Tragedy Strikes .... AGAIN!!!

As if the Patriots winning the Super Bowl wasn't enough to ruin my sports year, something every bit as terrible happened today. One of my 2 alma maters fired their legendary head basketball coach. If you live in the Midwest, you probably already know what I'm talking about. Bob Huggins was canned today. Get another job on campus (not coaching basketball) for his remaining one year or quit.

SI hated us. The Bearcats were the bad guys of the NCAA. We had every thug from every backalley court you could imagine. And I loved it. Cincinnati might not win, but we'll beat your asses up and you'll know you played us.

I understand that college is about the spirit of the game and that students are there to get an education. But let's face it; once you're an alum, you want to talk shit to your friends that went to other schools (or in my case, talk shit to my family that went to Texas Tech because they really think they're on top of the world with Knight there).

Since football will never be a winning proposition at UC or in Cincinnati, we had bball. There is the Crosstown Shootout with Xavier(Xavier has done pretty well lately, but it's sorta funny because for them it was their whole season sometimes to beat us while we were already counting on the big dance). UC kept civic pride when the Bungles and the Reds were stinking it up (and the Reds still are stinking it up).

But kiss those days goodbye. The timing of this was fucking terrible. You fire a coach right as recruiting starts with some of those being national prospects all but pulling Cincinnati from their choices. Of course, the President of UC didn't have the nerve to tell Huggins to his face. Apparently, he was coming off of a plane and found out as he unboarded that he had pretty much been shown the door. The President didn't want him around but didn't have a plan of action either. If you were gonna fire the guy, fire him in the fucking offseason when we're not IN THE MIDDLE OF RECRUITING!!!! Fire him about the DUI you're using as an excuse now to fire him. But don't wait nearly a year and a haf to do it only a few months before tipoff of the season.

To top if off, we're going into the Big East this year. We'll go from a perennial tourney team to a team lucky to get into the NIT ("Not In the Tournament"). We're going to be the whipping boys for the Big East.

Huggins went 399-127 during his tenure; roughly 74%. 14 straight NCAA tournament appearances. Imagine; a coach with a record like that in college football. That guy is going to be coaching at Oklahoma or USC. We had that here at UC ... had ... and now it's gone.

Something else to be considered is that Huggins gave alot of players a shot that they might not have otherwise had. Kids that might not have gone on to college or kids who walked onto the team. In a day and age when alot of other coaches are big time, Huggins was listed in the phone book. His kids went to public school. He was just a guy (with a temper at times) but he was just a regular joe. The next guy is gonna be screwed having to fill Huggins' shoes because no one will probably ever be able to fill them.