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OPINION: UC, XU moving on, so should fans

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Posted: 12/13/2011

By: Ian Preuth, Ian.Preuth@wcpo.com

CINCINNATI - Three days after the punch seen around the country, tensions are still high in Cincinnati following the brawl at the Crosstown Shootout, but should they?

I'm not condoning the melee that broke out in front of a national audience as Xavier beat Cincinnati 76-53. Yes it was unfortunate, most wish it didn't happen, and people continue to dissect the fight.

The more you slow down the fight the worse it looks, but does it rise to the level of criminal? That will be up to Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters who is reviewing the case.

Bottom line is fights happen all the time in sports. Whether it's a basketball court, baseball field, football field, hockey rink or soccer field, tensions run high and unfortunately sometimes boil over. In hockey, fights are sometimes encouraged and often allowed. While it's not the focal point, it's often part of the game.

This doesn't absolve what transpired at the Cintas Center on Saturday, but nobody was seriously injured, everyone involved has apologized and this can now be used as a learning tool.

Xavier coach Chris Mack and Cincinnati athletic director Whit Babcock both said, a situation like this can be difficult to explain to young children.

Parents can now decide whether to use this as a learning tool of what not to do.

Was it embarrassing for both teams?

Of course, but it's time to move on.

There is plenty of blame to go around for both teams. Three days out we are past the blame game. If we keep debating on whose fault it was, the less of a chance we have at moving on.

"We're here to take responsibility for our actions, make it part of our past and get focused on our future to somehow turn it into a positive," Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin said during a news conference on Monday .

The work to rebuild the reputations of both universities is well under way. The players involved have been suspended, coaches and athletic directors have made public comments and the annual rivalry will now be scrutinized more than ever.

For those who say this game should be canceled in the wake of the bench-clearing brawl, don't kid yourself. This rivalry is not going anywhere. Before this year's game there was actually talk from some fans who said this rivalry was not what it used to be and should be scratched from both teams' schedules. If anything, the rivalry is now back to the days when the city was divided over this game and Bob Huggins and Pete Gillen called Cincinnati home.