Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone vlogs about his experience at the 2015 MLB All-Star FanFest and the All-Star Game Block Party.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Rise of the Roman Empire...Again?
Roman Reigns has become a very interesting character in the
professional wrestling world. After his victory on Monday Night Raw in a fatal
4-way match to become the number one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight
Championship, it appears that WWE is once again trying to give Reigns another
big push. As I said in my WWE Hell in a Cell 2015 Thoughts video, the crowd
reaction to Reigns will ultimately decide if this push is fueled or derailed.
After a negative reaction to Reigns destroyed WWE’s plans to have Reigns
officially become the face of the company at Wrestlemania 31, will this push
succeed or once again force WWE to make a last second change? Allow me to
explain.
Let’s start with the initial crowd reaction to Reigns when
he debuted with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins as a member of the Shield in
2012. During his time with the Shield, the faction, which was originally “heel”
or villainous, started to get over with the fans, and they began receiving
cheers from the crowd that rivaled those of some of the top “faces” or good
guys in WWE. Reigns amassed a sizeable fan base as the quiet but deadly force
of the Shield, and during the 2014 Royal Rumble match, he was heavily cheered
by the Pittsburgh crowd as he and Batista locked horns as the final two
combatants before he was eliminated. After the split of the Shield in the
summer of 2014, fan reaction toward Reigns began to turn for the worse as small
pockets of boos hidden in the WWE crowds turned into a sea of anger and disdain
that culminated at the 2015 Royal Rumble.
In what was supposed to be the starting point for Reigns to
be the next face of the company, the Philadelphia crowd unmercifully booed
Reigns out of the building after he won the match. Not even the Rock, who made
an appearance to give a symbolic nod to Reigns, could turn the boos into
cheers. At the next pay-per-view, Reigns defeated Daniel Bryan to retain his
number one contendership for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship that he
earned by winning the Royal Rumble. After the match, Bryan, a wrestler that
wrestling crowds love and adore, gave Reigns his stamp of approval, but Reigns
continued to receive bad reactions and at Wrestlemania 31, in what had been
reported to be a last minute decision by WWE, Seth Rollins entered the main
event by cashing in his Money in the Bank contract. He then pinned Reigns and
walked out of Wrestlemania 31 as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Since then, Reigns has been put on the backburner as WWE
seemingly attempted to figure out a way to turn the boos he received into
cheers. They had him team up with fan favorite and former Shield member Dean
Ambrose over the summer, and they had him do battle with one of WWE’s best heel
acts in Bray Wyatt. The Reigns versus Wyatt saga concluded at Hell in a Cell
2015 with Reigns picking up a huge Hell in a Cell match win. That win is
apparently another launch point for another Reigns push as he became the number
one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship the following night on
Raw. So how will this push be received by fans?
Based on the reaction from the crowd on Monday Night Raw,
the crowd has been receptive to the idea of Reigns being the next championship
challenger. While there were a few boos directed at Reigns during the match,
there were resounding cheers and chants for Reigns during his post match stare
down with Rollins. It is still way too early to see if WWE fully commits to its
latest push for Reigns, but based on what happened on Raw, I think that the
rise of the Roman Empire is coming to fruition. My prediction for the upcoming
Survivor Series event next month is that Reigns will defeat Rollins to win the
WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Believe that.
How he will win the title is up for debate. Is a heel turn
for Reigns out of the question? To see what I think, come back next week as I
attempt to book Survivor Series 2015.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Autograph Page Update
#AUTOGRAPH PAGE UPDATE @http://cincyfanzone.blogspot.com/p/autographs.html WITH #BENGALS SIGNATURE #WhoDey #LetsRoar pic.twitter.com/xmE8R8Hs1i
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 28, 2015
Photo Page Update
PHOTO PAGE UPDATE @ https://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #BENGALS SHOWS PICS #WhoDey #LetsRoar #CINvsPIT #BeyondTheStripes pic.twitter.com/4Z8CLpVt3O
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 28, 2015
Monday, October 26, 2015
WWE Hell in a Cell 2015 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Hell in a Cell 2015.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
When The Saints Go Marching Out
A few months ago, I wrote a post about FC Cincinnati and how
excited I was to have another professional team to cheer for in Cincinnati.
While discussing the newly arrived soccer team, I mentioned how I thought it
would be cool if FC Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Saints, the other local
soccer team that plays in the National Premier Soccer League, would play each
other in some sort of scrimmage that would bring together Cincinnati soccer
fans as well as promote both soccer teams. That will not happen though because
the Cincinnati Saints announced last week that they will be ceasing operations
in Cincinnati to look for a new city to call home.
