Which of these describe your feelings on the Muskies?

[red_n_black_attack]

1. HAte them with every fiber of my being! They are our rivals, I enjoy beating them and hope they lose every game. It tears me up inside to lose to 'THAT' team.

2. The are our rivals and I enjoy beating them immensely and hate losing to them. They are in our backyard, I respect their program, but I never root for them (and mostly like it when they lose).

3. They are not our rivals - rivalry is not the term I would use at all. This is just another game and I want the Bearcats to win EVERY time they play, no matter who is the opponent.

4. Cincinnati is my hometown and I am UC alum/student; however, X is also in my hometown. I root for the Bearcats first and foremost, especially against our crosstown rivals. However, I only root against X in the UC game (I don't root for them, but it does help UC to have a quality win so if they are quality material, the better for us - Go Cats!))

5. I am UC fan, but root for both teams except in the Shootout, Go Bearcats, Go Hometown.

6. I am a poser Muskie fan on the UC board.

[red_n_black_attack]

BTW - I think #2 describes me the most. There is only room in my heart for the Bearcats and as far as I am concerned only one team can rule the howtown roost. They have built a nice little tradition and have had a good little run of late, but it is time to exert our dominance over little brother.

[ralph1950]

7. Apathetic #################

[SLMadiCat]

7. Apathetic #################

Sure post a lot about it for someone who is apathetic.

[Mick's Da Man]

I'm between 2 and 3.

I hate Xavier, but respect them.

But now that we are in the Big East, I don't consider Xavier our biggest rivals. I'd give that to maybe Louisville or West Virginia.

[jbreeds1]

I'm between 2 and 3.

I hate Xavier, but respect them.

But now that we are in the Big East, I don't consider Xavier our biggest rivals. I'd give that to maybe Louisville or West Virginia.

West Virginia??? Really? Why do you consider them rivals? I'd go with Marquette over BH and Company.

Also I fall between the 1 and 2 range. I HATE Xavier.

[SLMadiCat]

I'm going with #1. I'd probably also consider UL our #1 rival, but I hate Xavier way more.

[rutta11]

I am a serious Bearcats fan...I root for them through and through. But I am a fan of all Cincinnati teams. I hope Xavier wins every game but this one.

Go 'Cats, Reds, Cyclones, Muskies, Bengals.

[Thegreatone]

I hate losing to a team that I feel we have every advantage over. They are a smaller school from a poor conference.

Still they are a very good team. I dont spend too much time rooting against Xavier, I really dont care because I have never felt threatened by them as far as recuiting goes. When they really beat us out for a big recruit I will start rooting against them.

[Bearcat Cafe]

#3. More excited about playing Memphis than this game. Not to mention UL, WVU, PITT, Cuse, UCONN, N.D., Nova, et. al.

This game rates about #13 on this year's schedule, IMO.

[mikedenman]

Used to be #1, but have "matured" to #2.

[cincycat1]

#2 for me, I cant stand the thought of losing to XU. They are inferior program in an inferior conference. they are an elite 8 team at their absolute pinnacle. UC has been a championship program (conference and national) in the past and they have the potential to be one again. A loss to XU is always going to be a more deflating loss than Louisville or anyone else.

[Oldtimer_UC_fan]

I guess I'm either a 4 or 5. I am avid about UC...have been for many, many years. But, I have no problem pulling for X in other games. I think it makes college basketball in Cincinnati a lot more fun having two good teams. What advantange is there for UC when X is lousy? They rarely recruit the same kids. Living in St. Louis, I constantly hear people comparing St. Louis U. to Missouri and Illinois. But...really, they should strive to be like Xavier....similar schools, similar size.

[Bearcats_Rule]

I feel I am a combination of more than just one or two... It depends on who the Coach at X is, and also the players they have on their team. There have been some years where I hate them with a passion but others where I want them to succeed because of their coach\players... I think I didnt hate them as much during the Prosser years.. BUT I ALWAYS want us to beat them down each and every year!!!

