Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume IV Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will review the different home video editions of Wrestlemania that I own.

The anthology portion of this series of posts finally concludes this week as I review Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume IV. This is the last volume of the Wrestlemania anthology DVD set that WWE released. Contained within this volume are Wrestlemanias 16-20. The editing for these discs are only on Wrestlemanias 16, 17, and 18 and are the same as the edits for Wrestlemania 15 in that there are musical changes, the muting of the letter “F” when WWF is said, and the blurring of the WWF scratch logo. Wrestlemania 19 and Wrestlemania 20 are not as edited since most of the musical licenses had not expired when these DVDs were released, and WWF had changed its name to WWE when these two Wrestlemanias took place meaning there are no logo blurs.

This is the only volume in which every disc is double sided meaning you will have to flip the DVD when the first side finishes in order to continue watching. If you are a couch potato, then avoid this volume like the plague.

The packing for this volume is the same as the first three volumes except for the pictures on the inside as they feature legendary moments from Wrestlemanias 16-20.

Also included is a program that lists all of the matches and segments that take place at each Wrestlemania. The picture that they chose for the faceoff on this program is very obvious as it features the two biggest stars of the era who were engaged in the best rivalry of the era. The faceoff is of the Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

This is my favorite volume of the four as it contains five great Wrestlemania events. Wrestlemania 16 has the breathtaking triangle ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, Wrestlemania 17 is the greatest Wrestlemania of all time and features fantastic matches throughout the entire card, Wrestlemania 18 turns a dream match into a reality as the Rock and Hulk Hogan had an electrifying bout, Wresltmania 19 was almost as good as Wrestlemania 17 as it too featured many incredible matches, and Wrestlemania 20 brings the event back to where it began in Madison Square Garden.

If you only buy one volume of the Wrestlemania anthology series, then I recommend you buy this one. Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume IV has a ton of great matches and segments that will keep any wrestling fan entertained for hours.

You can also purchase all four of the Wrestlemania anthology volumes as a boxed set. If you do, make sure you get the 2006 version as it contains Wrestlemanias 21 and 22 packaged in with it. The 2005 version only adds Wrestlemania 21.

The anthology as a whole is a great way to start your Wrestlemania collection. It contains fantastic pieces of wrestling history, epic Wrestlemania moments, and will have the inner wrestling fan inside of you jumping for joy.

Stay tuned for the Wrestlemania 21 DVD set review!

Out of Left Field

If you are a member of Reds Country, then you already know that the 2015 campaign of the Cincinnati Redlegs has been less than stellar. Pitchers have underperformed, the bullpen has been mostly a mess the entire year, and at times it seems like the bats of the Reds are almost nonexistent. Injuries have also played a role as Homer Bailey underwent Tommy John surgery, Marlon Byrd has a fractured wrist, and Devin Mesoraco has a hip impingement. However, Mesoraco still might play this year, but he will not be behind the dish. At the time I write this post, the plan of the Reds for Mesoraco, which seemingly came from out of nowhere, is to have him be the new left fielder.

The hip impingement Mesoraco has prevents him from crouching in the catcher’s position behind home plate, and he has not caught since April 12. The Reds tried to use him as a pinch hitter when they played in National League stadiums and as a designated hitter when they played in American League stadiums before finally placing him on the disabled list on May 25. When the team pulled the trigger and put Mesoraco on the DL, I thought that meant he would have surgery on his hip and start rehabbing so that he would be good to go for the 2016 season. That is not the case however, as the Reds sent him to Columbus to play with the Louisville Bats on June 8. The Bats are the Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Reds.

I do not know how I feel about this decision. Part of me is thrilled at the possibility that Mesoraco could rejoin the team in a starting role and bring his slugging ability to the lineup on a fulltime basis. However, another part of me is concerned that Mesoraco could further injure his hip or another part of his body that could set him back even further. In my opinion, this is a high risk high reward gamble for the Reds, and if I were in charge, I would have already shut him down and told him to get ready for next season.

Mesoraco is one of my favorite players on the team and is the best Reds catcher that I have ever seen. (Please note that I was not born until 1992 and therefore have never seen Johnny Bench play.) He calls good games, he hits well, and most importantly and what I like best about him, he is the definition of hustle for this Reds team. Every time I have watched him play, it seems that Mesoraco is always giving it his all and is constantly in high gear. That is why his presence is so important to the Reds. However, is having him on a team who, at the time this post was written, is currently 13 games out of first place and seven games under .500 worth the gamble of further injury?

