The unofficial online home for fans of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Saw this on ESPN, had no idea.

17. Cincinnati
The Bearcats! It's a cool-sounding mascot name, and it's a real animal that's also known as a binturong. But the team isn't named after the actual animal, but rather one of its former players.

Cincinnati beat Kentucky 14-7 in 1914 thanks to the help of fullback Leonard "Teddy" Baehr. It is said that during the game, the cheerleaders chanted, "They may be the Wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side!"

Afterward, the student newspaper went along with it, and that's how the Bearcats name came to be.

As I am usually skeptical of anything ESPN reports, I checked the UC athletics website and there is no record of a 1914 season listed on there. It shows we played UK twice in the 1915 season but there was no 14-7 score.

I also refuse to believe that we got our mascot in any way, shape or form from redneck U.

Plus, "they may be the Wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side" just doesn't roll off the tongue.... even in 1914.

(05-27-2020 03:43 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  As I am usually skeptical of anything ESPN reports, I checked the UC athletics website and there is no record of a 1914 season listed on there. It shows we played UK twice in the 1915 season but there was no 14-7 score.

I also refuse to believe that we got our mascot in any way, shape or form from redneck U.

Plus, "they may be the Wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side" just doesn't roll off the tongue.... even in 1914.

This is pretty widely known. Here's UC's reference to it.

https://gobearcats.com/sports/2017/6/12/...arcat.aspx

(05-27-2020 03:50 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(05-27-2020 03:43 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  As I am usually skeptical of anything ESPN reports, I checked the UC athletics website and there is no record of a 1914 season listed on there. It shows we played UK twice in the 1915 season but there was no 14-7 score.

I also refuse to believe that we got our mascot in any way, shape or form from redneck U.

Plus, "they may be the Wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side" just doesn't roll off the tongue.... even in 1914.

This is pretty widely known. Here's UC's reference to it.

https://gobearcats.com/sports/2017/6/12/...arcat.aspx

Somebody better tell the people in the football records section about that 1914 season.

And I'll just regard it as coincidence that we were playing UK.

Yep, that's the story. I've encountered some purists who have objected to the association with the binturong since that animal wasn't the reason for the naming of the UC mascot.

I'm not one of those people--I enjoy the mascot's many created variations through the years. The only one I'm not crazy about is the sculpture in the circle outside the southeast corner of Fifth Third Arena which doesn't resemble the whimsical or cartoon versions or the animal commonly known as a bearcat, the binturong.

(05-27-2020 03:59 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(05-27-2020 03:50 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(05-27-2020 03:43 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  As I am usually skeptical of anything ESPN reports, I checked the UC athletics website and there is no record of a 1914 season listed on there. It shows we played UK twice in the 1915 season but there was no 14-7 score.

I also refuse to believe that we got our mascot in any way, shape or form from redneck U.

Plus, "they may be the Wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side" just doesn't roll off the tongue.... even in 1914.

This is pretty widely known. Here's UC's reference to it.

https://gobearcats.com/sports/2017/6/12/...arcat.aspx

Somebody better tell the people in the football records section about that 1914 season.

And I'll just regard it as coincidence that we were playing UK.

Look at the date on the school paper.

(05-27-2020 04:07 PM)OKIcat Wrote:  Yep, that's the story. I've encountered some purists who have objected to the association with the binturong since that animal wasn't the reason for the naming of the UC mascot.

I'm not one of those people--I enjoy the mascot's many created variations through the years. The only one I'm not crazy about is the sculpture in the circle outside the southeast corner of Fifth Third Arena which doesn't resemble the whimsical or cartoon versions or the animal commonly known as a bearcat, the binturong.

I actually love that sculpture and I had a photo of my 2 boys posing beside it as my cellphone wallpaper for several years.

It just as easily could've turned out our mascot name became the Baehrs [Bears]. But ol' Norman "Pat" Lyon had to go rogue one-up the hick blue cheer squad. The rest is history.

(05-27-2020 04:18 PM)Bearcatbdub Wrote:  

(05-27-2020 04:07 PM)OKIcat Wrote:  Yep, that's the story. I've encountered some purists who have objected to the association with the binturong since that animal wasn't the reason for the naming of the UC mascot.

I'm not one of those people--I enjoy the mascot's many created variations through the years. The only one I'm not crazy about is the sculpture in the circle outside the southeast corner of Fifth Third Arena which doesn't resemble the whimsical or cartoon versions or the animal commonly known as a bearcat, the binturong.

I actually love that sculpture and I had a photo of my 2 boys posing beside it as my cellphone wallpaper for several years.

