2015 Cincinnati Reds Bobbleheads Part 1

In my opinion, bobbleheads are the best giveaway items that a team can distribute to its fans. I love them and whenever one of the teams that I like decides to host a bobblehead game, I will usually try to go. The Cincinnati Reds, my favorite baseball team, are giving out nine different nodders this season. The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is giving out five different bobbleheads this year. Over the next two posts, I will discuss the bobbleheads and whether I think they are worth going to the game or museum for or not.

Let’s start with the nodders the Reds are giving out this year. The first bobblehead the team is giving out this year is of third baseman Todd Frazier. The picture of the nodder looks cool, but I am not going to the game to get it. I have the one the Reds gave out in 2013, so I will not be going to the game.

The next one is a triple bobblehead of Randy Myers, Rob Dibble, and Norm Charlton. These three guys are known collectively as the “Nasty Boys” and were a key element to the 1990 World Series champion Reds. This bobblehead looks great, and I will be attending the game to add the “Nasty Boys” to my nodder collection.

Third is a bobblehead of Johnny bench. This bobblehead is the first of a three bobblehead set called the “Stars of the Queen City” series. The bobblehead looks really nice, but the Reds have already given out a Johnny Bench bobblehead, the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum gave out five different Bench bobbleheads in 2011, and I already have a Johnny Bench bobblehead in my collection. Needless to say, I will be passing on this game.

The fourth nodder is of Billy Hamilton, the resident speedster of the Redlegs. He had a fantastic rookie season, so it makes sense that the Reds are capitalizing on it by giving out a bobblehead of him. However, the Reds gave out a Hamilton bobblehead last season as well as one during spring training this year. I have the one the team gave away last year, so I will not be adding the 2015 version to my collection.

Barry Larkin is the fifth nodder the team will be giving out to fans this season and the second nodder in the “Stars of the Queen City” series. Larkin is one of my all-time favorite Redlegs, but I already have the 2006 Larkin bobblehead that the Reds gave out to the fans. There was also a Larkin bobblehead giveaway in 2001, and the Hall of Fame and Museum gave out one last year. Since I already have a Larkin bobblehead, I will not be heading to the ballpark for this nodder.

The sixth bobblehead of the year is of Brandon Phillips, my favorite current Reds player. The Reds gave out Phillips bobbleheads in 2007, 2009, and in 2013. I have the 2013 version in my collection so I will not be getting the 2015 version.

Following Phillips is a bobblehead giveaway of Devin Mesoraco. He is the starting catcher for the team and had a phenomenal season last year. He made the all-star team and was the biggest bat for the team as he was the main force of the offense for the Redlegs. I plan on adding this bobblehead to my collection.

Next up is the third “Stars of the Queen City” bobblehead. At the time that this post was written, the team has not announced who the bobblehead will be. Since 2015 is the anniversaries of the 1940, 1975, and 1990 World Series championship seasons, hopefully the team will make a bobblehad of one of the 1940 Redlegs. I think Ernie Lombardi, Johnny Vander Meer, Bucky Walters, or the manager Bill McKechnie would be great choices.

Last is a bobblehead of one of the Reds who will make the All-Star team this year in what I assume to be the All-Star uniform. This sounds like a great idea, and the bobblehead should look cool since it will be in the All-Star uniform. I will try to go to this game to get the nodder and hopefully it is of a player who has not had a bobblehead yet.

While I like the idea of the team giving out nine nodders this year, I just wish they were all of players who have not had bobbleheads yet. As of now, I plan on going to three games. If the third “Stars of the Queen City” bobblehead is of player I do not yet have, I will also go to that game. Stay tuned for the next bobblehead post when I talk about the bobbleheads the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will be giving out to the fans.

Go Redlegs!

Cincinnati Reds Fan Pack Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Fan Pack.

Show Me The Money!

Here is my bracket that I am using for the various pools I am in for March Madness. I love the tournament and will be watching all the games that are on simultaneously! Who is your pick to go all the way?

Are We There Yet?

The road to Wrestlemania is usually when WWE presents its best storylines to its fans. Who could forget the epic buildup between John Cena and the Rock as their one-year storyline culminated at Wrestlemania 28? Who could forget the memorable promos and confrontations between Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock before their unbelievable Wrestlemania bouts? While the ultimate destination of this journey is the actual Wrestlemania event, the trip to the showcase of the immortals is half the fun as these usually fantastic storylines payoff with memorable matches that have wrestling fans around the world gasping in awe.

This year, however, the road to Wrestlemania seems pretty bland. Instead of speeding up the coast with breathtaking views of the ocean, it seems that WWE is driving along a country highway where all you can see is endless fields of corn. Talk about dull. The buildup to Wrestlemania 31 has been subpar at best in my opinion. Why is this? How can what should be WWE’s most exciting time of the year seem so boring? There is one big reason why this year’s Wrestlemania buildup has been so bland and why the road to the event has not been that exciting.

The lack of confrontations is really filling the road to Wrestlemania with potholes and slowing down the trip. Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns and current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar have only faced off once, and it was in a studio the night after the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Since then, I do not believe they have been in the ring at the same time or in the same backstage segment. Paul Heyman, the manager of Lesnar, has been carrying this storyline on his back as he cuts fantastic promos every week to try and build the match. All he can do is talk though, and what wrestling fans really want to see is Reigns and Lesnar get into some sort of altercation. As I write this, there are only two weeks left until Wrestlemania. If WWE really wants its fans to get excited about this match, then these two wrestlers better start trash talking face-to-face and brawling before Wrestlemania at some point.