I say no, but the Reds and Mesoraco say yes. In fact, Mesoraco was open to the idea of playing left field since he cannot catch this year. (If that does not show his hustle and how determined he is to help this team win, then I don’t know what does.) It is no secret that left field has been a huge hole for the Reds over the past few seasons. Will Mesoraco’s presence in that position be enough to turn it around for the Redlegs? Only time will tell. All us members of Reds country can do is hope and pray that Mesoraco does not suffer a debilitating injury and that his new position for the 2015 season is what ignites this Reds team and sends them on a playoff run.

Go Redlegs!

Billy Hatcher Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2015 Billy Hatcher bobblehead from the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.

Bobblehead Page Update

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— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) June 6, 2015

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— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) June 6, 2015

All Good Things...

The friendship between Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns has been well documented by WWE. Ever since the Shield broke up last year, Reigns and Ambrose have remained friends and have even teamed up on a few occasions. Most recently, Reigns has served as the wingman of Ambrose and has helped him seemingly get into the head of the Authority and make a fool out of the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins. This comradery between the two former hounds of justice is too good to be true in the world that is WWE and has to lead to a dissolution of their friendship and give birth to a rivalry between these two men.

On the June 1, 2015, edition of Monday Night Raw, Reigns spoke to the Authority on behalf of Ambrose to open up the show. He told them that Ambrose wanted a ladder match for the belt at Money in the Bank. Rollins agreed to it and since Ambrose was not there, the Authority decided to punish Reigns by making him defend his spot in the Money in Bank ladder match three times. Reigns emerged victorious in each match and kept his spot, and at the end of the night, Ambrose showed up to help Reigns beat up the Authority before once again leaving the arena with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt. All seems to be perfect but as WWE has shown us before, all good things must come to an end and for Ambrose and Reigns, and that could happen at Money in the Bank.

I have two predictions as to how this feud between Ambrose and Reigns will start. I originally thought these two would feud earlier as I predicted that Reigns would turn on Ambrose at Elimination Chamber. I was wrong then, but I have more confidence in these predictions for Money in the Bank. I think that if Reigns wins the Money in the Bank briefcase earlier in the night, then Ambrose will win the WWE Championship ladder match only to drop the belt to Reigns as he cashes in the contract inside the briefcase. If Reigns does not win the Money in the Bank ladder match, then I think Ambrose will be a fingertip away from grabbing the belt only to have Reigns inadvertently knock him off the ladder in perhaps a failed attempt to combat interference from the Authority. Either way, I believe that the friendship between Ambrose and Reigns will end at Money in the Bank.

This would allow both men to have a high profile rivalry while WWE builds up feud between Rollins and a returning Brock Lesnar for SummerSlam. From there, all three former members of the Shield could possibly become intertwined in a rivalry that could culminate at Wrestlemania 32. WWE has teased this triple threat match for a while, and I think they will give it to wrestling fans at their biggest show of the year. Until that day though, WWE must focus on SummerSlam and a Reigns versus Ambrose battle could be on the card.

Elimination Chamber 2015 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Elimination Chamber 2015.

A Dirty Finish?

For the first time since 1990, the city of Cincinnati will have somebody to cheer for in a world championship competition. It is not the Bengals nor the Reds, but a hometown wrestler who is currently tearing it up in World Wrestling Entertainment. That wrestler is Dean Ambrose and this Sunday at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, he will battle the reigning and defending WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins, for the title.

This match should be a great contest as Rollins and Ambrose are always money when competing in the ring against each other. Just take a look at their matches from their rivalry last year and you will see why expectations for this WWE World Heavyweight Championship bout are pretty high. They often stole the show last summer and could do it again on Sunday despite the presence of two elimination chamber matches. The action in the ring should be great, but the finish to the match is what will definately be most intriguing.

