NKU Norse Regular Season Conference Championship Shirt Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Northern Kentucky University Horizon League regular season conference championship shirt. 

No End in Sight

 I knew that waiting for an announcement from Major League Soccer would take some time, but I did not think it would be this excruciatingly long. What was supposed to be announced before Christmas spilled into January. MLS Commissioner Don Garber said an announcement would be made before the start of the 2018 MLS season, and FC Cincinnati general manager Jeff Berding said he expected an announcement by the end of February. The waiting game was seemingly almost finished. The end was in sight. Then FC Cincinnati as well as the other two expansion cities of Detroit and Sacramento were hit with some news in the form of a Sports Illustrated article by Brian Straus.

In the article, MLS president and deputy commissioner Mark Abbott said, “We don’t have, and don’t need to have, a fixed deadline, and we will wait until all of the necessary elements are in place before selecting the next club.” In other words, keep waiting. As a diehard FC Cincinnati fan who wants to see this team compete in MLS, this quote was like a dagger to the heart. After months of waiting and scouring the internet for any piece of MLS expansion news, I was told to sit tight. In my opinion, MLS has botched this entire expansion process. It makes the league look bad, and it is also making my beloved soccer team look bad as well.

FC Cincinnati is currently trying to finalize its stadium situation. The club continually says that Oakley, the West End, and Newport are all still in play. At the time that this post was written, Beridng is preparing to present the results of the Oakley site traffic, the West End is nearing Civil War status as heated arguments that pit anti stadium residents against club and stadium supporters has been a hot topic in the news, and the Newport site remains untouched and seemingly off the radar. The soccer stadium, which will only be built should the franchise get the bid, is a huge topic of debate and has cast the team in a negative light. Despite the stadium fiasco that surrounds FCC, there was a bit of good news to come from that Sports Illustrated article that gives me hope.

Abbott said, “Although we haven’t finalized any deals and all of the finalist markets remain under consideration, we’ve made the most progress in Cincinnati.”  That is obviously very good news if you’re an FCC fan. That statement makes it seem like FCC is the front-runner for MLS expansion. The ownership group is there, the passionate fan base is there, and the stadium is almost there but ultimately remains a work in progress. If the franchise can lock down a stadium site, hopefully their bid will be considered complete and warrant a visit to the Queen City from Don Garber. Until that day, there is seemingly no end in sight for the MLS expansion waiting game.

Adios AJ

The most popular backup quarterback in Cincinnati Bengals history is now an unrestricted free agent. AJ McCarron won his grievance against the Bengals and can now sign with any NFL team the he chooses. It is a big win for McCarron as he now has a shot to prove that he has what it takes to be a legitimate starting quarterback in the National Football League.

As for the Bengals, losing McCarron is a costly loss for the franchise as they will get nothing but a compensatory pick when McCarron signs with another team. Considering that the Bengals were on the verge of completing a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the Browns’ second and third round draft picks, only getting one compensatory pick is a big time downgrade in terms of McCarron’s return value. Had the Browns been able to complete the trade on their end, we would be talking about how the Bengals essentially stole two picks from the Browns. Instead we are left to wonder what could have been if the trade had been finalized.

Speaking of what could have been, Who Dey Nation will be left to wonder what could have been should McCarron have been named the starting quarterback over Andy Dalton. I am not bashing on Dalton. I am a Dalton fan and think he is a good quarterback. I’m not saying he is elite, but when it comes to current day NFL teams, there are a number of franchises that would love to have Dalton throwing the ball. However, McCarron is a proven winner. Just check out film from his days with the Alabama Crimson Tide. When Dalton broke his thumb in 2015, McCarron stepped in and played well enough to not only help the team win a few games to close out the regular season, but he almost guided the Bengals to their first playoff win in 25 years. I would have like to see what McCarron could have done had he been the starter for an entire season.

Unfortunately, the Bengals had other plans. Instead of making the starting quarterback job up for grabs in training camp, Dalton was always going to get the nod over McCarron. I will always root for my Bengals, but I like McCarron and hope he gets a starting job on another team. Maybe he will show the Bengals what they were missing. Or maybe he will prove the Bengals were right in not making him a starting quarterback. Either way, I wish him nothing but the best…except when he plays he Bengals in which case I hope Geno Atkins or Carlos Dunlap take him to the ground with an earth shaking sack.