Also, there really has been no confrontation between Bray Wyatt and the Undertaker. For weeks, Wyatt taunted and called out to the Undertaker and on the March 9, 2015, edition of Monday Night Raw, the phenom finally answered in the form of a pretty entertaining segment. However, that is the only sign of the Undertaker we have seen thus far. Now even though WWE has managed to buildup an Undertaker match at Wrestlemania without the dead man appearing on television until Wrestlemania in the past like they did in 2004, I do not believe it is working this year. The Undertaker’s opponent that year was Kane and aside from the history between these two men to help drive their story, the Undertaker also tormented Kane with various mind games. It was entertaining, and it helped fuel the storyline and build anticipation for the return of the Undertaker. WWE has not been able to do that this year.

I am not saying that there have not been some highlights to help build up Wrestlemania. Sting in Triple H have been developing a fun storyline since Survivor Series, the feud between John Cena and the WWE United States Champion Rusev has been pretty entertaining, and the Randy Orton/Seth Rollins rivalry really got hot last week. However, the biggest matches have had the poorest buildup in my opinion. Reigns and Lesnar need to engage the audience more without the help of Heyman by confronting each other, and the Undertaker needs to get inside Wyatt’s head. If WWE can make this happen in two weeks, then the road to Wrestlemania 31 might be somewhat memorable.

Twister the Cincinnati Cyclone Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Cyclones SGA bobblehead of Twister.

Return to Glory

In sports, the goal of every individual is to win a championship. Whether it be the Super Bowl, the World Series, or the Masters, the pursuit of greatness is what validates one's entire life's work as a championship symbolizes excellence and serves as a physical statement that displays to the rest of the world that you are the best.

In professional wrestling, the same can be said about its various championship belts. From the Tag Team Championship to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, everybody who laces their boots and steps into the squared circle dreams of one day being able to hoist up a championship belt.

There is no question that the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is the top prize in World Wrestling Entertainment. Second tier titles such as the Tag Team Championship, the United States Championship, and the Intercontinental Championship are comparable to conference or division championships in that they are stepping-stones to the big title that everybody strives to attain.

While these second tier championships have seemed to have lost their significance in the WWE thanks to poor booking and having the titles defended on preshow matches or not at all, their prestige is slowly but surely returning. The current United States Champion, Rusev, is in the middle of a long and impressive run. The tag team division is being revived as quality matches for the tag straps are being produced on a consistent basis.

The only belt that seems lost in the shuffle still is the Intercontinental Championship. It has been passed around pretty often over the last few months between Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, and Wade Barrett. However, Dean Ambrose and Barrett, the current Intercontinental Champion, are currently involved in a very entertaining rivalry for the Intercontinental Title.

Ambrose's pursuit of the belt is something that has not been seen in the WWE for quite some time. This championship chase is usually reserved for the big title in today's WWE, and the fact that Ambrose is desperate enough to tie Barrett to a ring post and force him to sign an Intercontinental Championship match contract for WWE Fastlane is exactly what the title needs. Not so much the forceful signing of a contract but rather the ruthless hunt for the Intercontinental Championship. It adds value to the title and makes it seem like something worth fighting for in the wrestling world. It should also not be bounced around from wrestler to wrestler. It needs to stay with one man for a while so it does no longer look like a glorified gold and leather piece in a game of hot potato.

It is refreshing to see the belt as the focus of this feud between Ambrose and Barrett. Hopefully Ambrose wins the title at Wrestlemania 31 and has a lengthy run with the belt in which he defends it quite often in meaningful rivalries with the championship being the centerpiece. That will elevate the title to the level of prestige that it was once synonymous with as well as be a launch pad for future world champions.

Bobblehead Page Update

#BOBBLEHEAD PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/7szAEAxyiu #CincyCyclones #Reds #Bengals #Cyclones #MLB #NBA #NHL #NFL #NCAA pic.twitter.com/2CqGKQFshd
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) March 14, 2015

Photo Page Update

PHOTO PAGE UPDATE WITH PICS FROM #CINCYCYLONES GAME @ http://t.co/yzF6TzF8pk #Cyclones #SolarBears #Reds #Bengals pic.twitter.com/9ulmXa1hGd
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) March 14, 2015

On the App Again!

My tweet was featured on the WWE App again! If WWE likes my tweets, you will too! Follow me @CincyFanZone!

Dave Concepcion Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews the 2006 Cincinnati Reds SGA Dave Concepcion bobblehead.

Another Pro Follows Me

Travaris Cadet of the New Orleans Saints follows me on Twitter. Why aren't you? Check me out at @CincyFanZone.

Help Needed

A few weeks ago, terrible news of a relapse by one of the sporting world’s greatest stories of redemption rocked Major League Baseball fans everywhere. Josh Hamilton, an outfielder on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the center of what once thought of as one the greatest career and life turnarounds in sports, turned himself in to MLB officials after he suffered a relapse involving both cocaine and alcohol.

Hamilton was the number one overall pick by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1999 MLB draft and was assigned to their farm system. He first became addicted to drugs and alcohol in 2001, and by 2004, he was out of baseball.