If you have not been watching any WWE programming the past few weeks, allow me to fill you in on the factors that could and probably will play a role in the outcome of the match. On one hand you have the Authority, a faction composed of Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Jamie Noble, Joey Mercury, Kane, and Seth Rollins. Odds are that they will be involved in the match to help their golden boy, Rollins, retain his title. They are heels (which is wrestling lingo for bad guys) and will therefore be a formidable obstacle for Ambrose and his quest for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

On the other hand, you have Roman Reigns who is the most interesting factor of the match. Over the past few weeks, WWE has been playing up the friendship between Ambrose and Reigns that dates back to their days in the Shield. This past Monday night on Raw, Ambrose and Reigns teamed up to take on Rollins and Kane in a tag team match and at the end of the show, Reigns came to the ring and took out the Authority to make sure that they did not rip up the contract for the title match at Elimination Chamber so that Ambrose could sign it. Reigns and Ambrose appear to be on the same page, but I have a hunch that will all change on Sunday.

When Reigns came to the ring, took out the Authority, and grabbed the title match contract on Monday Night Raw, I was expecting him to sign it and perhaps make the match a triple threat. However, that did not happen as Ambrose later made his way to the ring and the two of them proceeded to fight the Authority before Reigns let Ambrose sign the contract. Perhaps WWE is teasing us about not only a future triple threat match between all three former members of the Shield but also a feud between Ambrose and Reigns.

That is why, as much as it pains me to say it, I do not believe that Ambrose will walk out of Elimination Chamber with the belt. I think that Reigns will somehow cost Ambrose the title. I could see it being accidental as Reigns was being built to be the next top guy of the company, and WWE will most likely will be keeping him as a face (which is wrestling lingo for good guy). Although, WWE could also throw a curveball our way and have Reigns purposefully cost Ambrose the match and turn him heel which would add some much needed depth to his character. A third option would have Reigns cost Ambrose the title on accident then have Ambrose give Reigns a beatdown after the match which would make Ambrose a heel.

If i had to pick any of these options, I would go with Reigns turning heel as I think he could thrive as a bad guy. Insulting fans is much easier than kissing their butts, and Reigns could just unleash the anger on the WWE Universe that has been building up in him ever since his Royal Rumble victory in which he was nearly booed out of the building. Ambrose however needs to stay a face as he is already way over with the crowd and his character is currently hotter than ever.

So what will happen on Sunday as Ambrose and Rollins clash in the ring? Will Reigns cost Ambrose the match? Will Ambrose win the title? Tune into Elimination Chamber on Sunday to find out, and keep an eye out for my Elimination Chamber 2015 Thoughts video to see what I think of the event.

Help Get Me to the 2015 MLB All-Star Game!

Help me get to the 2015 MLB All-Star Game! Click this link, check out my profile, and give me a 5 star rating! If I manage to get to the game, I will vlog about it and share my experience with you guys! Thank you!

Bobblehead Page Update

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— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) May 22, 2015

Joe Oliver Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2015 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Joe Oliver bobblehead.

Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume III Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will review the different home video editions of Wrestlemania that I own.

In this post, I will take a look at Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume III. On the anthology’s third installment are Wrestlemanias 11-15 on five separate DVDs. The unique thing about this volume is that it is the only volume of the four volume set that has no double sided discs. WWE was able to fit each Wrestlemania onto one disc, which means that you will not have to flip the disc in order to continue watching. For couch potatoes, this is the volume you want to get. The edits are the same as the first two volumes except for the blurring of the WWF scratch logo, which is not really noticeable until Wrestlemania 15.

The packaging for Volume III mirrors that of the first two volumes except for the pictures on the inside. Since Volume III contains Wrestlemanias 11-15, all the pictures are of iconic moments from those Wrestlemanias and if you are a fan of the “Attitude Era,” then you will definitely enjoy looking at these pictures.

A program is also packaged with this volume that contains every segment and match from Wrestlemanias 11-15 as well as another faceoff from an epic Wrestlemania moment. In my opinion, WWE could have gone with a number of options here for the faceoff picture as Volume III contains a lot of great Wrestlemania moments to choose from, but you cannot really argue with the choice that WWE ultimately made. They chose to feature the main event from Wrestlemania 12 as the faceoff picture, which really makes a lot of sense.

The Wrestlemanias in this volume are all generally good and fun to watch. Wrestlemania 11 featured a pretty good WWE Championship match between Shawn Michaels and Diesel, Wrestlemania 12 has the very entertaining Hollywood Back Lot Brawl and the 60 minute WWE Championship Iron Man masterpiece, Wrestlemania 13 features the epic submission match between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Bret “Hit Man” Hart, Wrestlemania 14 has an all-around solid card headlined by the WWE Championship match between Austin and Shawn Michaels, and Wrestlemania 15 has the first epic Wrestlemania match between the Rock and Austin.