Agree that they are our rivals but not as much as Louisville is... I find myself wanting a win for those games more than the X games...

[CincyBeerCo]

Hybrid. Closest probably #4.

Hate them this week and next, but in an ideal world the Bearcats would go undefeated w/ Nat'l Championship in hand, and X would lose 2 games...the shootout and whenever we knock them out of the NCAA tourney.

GO CATS KILL x !!!

[JerseySean]

#1. Eggs is irrelevant. They are a pimple on the *** of humanity. They are not even Cincinnati... they are Norwood. I would bulldoze them and eradicate them from the face of the earth today if I could.

[levydl]

#3. More excited about playing Memphis than this game. Not to mention UL, WVU, PITT, Cuse, UCONN, N.D., Nova, et. al.

This game rates about #13 on this year's schedule, IMO.

This makes no sense to me, at least this year. Only 2 of those teams you mention is rated higher than X right now - UConn and Pitt (I think one poll has U of L a spot better than X also). And XU is in our backyard and our longtime rival.

When we were ranked and X wasn't, I can see your point - the game certainly meant more to them. But they are a top 10 team this year (I think they're overrated, but that's their rank and I would put them in the top 25 anyway). They're rated higher than Memphis and they beat them head to head, but you think Memphis is a bigger game?

I'm sorry, this game is huge even without the Shootout implications. We have a home game against a top 10 team that we can beat. No way this is the 13th best game on our schedule. This isn't 10 years ago when we can say we have bigger fish to fry.

[Billy Don]

Not that long ago the UC-XU game was one of SI's top 5 rival games in the nation. Well that like so many other things is over with. The main importance of the current game as far as the UC basketball program goes is it is a chance for UC to get some media attention. Beating a ranked team would get UC some National attention. Beating XU would be a quality win so UC has a lot more to gain from this game than XU. UC loses this game it means nothing. UC wins this game it's a start on the long road back to get UC basketball back to where it was.

[MikeInClifton]

Hybrid. Closest probably #4.

Hate them this week and next, but in an ideal world the Bearcats would go undefeated w/ Nat'l Championship in hand, and X would lose 2 games...the shootout and whenever we knock them out of the NCAA tourney.


Me too. Although I'd change the word 'hate' to 'root against them'.
I try not to hate anybody or anything.

[Oldtimer_UC_fan]

There is a big difference between "league rival" and rival. Xavier has always been, is now, and forever will be UC's biggest rival. "League rivals" change....Xavier is a constant. The UC - X game is a turf war.

[UCBRCT05]

#2, which is fueled by one of my better friends being a diehard obnoxious X fan. Have taken some slack the last 3 years.. Glad we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for getting back on track.

Go Cats!

[4mrUCat]

5. I am UC fan, but root for both teams except in the Shootout, Go Bearcats!

[Bearcat Cafe]

This makes no sense to me, at least this year. Only 2 of those teams you mention is rated higher than X right now - UConn and Pitt (I think one poll has U of L a spot better than X also). And XU is in our backyard and our longtime rival.

When we were ranked and X wasn't, I can see your point - the game certainly meant more to them. But they are a top 10 team this year (I think they're overrated, but that's their rank and I would put them in the top 25 anyway). They're rated higher than Memphis and they beat them head to head, but you think Memphis is a bigger game?

I'm sorry, this game is huge even without the Shootout implications. We have a home game against a top 10 team that we can beat. No way this is the 13th best game on our schedule. This isn't 10 years ago when we can say we have bigger fish to fry.


Rankings shmankings. We go to Memphis every other year for that game. I wouldn't travel 20 minutes to Norwood to watch X play UC. Would you have rather beaten Oklahoma in football and then lost to Pitt? Lets see....higher ranking and play in the Sun Bowl or lower ranking and play in the Orange Bowl. I'd rather see UC win one more Big East game than this thing any day of the week. They have tried their best to hype it up this week, and in general the city has responded with a collective yawn.