After cleaning up his act and seemingly beating his addictions, Hamilton returned to baseball in 2007 with my favorite baseball team, the Cincinnati Reds. After a pretty good rookie campaign with the Redlegs, he was traded to the Texas Rangers in December of 2007.

Hamilton was a key player to the American League Championship runs and World Series appearances of the Rangers in both 2010 and 2011, winning the American League MVP award in 2010. He then signed with the Angels following the 2012 season.

When thinking about the great strides that Hamilton made since his addiction problems started back in 2001 only to relapse 14 years later, you cannot help but feel a sense of heartbreak. Most addiction stories do not have paths to redemption. Hamilton’s story was one of the few that proved that addiction to drugs and alcohol can be beat, and that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. He managed to piece his life back together and become an MVP in Major League Baseball.

I do not want to see Hamilton become the next Stanley Wilson. For those who are unfamiliar with Wilson, he was a former Cincinnati Bengals running back who suffered from an addiction to cocaine. After serving season-long bans in both 1985 and in 1987, Wilson appeared to redeem himself and clean up his act in 1988 as he, James Brooks, and Ickey Woods became a fantastic trio at the running back position for the Bengals. In fact, Wilson scored two touchdowns in the Bengals playoff victory over the Seattle Seahawks in route to their second Super Bowl appearance. Unfortunately, Wilson relapsed the night before the Super Bowl and was subsequently left off the roster of the Bengals for the Super Bowl and banned from the National Football League for life. In 1999, which is ironically the year Hamilton was drafted by the Devil Rays, Wilson was sentenced to 22 years in prison for stealing $130,000.00 in order to support his cocaine addiction.

Hamilton as well as other people battling addiction should use Stanley Wilson’s story as a tale of caution. Addiction is a disease, and the people battling this disease need to be helped instead of punished. Hamilton is an example of this. By turning himself in, he is asking for help to beat his addictions once and for all. Hopefully he can recover from this recent relapse and rebuild himself into the MVP caliber player he once was.

Ickey Woods Cold Cuts Shirt Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes the Ickey Woods Cold Cuts shirt he won at Beyond the Stripes.

Lacking Leadership?

Leadership is important in sports. It is a necessary element for any team to succeed. According to Mat Latos, the Reds are without leaders.

In an interview with Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the former pitcher of the Reds claimed that the Reds had no leaders on the team after Scott Rolen and Bronson Arroyo left. Apparently Latos said that the team was a “circus.” He said that the Reds “had guys with two years in the big leagues, in the clubhouse, on their phones, laying down in the video room, just hanging out during games, not in the dugout, not cheering their teammates on. Our dugout looked like a ghost town.”

Aside from claiming there was a lack of leadership in the locker room, Latos also said that he felt the medical staff of the Reds rushed him back from his injury. It is important to keep in mind that these are the words of only one man, not half the team, and former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo, one of the men Latos said to be a veteran leader on the Reds in 2012 and in 2013, attempted to offer some insight on why Latos sounded off on the Reds.

In an interview with Nick Piecoro of the “Arizona Republic,” Arroyo said, “Mat speaks his mind. Mat's also a guy who, depending on the day you catch him, you can get completely different answers, because if he's agitated by something, he's going to let you know how he feels at the time and it doesn't always encompass how he feels every single day. Sometimes we say things — he can be a very impulsive guy and that's part of what makes him who he is.”

Current Reds players Homer Bailey and Devin Mesoraco commented on the Latos siuation to Reds beat writer Mark Sheldon. Both Bailey and Mesoraco said that they believe the medical staff did an outstanding job. In regards to why Latos made those claims against the Reds, Bailey said, “Those were his comments. I don’t know any other players that would go that route. It was the way he chose to go. I think you’ll find the majority of the people here have a sense of professionalism and are probably not going to comment on it. However, you all holding your pads and microphones have gotten to be around Mathew enough and can form your own opinion.”

The only people who know if what Latos said is true or not are the players and other people involved with the team. Regardless, the Reds should take what Latos said and try to use it as rallying point for the season. Hopefully these comments light a fire under the team and serve as a launch pad to help the Reds get back to their winning ways.

It apparently fired up new Reds outfielder Marlon Byrd. In an interview with C. Trent Rosecrans about the comments of Latos, Byrd said, “He should worry about his own damn business. He's with the Marlins now.”

I believe a new leader has emerged. Hopefully his fired up attitude spreads to the rest of the team.

Go Redlegs!

Fastlane 2015 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Fastlane 2015.

Still a Dream?

Tyson vs. Ali. MJ vs. Lebron. Murderers’ Row vs. The Big Red Machine. What do all of these mythical bouts have in common? They are dream matches: battles between sports icons that are only able to happen in the fantasies of sports fans. However, not every dream match has remained a dream. Just ask World Wrestling Entertainment.

Throughout the years, the WWE has managed to bring to life many different bouts that originated in the dreams of wrestling fans all over the world. Back in 1987, Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan were two of the biggest names in wrestling. Having these two titans clash in the ring was something that many wrestling fans wanted to see. The WWE delivered as the main event of Wrestlemania 3 saw Hogan and Andre battle it out for the WWE Championship.