If you are a wrestling fan who grew up during or loved the “Attitude Era,” then Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume III is a necessity for your collection. It features some of my personal favorite Wrestlemanias, and you really get to watch WWE evolve as it sheds the last remaining aspects that characterized it during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s while it embraces the edgier content that put WWE back on top of the wrestling world.

Payback 2015 Thoughts

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

Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume II Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will review the different home video editions of Wrestlemania that I own.

In this post, I will be reviewing Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume II. On this volume, you will find Wrestlemanias 6-10 on five separate DVDs. Wrestlemania 6 and Wrestlemania 7 are too long to be stored on a single DVD, so they were put on double sided DVDs meaning you will have to flip them once the first side has finished in order to continue watching.

Just like the events in Volume I, the Wrestlemanias in Volume II are also edited, as things such as musical changes and the muting of the letter “F” in WWF are noticeable. As I said before though, I really do not think it is a big deal and if you watch wrestling for the matches, then you will be entertained despite the edits.

The packaging of Volume II is pretty much the same as Volume I with the only difference being the pictures. Since Volume II contains Wrestlemanias 6-10, the pictures on the inside cover of the case of Volume II feature pictures from iconic moments from those Wrestlemanias.

Also packaged with this volume is another program, which lists all the matches and segments, contained on Volume II. The legendary faceoff for this set is of the main event of Wrestlemania 6 as it features the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan.

In conclusion, Volume II is a nice addition to have in your wrestling collection if you do not own Wrestlemanias 6-10 on VHS. The packaging looks great, the edits are really not a big deal and do not take away from the viewing experience, and you get a great look at the industry as the cartoony, over-the-top gimmick era of the 1980’s and early 1990’s came to a close. You also have some great Wrestlemania moments such as the Ultimate Challenge Title for Title bout at Wrestlemania 6, the fantastic “retirement” match between the Ultimate Warrior and the “Macho Man” Randy Savage at Wrestlemania 7, the excellent in ring story that was told during the WWE Intercontinental Championship match between Bret “Hit Man” Hart and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper at Wrestlemania 8, the impromptu WWE Championship match at Wrestlemania 9 between Hulk Hogan and Yokozuna, and the WWE Intercontinental Championship ladder match as well as the Hart vs. Hart match at Wrestlemania 10.

Despite this generally being considered a lackluster period for the WWE, there were still some exciting Wrestlemania moments that occurred that can only be seen on Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume II.

Updated Photo Page

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— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) May 12, 2015

Nasty Boys Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2015 Cincinnati Reds SGA Nasty Boys bobblehead.

Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume I Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will review the different home video editions of Wrestlemania that I own.

First up is Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume I. This contains the first five Wrestlemania events on five separate DVDs. On the discs are the events with a few minor edits. Things such as changes in music and the muting of the letter “F” in WWF are noticeable but are not really a big deal. Personally, I do not care about the edits as I am more interested in the in ring action as opposed to what music is playing when the wrestlers make their entrances. Also, due to the lengths of Wrestlemania 4 and Wrestlemania 5, those events have been put on double sided discs meaning that you will have to flip the disc over once the first side has finished playing in order to continue watching.

The packaging of the DVD set is very nice and includes some great pictures that display a few of the highlights from each of the different Wrestlemanias.

Another nice touch to this set is the inclusion of a program, which lists every match and segment for each Wrestlemania as well as a picture from an iconic faceoff from the era. With Volume I containing the critically acclaimed Wrestlemania 3, the faceoff on the program is obviously of Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant as they main evented the first true big Wrestlemania.

Overall, Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume I is a great set that includes some good Wresltemanias. Wrestlemania 1 is the event that started it all and really cemented WWE as the top promotion in professional wrestling, Wrestlemania 2 is the only Wrestlemania in history to have taken place from three different locations, Wrestlemania 3 featured Hogan vs. Andre as well as the show-stealing bout between Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and “Macho Man” Randy Savage for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, Wrestlemania 4 featured a tournament to crown a new WWE Champion, and Wrestlemania 5 was headlined by the explosion of the Mega Powers.

