Baseball’s oldest professional franchise will return to the playoffs for the first time since 1995, and the for the 13th time overall. The Cincinnati Reds won the National League Central Division championship on Tuesday, September 28 on a walk-off home run from Jay Bruce.
The playoff clinching, walk-off home run by Bruce was only the fifth of its kind in the history of Major League Baseball, and it thrilled an electric crowd of more than 30,000 at Great American Ball Park.
As of now the Reds would face the Philadelphia Phillies in the first-round of the playoffs. Should the Atlanta Braves lose the National League Wild Card birth, then the Reds would face either the San Francisco Giants or San Diego Padres. Playoff tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online.
UrbanCincy is proud to announce the first Over-the-Rhine Urban Kickball League. The league is open to all age levels and anyone interested in participating. The fall 2010 season will be the first-ever and will feature a variety of special treats and benefits for those participating outside of the kickball fun.
UrbanCincy has partnered with Neon’s Unplugged to offer an official social spot after each game. Players will be able to walk a short block-and-a-half from Cutter Playground (map) to Neon’s to enjoy its relaxed atmosphere including the newly opened upstairs lounge.
The league costs just $5 per person if you sign-up between now and Friday, September 24. Anyone signing up after that point will have to pay $10 per person, and hope that there is room left in the league…so sign up now! The small fee will cover everything you need and even get you a custom-designed, and locally produced, team shirt.
The teams will consist of 10-12 players each and must have a 50/50 split of men and women. Individuals or teams can sign-up now by downloading the necessary forms, or by picking up a form at Neon’s Unplugged located at 208 E. 12th Street during their regular business hours.
The fall 2010 season will start at the beginning of October and run for six weeks. Each team will have one game per week at 6pm on either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Interest has been high already, so be sure to sign-up early before prices increase and space in the league disappears. Complete instructions on how to join are included on the sign-up forms. If you are unable to download and print these forms, please visit Neon’s Unplugged to pick up a copy there.
The University of Cincinnati boasts one of the most urban college campuses in all of America, and quite possibly the most unique stadium in Division 1 football. As a result, Nippert Stadium’s scoreboard is mounted atop a neighboring building, midrises surround the sunken playing field, and the intimate venue is situated in the heart of campus.
This urban football setting also means that there are not seas of asphalt where fans can tailgate before and after the game. Bearcat fans instead tailgate on campus green areas, inside parking garages, and on surrounding streets. But as the Bearcats have their home opener tomorrow, fans will not only be treated to back-to-back Big East champions, but also a new tailgating experience just blocks away from the stadium on Short Vine.
Partially to satisfy the tailgaters displaced from one of the last remaining parking lots on campus which is now home to the Jefferson Avenue Sports Complex, and partially to create a fun new urban tailgating experience for fans, the Short Vine Business Association (SVBA) has created the Uptown Cincinnati Bearcat Block Party.
With help from UC Athletics and the Uptown Consortium, the SVBA will offer live music, food and drinks, and entertainment in addition to the wide array of businesses found on Short Vine that will remain open during the event. Organizers say that the free street festival will take place two hours before and after every single Bearcats home football game along the 2600 block of Short Vine.
Nearby parking lots will be made available for fans needing to stash their cars away during the game, and a free shuttle will transport those to the game that would prefer to not walk the few short blocks.
WTA players Melanie Oudin and Julia Boserup are in town this week for the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open being held in Mason. Before the tournament got underway, the two engaged in a friendly tennis match atop Cincinnati’s newest skyscraper 630 feet above the street.
The Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open has grown in prestige recently and was upgraded to a “Premier 5” Women’s Tennis Association event joining tournaments in Dubai, Rome, Toronto/Montreal, and Tokyo. In 2011, the women’s tournament will merge with the long-standing Western & Southern Financial Group Masters men’s draw in an eight-day event. The combined tournaments will make the new Western & Southern Financial Group Masters & Women’s Open one of the top ten tournaments in the world, and the largest summer tennis tournament in the United States outside of the U.S. Open grand slam event.
The back-to-back 2010 tournaments currently taking place in Cincinnati are the first to take advantage of a new $10 million facility upgrade that includes an additional 890 stadium seats, six new luxury suites, major media facility upgrades, and player amenity improvements within the new 52,000 square-foot West Building. With the upgrades, the stadium’s 11,500 seat capacity makes it the 22nd largest tennis stadium in the world, and the seventh largest in the United States.
Fountain Square will serve as THE spot to catch all of your World Cup action as the United States enters with one of its most promising teams in recent memory. The United States will take on the third-ranked team in the world, and long-time rival, England on Saturday, June 12 from 1:30pm to 5pm in Rustenburg, South Africa.
The United States team finished first in the 2010 Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) World Cup Qualifier just ahead of Mexico. The United States/England rivalry is especially interesting as the 1950 England vs. United States game was one of the most shocking upsets in soccer history. The U.S. defeated England in Brazil 1-0 thanks to a stunning header in the 37th Minute. Since that time the game has been called the “Miracle on Grass” and has caused much controversy and tension between the two squads.
The Fountain Square Management Group states that Coca-Cola products and adult beverages will be available for purchase while you watch the game on Fountain Square’s giant video board.
Fountain Square will continue to be the central gathering space for soccer fans throughout the World Cup as the management group has stated that all FIFA games will be shown unless there is a conflict with an event on the Square or a Reds baseball game.
The World Cup will conclude on Sunday, July 11, and to celebrate Fountain Square will be hosting a foosball tournament before and after the championship World Cup game. There will also be live music from 7pm to 9pm, international foods, import and domestic beer and other special features.
Those interested in participating in the double-elimination, two-player per side foosball tournament are encouraged to pre-register online, but organizers note that walk-up registration will be available on July 11th from 11am to 11:30am. Team registration costs $5 and the tournament champion will win $250 with smaller prizes being awarded throughout the tournament. Competitors must be 18 years of age or older.
