idolize UC. I was also born in 1989, the same year Huggs was hired, so other than a few years, I've seen very competitive teams since birth.

In the '90s, UC basketball is what the city was all about. The Bengals were a laughing stock, and the Reds were only occasionally competitive. OSU fans didn't flood the city nearly as much as they do today. Other than a few random Xavier fans, UC was the primary sports focus in Cincinnati.

A family friend of ours was a professor at UC and had season tickets that he'd share with us often. Courtside, probably 15-20 rows up. Usually went to 5 or so games per year. My favorite game I ever went to was Mel Levett's famous "helicopter" dunk. I was young and thought it was probably the coolest thing in the world. The arena just blew up. My parents got me a customized jersey of him for Christmas one year. He was my childhood favorite player.

That same family friend actually taught a lot of the players. He got a bunch of autographs for me; many are currently hanging in my den: Danny Fortson, Bobby Brannen, Melvin Levett, Kenyon Martin, Jason Maxiell, etc.

I don't remember a time where I wasn't obsessed with UC basketball. I've always enjoyed football as well, but the comparison isn't even close.

 

[jbizzle]

Hey all, been out of high school for about 5 years and been reading bearcat boards since freshmen there(when I discovered message board world), been on site almost everyday since, def no longer than couple days that I dont go check out these boards and finally decided register and start posting, I absolutely looooove bearcat basketball and football too, but bearcat fan just started from watching the aggressive all out hustle every second, chip on your shoulder nasty catitude energy they play with makes it so addicting to root for and I seen that first game ever watched from them which was probably around 96/97 years.

 

[coachpipe]

Family. My Uncle played baseball at UC. My Other Uncle is a hefty donator for as long as I can remember and has had TV seats (Yep hes the guy on TV during every halftime and pre game show) probably longer. So as a kid I think he sold everyone on being bearcat fans by saying, hey you wanna be on TV I have like 15 extra tickets. He and my dad were members of Sigma Chi as well as my brother who lives in the house now. Even with the downfalls and losing seasons in the past, I wouldnt trade being a bearcats fan for anything

 

[Levettation]

Love the stories. Here is mind...

My dad was a UC fan and I grew up in the 80s watching here and there during the Tony Yates years. I rooted for them but I was not passionate for the team as I was for the Reds at the time. The game that forever made me bleed red and black was the 1st game at the Shoe, which was also Huggins 1st year coaching UC.

I recall 3 things about that game:

1. We were down 2 when Minnesota turned the ball over by our basket with a second left in the game (very lucky in hindsight).

2. Ex-football player and walk-on Steve Sanders hitting the winning 3 point shot in the corner.

3. My dad half-asleep in his chair suddenly sprang to life, "he made that shit!". I think it was the 1st time I heard him swear and something about his reaction made me realize what just happened was not ordinary; it was special.

The program rode that wave of special to the final 4 and 2 elite 8s over the next few years, and I have been hooked ever since.

Sidebar to Sanders story, found this link about him on gobearcats: http://www.gobearcats.com/sports/ucats/spec-rel/112409aab.html

Also trying to find video of the shot, but proving to be difficult in short time.

Great thread! Go Bearcats!

 

[JasonS]

For me it started when I was in grade school and was watching guys like Van Exel and Danny Fortson and Dontonio Wingfield tear it up. It was all cemented for me though when I went to my first ever game at the Shoe. It just happened to be the Melvin Levett helicopter follow dunk game and I was hooked for life. Then, to have my freshman year at UC be Kenyon's senior year, how could I not be a fan?

 

[BDcats]

When I first met my future father in law he explained that if I had any intention of join the family I would root for the cats since he has been a fan since the Big O days. Being from NY and actually knowing SK's dad it was no problem and I have had the privilege of watching this team grow. Loved every minute of it and can't wait to watch a deep run come march. See you tonight at the game. Sec 202 for me and the wife in our SK jerseys!

 

[handwaver]

Born in 1950 - Old enough to be aware of the big "O" in his college prime, the first 2 of UC's 5 consecutive final fours. Really got hooked when the Cats played Ohio State in the National Championship games. I still remember the excruciating intensity of the overtime game...every possession was crushingly tense. I remember my dad unable to sit, he was pacing the living room...and then the joy of victory! I remember the OSU fans for the next year talking about how flukey it was that we beat their clearly superior talent. The improbability of the same two teams meeting again in the championship game - the OSU smugness of "now we'll see" turning to anguish as UC easily handled them to win again. The unspeakable disappointment as the Cats, the next year, blew a lead in the 2nd half to go to OT and then to lose to Loyola.

