Published since 1915 by the students
of Xavier University
Published since 1915 by the students
of Xavier University
John LaFollette
Sports Editor
In a town that was called the best college basketball city in the country by The Sporting News magazine, it might be difficult to imagine that the demanding, well-informed sports enthusiasts that comprise my readership could care about anything other than Bearcat and Musketeer basketball. But if you’re not into hoops and hardwood, or if you just need something to pass the time until the late fall tip-offs, the Spectator is here with a guide to fall sports in Cincinnati.
Let’s start with the most immediate and the most promising: the Cincinnati Reds. As of print time, the Queen City’s beloved Redlegs are leading the National League Wild Card race by two and a halfgames and trailing the Cardinals of St. Louis by one game in the NL Central.
Both scenarios end with the Reds in the playoffs for the first time since 1995 and, more importantly, both scenarios are realistic for Reds fans. The Reds have been streaky and unpredictable this season, owning a home record of just 33-32. And while starting pitching has been relatively solid, the Reds’ bullpen is a major question mark. The Spectator sees them making the playoffs, an event that will certainly catapult this city into a Reds-crazed fervor, but just as certainly, they won’t make it any deeper than the first-round Division Series.
Next are the Bengals, who began training camp three weeks ago amid cries of “Who Dey!?” and who face much higher expectations than their bat-swinging fellow Cincinnatians. The Bengals made the playoffs last year behind the gun of quarterback Carson Palmer, the grit of head coach Marvin Lewis and the gall (and talent) of wide receiver Chad Johnson. Their post-season ended quickly with a loss to the eventual-champion Pittsburgh Steelers, with Palmer throwing one pass (a completion for 66 yards) before being knocked out of the game and much of this year’s pre-season with two torn ligaments in his left knee.
Now, Palmer has a gun but can’t run, Lewis seems to be getting too gritty with demands that Palmer play sooner despite the quarterback’s concerns that he isn’t ready and Johnson is, well, promising more gall, in the form of increasingly imaginative end-zone celebrations that somehow conform to the NFL’s new limits on the art Johnson helped perfect.
With two exhibition games left and back-to-back games against the Steelers and Patriots in weeks three and four, this will certainly be an interesting and exciting fall to watch the Bengals.
For the fans from farther north, things don’t look quite as promising. The Cleveland Indians are a whopping 23 games out of first place in their division, 16 games off the American League Wild Card pace and eight games behind in-state rival Cincinnati (although the teams split this year’s Interleague series). They are stuck in the best division in baseball and are effectively out of the hunt.
The Cleveland Browns are hoping to improve on last year’s 6-10 season, but if the preseason is any indicator of the year to come (which, despite what the league wants you to think, is not), members of the Dawg Pound are in store for some first-class weirdness.
First, starting center LeCharles Bentley blew out his knee on the first play of training camp, then back-up center Bob Hallen suddenly retired, citing, among other reasons, a mystery back ailment of which the team had no record. Now replacement center Alonzo Ephraim, who was signed shortly after Bentley went down, has been suspended until October 2nd for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.
Most recently, starting running back Reuben Droughns missed Monday’s practice to appear at a pretrial conference, where he plead not guilty to charges of harassment and assault. But Kellen Winslow looks healthy again, and has told the media, his fans and his teammates that he’ll stay off his motorcycle, which might be the only thing the Browns have to celebrate this preseason. Look for all these stories, and for hoards of Browns fans talking up the glory years, plus Ohio State football,, this coming fall.
John LaFollette
Sports Editor
The athletics history of Xavier University is rich and deep, and curious sports history buffs need only look to the newly unveiled P. Douglas O’Keefe Athletic Hall of Fame to witness it.
While there are many memorable high points in Xavier athletics, here is a brief guide to three of the most outstanding moments in Xavier sports history.
• 1958 NIT Championship
The 1958 basketball team (only the men played in those days) began the season with an impressive 10-1 record.
After such an auspicious beginning, the National Invitational Tournament, then the most prestigious post-season tournament in the country, extended an invitation to compete at Madison Square Garden in New York City at the conclusion of the regular season.
The Musketeers lost their mojo in the mid-season, however, and lost 10 of their last 15 games. The NIT requested that Xavier give back its tournament invitation, since the Musketeers were obviously not the team after 26 games than they were after 11.
Xavier refused, however, and was seeded last in the 12-team tournament. They went on to win the NIT after a thrilling 78-74 overtime victory over rival Dayton Flyers.
• 1964 Perfect Game pitched by Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning came to Xavier as a talented baseball player from northern Kentucky. He pitched three one-hit games as a member of the freshmen baseball team, but was drafted by the Detroit Tigers at the end of his freshman year.
Bunning returned to Xavier in the fall of 1952 to coach the freshmen basketball team and to earn his economics degree before returning to the Major Leagues for an illustrious 17-season career with the Tigers, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Bunning earned a place in baseball history when he pitched a perfect game (while also driving in two runs) for the Phillies in 1964, dominating the New York Mets in 27-up, 27-down fashion. This was the first time the feat had been accomplished in the National League since 1880. Bunning was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996, and has served as the junior Senator from Kentucky since 1998.
• 2004 NCAA Tournament Run
In 2004, the Xavier men’s basketball team streaked into the NCAA Tournament carried by the hot shooting hands of guards Lionel Chalmers and Dedrick Finn, the versatility of forward Romain Sato and the mammoth presence of Anthony Myles underneath.
Seeded seventh, the Musketeers blew out second-seeded Mississippi State in the second round. A gripping win over third-seeded Texas at the Georgia Dome in the Sweet Sixteen sent Xavier to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.
After a tightly contested, very physical, controversially officiated three-point loss to the Duke Blue Devils, Xavier’s run was over. The Musketeers ended their 2004 season having won 16 of their last 17 games in a run that has earned a well-deserved spot in Xavier sports history.
Xavier University athletes compete at the highest caliber, and watching them do their thing can be an exciting experience for everyone. Besides entertainment, turning out for games is a great way to support friends (or fellow athletes). What’s more, it’s incredibly easy.
One of the myriad qualities of the Xavier University All Card, and the most beneficial for sports fans, is its uncanny ability to grant the bearer virtually guaranteed admission to every sporting event on campus.
The men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as the volleyball team, compete at Cintas Center.
The baseball, soccer and swim teams compete across Victory Parkway at Hayden Field, the appropriately named Xavier University soccer complex, and the O’Connor Sports Center, respectively.
The tennis team competes at the Xavier tennis courts, while the cross country, track and field and golf teams travel from site to site.
To get into any of these events, simply show up and present your All Card to the attendant for free admission.
An informational bulletin regarding men’s basketball ticketing is usually made available closer to the start of the season.