Who Dey!

Elimination Chamber 2018 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Elimination Chamber 2018.

WWE Undertaker Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a WWE bobblehead of the Undertaker. 

The Olympics Are Awesome

With the Winter Olympics set to wrap up by the end of the week, I decided to write a short post on my thoughts on the Olympics as a whole. As all of you know, I love sports. Watching, reading, listening to, and following sports consumes most of my free time. I am a self diagnosed sports addict. That is why I love the Olympics.

For two weeks, the best athletes in the world come together to compete in sporting events. Political and religious differences are set aside all in the name of competition as sportsmanship and national pride reign supreme. A perfect example of this is the unified Korean women’s hockey team. Despite the political differences between the two countries, players are setting aside their difference to play hockey. While this feeling of unification may end as soon as the flames of the Olympic torch are extinguished, it is very refreshing to see the countries playing as one on the ice rink.

The biggest draw for me though is the nonstop sports coverage. Seemingly from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed, sports are on television. Whether it be winter Olympic favorites of mine such as hockey, snowboarding, speed skating or slope style skiing, I am always tuned in and cheering on Team U.S.A. I also make sure to watch obscure sports that only air during the two weeks the Olympics are on television. I love watching curling and all the Nordic skiing events as well as figure skating, luge, skeleton and bobsledding. Simply put, if the Olympics are on television, I am watching.

On a personal level, I like the summer Olympics more than I do the winter games. There are a lot more events during the summer Olympics, and I feel that those events are often more dramatic and exciting than the winter events. I still love the winter Olympics though and will be a little sad when they come to a close. Until then, I will continue to watch as much of the winter Olympics as I can while cheering on Team U.S.A.

Cincinnati Reds 1975 Replica World Series Ring Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds 1975 Replica World Series ring. 

This is the Month

FC Cincinnati’s Major League Soccer expansion process has officially been going on for over a year. What started in January of 2017 was supposed to conclude before Christmas. Nashville was the first city to be awarded one of two MLS expansion slots in December. The other three finalists, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Sacramento, would have to wait as Commissioner Don Garber said the next slot will be awarded before the MLS season starts in March.

The 2018 MLS season is less than a month away and for FC Cincinnati, the light at the end of the tunnel might finally be coming into view. As traffic studies and last minute stadium negotiations wrap up, we may have an answer as to whether or not FCC will receive an MLS bid over the next few weeks. If Don Garber does in fact pay a visit to the Queen City, it will cap off a very eventful month for the franchise.

February started with talks of FCC pursuing the West End and meeting with Cincinnati Public Schools to perhaps work out a stadium deal. The new kits (which look incredible) were unveiled on February 5, and the team’s preseason schedule is currently underway. After releasing Tommy Heinemann, the club appears to have made its final signing by bringing aboard Blake Smith. Aside from preseason match results, the big news that FCC fans will be checking for is MLS expansion. Barring more delays, Cincinnati should have its answer in a few weeks.

Bengals Recap 2017

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps the 2017 season of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Roman vs. Brock…Round 2

At the Royal Rumble, we learned that Shinske Nakamura will challenge WWE World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles for the belt at Wrestlemania 34 by virtue of his royal rumble match victory. The Wrestle Kingdom rematch should be one of the best that take place in the Superdome on April 8 and could potentially steal the show. With SmackDown’s main event set, what will Raw counter with at Wrestlemania? I believe that the red brand will showcase Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship.

Much like Nakamura vs. Styles is a rematch, so is Reigns vs. Lesnar. The two previously had a main event battle at Wrestlemania 31 for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. While the match itself was fine, the true moment of excitement occurred when Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase during the bout and pinned Reigns to win the title for himself. It was an incredible ending to one of the best Wrestlemania events of all time. A lot of people feel that the enormous amount of backlash that Reigns was receiving from fans caused WWE to call an audible and have Rollins cash in and win the belt.