In 2002, the New World Order made its debut in the WWE and marked the return of Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hulk Hogan to the company that made them international superstars. This opened the door for another dream match as Hogan took on one of the wrestlers that rose to power in his absence, the Rock, at Wrestlemania 18.

A decade later, the WWE once again gave fans a match that they thought would only be possible in their dreams as the Rock wrestled the current face of the WWE, John Cena, in the main event of Wrestlemania 28. It was quite possibly the most hyped match in the history of Wrestlemania as one of the faces of the Attitude Era took on the man who has been the staple of the Reality Era.

While WWE has delivered when it comes to matches that fans want to see, there have been instances when the biggest wrestling promotion in the world has missed the mark.

In 1991, the man who had been the face of World Championship Wrestling, Ric Flair, signed with the WWE. As soon as he appeared on WWE television programming, wrestling fans started salivating as the possibility of a dream match between Flair and Hulk Hogan appeared to be imminent. WWE was seemingly setting up the match as Flair won the WWE Championship at the 1992 Royal Rumble and a Wrestlemania 8 dream battle with Hogan looked like it was on the horizon. However, Flair defended the title against the “Macho Man” Randy Savage, and Hogan took on Sid Justice. It would not be until WCW’s Bash at the Beach 1994 event when Hogan and Flair finally wrestled for a world title.

Another missed opportunity was when Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin were both with the WWE in 2002 and in 2003. Hogan was the face of the WWE in the 1980’s and Austin and the Rock became the faces of the company during the Attitude Era. While the Rock and Hogan fought at Wrestlemania 18, Austin and Hogan never had a one-on-one match. Wrestlemania 19 could have served as the stage for the dream bout, but Hogan instead took on Vince McMahon, and the Rock and Stone Cold had their third Wrestlemania match against each other.

One of the biggest dream matches of wrestling fans is Sting vs. The Undertaker. These two men were the foundations of their respective companies during the Monday Night War, and their characters drew many comparisons as they both oozed of mystique. When Sting made his WWE debut at Survivor Series 2014, many wrestling fans, myself included, thought that the Icon and the Phenom would finally have a match against each other at Wrestlemania 31. However, it appears that Triple H is going to fight Sting while Bray Wyatt will challenge the Undertaker. Personally, I am disappointed as I have wanted to see Sting and the Undertaker battle it out ever since I was a kid. Both wrestlers are getting older and the window for this dream match to become realty is closing fast.

Sting vs. the Undertaker is a primetime, big money matchup that would only be able to happen on a Wrestlemania stage. Hopefully WWE knows what its doing as I would hate to see Sting/Taker go the way of Flair/Hogan or Hogan/Austin. Maybe Wrestlemania 32 will be the site where these two legends of the business finally clash. If not, this dream match might remain a dream.

Cesar Geronimo Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews the 2012 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum SGA Cesar Geronimo bobblehead.

Roman Empire or Yestlemania?

This Sunday, World Wrestling Entertainment will present its final pay-per-view before its biggest event of the year. WWE Fastlane will take place from the FedExForum in Memphis, TN, and it will feature a key matchup that will shape the main event WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestlemania 31.

It is no secret that WWE seemed to have originally intended to have Roman Reigns win the Royal Rumble, march into Levi’s Stadium, and proudly dethrone the reigning and defending champ, Brock Lesnar, in front of a roaring and adoring crowd. However, the reaction that Reigns received at the Royal Rumble and at the Raw and Smackdown events since has apparently caused WWE to rethink their setup for the biggest match of the year.

At Fastlane, Reigns and Daniel Bryan, the man that many believe should have won the Royal Rumble, will face off in a match to determine who goes on to the main event match against Lesnar at Wrestlemania 31. Who that man will be is anybody’s guess.

If Reigns wins, then the odds of various social media sites erupting with comments filled with rage and displeasure over Reigns securing his Wrestlemania spot are pretty great. At the Royal Rumble, Reigns did not even eliminate the perennial fan favorite Daniel Bryan, and the reaction he received was still brutal. Imagine if he actually defeats Bryan. The internet wrestling community might burn down Titan Towers.

On the other hand, there is a scenario in which Bryan defeats Reigns. A majority of wrestling fans will be overjoyed should that be the result, but it would completely nullify the Royal Rumble, which is one of WWE’s biggest events of the year behind Wrestlemania and SummerSlam. As much I want to see it happen, I have a very hard time believing that WWE would book Bryan over its handpicked successor to John Cena and ignore the result of the Royal Rumble match.

So what will happen at Fastlane? Will the Roman Empire rise or will Yestlemania return for an encore performance? I think we will get both, and Bryan and Reigns will advance to Wrestlemania 31. There is no way this match ends cleanly with either Bryan or Reigns as the clear winner. WWE is not going to abandon Reigns, and they will not want a similar reaction to that of the Royal Rumble. The match will end in a shady manner, and it will set up a triple threat match at Wrestlemania 31 between Lesnar, Reigns, and Bryan for the WWE World Heavyweight title.

If I were in charge of writing the WWE’s programming, I would have Lesnar and Paul Heyman sitting at ringside for the Bryan vs. Reigns match. After 20 minutes of action, I would have Lesnar jump into the ring and destroy both Bryan and Reigns. The match ends with no winner, and Reigns and Bryan both come out of it looking like underdogs. This helps build their characters as they both chase Lesnar in hopes of pulling off an upset, and it continues to build Lesnar as a destructive storm of a man. It also bails the WWE out of having to either nullify the Royal Rumble or initiate a riot.

