I love reading ESPN.com’s Big East blog written by Brian Bennett. During the offseason Bennett looks to make his blog relevant and interesting by proposing topics to his readership. Last month he told readers to send him their favorite gameday traditions in the Big East. On Friday he posted the responses from Cincinnati Bearcat fans.
(Read Bennett’s blog here: http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/8299/big-east-gameday-traditions-cincinnati)
However, he missed out on some big gameday traditions at UC. Bennett mentioned the band’s march down the stadium steps before the game, the team’s “Cat Walk” from the hotel through a fan tailgating area and the Bearcat mascot crowd surfing through the student section. But, Bennett missed some of my favorite gameday traditions.
My favorite UC football gameday tradition has to be the huge, green hydraulic lifts that sit in front of the Dieterle Vocal Arts Center in the south end of the stadium. Very few people notice them when the action is on the field, but that’s where I’m busy every gameday.
(Read Bennett’s blog here: http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/8299/big-east-gameday-traditions-cincinnati)
However, he missed out on some big gameday traditions at UC. Bennett mentioned the band’s march down the stadium steps before the game, the team’s “Cat Walk” from the hotel through a fan tailgating area and the Bearcat mascot crowd surfing through the student section. But, Bennett missed some of my favorite gameday traditions.
My favorite UC football gameday tradition has to be the huge, green hydraulic lifts that sit in front of the Dieterle Vocal Arts Center in the south end of the stadium. Very few people notice them when the action is on the field, but that’s where I’m busy every gameday.
Even though it's not green, you can see my vantage point during this 2008 game against EKU (Thanks to my dad for snapping a few photos during that game)
Sure it’s awfully selfish of me to say that something I’m a part of is the biggest gameday tradition in UC football, but why can’t it be? Hanging forty feet above the concrete below, you get a full view of the stadium, which, when full, can be almost deafening. When Nippert Stadium is packed in fans wearing all black in a night game, the sight is amazing.
When the students begin to pass the Bearcat up the bleachers, I have a unique view, along with my counterpart from the opposing school. When we stand up and look out across the field, we have an amazing view of everything that Bennett mentioned as gameday traditions (minus the pregame walk through the tailgate area).
And what about the cannon that fires off after every Bearcat touchdown? I’m a fan, even though sometimes I still jump up on the lift when it fires off unexpectedly. Instead Bennett publishes two testimonials from band members, who say it’s the best tradition in college football.
I actually agree with Harold from Chicago, who says his favorite thing is, “Waiting for band members to trip and fall.” Is there any better reason to watch the band running down the stadium steps?
In a few weeks the Bearcats football program will begin spring practice under new head coach Butch Jones. Jones, the program’s third coach in five years, has huge shoes to fill after Brian Kelly’s departure for greener pastures at Notre Dame. We’ll see if the program will continue the dominance of the Kelly era or take a step back under Jones.
Check back tomorrow for some NASCAR news and notes (if all goes well!).
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