Cincinnati vs. Xavier Fight: Weak Punishments Hurt Bearcats' Image

The University of Cincinnati has announced the additional punishments being handed down to Bearcats basketball players who participated in the brawl against Xavier yesterday.

They aren’t nearly as severe as they need to be.

Yancy Gates, Octavius Ellis and Cheikh Mbodj each are getting six-game suspensions while Ge’Lawn Guyn will be out for just one game.

The NCAA automatically suspended Mbodj and Gates for a game because they were ejected, and these suspensions roll into that rather than adding on to it.

That’s a ridiculously weak punishment, and the statement from Whit Babcock, the athletic director at Cincinnati, is a joke.

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"After reviewing all available video and giving due deliberation to the seriousness of this behavior, we have decided to take these actions," said Babcock. "We want to deal with this in a prompt and direct manner and send the message that we will not tolerate this from those who have the privilege of representing the University of Cincinnati."

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Is he kidding?

Did he actually watch the brawl when he reviewed the tape?

Gates was legitimately squaring up like a prizefighter well after he knocked Kenny Frease out at the start of the fight, and Mbodj kicked the Xavier center while he was down.

It was a disgusting end to a game and it turned a sport that can be as beautiful as basketball into a melee that tarnished the reputation of both Cincinnati-based schools.

Now by skirting around a real punishment for these men, especially Gates and Mbodj for their heinous acts, it reflects very poorly on the university, the conference and college basketball in general.

It also sets an awful precedent where kids can just knock someone out at the end of a blowout and know they will just sit for six games.

That’s ridiculous.

This isn't football, in which six games is half of a season. Six games is barely anything in college basketball, and it could literally be served in two weeks or less on some occasions.

Cincinnati needs to, at the very least, double these punishments and get some NCAA input before coming out with these weak sentences for students who represent their school.