That’s how I would book the match at Fastlane. However the decision is ultimately the WWE’s to make. No matter how they book it, they are probably going to be criticized. If Reigns wins, a majority of wrestling fans will march to Stanford with torches and pitchforks. If Bryan wins, then the Royal Rumble will essentially be nullified, which will tarnish its reputation of being one of WWE’s premier events. If there is no winner and a triple threat match is booked, then people will complain that the main event is a copy of last year’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship match.

And to think that all of this could have been avoided if Daniel Bryan won the Royal Rumble.

Meeting Mesoraco (Devin Mesoraco Autograph Signing)

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone goes to Reds Hot Stove League and gets a few autographs!

A Season of Controversy

If I could sum up the 2014-2015 National Football League season in one word, it would be controversy. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past seven months, then you know all about the woes that plagued the most profitable sports league in the nation.

In what was yet another season of incredible games, amazing individual performances, and outstanding plays that left football fans with their jaws on the ground in awe, the overall image of the NFL was tainted as instances of domestic abuse cast a dark shadow over the league for much of the season. The cases of Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson were discussed for the much of the year and rocked the National Football League to its core. However, the NFL appeared to weather the storm, despite being guided by a commissioner who has become a bumbling buffoon in the eyes of many football fans, and prepared itself for its most interesting and exciting series of games of the year: the playoffs.

Most of the postseason contests were exciting and memorable games that had the country talking for weeks. Who could forget the pounding the Denver Broncos suffered on their own home turf at the hands of Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts? What about the Seattle Seahawks’ improbable come from behind victory over the Green Bay Packers in what could be considered the greatest conference championship game of all time? It was all overshadowed by a potential cheating scandal that occurred during the AFC Championship game between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots.

Instead of building up the Super Bowl matchup between the Seahawks and the Patriots, all that was heard was speculation of how Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and the rest of the Patriots organization deflated the footballs in their conference championship shellacking of the Colts. By the time the Super Bowl arrived, talks of "deflategate" continued to swirl around the game.

However, the entire “deflategate” discussion seemed to vanish after the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl as a fantastic football game unfolded before our eyes. It was an amazing battle that lived up to the hype. It managed to make everybody forget about the domestic abuse cases and the “deflategate” drama as well as remind football fans everywhere of the beauty of America's game.

A dramatic goal line interception by a player drafted from a college nobody had heard of ended the Seahawks’ quest for a second consecutive world championship. It was an incredible play that could have perhaps put a bit of a sweeter ending to what was a disastrous year for the NFL. Or so we thought...

As the Patriots attempted to kneel out the clock and head back to Massachusetts with their fourth Lombardi Trophy, a brawl broke out which resulted in a player being ejected from the Super Bowl for the first time in history. What a way to cap off the 2014-2015 NFL season.

In conclusion, this was a horrendous year for the National Football League. Great games will forever be sandwiched between domestic abuse cases and a Super Bowl that ended in a fight and was won by a team accused of breaking the rules. Will the NFL be able to shake this controversial image? Probably. Will the 2014-2015 season be considered one of the NFL's greatest years? Doubtful. Will the controversy of this past season shape the league for the better? As sports fans, we have to hope so. If not, then America's game might not be America's game anymore.

More Pro Athletes Follow Me

Former NBA player Corey Maggette, former NFL player Jovan Haye, and T.J. Barnes of the New York Jets follow me on Twitter! That is a sign that you need to follow @CincyFanZone as well!

The Reds Love My Tweets

Met #mesorocket at @reds hot stove! Thanks for the autograph! pic.twitter.com/2W8hKafXN5
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) February 3, 2015

Met #mesorocket at @reds hot stove! Thanks for the autograph! pic.twitter.com/yJd0giNWbF
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) February 3, 2015

The Reds favorited a few of my tweets! That must mean I'm worth following! @CincyFanZone

Photo Page Update

PHOTO PAGE UPDATE: http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #REDSHOTSTOVE PICS FEAT. DEVIN MESORACO #Reds #Mesorocket #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/Q04WFWL8DV

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) February 4, 2015

Soccer with Sanu and the Saints (Mo Sanu Autograph Signing)

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone goes to the 12-9-2014 edition of "Beyond the Stripes" and gets the autographs of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mo Sanu as well as some players from the Cincinnati Saints soccer team!



Watch the entire "Beyond the Stripes" episode at http://t.co/avUlg3ss4i.

Royal Riot 2015

Let’s all be thankful we are not Vince McMahon the day after the 2015 Royal Rumble pay-per-view. He and the entire creative staff of WWE must be pulling their hair out after the enormous amount of fan backlash that resulted from the Royal Rumble match ending with Roman Reigns outlasting 29 other men to earn a main event WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestlemania 31.

