Thanksgiving Day Roll Out

Nov 22, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) takes a bite of turkey drumstick after the game against the New York Jets on Thanksgiving at Metlife Stadium. The Patriots won the game 49-19. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Besides pounding our face holes full of moist, delicious turkey a la Tom Brady above, today is a time to spend reflecting on everything we have in our lives. From a UC perspective this means giving thanks for everyone involved in Bearcats athletics that makes it so darn obsessive for us (well, me at least) game in and game out. So below are some of my “thank yous” to the major contributors in and around the Lindner Center.

• To Whit Babcock, thank you for tackling the 10,000-lbs elephant in the room, Nippert Stadium. With your leadership and vision, UC football will have one of the sparkling gems at its disposal in just two years’ time. Additionally, the environment you’ve established in the athletic department to encourage the free-flow of ideas I’m sure has been met with open arms by your employees. And if you stay at Cincinnati for the long haul, I’m sure I’ll be thanking you for that in several years.
• To Mick Cronin, dude, what can I say? You took over a gutted basketball program and turned it into a perennial NCAA Tournament participant while undergoing extreme heat from a fanbase that made you the goat in a situation you were never involved in. I can’t thank you enough for bringing back UC basketball to the same powerful team that I grew to love in the mid-90’s. And you’re doing it the right way, too. I hope you retire here someday.
• To Tommy Tuberville, it was a tough ride the last several months and during the first few games of this football season but it seems your coaches and the players have really meshed well together. With a coach of your pedigree, you’ve shown that Cincinnati isn’t a stepping stone like it was even five years ago. It’s no Texas or Alabama, that’s for sure, but you proved that coaches can come to UC and win here, even a grizzled, ol’ veteran like yourself. Like your boss, I hope you too are here for the long haul.
• To Eddie Gran, aka Mr. Adaptability, thank you for having the humility to recognize the pro-style offense you implemented over the summer and rolled out in September wasn’t working and switched to what the Bearcats knew, spread-em-out and pass the ball. It’s worked wonders over the last two months and definitely saved this season.

That’s it! Let’s get to some Thanksgiving Day links.

General Information

• Bearcats Give Thanks for Athletics Donors
• Exclusive Pre-Black Friday Offer Available Now
• Volleyball Tops Rutgers 3-2 for Season Sweep

Basketball

• UC Faces Kennesaw State on Friday at 4 p.m. – Turkey for dinner, Owls for dessert.
• The Maturation of Jumping Jack – Ain’t that the truth.
• The Worst 30 Non-Conference Opponents of the Mick Cronin Era

Football

• Putting Brendon Kay’s Season In Historical Context
• Tuberville Looks To Add To Big Game Reputation
• Reflection, celebration on UC’s Thanksgiving menu

The Random And Obscure

• Pie Chart: A Seasonal Pie For Every Month (On A Chart) – Cherry pie should never be an option.
• These Charts Prove Facebook Is A Better Place To Work Than Google
• The Horrible Truth Of Eating Nothing But Pumpkin Stuff For 72 Hours
• Deadspin Buys Hall Of Fame Vote, Will Turn It Over To Deadspin Readers – Classic!
• Florida vs. Georgia Southern, Theater of Operations: When Gator blocked Gator