Even though WWE gave into the demands of the fans in 2015, they did not in 2016 as Reigns defeated Triple H for the title at Wrestlemania 32 to a deafening chorus of boos. Fan hatred for Reigns only grew after last year’s Wrestlemania main event in which the “Big Dog” pinned the Undertaker to hand the “Phenom” only his second Wrestlemania loss. That was the third consecutive Wrestlemania main event that featured Reigns, and I think he is heading for a fourth. Immediately after Wrestlemania 33 ended, I tweeted that it will be Reigns vs. Lesnar at Wrestlemania 34. I’m sticking with that prediction.

WWE has seemingly been building up to this match ever since Rollins cashed in at Wrestlemania 31. They have been building up Lesnar as an unstoppable beast while at the same time packaging Reigns as the only man who can truly conquer the conqueror. Reigns and Lesnar rarely lose cleanly if at all, and they are the only two wrestlers to have defeated the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Reigns was supposed to defeat Lesnar three years ago. WWE made a last minute switch. That will not happen this year. I’m predicting Reigns will win the Elimination Chamber match before he turns “Suplex City” into the latest extension of the “Roman Empire” at Wrestlemania 34. I’m not saying I’m a fan of that decision, but I definitely think it will happen.

Believe that.

So Where Exactly is the Stadium Going?

I woke up at 6:45 in the morning last Tuesday and immediately reached for my phone. I turned off its alarm, checked the traffic conditions, and opened the Twitter app. I typed “FC Cincinnati” into the search bar and started browsing for any hint of Major League Soccer expansion news. Instead of seeing the typical speculation and rumors regarding the MLS bid, the big story that everybody was talking about was how FCC may now build the stadium in the West End.

Needless to say, this elicited a big groan from me. I love FC Cincinnati and want to see them get into MLS, but I thought we had finished all the stadium location drama. With the league set to make an expansion announcement before the season starts in March, the clock is ticking for FC Cincinnati to finalize whatever rumored stadium snag is holding up their bid.

I thought the traffic study and the need for additional public funding for the infrastructure were the reasons why Don Garber has not yet visited the Queen City. With news of FCC still pursuing the West End, this makes me wonder if MLS does not like the Oakley site. I know Jeff Bearding has said that the Oakley site is a suitable location, but is it really? If it is, why is Bearding still saying that the other locations are still in play?

I know a lot of people are part of the “Build It Here” movement, which I think is totally stupid, but is building it north of the Ohio River worth FCC not securing the bid?  I have always thought and continue to believe that Newport is the perfect spot for the stadium. It definitely is close to an urban core and would be close to Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park. It is in walking distance from both the banks and the levee and the land is seemingly shovel ready.

So where is the stadium going? Nobody knows at this point. If you would have asked me before the 23^rd of January, I would have said Oakley. Now I have no idea. I just want FCC to finalize the stadium plan. I don’t care if it is in Oakley, the West End, Newport, or my back yard, just cement the stadium plan and bring MLS to Cincinnati.

Royal Rumble 2018 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on the 2018 WWE Royal Rumble event.

Bengal Graphs 2017 Part 4

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the different autographs he has gotten during the 2017 season of the Cincinnati Bengals. 

It's Like Deja Vu All Over Again

Who Dey Nation must feel like it’s reliving the same day over and over again when it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals. After a dreadful season, the Bengals franchise announced that they had signed Marvin Lewis to another contract. Again. A majority of the fan base feels disconnected from the organization. Again. Many people want Marvin out of Cincinnati. Again. Mike Brown pissed off the fans. Again.

If this sounds like a familiar tale, that’s because it is. After the end of the 2010 season in which the Bengals finished with a record of 4-12, the franchise offered Marvin another contract that shocked many in Cincinnati. I was a freshman in college at the time, and I remember the press conference being awkward to watch. Fans of the team seemingly wanted to set Paul Brown Stadium ablaze when the news was announced.

Fast-forward seven years to December 31, 2017.  The Bengals defeated the Baltimore Ravens after Tyler Boyd took an Andy Dalton pass to the house on fourth and long to knock the Ravens out of the playoffs. It seemed like a nice way to send Marvin off into the sunset. A few weeks prior to the game, it was reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN that Marvin was going to leave the franchise. Although Marvin neither confirmed nor denied the report, the general consensus was that for the first since 2002 the Bengals would have a new head coach. Optimism was felt by Who Dey Nation. The Bengals won their final two games of 2017, and a new, bright future for the franchise was on the horizon. That optimistic feeling did not last long.