I stand by my earlier comment....this game ranks about #13 on my UC schedule to do list this season. Sorry you don't agree. Actually, I could care less if you agree or not.

[jbreeds1]

Rankings shmankings. We go to Memphis every other year for that game. I wouldn't travel 20 minutes to Norwood to watch X play UC. Would you have rather beaten Oklahoma in football and then lost to Pitt? Lets see....higher ranking and play in the Sun Bowl or lower ranking and play in the Orange Bowl. I'd rather see UC win one more Big East game than this thing any day of the week. They have tried their best to hype it up this week, and in general the city has responded with a collective yawn.

I stand by my earlier comment....this game ranks about #13 on my UC schedule to do list this season. Sorry you don't agree. Actually, I could care less if you agree or not.

Your rantings inspire collective yawns from everyone on this message board.

[Joe_Pong]

None of the above. Not living in cincinnati, they are irrelevent to me. I know nothing about them. They are the same to me as northwest louisiana state would be, if that school even exists. (Which makes it kind of funny that some people on this board have accused me of being a xavier fan just because I am skeptical about how good the cats are this year).It's only a big game if they happen to be ranked as a good team.

[levydl]

Rankings shmankings. We go to Memphis every other year for that game. I wouldn't travel 20 minutes to Norwood to watch X play UC. Would you have rather beaten Oklahoma in football and then lost to Pitt? Lets see....higher ranking and play in the Sun Bowl or lower ranking and play in the Orange Bowl. I'd rather see UC win one more Big East game than this thing any day of the week. They have tried their best to hype it up this week, and in general the city has responded with a collective yawn.

I stand by my earlier comment....this game ranks about #13 on my UC schedule to do list this season. Sorry you don't agree. Actually, I could care less if you agree or not.

That is almost not worth responding to, but . . .

You comparison makes little sense. College football and basketball are completely different animals. Essentially the only way UC could go to a BCS bowl was to win the BEast. Not so in BBall. Even if we come in 7th in the BEast in bball, we'll go to the dance. Had we lost every nonconference game in football but went undefeated in the BEast, we'd still go to the Orange Bowl. Nonconference games mean much more, in that sense, in basketball. If you're going for the NC in football, all the games count. If you're going for your conference's BCS tie-in bowl, the conference games count immeasurably more. In short, it's a dumb comparison.

Nonetheless, your hypothetical doesn't make much sense if you're comparing our games against XU and Memphis. Both are like Oklahoma in your example and neither is like Pitt. And XU is our oldest rival and plays a few miles down the road. And is ranked higher than Memphis. And beat Memphis head to head.

But go ahead and convince yourself that this game is meaningless because it meant more to UC in the past.

[bearcat25]

Being a former UC athlete, I'd have to say i'm a 1.5. I hate that school! You never want to lose to a school within a couple miles of your own campus. This is OUR territory!

I understand it's not a league rivalry, but who cares? It's bragging rights!

[loshow22]

I am all about the pride thing. Ever since the '96-'97 shootout, when I heard the "Number 1 in the country, but number 2 in the city..." bit, I have had an awful taste for Xavier. Hands down, I want them beat.

[loshow22]

I understand it's not a league rivalry, but who cares? It's bragging rights!

I couldn't have explained it any better!

[CincyBearcat95]

I used to be a 1 have moved to a combo 2 / 3 person. Cincy was just coming on when I started there and all I ever heard about at first was how great Xavier was. Then we started getting better and better and the next thing you know - 700WLW was no longer the Xavier station, it was the UC station! That felt pretty good.

Back then I truly hated them and always thought they were the rich private school and we were the every man public school (though we had our share of rich kids too.) I've grown up a bit and still don't like them, but really its more about our new conference. I love the thought of developing a heated rivalry with Louisville. They are close enough to be rival, we get to play them in football and sometimes twice in basketball. I really like the thought of disliking that school (sounds bad, I know.)