We just took our daughter who graduated this spring back to campus to take some pictures in her cap and gown. One of them, of course, was with that Bearcat statue.

(05-27-2020 03:43 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  As I am usually skeptical of anything ESPN reports, I checked the UC athletics website and there is no record of a 1914 season listed on there. It shows we played UK twice in the 1915 season but there was no 14-7 score.

I also refuse to believe that we got our mascot in any way, shape or form from redneck U.

Plus, "they may be the Wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side" just doesn't roll off the tongue.... even in 1914.

(05-27-2020 06:32 PM)Bruce Monnin Wrote:  

(05-27-2020 04:18 PM)Bearcatbdub Wrote:  

(05-27-2020 04:07 PM)OKIcat Wrote:  Yep, that's the story. I've encountered some purists who have objected to the association with the binturong since that animal wasn't the reason for the naming of the UC mascot.

I'm not one of those people--I enjoy the mascot's many created variations through the years. The only one I'm not crazy about is the sculpture in the circle outside the southeast corner of Fifth Third Arena which doesn't resemble the whimsical or cartoon versions or the animal commonly known as a bearcat, the binturong.

I actually love that sculpture and I had a photo of my 2 boys posing beside it as my cellphone wallpaper for several years.

We just took our daughter who graduated this spring back to campus to take some pictures in her cap and gown. One of them, of course, was with that Bearcat statue.

Took pictures with my groomsmen at the statue and at nippert on my wedding day.

(05-27-2020 06:50 PM)rtaylor Wrote:  

(05-27-2020 03:43 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  As I am usually skeptical of anything ESPN reports, I checked the UC athletics website and there is no record of a 1914 season listed on there. It shows we played UK twice in the 1915 season but there was no 14-7 score.

I also refuse to believe that we got our mascot in any way, shape or form from redneck U.

Plus, "they may be the Wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side" just doesn't roll off the tongue.... even in 1914.

OOOOOOHHH... rtaylor bringing out the heavy stuff.

Silly article but illustrates how much increased exposure a team gets for being ranked in the preseason. Getting discussed in dozens of extra articles this year than ever before. Getting ranked early is a huge boost for building a program and its long overdue for the Baehr-cats

I thought this was common knowledge...?

(05-28-2020 07:59 AM)Bearcat419 Wrote:  I thought this was common knowledge...?

I never heard it when I was a student (1984-1989), but I have heard the story many times in the last 10 years.

Here's some more reading on the inspiration of the mascot and the man, Leonard "Teddy" Baehr. He has quite a legacy at UC.

https://magazine.uc.edu/issues/0315/teddy_baehr.html

(05-28-2020 08:55 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Here's some more reading on the inspiration of the mascot and the man, Leonard "Teddy" Baehr. He has quite a legacy at UC.

https://magazine.uc.edu/issues/0315/teddy_baehr.html

Looks like he was a hound-dog as well as a Beahr-cat

Quote:After his wife's death, Teddy remained single until 1951 when he married his daughter’s best friend, Elizabeth “Libby” Hidden, A&S ’40, who was 25 years younger. Jane would remain Teddy’s only child for 33 years until he and Libby had two more daughters — Betsy Baehr Pierson in 1952 and Marie Baehr Timko in 1953 — at the start of their 29-year marriage.

(05-28-2020 07:59 AM)Bearcat419 Wrote:  I thought this was common knowledge...?

Bear Catlett calling FAKE NEWZ on the widely known origin story of the Bearcats mascot, going down a rabbit hole to to prove that the season in question NEVER HAPPENED. It's all too perfect.

(05-28-2020 01:39 PM)levydl Wrote:  

(05-28-2020 07:59 AM)Bearcat419 Wrote:  I thought this was common knowledge...?

Bear Catlett calling FAKE NEWZ on the widely known origin story of the Bearcats mascot, going down a rabbit hole to to prove that the season in question NEVER HAPPENED. It's all too perfect.

It really is a quintessentially perfect bear catlett post.

(05-28-2020 01:48 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(05-28-2020 01:39 PM)levydl Wrote:  

(05-28-2020 07:59 AM)Bearcat419 Wrote:  I thought this was common knowledge...?

Bear Catlett calling FAKE NEWZ on the widely known origin story of the Bearcats mascot, going down a rabbit hole to to prove that the season in question NEVER HAPPENED. It's all too perfect.

It really is a quintessentially perfect bear catlett post.

You guys are a bunch of eighth grade girls.

Mitzi doesn't know that was so last summer... I know, she's like, so uncool.

If it was such a widely known fact then why did the OP feel the need start this thread?