If you do not already have these Wrestlemanias on VHS, then I recommend you pick up Wrestlemania: The Complete Anthology Volume I. You can usually find it online and since it has been out for about ten years, the prices are generally pretty low. It is a great collection of the only Wrestlemania events to take place during the 1980’s, and it is also a nice little piece of wrestling history that allows you to see how the showcase of immortals really evolved from its humble roots in Madison Square Garden.

Who Dey Draft 2015

The National Football League draft is the one event of the year in which every NFL team believes that they are picking the next big football superstar to join their team. Whether it be a quarterback, a running back, or even a lineman, the bottom line is that hope springs eternal during the draft as former collegiate standouts realize their derams of playing in the NFL while coaches believe that their newest batch of players will be the piece that their team needs to bring home the Lombardi trophy. With the 2015 NFL Draft in the books, I thought I would take a look at the players that the Cincinnati Bengals drafted and discuss their possible role on the team in this post.

The first player chosen by the Bengals was an offensive tackle out of Texas A&M named Cedric Ogbuehi. Their second pick of the draft was Jake Fisher of the University of Oregon, also an offensive tackle. With 2015 being the last contract seasons for current offensive linemen Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith, I believe that the Bengals drafted Ogbuehi and Fisher to potentially take Whitworth’s and Smith’s place. Whitworth will be entering his tenth season in the league so time is not exactly on his side, and Smith gets hurt quite a bit and based on what I remember, he also made the Bengals shell out some big time cash when they resigned him. With star wide receiver A.J. Green entering the final year of his contract as well, I believe the Bengals plan to part ways with Whitworth and Smith and use Ogbuehi and Fisher as their replacements in order to use the money that they are saving to resign Green.

The Bengals also drafted two tight ends this year as they selected Tyler Kroft out of Rutgers with their first pick in the third round and C.J. Uzomah out of Auburn in the fifth round. After saying goodbye to the seemingly aloof and frustrating to watch Jermaine Gresham, the Bengals only remaining tight ends on the team were Tyler Eifert and Ryan Hewitt. Eifert is going to be the starter this year and Hewitt split time last season as both a tight end and a full back. I think the Bengals might make Hewitt a permanent full back and use either Uzomah or Kroft as a second tight end.

Their second pick in the third round was Paul Dawson, a linebacker out of Texas Christian University. The Bengals defense was not very good last season, and the absence of Vontaze Burfict due to injury last year was a big reason why. He plays with reckless abandon, which is both good and bad as he makes a lot of great plays but also hurts himself a lot. With Burfict still recovering from surgery, the Bengals probably drafted Dawson in case Burfict is not ready for the season or hurts himself again.

Veteran cornerback Terrence Newman signed with the Minnesota Vikings in the offseason, meaning Dre Kirkpatrick will finally take over as the starter. As a result, the Bengals drafted Josh Shaw with their first pick in the fourth round. Shaw is a cornerback out of the University of Southern California and will probably be used as a backup cornerback or perhaps even a gunner on special teams much like Darqueze Dennard was last year.

The Bengals used their second pick in the fourth round to draft Marcus Hardison out of Arizona State in order to help bolster their defensive line. With the pass rush being almost nonexistent last season, this team is in desperate need of a player to help the defense put some pressure on the quarterback. Hardison could be that guy, and with Pro Football Focus ranking fan favorite and veteran Bengal Domata Peko as the worst defensive tackle in the NFL last year, it would not be surprising to see Hardison take Peko’s spot.

Derron Smith was drafted by the team in the sixth round. He is a free safety out of Fresno State. He could possibly take the place of George Iloka or Reggie Nelson after the 2015 season should the Bengals not be able to resign them.

Last but not least is Mario Alford, a wide receiver out of the University of West Virginia. With this season being the last on the contracts of A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, Mo Sanu and a few other receivers, Alford was probably selected to take the spot of a receiver who does not return to the team.

Overall, I think the picks of the Bengals make a lot of sense and should be beneficial to the team. They appear to be addressing some of the areas on the team that need to be strengthened and hopefully the newest batch of Bengals will be able to do just that. It will be interesting to see where they fit in with the team as the Bengals look to finally capture that elusive Super Bowl championship.

Who Dey!