The Saints have been in Cincinnati since 2009 and have
really helped foster the growing love of soccer in the Queen City. They hosted
World Cup watch parties at Fountain Square, and, in my opinion, their success
is what ultimately led to FC Cincinnati being established. However, the
founding of FC Cincinnati is what ultimately led the Saints to seek a new home
city.
In an interview with Fox 19, Saints owner David Satterwhite
said that the arrival of FC Cincinnati was too much to compete with and after
speaking to supporters, sponsors, and players, the money to fund the team in
Cincinnati was no longer there. As a result, the Saints are seeking a new place
to call home with Dayton being mentioned as a possibility.
I am not a fan of the Saints leaving Cincinnati, but I
understand why they are. FC Cincinnati is owned by wealthy businessman Carl
Lindner III, and he has made it known that he plans on taking FC Cincinnati
from the United Soccer League up to the highest ranked and most well known
professional soccer league in America, Major League Soccer, in three to five
years. With such ambitious goals already being set by FC Cincinnati before they
have even taken the field for their first ever franchise game, the Saints would
most likely get lost in FC Cincinnati’s wake if they do not relocate.
While I did not get to go to any of their games, I did have a good experience with the Saints when I got to meet a few of the Saints players at an episode of “Beyond the Stripes.” They had a soccer ball juggling contest with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. It was a very entertaining segment of the show, and it showcased the skills of the Saints players. They were also really nice and signed a few autographs for me. I was hoping to see them again at an episode of “Beyond the Stripes” this year, but with the announcement of relocation, that will no longer happen.
While I am not happy the Saints will no longer be in
Cincinnati, I do understand why they decided to relocate, and I wish them
nothing but the best of luck in finding a new place to call home. From now on,
all my Cincinnati soccer support is with FC Cincinnati. They will continue what
the Saints started, and hopefully it is not too long before FC Cincinnati
brings an MLS Cup to the Queen City.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Autograph Page Update
#AUTOGRAPH PAGE UPDATE @ https://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr WITH NEW #BENGALS SIGNATURES #WhoDey #LetsRoar #BeyondTheStripes pic.twitter.com/m21r22vfmT
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 21, 2015
Photo Page Update
PHOTO PAGE UPDATE @ https://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #BENGALS SHOWS PICS #WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #BeyondTheStripes #MLB pic.twitter.com/lO5qA6ksWb
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 21, 2015
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Frazier and the Mustache
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps a Todd Frazier autograph signing and a Cincinnati Reds shirt giveaway game.
2016 Cincinnati Reds Bobbleheads Predictions Part 2
Now that the 2015 season has come to a close for my beloved
Cincinnati Reds, I think that now would be an appropriate time for some 2016
predictions. I am not predicting how the Reds will do next season but rather
what bobbleheads I think the team will give out to fans. There will be two
parts to this post. First will be the bobbleheads that I believe the team will
give out, and second will be the bobbleheads that I believe the Cincinnati Reds
Hall of Fame and Museum will give during the regular season.
For the most part, the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum tries to
incorporate some sort of theme into their bobblehead giveaways. For example,
last season was the 25th anniversary of the 1990 wire-to-wire Cincinnati
Reds world championship season and as a result, the Reds Hall of Fame and
Museum gave out bobbleheads of players from that team. As far as I know, 2016
is not an anniversary year for the Reds so I have no idea what theme the Reds
Hall of Fame and Museum will have with their bobbleheads. Therefore, this list
of predictions will have no theme and instead be a hodgepodge of legendary Reds
figures.
I predict that the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will once
again give out five different bobbleheads, and the first one to be distributed
will be of 1990 Cincinnati Reds manger, Lou Piniella. “Sweet” Lou was one of
the most popular managers in Reds history because of his fiery attitude and his
guidance of the Reds to the 1990 World Series crown. I could not believe that
he was not featured as a bobblehead this past year, and I think that the Reds
Hall of Fame and Museum will make up for that by featuring him as a bobblehead
in 2016. Hopefully it will incorporate Piniella throwing a base!
Bobblehead number two will be of Johnny Vander Meer. Vander
Meer is the only pitcher in history to throw back-to-back no-hitters and was
part of the 1940 Cincinnati Reds World Series Championship team. He is without
a doubt worthy of a bobblehead.
The third bobblehead will be of Fred Hutchinson. He was one
of the most prolific managers in the history of the Reds as he helped usher in
a period of winning baseball during a time in which getting into the playoffs
was impossible when compared to today’s game, and he set the stage for the
glory days of the Big Red Machine. He took the Reds to the 1961 World Series
and had his number, 1, retired permanently by the team.