Now on Xavier, I have to say its the fans that drive me the most crazy. I can barely read the Enquirer articles because their fans are ripping on our football team. Drives me crazy since they don't even have a football team.

But, I digress. I don't like them and I never will. I did however, really like Skip Prosser and was sad to see him leave and later pass away. He was a good guy.

[Scheids21]

I couldn't have explained it any better!

Agreed.....and i am a 1.5

[CincyBearcat95]

None of the above. Not living in cincinnati, they are irrelevent to me. I know nothing about them. They are the same to me as northwest louisiana state would be, if that school even exists. (Which makes it kind of funny that some people on this board have accused me of being a xavier fan just because I am skeptical about how good the cats are this year).It's only a big game if they happen to be ranked as a good team.

Joe, did you go to UC? How can you be a UC fan and not know anything about them? Do you mean the current team or do you really not know who Xavier is?

[cpawfan]

Why should I care about another mid-major school on UC's schedule.

[dp3113]

#1

it is not immature to be #1 as a few people have claimed. they are hypocrites who loved to tout how big of a group of thugs UC was, yet they have had all the criminal problems themselves, they just sweep them under the rug. Rape by CJ Anderson- sweep it away....3 arrests at XU for Lavender- sweep it away....not to mention he single handedly started about 5 fights last year at the shootout. they beat us twice when we were #1, they have never experienced a bad break in the last 20 years (OSU game and the Oden foul is not legit- if XU hits free throws in final 30 seconds they win easily), not to mention they now think they are a better program than UC despite never having made it to a final four, when we have 6.

[binturong07]

Most likely #2, with a bit of begrudging respect. They are our biggest rival, by far. I certainty dont want them to lose every game, because I want it to mean more when we beat them. They are the little brother in our town, and Id like to keep them that way.

[CincyBearcat95]

Most likely #2, with a bit of begrudging respect. They are our biggest rival, by far. I certainty dont want them to lose every game, because I want it to mean more when we beat them. They are the little brother in our town, and Id like to keep them that way.

Nah, they are the special needs step child in town! :D

Ok, that was immature

[UCamry]

#1, I hate Xavier and root for them to lose every game every year. Norwood is to Cincinnati what Toldeo is to Ohio....the armpit

[McMickenKid]

#2- I cant stand Xavier, I respect their program, and believe they are our biggest rival. I always root for them to lose EXCEPT when they're playing that school up I-71.

[brcats]

I'm between 2 and 3.

I hate Xavier, but respect them.

But now that we are in the Big East, I don't consider Xavier our biggest rivals. I'd give that to maybe Louisville or West Virginia.

The funny thing is that I live in Louisville, but am a UC grad. I can tell you that they do NOT consider us much of a rival.

Regarding the question at hand, I am definitely #1. I can see clearly when we were #1 in the country and lost to them in the final seconds ('98 maybe?) at our house. I loathe them!

[OnCampus]

#1
I hate them more than anything, especially as a student.

By the way, I did some searching on facebook on the XU players. Nothing too exciting turned up, but I found some interesting status updates and nicknames:

Terrell “tutu” Holloway
CJ “weez” Anderson
Mark "cheekz" Lyons

Derrick Brown is gettin ready for this game on sat.
Kenny Frease my sh**s so hot ill leave your toilet bowl steaming. (my censoring)

We can definitely see who the more focused player is.

Also, Jason Love, had this to offer:
I'm not a basketball player, I'm a man who plays basketball.

I'm feelin' that man, that's deep.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

X has always been UC's #1 rival. They have usually been a capable opponent.

[psax889906]

Leaning towards #1 right now but usually I feel #2's sentiments... lately Xavier fans have been far too cocky and seem to be over estimating the worth of their program... get to a final four, ONE, then I'll listen...

Go Cats!