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Why the Bearcats Cotton Bowl Loss Hurt So Much
A Sports Story of Growing Up After College
Sports can be a magical thing. They bring people from a community together, such as UC and Xavier fans uniting to celebrate the 2021–2022 playoff Bengals. They bring awe to whoever watches, especially if it’s David Tyree’s helmet catch or Félix Hernández pitching a perfect game. And they teach lessons of persistence, hope, and excellence (e.g., Tiger Woods, the Williams sisters, Muhammad Ali, etc.).
Or, for better or worse, sports can be a much-needed distraction from the real world. That’s what this 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats Football season was for me. But I didn’t realize that until it came to an unfortunate end Friday as the Bearcats lost their first ever College Football Playoff appearance against Alabama in the Cotton Bowl. Once I witnessed the Crimson Tide march over us to a 27–6 victory, I had a moment of clarity — realizing this was indeed a distraction from growing up and embracing life after college.
I graduated from the University of Cincinnati in late April and started working recently after, but I didn’t feel ready to commit to that next stage of life: adulthood (i.e., life after college). I was still living in my college house until my lease was up in July, so I naturally held onto the youthful college mindset for a little bit longer. Just ‘til I move out, I told myself. Once that dreaded day came and full-blown adulthood was staring me right in the face, I again learned I didn’t feel ready. I was coming to terms with the fact that being out of college really isn’t as fun, meaningful, or invigorating.
The truth is life after college is weird. It’s vastly different right away. You aren’t constantly surrounded by plenty of your friends. You don’t get the excitement and achievement of new goals and challenges with each semester. You have significantly less free time with work, commutes, and errands. The list could go on. But the point is that it can easily feel like you’re losing a part of yourself by moving on from college.
Think about it: You’re a student for practically the first twenty or so years of your life. It’s how you label yourself, develop, and succeed. Largely, it’s your identity. (Maybe so much so your nickname comes from your favorite school’s…