On January 2, 2018, the Bengals announced that Marvin would be returning as head coach for two more years. Excitement turned into anger. Optimism turned into despair. To say that Bengals fans were mad at the team’s decision to bring back Marvin would be an understatement. I cannot remember a time in which Bengals fans have felt more anger toward Mike Brown and the Cincinnati Bengals organization. The disconnect between the team and the fans is the largest it has ever been.

As Who Dey Nation prepares to endure two more years of Marvin, one has to wonder if there will be any real change this time. It’s hard to think there will be. I’m a diehard Bengals fan and love the team. I like Marvin and respect what he did for the franchise. He turned the team around and made them relevant again. Under Marvin, winning football games and making the playoffs changed from a pleasant surprise to an expectation. He raised the bar of professional football in Cincinnati.

However, he could never get over the bar. Seven playoff appearances all ended in defeat. A lack of urgency and the inability to step up in big games has characterized Bengals teams under his leadership. In my opinion, the 2017 version of Marvin seemed uninterested and unmotivated. To me, there was no way the Bengals could justify bringing him back. Leave it to Mike Brown to defy logic and expectations. Maybe he knows something that us fans do not. Maybe Marvin will prove all the naysayers wrong and actually win in the playoffs or better yet, win the Super Bowl. Maybe we will look back at January 2, 2018, as the day that Bengals Super Bowl Championship dynasty was born. That’s a big maybe. As for now, that day is looked at as déjà vu.

Who Dey…

Tucker Barnhart Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Tucker Barnhart bobblehead. 

25 Years of Raw

On January 22, WWE will present what could be its biggest show of the year. No, I’m not talking about Wrestlemania. I’m talking about Monday Night Raw. The flagship show of WWE will be celebrating its 25^th anniversary and will air from two separate venues in New York. According to the WWE website, wrestlers from both the Raw roster and the SmackDown roster will be at the Barclays Center while the Manhattan Center, the site of the very first episode of Monday Night Raw, will feature competing wrestlers as well as WWE legends.

The list of WWE legends scheduled to be at Raw continues to grow and is a very impressive list. Guys like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, and Stone Cold Steve Austin are just a few of the legends that will appear on the show. At the time that this post was written, there is still a week and a half until the 25^th anniversary of Raw so I would expect more legends to be added to the list.

This is the most excited I have been for an episode of Raw in quite some time. WWE usually does an excellent job with presenting landmark episodes and the 25^th anniversary of Raw is shaping up to be one of the very best episodes produced. The two venue location is a pretty cool idea for those who will be watching on television although I’m sure those who are in attendance at both the Barclays Center and the Manhattan Center might feel differently about it. The very impressive list of legends scheduled to be there will no doubt give me flashbacks of my childhood during the Attitude Era. Add to that the rosters of both Raw and SmackDown, and you have the makings of a wrestling event that could give Wrestlemania a run for its money. Hopefully the show can live up to the hype and celebrate the legacy of Monday night’s greatest wrestling television program.

Cincinnati Reds Past and Present Triple Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Past and Present triple bobblehead. 

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

For FC Cincinnati fans, Tom Petty’s words ring true. FC Cincinnati presented their bid to Major League Soccer in hopes of becoming an expansion team in December. So was their pitch good enough to earn the Queen City an MLS expansion team? Nobody knows. We are still waiting.

MLS had originally planned to announce both expansion teams before the holidays. After Nashville was selected on December 20, MLS changed their stance and said that the next expansion team will be announced some time before the 2018 season starts in March. While that is not necessarily bad news, it isn’t really good news either. What it means is that FC Cincinnati is not eliminated from consideration, but they have not been selected either.

The reason for the league’s announcement change is because apparently Cincinnati, Sacramento, and Detroit still have work to do on their bids. Detroit is considered a long shot after presenting Ford Field as their home stadium. Sacramento is in need of more money and has issued a public plea for an owner or ownership group to join the franchise. For Cincinnati, the stadium situation is believed to be the only thing holding back their bid. A site and some of the funding have been secured, but more funding is needed from the public for the infrastructure surrounding the stadium and rumors continue to swirl that Oakley may not be the final stadium site.