Another Royal Rumble has come and gone, and once again, many wrestling fans feel that the WWE “royally” messed up in a huge way. Sound familiar? 2014 saw Batista win the event to a chorus of boos as many people did not think Batista deserved to win after being absent from WWE for nearly four years. 2013 saw John Cena win the Royal Rumble much to the chagrin of wrestling fans as his victory combined with the Rock’s WWE Championship win later that night turned their “Once in a Lifetime” match that headlined Wrestlemania 28 into round one of “Twice in a Lifetime” as they faced off again at Wrestlemania 29. In 2012, Sheamus won the Royal Rumble by eliminating Chris Jericho, which essentially wiped out what little momentum Y2J had left from his strange return. This pattern of controversial Royal Rumble winners continued into 2015 and made the road to Wrestlemania very bumpy.

Crowning Roman Reigns as the Royal Rumble winner sparked a huge outrage as people took to social media to voice their displeasure with the WWE’s decision. On Twitter, for example, a Cancel WWE Network hashtag was trending worldwide as people claimed to cancel their subscription to the WWE Network due to their unhappiness with the way the Royal Rumble ended and encouraged other WWE Network subscribers to do the same. Even mainstream media picked up on the alarming trending topic on Twitter as Time posted an article about the Royal Rumble outrage on their website.

The live crowd inside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA, erupted in anger as chants of “bull shit” and deafening boos echoed throughout the arena during what was supposed to be the first step in making Reigns the next official top wrestler in the WWE. Not even the Rock, who made a surprise appearance to save Reigns from a beat down at the hands of Kane and the Big Show as well as symbolically acknowledge that Reigns is the next “man” of WWE, could change the mood of the audience.

So why are a majority of wrestling fans up in arms about Reigns winning the Royal Rumble match? They wanted Daniel Bryan to win, and I believe Reigns has not yet grabbed the “brass ring” that Vince McMahon talked about during his interview with Stone Cold Steve Austin. In my opinion, Bray Wyatt, Dolph Ziggler, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose have come the closest to attaining it, but Reigns really has not done anything to come closer than wrestlers I just named. Daniel Bryan on the other hand grabbed the ring long ago and has managed to hold onto it despite missing most of 2014 because of his injuries. Simply put, Roman Reigns is still reaching for the brass ring, and Daniel Bryan is still holding the brass ring.

WWE now finds itself in a difficult situation. How are they going to present the main event at their biggest show of the year? Adding another wrestler like Bryan to the Reigns vs. Lesnar match will draw criticisms because they implemented that solution last year. Should they choose to go forward with main event as is, then there is a huge possibility that the crowd will be cheering for Lesnar, the monster heel champion, and boo Reigns, the new up and coming face of the company. That would be catastrophic and embarrassing for the WWE if their new “top guy” gets booed out of the building at their trademark event.

One thing is for sure though: WWE will be must see television as Wrestlemania approaches, but not for the reason that Vince McMahon intended.

Royal Rumble 2015 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on the 2015 Royal Rumble.

A Plethora of Giveaways

With the arrival of baseball season comes the arrival of promotional giveaway items. I, like pretty much every everybody, love getting free stuff when I go to sporting events. It’s like being rewarded for taking the time to purchase a ticket and head to the stadium to cheer on your favorite team.

In my opinion, the Cincinnati Reds are the best when it comes to giving out free items at sporting events. The Florence Freedom, the Cincinnati Cyclones, and the local colleges in the Cincinnati area have giveaways as well, but the Reds have seemed to master the art of bribing the fans into purchasing tickets to games. Don’t believe me? Continue reading. I am going to list some of the giveaway items the Reds will have for the 2015 season. By the end of this post, you will probably want to go to at least one of these games to add the item they are giving out to your Reds memorabilia collection.

The first item the Reds will give out will be on Wednesday, April 8. Aside from it being Opening Night, the Reds will be handing out free 2015 team calendars. Is it the best giveaway? Far from it. Is it a cool item that would make any Reds fan happy? You bet.

Now while the calendar might not be the greatest of giveaways, there is no denying that everybody loves free t-shirts. This season, the Reds will be having T-Shirt Tuesdays. On these days, fans can purchase a Terrace Line ticket for $25. Included with this ticket purchase is a free Reds t-shirt that features a Reds player on it. T-shirt Tuesdays will happen on various Tuesdays throughout the season, so if you are interested, check the promotional schedule of the Reds to see when the Reds will have this promotion.

Also being given out this year is a Reds stein. Previous steins that the Reds have given out usually look great, and with this year being the season in which the Reds host the All-Star game, you got to believe that the stein will look incredible as well as be a great way to have a few beers during the game. The stein will be given out on Saturday, September 5.

If you are a fan of the Big Red Machine (and who isn’t?), then you will definitely want to buy a ticket for the game that takes place on Saturday, August 22. That will be “Tony Perez Day” as the Reds plan to unveil a bronze statue of “the Big Dog” as well as give out a smaller replica version of the statue to the fans in attendance.

The best giveaway items that the Reds give out are bobbleheads, and this season, the Reds will give out nine different nodders that feature both current and past fan favorite players. So far, seven of the nine bobbleheads have been announced. Personally, I am stoked for the Nasty Boys triple bobblehead and the first ever Reds nodder of the “Punxsutawney Powerhouse,” Devin Mesoraco. To see the complete list of bobbleheads, check the promotional schedule of the Reds by clicking here.

Those are some of the giveaway items the Reds will hand out to fans this season. They are great pieces of sports memorabilia to add to your collection, and they make going to the game much more exciting. I love going to Reds games, and I love collecting sports memorabilia so, you can bet that I will be attending some of these games. I hope to see you there.