Cincinnati Reds 1990 Replica World Series Ring Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes the 2015 SGA Cincinnati Reds 1990 replica World Series ring.

Photo Page Update

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— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) May 2, 2015

Extreme Rules 2015 Thoughts

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

Another Year of Marvin

Last week, the Cincinnati Bengals announced that head coach Marvin Lewis signed a contract extension meaning he will be with the team through the 2016 NFL season. This was a very interesting piece of Bengals news that seemingly came from out of nowhere. There had been no sign that the Bengals and Coach Lewis were in contract talks and with the team having multiple starters entering a contract season, I figured that Mike Brown would be more concerned with signing some of his impact players to bigger contracts such as A.J. Green, who is not only a star wide receiver in the NFL but who is also the best player on the team in my opinion. This post is about Marvin, however, and I will discuss what Marvin has and hasn’t done with the Bengals in an attempt to explain the polarizing feel to his contract extension among many fans of the Bengals.

Let us go back to the 1990’s. This decade is known as the Dark Age for Who Dey Nation as the Bengals were the definition of terrible. They were an NFL laughingstock and were bestowed the nickname of the “Bungles.” Needless to say, times were tough for Bengals fans and after posting a record of 2-14 which resulted in a last place finish in not only the division but in the entire NFL in 2002, Dick LeBeau was fired as head coach and replaced by Marvin Lewis.

I will never forget the first game during the Marvin Lewis era as a fan in the Paul Brown Stadium crowd had a sign that said “We’re Starvin’ Marvin.” It summed up what Cincinnati had been feeling for years, and Coach Lewis and the 2003 Bengals flipped the script and finished with a record of 8-8 and a second place finish in the division. It was incredible. You would have thought that the team actually won the division as fan support for the Bengals was the highest that it had been in years and optimism for the future began to run rampant in the queen city.

Following his 2003 campaign as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals have been two more .500 seasons, three losing seasons, and six winning seasons which resulted in six playoff appearances and three AFC North Division Championships. It has been a dramatic turnaround since the Dark Age; however, the success in the regular season has not transitioned into success in the postseason.

Despite six playoff appearances, Coach Lewis has yet to lead the Bengals to a postseason victory. The Bengals have been beaten every single time they reached the playoffs, which have led many Bengals fans to call for a change in coaching leadership. While winning during the regular season is nice, a Super Bowl championship is what Cincinnati so desperately desires and a lot of members of Who Dey Nation feel that Coach Lewis has been given plenty of opportunities to deliver the Lombardi Trophy to the Cincinnati Bengals organization.

So does Marvin really deserve another year as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals? It’s debatable and both sides have valid points as to whether he should stay or go. The decision is ultimately Mike Brown’s to make, and if he feels that Marvin Lewis is the proper coach for the team, then there is nothing that you, me, or any other fan of the Bengals can do about it. The same would be true if Brown decided to go in another coaching direction. It is important to remember though that the team is not called the Cincinnati Marvins. It is called the Cincinnati Bengals, and we root for the team, not the coach. So whether you support him or hate him, Marvin is here to stay through 2016. All we can do is hope he finally solves the puzzle and ends not only the postseason victory draught, but the Super Bowl one as well.

Who Dey!

Bobblehead Page Update

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— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) April 26, 2015

Photo Page Update

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— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) April 26, 2015

Dan Driessen Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews the 2012 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Dan Driessen bobblehead.

Celebrate Like It's 1990

In 1990, the Cincinnati Reds started the season in first place and ended the season in first place as they capped off their wire-to-wire year by sweeping the reigning and defending world champion Oakland Athletics to win their fifth World Series in franchise history. This year is the 25^th anniversary of that fabled run to the title for the Redlegs, and both the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will be celebrating it all season long with a few special festivities planned for this weekend.

On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from April through August, the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will be giving out bobbleheads of members of the 1990 World Series Championship team. A different member will be given out each month while supplies last with a Todd Benzinger bobblehead kicking off the promotion during the month of April. Benzinger was the first baseman for the team and caught final out of the World Series. That is not all that is going to happen at the Hall of Fame and Museum as I have also read online that there will be a few events happening there this weekend such as autograph signings and 1990 Reds related exhibits.

