The Activist

Issue date: 11/30/09 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Ashley Brock

Having lived in Cincinnati for my entire life and being a considerable sports fan, I have naturally followed the Cincinnati sports teams, both college and professional. However, most of my life has seen only losing sports teams.

I do not remember the 1988 Super Bowl, the 1990 World Series, or the 1992 Final Four. I do not remember the 1995 baseball playoffs, and I vaguely remember the 2000 UC basketball team. The only winning team I do remember is the 2002 UC basketball team, when they were a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. Even in that year, they only made it to the second round.

During my lifetime, the Reds currently have nine straight losing seasons, and the Bengals at one point had fourteen straight losing seasons. I caught a glimpse of a winning football team in 2005 when the Bengals won their division, and I am seeing a great team the last two years in the UC football team, but that has been it.

Many of the students at Raymond Walters probably know this feeling. I call it the "lost generation of fans." If you were born after 1985, you most likely are part of this group. These are the fans who have no idea what it is like to have winning teams in the city. They are seemingly apathetic about the hometown teams, and most of them probably have been bandwagon fans at some point in their life. That has changed this football season.

This year the Bengals and Bearcats are both playing good football, and, as a result, are a combined 17-3. Both teams have had their good and bad moments, but all teams, even great teams, hit rough spots. Because of their success, both teams have put themselves in a position to win their respective divisions and conferences.

Why is it so important that our hometown teams win? I think that, for me, it is a sense of pride. We pride ourselves on having successful teams in our city. When I am channel surfing and I come across a sports channel, I want to see them show highlights of my team and praise my team for doing well.

In addition, when people live in a city with a losing team, the national scene starts to make fun of that team, and the team then becomes a joke. Nobody wants that.

Finally, people look to sports to entertain them, and when their team is losing, it is not entertaining anymore. Right now, it is very entertaining to watch the Cincinnati football teams. Therefore, I think that people should sit back, watch, and enjoy the winning teams in this city. You never know how long it is going to last.

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