Go Redlegs!

Jose Bautista Follows Me!

Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays follows me on Twitter! If a pro athlete follows me, then I must be tweeting some good stuff so you should follow me too @CincyFanZone!

Louisville Cardinal Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a University of Louisville Cardinal bobblehead.

Royal Rumble 2015 Predictions

The road to Wrestlemania officially starts on Sunday as the Royal Rumble takes place from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. It is one of WWE’s “Big 4” shows and features the Royal Rumble match, a bout that occurs only once a year at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. It is one of the most exciting matches of the WWE year and is known for its shocking returns, surprise entrants, and incredible displays of athleticism that often leave the jaws of wrestling fans on the ground in amazement.

If you do not follow wrestling or are unfamiliar with the rules of the Royal Rumble match, allow me to explain. It is essentially a 30-man battle royal in which wrestlers attempt to throw their opponents over the top ring rope and to the floor below. When wrestlers are tossed over the top rope and both of their feet touch the ground, they are eliminated from the match. Two wrestlers start the match with a new combatant entering the ring every 90 seconds. The last wrestler standing not only wins the Royal Rumble match but also a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match in the main event of WWE’s biggest event of the year, Wrestlemania.

For this post, I will make three predictions for the Royal Rumble match. I will predict the first two combatants to enter the match, the final four wrestlers in the match, and the Royal Rumble winner.

For my first prediction, I believe that entrants number one and two will be the Miz and his stunt double, Damien Mizdow. The first entrant of the match usually always talks to the crowd before the Royal Rumble match officially starts, and that person is usually a heel that the crowd despises. The Miz is that the guy. A majority of wrestling fans hate the Miz for not being a heel but for simply being the Miz, and his appearance as the first entrant will elicit massive heat that can only be countered by the appearance of a wrestler that wrestling fans love to see. That man is Damien Mizdow. He is over with the crowd, wrestling fans cannot get enough of him, and with these two bound to part ways as a tag team, what better way to get the Miz versus Mizdow rivalry started than at the start of the Royal Rumble match.

For my second prediction, I think that the final four wrestlers in the ring will be Daniel Bryan, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns. These are four of WWE’s most popular wrestlers right now and everybody but Bryan has only had a taste of the main event picture. The Royal Rumble match is usually where the stars of tomorrow officially “arrive,” and with the exception of Daniel Bryan, Ambrose, Reigns, and Wyatt have yet to make their mark in the WWE. Last year, Bryan had the entire WWE Universe behind him with the “Yes Movement” and officially made his impact in the company by capturing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania. I believe that Wyatt, Ambrose, and Reigns are all on the cusp of being WWE’s next batch of main event wrestlers and being in the ring with an established star in the insanely popular Daniel Bryan as the final four Royal Rumble match participants will help elevate their status in the company.

For my third and final prediction, I believe that Roman Reigns will win the Royal Rumble match and clinch a spot in the main event WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestlemania. Last year he set the record for most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble match with 12 and won the Slammy for “Superstar of the Year” for 2014. WWE has been building him up as a main event star and potential future face of the company, and he is probably the odds on favorite to win. Personally, I want either Daniel Bryan or my personal favorite, Dean Ambrose, to be victorious, but all signs are currently pointing to Reigns as the winner.

Those are my predictions for the Royal Rumble match. It is one of the best matches of the WWE year and officially kicks off the Wrestlemania season. Hopefully this will be a memorable Royal Rumble that fans talk about for years to come. The road to Wrestlemania is about to begin, and I am pumped to go along for the ride!

Bobblehead Page Update

#BOBBLEHEAD PAGE UPDATE at http://t.co/UUcNAAXjl9! unboxing vid soon! #Louisville #gocards #NFL #NHL #UofL #Reds #Bengals #NCAA #MLB #NBA
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 17, 2015

The Reds Retweeted Me!

Happy #NationalHatDay! I have plenty of @Reds hats to choose from for the 2015 season! pic.twitter.com/CsSv3Pof34
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 15, 2015

To celebrate National Hat Day, the Cincinnati Reds asked citizens of Reds Country to tweet pictures of their Reds hats. They liked my assortment of Reds hats so much that they retweeted it! If the Reds like what I tweet, obviously you will too which is why you should follow me on twitter!

What To Do Until April 6

It has been one week since the Cincinnati Bengals made their early exit from the NFL postseason for the fourth straight year. Once the game clock had nothing but zeros on it, and the Bengals trotted off the field, feelings of anger, sadness, depression, and desperation among others engulfed me as my favorite football team would have to wait another year to try and attain that elusive first playoff win since the 1990 season. Then a thought occurred to me and a teeny, tiny bit of the anger, sadness, depression, and desperation disappeared. That thought: at least Opening Day is in about three months.

Now the big question is what to do during that three-month span? There are no more Bengals games to watch, and Cincinnati does not have an NHL team or an NBA team to root for during the winter sports season. The most obvious answer to this question is to watch the NFL playoffs. The only problem with that is the Super Bowl is February 1, 2015. That means the 2014 NFL season officially ends on the first day of February, leaving two months of inactivity of Cincinnati pro sports.