The Cincinnati Reds will be celebrating the 1990 team that weekend as well. Events are scheduled to kick off on Friday, April 24, as the team will be giving out a free commemorative 1990 World Series Championship print to fans. Also, a free 1990 World Series replica ring will be given out to fans who purchased a special view level ticket package. Based on what I have read, everybody at the game will get the print while only those who purchased the special ticket package will get the replica World Series ring. The game is also a “Fireworks Friday” game, and I would not be surprised if the 1990 team is honored on the field before the fireworks start, and if the Reds made the theme of the fireworks display related to 1990 in some fashion.

On Saturday, April 25, the Reds will be giving out a free triple bobblehead of the “Nasty Boys” to the first 25,000 fans in attendance. The nodder features 1990 Reds relief pitchers Norm Charlton, Rob Dibble, and Randy Myers, known collectively as the “Nasty Boys,” as bobbleheads on a single base. Based on pictures I have seen online and on television, this nodder looks fantastic and could not only be the most sought after bobblehead of the year, but one of the most sought after Reds bobbleheads of all time.

At the time I write this post, there have been reports that most of if not the entire 1990 Reds team will be in Cincinnati for the reunion. I believe it has been confirmed that the “Nasty Boys” will be back as will Billy Hatcher since he is the current first base coach for the Reds. I would love to see guys like Eric Davis, Barry Larkin, Paul O’Neill, and the manager, “sweet” Lou Piniella all come back for the reunion.

I will be attending both games to attain the print, the replica World Series ring, the bobblehead, and if I’m lucky, a few autographs from the 1990 Redlegs that I do not yet have. It is sure to be a great weekend that can only be made better by some wins by the Reds.

Go Redlegs!

That Bobblehead Looks Familiar...

As I was looking at Cincinnati Reds bobbleheads on eBay, I came across a Billy Hamilton nodder that looked very familiar. The picture for the listed bobblehead is from my website!

This is the picture of my bobblehead that I took for the bobblehead page on my website. Please note that while the picture is mine, the bobblehead the guy is selling is not, and I have no affiliation with the seller at all. I do, however, think it is amusing that he is using my picture to sell his bobblehead. If you buy his Billy Hamilton nodder, make you sure you tell him to give Cincy Fan Zone a shoutout for using my picture!

Todd Benzinger Bobblehead Unboxing and More

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Todd Benzinger bobblehead given out by the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum and talks about and shows what he got during Easter weekend and from Opening Night of the Reds.

Wrestlemania Ranking 2015

Now that Wrestlemania 31 has officially been in the books for a few weeks, I think it is time to see where it ranks among the previous Wrestlemanias. I will be comparing Wrestlemania 31 to my all-time favorite showcase of the immortals, Wrestlemania 17, in order to see if it really was as good as I had originally thought when the show went off the air.

Wrestlemania 17 is regarded by many wrestling fans, including myself, as being the greatest Wrestlemania of all time. Why is that? First and foremost are the matches, which are fantastic. Every match on the card ranged in quality from good to amazing, and most importantly, they were entertaining to watch.

The same can be said about every match on the Wrestlemania 31 card. Evert bout on the card ranged from good to amazing, and the matches were all very entertaining. The bouts on the kickoff show were fun to watch and set the tone for the rest of the event as all the matches were entertaining and told really good in ring stories.

Another aspect of Wrestlemania 17 that I love is the excitement that oozed from the event. Whether it was Edge spearing Jeff Hardy while he dangled in the air in the WWE Tag Team Championship TLC match, or Shane McMahon going coast to coast with a dropkick to a trashcan that bent around his father Vince’s face, everything about this Wrestlemania seemed exciting.

Was Wrestlemania 31 as exciting as Wrestlemania 17? In my opinion, no it was not. It was close though. Had WWE instead scheduled another match instead of booking the musical performance by Skylar Grey and Kid Ink, then the excitement level as a whole for Wrestlemania 31 could have matched or even passed that of Wrestlemania 17. To me, the musical performance really stifled all the momentum that the matches before it had built. I think WWE should have made the musical performance part of a wrestler’s entrance like they did at Wrestlemania 17 when the band Motorhead performed Triple H’s ring music.

To conclude this comparison, I will talk about if the events gave the fans what they wanted. To me, Wrestlemania 17 gave the fans exactly what they wanted and more. In ring masterpieces from superstars like William Regal, Kurt Angle, and Chris Jericho satisfied the wrestling purists while matches like TLC 2, the Hardcore Championship triple threat, the Street Fight, and the WWE Championship bout satisfied the bloodthirsty wrestling extremists.

