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

#BOBBLEHEAD PAGE UPDATE WITH #NASTYBOYS NODDER @ http://t.co/7szAEAxyiu #Reds #PartyLikeIts1990 UNBOXING VID SOON! pic.twitter.com/R8BkocV2vW
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) April 26, 2015

Photo Page Update

PHOTO PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH NEW #REDS PICS #NastyBoys #CHCvsCIN #PartyLikeIts1990 #GoReds #worldseries #bobblehead #MLB
— 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!