If I were fortunate enough to be able to purchase both an NHL franchise and an NBA franchise, I would obviously do it and bring back the Cincinnati Royals as well as establish a National Hockey League version of the Cyclones or the Swords or the Stingers. However, this is real life, not a fantasy world, and I cannot afford to purchase a professional sports franchise. So until more professional teams are established in the Cincinnati area, here are my suggestions on how to pass the time until Opening Day 2015.

While Cincinnati does not have an NHL franchise to represent the city, that does not mean there is a lack of hockey in the Queen City. The Cincinnati Cyclones are a hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League and are affiliated with the Florida Panthers and the Nashville Predators of the NHL. They play in US Bank Arena, and the games are a ton of fun to watch. Tickets are pretty cheap, and there are a good number of promotions and giveaways throughout the season. I have tickets for their bobblehead night on March 13, 2015, when they host the Orlando Solar Bears. The bobblehead is of Twister, the mascot of the Cyclones. It looks awesome, and you can see a picture of the bobblehead here. If you can’t make it to the Cyclones games, you can watch them online through the official website of the ECHL.

There is also plenty of basketball to watch in Cincinnati. The University of Cincinnati Bearcats, the Xavier Univesity Musketeers, the Louisville Cardinals, the Northern Kentucky University Norse, and the University of Kentucky Wildcats give people in the Cincinnati area something to root for on the hardwood. The NKU Norse are still adjusting to Division I basketball, but all of the other teams listed are usually guaranteed to be playing in March Madness, one of the most exciting sporting events of all time. I love the NCAA tournament and try to watch every game that is on at the same time. It has everything from buzzer beaters to Cinderella stories, and it really makes time fly when waiting for the Reds.

Another option is professional wrestling. Dean Ambrose, Cincinnati’s favorite wrestling son, has been tearing it up in WWE, and he gives Cincinnati wrestling fans a personal favorite to pull for in matches. Also, January through April is usually the time when WWE produces its best shows of the year as Wrestlemania, WWE’s biggest event, often occurs right before Opening Day.

Those are my suggestions on how to pass the time until the boys of summer take the field on April 6. Cyclones hockey, college basketball, and professional wrestling are great ways to pass the time until Opening Day, especially during the month of March as the Cyclones play multiple times a week, March Madness is off and running, and WWE delivers its biggest show of the year in Wrestlemania. I hope this helps numb the pain of another postseason loss by the Bengals and makes time fly as Opening Day 2015 approaches.

Go Redlegs!

Bengals Recap 2014

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps the 2014 season of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bobblehead Collection 2014

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone talks about his bobblehead collection and what he has added to it throughout 2014.

A Quarter of a Century of Waiting

Fans of Cincinnati sports are starving. The last truly great year for sports team in the Queen City was 1990. That was the year the Cincinnati Reds pulled off an improbable sweep over the reigning and defending champions of Major League Baseball, the Oakland Athletics, in the World Series. The 1990 season was the last time the Cincinnati Bengals were victorious in the postseason when they defeated the Houston Oilers by a score of 41-14 in the first round of the playoffs.

Since then, Cincinnati has known nothing but heartache when it comes to their professional sports teams. Aside from the Reds making it to the National League Championship Series in 1995 and the success of the Cincinnati Cyclones in the East Coast Hockey League, neither the Reds nor the Bengals have given the Queen City a reason to celebrate in the playoffs. There was hope that the Bengals would be able to break through and finally win in the postseason this year, but the Indianapolis Colts stomped the Bengals into the ground and out of the playoffs by a score of 26-10.

Things looked bright at the end of the first quarter as the Bengals and Colts were tied at 7 all, and it appeared that the Bengals were able to establish a running game, which was one of the key factors for the Bengals to be successful. Unfortunately that was not the case as the defense of the Colts suffocated the Bengals offense for the remaining three quarters.

The rushing attack was a nonfactor for the rest of the game as Bengals running back Jeremy Hill managed to only amass 47 yards on the ground off 13 carries with only one touchdown. The passing game was not much better for the Bengals either. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton threw for a total of 155 yards and no touchdowns. Bengals running back Giovani Bernard led the team with eight receptions for a total of 46 yards.

The Colts on the other hand were able to manhandle the defense of the Bengals. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck simply tore up the defense in route to throwing for 376 yards and a touchdown. Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton had 6 receptions for 103 yards. Colts running back Boom Herron had 10 receptions for 85 yards and ran the ball 12 times for a total of 56 yards and a touchdown.

While the ugly performance turned in by the Bengals can be attributed to their poor play, the injuries the Bengals suffered were no doubt a big factor as to why they lost. Bengals receiver A.J. Green, arguably the best player on the team, was out of the game due to a concussion that was the result of a vicious hit to the head last week when the Bengals lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham was out with a back injury. Early in the second quarter, Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga left the game with what appeared to be a leg injury. The injuries were simply too much to overcome, and as a result, the performance of the Bengals suffered as well. Without Maualuga, the defense could not stop the offense of the Colts, and the lack of a running game as well as Dalton’s two favorite targets in Green and Gresham all contributed to a fourth straight loss in the playoffs.

So what does this mean for the Bengals? It means that the chip on their shoulder just got bigger. It means the pressure on this team to win in the postseason has increased tremendously. It means that the next opportunity the Bengals will have to end the drought will be 25 years, a quarter of a century, after their last postseason victory.

At least Opening Day is in 92 days. Go Redlegs!