"That's what the Crosstown Shootout is about, Guys getting ejected, guys throwing elbows."

Snowballs chance in hell. That's what I would have told you the chances were of me ever writing anything in support of Mick Cronin.  However,  the events of the last day and a half have left me no choice.  The Xavier - UC game was a horrible event. Both sides should be embarrassed to no end and actions of individuals on both sides were deplorable.  That being said, Mick Cronin rose above the fray and acted how a leader of young men should act in that situation.  From the jump he was contrite, apologetic and vowed repercussions.

On flip side you have the Xavier reaction.  Immediately, 21 words in to his press conference, Chris Mack referred to the brawl as a scuffle.  My little sister and I scuffled as kids. What we were all witness to yesterday was a street fight, complete with trash talking, sucker punches and cowardly kicks. Next, Mack flat out lied to the media, "We’re not in the locker room talking about, ‘Let’s go after their throat or anything like that.’ " We know this is false because Terrell Holloway (Tu is not a name), told us as much after yesterday's game (and apparently after the Vanderbilt game as well), "We’ve got a whole bunch of gangsters in the locker room—not thugs, but tough guys on the court. We went out there and zipped them up at the end of the game. That’s our motto: We zip them up. That’s what we just did to them.”  So which is it? Is your motto to "Put 'em in a bodybag" Cobra Kai style or is it not? Someone is lying, and judging by Terrell's general lack of shyness, my money is on him.

All this being said, UC doesn't get a pass just because their coach has handled the post-game better than its Jesuit counterparts across town.  It was the UC players that acted most "gangsta," in Terrell's words, during the "scuffle." (Oh Chris you slay me) It was the UC players seen clearly throwing sucker punches, kicking Frease when he was on the floor, and attacking Redford as he was just getting there.  And unsurprisingly, the UC players received the harshest suspensions today.

If it were up to me Gates would have been done for the year, everyone else at UC that threw a punch would have received 5 game suspensions, and anyone that left the bench, 2 games.  As for the Muskies, I would have cancelled the trip to Maui (not realistic, I know), but it would have sent a message. I'm actually fine with Wells' four games, but Lyons & Terrell deserved more.  It was their actions that set the whole course of events in motion...that and the glorified GCL referees assigned to the game.

Talk leading up to the game was about the decreased interest in the game both locally and nationally, well they did a bang up job making sure everyone pays attention next year.  Well done to both sides.