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Cincinnati sports fans are reeling after what many are calling the worst Cincinnati sports weekend in city history.
Across three straight days — Friday, Nov. 21 through Sunday, Nov. 23 — every major team that took the field at home and lost. UC men’s basketball. UC football. The Cincinnati Bengals.
And finally, FC Cincinnati in the MLS Cup Playoffs. This has been noted as one of the most disappointing weekends, truly the worst Cincinnati sports weekend, in recent memory.
What began as a weekend loaded with hype and opportunity ended in a collective thud that spilled across X, sports talk shows, and fan forums. Even Xavier’s road win couldn’t cut through the misery.
This wasn’t just a bad stretch. It was a civic sports catastrophe.
The Full Breakdown: Four Home Games, Four Losses
| Team | Opponent | Score | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Bearcats Basketball | Louisville | 64–74 | Led by 11 in the first half and took a 32–28 lead into halftime, but shot just 37% in the second half and committed 13 turnovers. Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. dropped 22 off the bench; Bearcats fall to 4–1. |
| UC Bearcats Football | BYU | 14–26 | Missed three field goals, stuffed on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, and threw two second-half interceptions. BYU controlled the clock 38:25 to 21:35; UC eliminated from Big 12 title contention. |
| Cincinnati Bengals | New England Patriots | 20–26 | Joe Burrow still out, Ja’Marr Chase suspended and Hendrickson injured. Bengals led 20–17 late but allowed a game-tying FG with 0:07 left and a Drake Maye scramble TD on the first drive of OT. Fell to 3–8. |
| FC Cincinnati | Inter Miami CF | 0–4 | Eastern Conference Semifinal at TQL Stadium. Messi: 1 goal + 3 assists (sets MLS playoff record with 12 total contributions). FCC managed only 4 shots on target; season ends in the most lopsided home playoff loss in club history. |
The only team that didn’t lose? The Reds — because they weren’t playing during this worst Cincinnati sports weekend debacle.
FC Cincinnati’s Collapse Was the Final Blow
Everything built toward Sunday night — the moment FC Cincinnati was supposed to save the city from a clean sweep of heartbreak. Instead, they delivered the night’s worst loss.
Inter Miami didn’t just win 4–0. They controlled every meaningful moment. Lionel Messi delivered a masterclass, scoring once and assisting three more.
For official match details go to MLS.com or check out our coverage of the match.
Bengals Add to the Misery
Earlier Sunday, the Bengals fell 26–20 to the Patriots. With Joe Burrow sidelined and Ja’Marr Chase suspended, the offense sputtered late, killing any hope of a game-winning drive. We covered the whole sad outcome in another article.
UC Basketball & Football Kick-Start the Collapse
It started Friday when UC men’s basketball blew a halftime lead and let #6 Louisville storm back. Then Saturday, UC football lost at home to BYU after missing three field goals and failing at the goal line.
Both teams looked competitive. Both folded at critical moments during the worst Cincinnati sports weekend ever.
Social Media Lost Its Mind
Fans across X summed up the city’s mood with rage, sarcasm, and total resignation:
Is this the worst weekend in Cincinnati sports history?
It feels like it.
— TheStateOfCincinnati (@TheStateOfCincy) November 23, 2025
This Cincinnati sports weekend sucks – sad thing is I’m used to it. Sadly I’m numb to it, but that’s what 52 years of this city’s sports BS will get you. Nothing. A few good memories of fun moments – but those were only enough to let you know what good times are. #WhoDey #ATOBTTR
— ❌ark (@mhfight) November 23, 2025
This weekend is a snapshot in the life of a Cincy sports fan. @GoBearcatsMBB lose, @GoBearcatsFB lose, and then to finish it off…. @Bengals lose. Thank God the @Reds aren’t playing!! Die hard fan, but this shit is getting old……
— Nick Lachey (@NickLachey) November 23, 2025
Even fantasy teams were losing. Even Xavier’s win was dismissed as irrelevant since it wasn’t at home. The city was unified — in misery.
How This Weekend Stacks Up Against Cincinnati’s Past Tragedies
Cincinnati has lived through sports pain before. But this worst Cincinnati sports weekend stands apart because every team lost, all in rapid succession and all at home.
March 2016 – “March Sadness” for UC & Xavier
Both UC and Xavier lost in the NCAA Tournament’s opening weekend — UC on a buzzer-beater rim-out, Xavier on a dagger three. The double gut-punch revived the “Cincinnati sports curse.”
October 2012 – Reds NLDS Home Collapse
Up 2–0 in the NLDS, the Reds needed just one win in three home games. They lost all three, capped by Buster Posey’s grand slam in Game 5.
January 9, 2016 – Bengals’ Wild Card Meltdown
Leading late against Pittsburgh, the Bengals fumbled, took two personal fouls, and handed the Steelers a game-winning field goal with seconds left — still one of the most chaotic playoff collapses ever.
Why This Weekend Outranks Them
Those losses were traumatic, but most involved one or two teams. This time Cincinnati went an unimaginable 0–4 in 48 hours — truly the worst Cincinnati sports weekend in recent times, all at home. It wasn’t one disaster. It was a synchronized implosion.
A Weekend That Will Be Remembered
Cincinnati sports fans are loyal. Tough. Battle-tested. But this was different. This wasn’t one heartbreaking moment — it was an avalanche.
The worst Cincinnati sports weekend didn’t happen because one team blew it. It happened because every team did.
There will be better days — they always come eventually. But this weekend? This one’s going in the books as the worst Cincinnati sports weekend ever.
Read More
FC Cincinnati Loss: Miami Demolishes the Orange & Blue in Stunning 4–0 Playoff Upset at TQL Stadium
Bengals vs. Patriots: Record Kick, Late Drama, Same Painful Result for Cincinnati
