CINCINNATI — What a year for Cincinnati sports! There was plenty of good (a Supporters' Shield), some bad (injuries) and one life-changing moment no one will forget. Here are our top 9 sports moments of 2023.
9. Western & Southern stays in Mason
What will happen to the Western & Southern Open? When Beemok Capital bought the tournament from the U.S. Tennis Association in 2022, it was unclear if the event would remain in the Tri-State, where it has been since it began in 1899.
Beemok set up a bidding competition between Greater Cincinnati and Charlotte last May, with North Carolina lawmakers authorizing millions toward a new stadium complex. Still, state and local governments promised $130 million in public funding for an expansion of the Lindner Family Tennis Center, not giving up on their hopes of keeping the tournament.
With more than 180,000 visitors from across the country already visiting the tournament each year, state Rep. Adam Mathews said plans to expand the tournament starting in 2025 mean the economic impact of $80 million will grow to $150 million.
8. Miami University knocks off Cincinnati in an OT thriller en route to a terrific season
The Miami RedHawks came into this season's "Battle of the Victory Bell" hoping to break a 16-game losing streak against its oldest rival, the Cincinnati Bearcats.
While UC had been the better team for more than a decade, RedHawks coach Chuck Martin said he knew a win "means everything to Miami," pushing his team to fight through a game that saw four different lead changes and the rivalry's third-ever overtime showdown.
Their 31-24 win, the team's second of the season, was just the beginning for Miami. The RedHawks defeated another rival in OU en route to an 11-3 record that also included an upset over No. 23 Toledo in the MAC Championship.
Though they fell to Appalachian State in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl earlier this month, MAC Defensive Player of the Year linebacker Matt Salopeck noted before the game that the team had a lot of goals they were able to accomplish this year. And the good news: Martin said the team's got "an incredible nucleus coming back" in 2024.
7. Xavier makes the Sweet 16 in Sean Miller's return
When Sean Miller returned to the Cintas Center in March 2022 to be introduced as Xavier's next head basketball coach, there were plenty of questions surrounding both him and the program.
Miller, while beloved in Cincinnati for his previous stint with the Musketeers, wasn't exactly the most popular guy in college basketball. The University of Arizona fired him just one year earlier following a corruption scandal that sent one of his former assistants to prison. An investigation into his role in the scandal was still ongoing.
Xavier was also struggling, missing the NCAA Tournament every year of former head coach Travis Steele's tenure. Would this reconciliation work?
To make it quick: Yes.
Miller's 2022-23 squad was already looking good before it was announced in December he would not face any sanctions following the investigation at Arizona. The decision allowed Xavier fans to breathe a sigh of relief before cheering the Musketeers on to a 27-10 season that saw XU return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017.
6. Joe Burrow signs a mega deal with the Bengals before a season riddled with injury issues
As the first game of the 2023-24 NFL season kicked off, the Cincinnati Bengals announced star quarterback Joe Burrow had officially signed a 5-year, $275 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid player in the league.
The former No. 1 draft pick had just led his team to an AFC Championship Game one season after an appearance in Super Bowl 56. Though he was dealing with a strained calf he suffered during training camp, there was no doubt in Bengals fans' minds that Burrow would once again have a successful season in Cincinnati.
Then, just as Burrow was starting to look like his old self again, he tore a ligament in his wrist during a Thursday Night Football showdown with the Ravens. The injury required surgery and knocked Burrow out for the season.
While Cincinnati is not out of the playoffs (The New York Times says the Bengals' chances of making the postseason is 19%), it's clear Burrow's injury — or injuries — changed the outlook of the season.
Here's to hoping next year looks a lot like the last time he came back from a season-ending injury — maybe this time with more than just an appearance in the Super Bowl.
5. "The Cincinnati kid" takes a fumble 98 yards in the Bengals' Wild Card win
No one wants to lose to a division rival — especially in the playoffs. So when the Ravens were on the 1-yard line, ready to take a 24-17 lead in the fourth quarter of their AFC Wild Card matchup with the Bengals, stress levels across the Tri-State were high.
Then, something historic happened.
Sam Hubbard, "the Cincinnati kid" as broadcaster Mike Tirico called him, happened to be in the right place at the right time. As Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley tried to reach for the goal line, linebacker Logan Wilson knocked the ball out of his hands and directly into Hubbard's.
Hubbard took that fumble 98 yards (even more if you count the distance he ran to avoid the Ravens players chasing him) to the other end zone, giving Cincinnati the lead. The Bengals' win probability went from 46% to 88% on the play and it ended up being the last touchdown scored that night.