Fourth will be Jose Rijo. He was the MVP of the 1990 World
Series, and his dominance on the pitching mound helped secure the fifth World
Series crown in franchise history for the Reds. While he was not featured as a
bobblehead last year, I believe that the Reds hall of Fame and Museum will make
up for that in 2016.
The fifth and final bobblehead of 2016 for the Reds Hall of
Fame and Museum will be of Ted Kluszewski. He was one of the most popular
players in Reds history and was known for cutting the sleeves off his jersey
because his arms were so big. He was a coach under Sparky Anderson during the
Big Red Machine era in the 1970’s during which he earned two World Series
Championship rings, and his number, 18, was retired permanently by the Reds in
1998. I am shocked that “Big Klu” has never been featured as a nodder, and
hopefully the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum rights this wrong in 2016.
Those are my Reds Hall of Fame and Museum bobblehead
predictions for 2016. If my predictions are correct, then I will definitely try
to head to the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum to pick up every single bobblehead.
Even if the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum goes with other Reds figures to
immortalize as nodders, hopefully the people they choose will be fresh faces
who have never been featured as a bobblehead. As a collector, I always hope for
new people to be featured as bobbleheads as it makes collecting much more fun,
and with an endless supply of Reds legends, the possibilities for great Reds
Hall of Fame and Museum bobbleheads are mindboggling!
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Photos Page Update
PHOTO PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #BENGALS SHOWS PICS #BeyondTheStripes #WhoDey #LetsRoar #CINvsBUF pic.twitter.com/1roc4CTdPj
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 15, 2015
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Autograph Page Update
#AUTOGRAPH PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr WITH ADAM JONES SIGNATURE #Bengals #WhoDey #LetsRoar #CINvsBUF #NFL pic.twitter.com/UHXj8Kpjfb
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 14, 2015
Autograph Page Update
#AUTOGRAPH PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr WITH CHRIS CROCKER SIGNATURE #Bengals #WhoDey #LetsRoar #CINvsBUF pic.twitter.com/WnhaQjpnFM
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 14, 2015
Thursday, October 8, 2015
2016 Cincinnati Reds Bobbleheads Predictions Part 1
Since that the 2015 season has come to a close for my beloved
Cincinnati Reds, I think that now would be an appropriate time for some 2016
predictions. I am not predicting how the Reds will do next season but rather
what bobbleheads I think the team will give out to fans. There will be two
parts to this post. First will be the bobbleheads that I believe the team will
give out, and second will be the bobbleheads that I believe the Cincinnati Reds
Hall of Fame and Museum will give during the regular season.
After promoting a total of nine bobbleheads for the 2015
season, the number was later altered to eight after the final bobblehead was changed
to a figurine. While eight is still a lot and the most that the Reds have ever
given away in a season, the choice in players could have been better as a lot
of them were repeats. With the team undergoing a youth movement and period of
reconstruction, it is possible that the 2016 line will feature fresh faces as
bobbleheads. I think that Reds will reduce the number from eight and go back to
five bobblehead giveaways, and with that in mind, let’s begin with bobblehead
number one.
The biggest event for the Reds in 2015 was the Major League
Baseball All-Star Game as they were the host team for the game and its
activities. Todd Frazier and Arolids Chapman both made the team, and Frazier
won a dramatic Home Run Derby in front of an electric Cincinnati crowd. Therefore,
bobblehead number one of the 2016 season will be a special Todd Frazier
bobblehead in which is he decked out in the All-Star game uniform while holding
the Home Run Derby trophy.
Bobblehead number two will be of Rasiel Iglesias. The
undoubtedly 2015 Rookie of the Year for the Reds was the best pitcher in a
young rotation. He flirted with a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves before
giving up a hit in the 6th inning, and he recorded over 30
strikeouts through three straight games. He is the future ace of this team, and
I believe the Reds will capitalize on that by giving out a bobblehead of him.
The third bobblehead will feature Aaron Boone. Boone was one
of the most popular players for the Reds during his time with the team, and
with 2016 being an induction year for the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, I
believe that Boone will be on the ballot and inducted. The Reds always feature
a bobblehead of a Reds Hall of Fame inductee, and I believe that Boone will be
the one chosen to be immortalized as a nodder.
Fourth is Zack Cozart. He was having the best season of his
career in 2015 before an ugly knee injury ended his otherwise All-Star worthy
campaign. He has been with the team since 2011 and the starting shortstop since
2012, and I believe it is time for him to be honored with a bobblehead.
The fifth and final nodder of the 2016 season will be Joey
Votto, who had an incredible second half of the 2015 season. While I am not
thrilled that this will be the final bobblehead, the Reds just do not have
enough young stars on the roster that deserve a bobblehead, and based on what
he did in 2015, I think the team will go to the “Votto well” once again.