So yeah, it started early for me - I really think those glory years are on the way back.

 

[LoyalChildofVarsity]

Love the stories. Here is mind...

My dad was a UC fan and I grew up in the 80s watching here and there during the Tony Yates years. I rooted for them but I was not passionate for the team as I was for the Reds at the time. The game that forever made me bleed red and black was the 1st game at the Shoe, which was also Huggins 1st year coaching UC.

I recall 3 things about that game:

1. We were down 2 when Minnesota turned the ball over by our basket with a second left in the game (very lucky in hindsight).

2. Ex-football player and walk-on Steve Sanders hitting the winning 3 point shot in the corner.

3. My dad half-asleep in his chair suddenly sprang to life, "he made that shit!". I think it was the 1st time I heard him swear and something about his reaction made me realize what just happened was not ordinary; it was special.

The program rode that wave of special to the final 4 and 2 elite 8s over the next few years, and I have been hooked ever since.

Sidebar to Sanders story, found this link about him on gobearcats: http://www.gobearcats.com/sports/ucats/spec-rel/112409aab.html

Also trying to find video of the shot, but proving to be difficult in short time.

Great thread! Go Bearcats!

It's in the Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball History video on youtube, about 12 seconds in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L60Y8QETKWo

This is probably my favorite video ever...

 

[waterhead]

My first year at UC was also Huggins first year. Enough said.

Right now it's hard to fill the arena...but there was a time when there was a big game coming up we camped out in the hallway near the ticket window to make sure we didn't get left out

 

[Cataclysmo]

First off, im rather young so that should explain my recent interest.

Anyways, I occasionally watched during the last year of Dantonio and remember being rather interested when we beat Rutgers. I have no clue why, but I watched 10 minutes of the international bowl that year, and made a bet with my father that UC would be 10-win good the next year. That bet got me interested and with my father working at the University, i even got to witness some games. I'll never forget the way Ben Mauk captivated my young mind and began the obsession I have with the Cats today. When we lost to WVU that year, I shed tears for the first time as a result of a sporting event (again, grade schooler at the time...).

For basketball, I was always a fan of the underdog role. I watched a little of the huggins years, but something about Mick's teams being so awful made me such a fan. I'll never forget the pride i felt wearing my bearcats gear the day after we lost to Bradley. The program has come so far since then, and its been a hell of a ride. I cant imagine what its been like for some of the older fans. Its been a pleasure to attend to the school that I once admired as a kid.

 

[TheLivingLegend]

I wonder what made Ralphy a fan of the program in 1826.

 

[bearcatHoops]

My dad is what got me hooked on UC hoops. All of his 6 of his siblings being big UK fans he rebelled and became a Bearcat supporter. I really got hooked in 2nd grade when when it was Kenyon's senior year. My dad, brother, and I kept a scrapbook of all the newspaper clippings and pictures all throughout the season. My heart was broken when my dad told me Kenyon broke his leg. But since then i have been hooked on the bearcats. Seeing guys like Eric Hicks and Jason Maxiell play with that much of an edge and almost like they had a chip on their shoulder had me in awe as a kid. I have been following UC basketball very closely since i was a young kid and i am proud to be a fan for such a great basketball program. Go bearcats!!!

 

[Scheids21]

Born and raised in Cincinnati, I've been obsessed literally as long as I can remember. My dad went to UC, so I'm guessing at some point when I was little my dad mentioned that he went to school there. My parents were never really into sports so they couldn't understand this 4-year-old boy crying everytime this basketball team lost. Follow that up with the success of the 90's teams...and the rest is history.

PS my parents now have season tickets to UC football, have been to the last 4 bowl games, go to about 5 basketball games a year, and recently put the UC paw print on their boat...I often wonder how much money I've given the University through them haha.

 

[alwaysawarrior]

Great thread. Mine was certainly my father. I was born at the tail end of 82 so about the time I was getting really interested was the time Huggs started. We would go to a game or two a year and always make it to Midnight Madness. Those are probably some of my favorite memories with my father. I can still remember mel levitt jumping over the ball racks and I believe he brought a golf cart out one year and jumped it. Glad that Mick has rebounded the program.