The 123.6 total yards traveled on the return was the most distance traveled by any ball carrier for a touchdown that season. It was also the longest fumble recovery in postseason history.
That run also led to tens of thousands of dollars donated to The Sam Hubbard Foundation, which focuses on tackling food insecurity in the Tri-State. More than $30,000 was raised in the immediate days following the touchdown.
4. A Travis Kelce call-out intensifies the rivalry between the Bengals and Chiefs
Not all of the top sports stories of 2023 were fun. When Harrison Butker's 45-yard field goal went through the uprights at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 29, Bengals fans were devastated to see their Super Bowl dreams crushed one game shy of the main event.
Salt in the wound: Travis Kelce, a former Cincinnati Bearcat and Ohio native, mocked both the Bengals and the city's mayor while celebrating the win.
"Burrowhead my a—," Kelce said during an interview after the game, recalling a viral clip of Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton talking to the camera after Cincinnati's divisional round win.
The Chiefs tight end didn't stop there. As he held up the Lamar Hunt Trophy, Kelce said he had some "wise words" for Mayor Aftab Pureval: "Know your role and shut your mouth, you jabroni."
A clip of Kelce's call-out went viral on social media, and his smack talk only increased already growing animosity between the two teams' fanbases.
While this season's upcoming Bengals-Chiefs regular season game might not have the firepower that fans are now accustomed to, it's clear it doesn't matter who is on the field or what the teams' records are: Bengals and Chiefs fans do not like each other. And we like it that way.
3. Rookies help lead the Reds on a historic win streak
Heading into this season, Reds fans were likely tired of trying to forge any false hope. The year before, they had witnessed an offseason fire sale of some of their best players, 100 total losses and some questionable quotes from the team president.
Enter Elly De La Cruz. And Matt McLain. Also Spencer Steer. Andrew Abbott, too.
Those four are just some of the Reds rookies who helped not only make this squad competitive, but fun — a word that had been missing at Great American Ball Park in seasons past.
The Reds went on a 12-game win streak in June, the longest such streak since 1957. The team's exciting play drew Cincinnati's first consecutive full-capacity sellouts since 2016, when Pete Rose's jersey was retired. They were also in contention for the playoffs until the very last week.
No player was more exhilarating than De La Cruz, who hit for the cycle just weeks after making his debut. In fact, De La Cruz had several of Statcast's top plays of 2023.
While De La Cruz and his teammates cooled off toward the end of the season, and there was (of course) some disappointment that the Reds did not make the playoffs this year, there is no doubt that this core will make for some very fun seasons ahead.
2. FC Cincinnati has its best season in franchise history
FC Cincinnati's transition to Major League Soccer wasn't easy. After winning the USL regular season in 2018, the Orange and Blue went to the top flight of U.S. soccer and struggled mightily.
For three straight seasons, FCC had the worst record in the league. Then came GM Chris Albright and head coach Pat Noonan.
The club made its first playoff appearance in 2022 after finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference, making it all to the conference semifinals. It was clear the Orange and Blue were on the rise, but not too many people expected the huge jump Cincinnati saw in 2023.
Not only did FC Cincinnati finish first in the East, they secured the Supporters' Shield given to the team with the best overall record in the MLS. Luciano Acosta was named the MLS MVP, Noonan received MLS Coach of the Year honors and the team made it to the conference final.
Now there's only one thing left to do: win the MLS Cup.
1. The outpouring of love for Damar Hamlin after his cardiac arrest
It's been almost an entire year since Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday Night Football game between the Bengals and Bills at Paycor Stadium.
No one will forget where they were when broadcasters first reported that medics were doing CPR on the then-24-year-old as his teammates and opponents gathered on the field — some crying, others praying.
No one will forget when Bengals coach Zac Taylor and Bills coach Sean McDermott came together, calling for the game to be indefinitely postponed as everyone processed what was happening in front of them.
And no one will forget how the city — and the entire world — rallied around Hamlin as he fought for his life at UC Medical Center.
Bengals fans immediately gathered outside the hospital to pray for Hamlin and provide whatever support they could. Millions were donated to Hamlin's community toy drive. Local businesses started fundraisers to support his Chasing M's Foundation. Even our youngest did what they could — making hundreds of cards for Hamlin when doctors announced he was stable and recovering.
What happened to Hamlin could have been a tragedy. Instead, it only highlighted his resilience, his doctors' talents and this city's compassion.
You might have noticed we left out some amazing local high school sports moments. No worries! Mike Dyer wrote about some of the top high school stories from 2023 here.