Those are my predictions of the bobbleheads that the Reds
will give out in 2016. While there is the potential for a lot of the new young
players to be featured as bobbleheads, the fact of the matter is that those
guys are not as popular with the fans as some of the older and more established
players on the Reds, and when it comes down to who will be featured as a nodder,
the main influence is whose bobblehead will result in the most ticket sales. If
my predictions are correct, then I plan on going to the Iglesias game, the
Boone game, and the Cozart game, as those are players who have never been
featured as Reds stadium giveaway bobbleheads. I will go to the Frazier game
only if he is in the All-Star uniform, and I will pass on the Votto game.
Hopefully the Reds decide to go with players who have never been featured as
bobbleheads so I can go to all of the bobblehead games!
Stay tuned for part two!
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Autograph Page Update
#AUTOGRAPH PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr WITH NEW #BENGALS SIGNATURE #WhoDey #LetsRoar #SEAvsCIN #NFL #MLB pic.twitter.com/2VM7bnYEGK
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 7, 2015
Photo Page Update
PHOTO PAGE UPDATE @ http://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #BENGALS & #BEYONDTHESTRIPES PICS #WhoDey #LetsRoar #SEAvsCIN #NFL pic.twitter.com/WZfCXXWdhX
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 7, 2015
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Michael Johnson Follows Me!
Michael Johnson, one of the beasts on defense for the Bengals, follows me on Twitter! You should follow me too if you aren't already! Click @CincyFanZone to be directed to my Twitter page, and give me a follow!
Tyler Eifert Bobblehead Unboxing
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Forever Collectibles Cincinnati Bengals 2013 NFL Draft Edition Tyler Eifert bobblehead.
Happy but Cautious
In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, “it's like déjà vu all
over again.” My Cincinnati Bengals have once again started the season in hot
fashion. After easily beating the Oakland Raiders in week 1 of the 2015
National Football League regular season, the home opener of the Bengals in
which they hosted the San Diego Chargers in week 2 was a tight game as a late
interception by Vincent Rey sealed the second win of the season for the men in
the black and orange stripes. Week 3 saw the Bengals blow a 14-0 lead to the
Baltimore Ravens only to recapture it with a few minutes left in the game in
route to a thrilling 28-24 victory that sent myself and the rest of Who Dey
Nation on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The win was the team’s third of the
season, and their current record is 3-0. Déjà vu. This time last year, the
Bengals had the same record and were considered to be one of the best teams in
the NFL. Then it all went south.
After riding a wave of momentum to three straight victories
to begin last season, the New England Patriots stomped the Bengals into the
ground on a nationally televised primetime Sunday night game. The swagger the
Bengals had during the first three games of the 2014 season vanished and was
never seen again that year. They finished the regular season with a record of
10-5-1 and limped into the playoffs where they faced the Indianapolis Colts who
handed them a fourth straight first round playoff loss to extend the postseason
victory draught of the Bengals to 24 years. It was a depressing end to a season
that started out fantastic.
So here we are in 2015 and my beloved Bengals have once
again started the season with a 3-0 record. Last year at this time, I was
thrilled. This year, I am happy but cautious. I am cautious because three games
are not enough to punch a team’s ticket to playoff success. The Bengals still
have 13 regular season games left to play, and in the NFL, teams who are
winners one week can be losers the next. I have seen my Bengals look like a
powerhouse team one week only to collapse the following week in route to a
loss. It is demoralizing for not only the team but for fans of the Bengals. Who
Dey Nation desperately wants this team to succeed, and if the 2015 Bengals
collapse like last year’s squad did, the city of Cincinnati will once again
feel that unwelcomed but all too familiar emotion of heartbreak. That is why I
am cautious.
However, I believe in my Bengals, and I am happy that they
have won their first three games of the season. They have played really good
football so far, but there is definitely room for improvement. The game against
the Ravens easily pointed out that fact. I am not going to dwell on that
though. Instead I am going to get pumped for the Bengals’ next two home games
against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks in which they hopefully
extend their wining streak to five games in a row. As a Bengals fan, I am happy
right now. Happy but cautious.
Who Dey!
Autograph Page Update
#AUTOGRAPH PAGE UPDATE WITH NEW #BENGALS SIGNATURE @ https://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr #WhoDey #LetsRoar #KCvsCIN #NFL #Reds pic.twitter.com/W6qkUAo2O1
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 1, 2015
Bobblehead Page Update
#BOBBLEHEAD PAGE UPDATE WITH NEW #BENGALS NODDER @ https://t.co/7szAEAxyiu #WhoDey #LetsRoar #Reds #KCvsCIN #NFL pic.twitter.com/p7vy8agMtQ
— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 1, 2015
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