Wrestlemania 31 did the same thing. The Intercontinental Championship ladder match was brutal and exciting, Sting and Triple H engaged in a bout that, for one night, resurrected the Monday Night War, and in exciting fashion, Seth Rollins made sure that Roman Reigns did not leave Levi’s Stadium with the WWE World Heavy Championship. The entire event fired on all cylinders and left wrestling fans satisfied.

In my opinion, Wrestlemania 17 is still the greatest Wrestlemania of all time. Wrestlemania 31 however, gave it a run for its money as it was nearly a perfect show. Had there been no musical performance, then it might have taken the top ranking as the greatest Wrestlemania ever. As you recall in my Wrestlemania 31 Thoughts video, I said that the event was amazing and will be talked about for years to come. I believe this comparison helps explain why. It was a fantastic show, is now my second favorite Wrestlemania, and is the reason why I cannot wait until Wrestlemania 32.

Bobblehead Page Update

#BOBBLEHEAD PAGE UPDATE WITH NEW #REDS NODDER @ http://t.co/7szAEAxyiu #STLvsCIN #RedsMuseum #MLB #Baseball #NBA #NHL pic.twitter.com/Mvzh5Xy8Ch
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) April 11, 2015

Updated Photo Page

PHOTO PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #REDS GAME & #REDSMUSEUM PICS #STLvsCIN #Baseball #MLB #bobblehead pic.twitter.com/Xg6EPfczjR
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) April 11, 2015

Photo Page Update

PHOTO PAGE UPDATE WITH PICS FROM #REDS #OPENINGNIGHT @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM #PITvsCIN #OpeningDay #MLB #Baseball pic.twitter.com/k98aCUUHj4
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) April 9, 2015

Reds 2015 Season Outlook

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on how the Cincinnati Reds will do during the 2015 season.

2015 Cincinnati Reds Bobbleheads Part 2

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.

This post will discuss the bobbleheads that the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is giving away to fans. The theme for this year’s giveaway nodders is the 1990 World Series championship team, and three of the five nodders have been announced.

The bobblehead that will be given out in April is of first baseman Todd Benzinger. He is a native of the Greater Cincinnati area having been born in Dayton, KY, and he caught the final out of the 1990 World Series. I got to meet him at Redsfest last year when I got his autograph. He is a really nice guy let me see his World Series ring. I think he is a good choice for a bobblehead, and I will be looking to add this nodder to my collection.

The nodder for the month of May is of catcher Joe Oliver. He was one of the more popular Reds from the team, and I have heard many people say he was one of the best catchers in the history of the Redlegs behind Johnny Bench and Ernie Lombardi. He had the walk-off hit that drove in Billy Bates in Game 2 of the 1990 World Series in the bottom of the 10^th inning. I will be heading to the Hall of Fame and Museum to get this nodder.

The June bobblehead is of former outfielder and current first base coach Billy Hatcher. He is a fan favorite among Reds fans today and his bobblehead might go quickly. He set World Series records by batting .750 and having seven consecutive hits. I got his autograph at Redsfest 2014, and I cannot wait to add his bobblehead to my collection.

The bobblehead for the month of July is Tom Browning. He is the only pitcher in the history of the Reds to have pitched a perfect game. I will not be getting this nodder as I already have the bobblehead of him that the Reds gave out in 2008. I am a little disappointed that they decided to do a bobblehead of a player who already had a bobblehead game when there are a lot of great players form the 1990 team that have not yet been immortalized as a nodder. Lou Pinella, Jose Rijo, and Glenn Braggs would all have been great choices in my opinion.

The last bobblehead is for the month of August, and it is of Paul O’Neill. I am happy about this choice and think it will look great. This is the first Reds bobblehead of O’Neill, and one I will add to my collection.

In total, Reds fans will have the opportunity to attain 14 different bobbleheads. If you are a Reds fan who is just getting into bobblehead collecting, then this is your year. The team will be giving out nine nodders, and the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will be giving out five of them. In total, I will be adding at least seven of the 14 to my collection, so make sure you keep an eye out for the unboxing videos!

Go Redlegs!

Wrestlemania 31 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Wrestlemania 31.