Another rumor that gained a lot of traction on Twitter and Reddit was that MLS was going to issue a press release on January 9 stating that an expansion announcement would be made on either January 10 or 11. As I type this, it is currently 5:46 PM on January 9, and no press release from the league has been issued. On January 8, MLS spokesman Dan Courtemanche released a statement saying, “We do not have an update at this time.” While an announcement can still be made this week, judging by Courtemanche’s statement it seems highly unlikely that MLS Commissioner Don Garber will be making a trip to Cincinnati before week's end.

I have been checking Twitter for MLS expansion news constantly ever since the 2017 FC Cincinnati season ended and it only got worse in the weeks leading up to the bid presentation. To say I am obsessed is an understatement. I check Twitter for updates when I wake up, during my lunch break at work, when I get home from work, before I got to bed, and everywhere in between.

There have been some updates on the United Soccer League side for FC Cincinnati to hold me over until MLS makes an announcement. The team has been signing players at a rapid pace as a major roster overhaul is currently underway to help the team be more competitive for the 2018 USL season. They also sold more than 15,000 season tickets before the end of 2017 and are currently shooting for 20,000 before the start of the season. As for a potential MLS update, I, like the rest of the  FC Cincinnati fan base, will continue to wait and obsessively check the internet for updates. Hopefully the MLS expansion announcement, whenever it happens, will be worth the wait.

Victor E. Viking Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Northern Kentucky University Norse bobblehead of Victor E. Viking.

The 2018 Reds Hall of Fame Bobbleheads Are...

The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum announced their series of bobbleheads for the 2018 season. It will feature many Reds legends from different generations that are sure to make excellent bobblehead collection additions. Some players that are featured are repeats while others are long overdue to have a bobblehead made in their likeness. In this post, I will discuss the bobbleheads that the Reds Hall of Fame plans to give out in 2018 as well as share my thoughts on them.

The first bobblehead of the year will be given in April and will feature Chris Sabo. It will commemorate the 30^th anniversary of Sabo’s rookie of the year award. The Reds have given out two bobbleheads of Sabo in the past, and this is the first time the Reds Hall of Fame has featured “Spuds” as a bobblehead. While it is sure to be a cool bobblehead, I already have the Sabo bobble the Reds gave out in 2010 and do not plan on getting this one.

The next bobblehead will be featured in May and will immortalize the great Ernie Lombardi. This bobblehead celebrates the 80^th anniversary of Lombari’s MVP award. Lombardi is a baseball hall of famer and should have had a bobblehead a long time ago, and I am very happy that the Reds Hall of Fame is finally immortalizing him as a bobblehead. This is a bobble I plan on adding to my collection.

June’s bobblehead will feature another player who should have been immortalized as a bobblehead years ago. Johnny Vander Meer will have his back-to-back no hitter showcased as a dual bobblehead in order to celebrate the 80^th anniversary of the amazing accomplishment. I have been begging for a Vander Meer bobblehead for a long time, and I couldn’t be more excited to get my hands on this one during the 2018 season.

The July bobblehead will be of Adam Dunn to honor his induction into the Reds Hall of Fame. Dunn was one of my favorites as a kid, and the bobblehead the team gave out in 2002 of him was one of the very first bobbles I had in my collection. Since I have the 2002 bobblehead, I will not be getting his bobblehead from the Reds Hall of Fame during the 2018 season.

The August bobblehead is really cool and one I am on the fence about getting. It will honor the 25^th anniversary of Tom Browning leaving Wrigley Field to watch the game from a rooftop across the street. While I already have a bobblehead of Browning, this bobblehead just sounds too awesome to pass up on adding to my collection.

September will feature a bobblehead of hall of famer Johnny Bench that will showcase the 50^th anniversary of his rookie of the year award. While there is absolutely no doubt that Bench is the greatest catcher in Reds history and possibly MLB history, this will be the 8^th bobblehead of Bench that either the Reds or the Reds Hall of Fame will give to fans. I already have a Bench bobblehead and do not plan on getting this one.

Once again, the Reds Hall of Fame has a good series of bobbles planned for the upcoming baseball season. While I would have loved to see more new players featured alongside Lombardi and Vander Meer, it is great that two of greatest Reds players form the 1940 World Series Championship team are finally being honored. If you are looking to add some Reds bobbleheads to your collection, head on over to the Reds Hall of Fame during the 2018 season.