Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Hell in a Cell 2016.
Monday, October 31, 2016
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Wrestlemania 31 Blu-Ray Unboxing
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Blu-Ray edition of Wrestlemania 31.
TNA’s Trials and Tribulations
The wrestling industry has never been the same since the
fall of WCW in 2001. Vince McMahon has ruled the professional wrestling world
for the last 15 years with ease as the closest thing to competition the WWE has
had is Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and that isn’t really saying much. TNA
started with promise as its blend of veteran talent with young and up and
coming stars looked poised to make the company a credible threat to Vince
McMahon’s wrestling empire. Unfortunately a series of bad contracts and storylines
have seen ratings for its weekly “Impact Wrestling” show decline as well as
many of the company’s stars leave for greener pastures. Things have gotten so
bad that the future of the company is in limbo.
About a month ago, TNA’s version of Wrestlemania, Bound for
Glory, was in danger of being cancelled as the company was scrambling to find
funds for the pay-per-view. The company is currently for sale, and the two
leading candidates to buy the company from owner Dixie Carter in the week
leading up to Bound for Glory were McMahon’s WWE and TNA president and Smashing
Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan. It was expected that news on who purchased the
company was going to break on that Friday.
Twitter was buzzing as it was widely speculated that McMahon
had purchased TNA, and he would once again be able to put another notch in his
belt of competitors he conquered. However, neither company confirmed the
purchase and on Saturday, it was being reported that TNA had managed to attain
the funds needed to pay for both Bound for Glory and its Impact Wrestling
tapings for the rest of the year. According to reports, neither WWE nor Corgan
funded the pay-per-view, and Bound for Glory went off without a hitch, and TNA
was also able to tape enough Impact Wrestling shows for the rest of the year.
A few days later, reports began to surface that WWE and
Carter had reached an agreement in which WWE would buy TNA, but apparently
Carter backed out at the last minute and still owned the wrestling promotion.
It was then reported that WWE had purchased the TNA video library, and Corgan
had purchased TNA with the intent of rebranding and rebuilding the company. Those
reports turned out to be false however, and Carter is, at the time that this
article was written, still the owner of TNA. The drama is not over though as
Corgan is now suing TNA despite being the company’s president. In the latest
development, TNA’s funds for Bound for Glory and the Impact Wrestling tapings reportedly
came from Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Anthem Sports & Entertainment
owns Fight Network which is in a global distribution partnership with TNA.
Needless to say this is the most interest TNA has garnered
in a long time. The drama of whether or not the company would be able to stay
afloat as well as the interest of Vince McMahon in the company set the
wrestling world on fire with rumors and speculation. Part of me wants to see
McMahon buy TNA so that some of the TNA wrestlers could go toe to toe with the
WWE roster and so that the TNA video library could be added to the WWE Network.
The other part of me wants to see Corgan buy the company so that TNA can get a
second chance at being a credible threat to WWE. That would then hopefully
usher in a period of creativity and innovation that has not been seen since the
Monday night war between WCW and WWE. Until a report of TNA being sold is
confirmed to be true, wrestling fans are left to speculate and wonder about the
future of the company. Hopefully something develops in the near future.
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOD1kG With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #WASvsCIN #TNF #MNF #WorldSeries #mlb pic.twitter.com/GCAu3yS8oc— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 26, 2016
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #WASvsCIN #BeyondTheStripes #TNF #NFL #football pic.twitter.com/1pcO8mdpcG— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 26, 2016
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Bengal Graphs 2016
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows off the different autographs he has gotten through the first four weeks of the 2016 NFL season.
The Gift of Jericho
WWE Raw can feel like a chore to watch sometimes. It may be
the third hour of programming or the lack of character development that
wrestlers such as the cruiserweights have, but sitting through Raw every Monday
night can be a tough thing to do. The brand split has changed the dynamic of
WWE by making SmackDown the premier WWE show as its programming is very well
done and is a joy to watch every Tuesday. Despite the blue brand overcoming Raw
in terms of quality, Raw has something that SmackDown does not: the gift of
Jericho.
Chris Jericho has been the best part of Monday Night Raw
ever since the draft, and he seemingly gets better each and every week. Even
though he is a veteran on the roster and one of the last active wrestlers from
the Attitude Era, Jericho has never been more entertaining than he is right
now, and that’s saying something. From an in ring perspective, Jericho has been
and still is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He usually delivers
with solid action and a great performance no matter who his opponent is.
However, his work on the microphone is what is really making him standout from
the rest of the pack of the red brand.
Ever since his feud with Dean Ambrose resulted in Jericho
replacing his light up jacket with a vest and scarf, Jericho has been adding
layers to his character that make him one of the most interesting and
entertaining wrestlers in WWE. His ability to turn the phrase “stupid idiot”
and the word “it” into part of his gimmick is on par with Stone Cold Steve
Austin turning the word “what” into an arena chant that is still said by
wrestling crowds today. His latest additions to his arsenal of catch phrases in
“you just made the list” and “quiet” have caught in with the WWE Universe
rather quickly, and I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before WWE
capitalizes on this by releasing merchandise featuring Y2J’s popular sayings.
Another great aspect of Jericho’s character is his “best
friend” Kevin Owens. Like Jericho, Owens is a great in ring performer and is excellent
on the microphone and when paired with Jericho, a segment that would otherwise
seem like boring filler becomes instantly entertaining. WWE refers to them as
Jeri-KO, but Jericho calls themselves Team Chris and Kevin and Owens says Team
Kevin and Chris. It’s little details like this that display the great chemistry
Owens and Jericho have with each other. Owens will often tell Jericho to put
somebody on the list which Jericho does, and Jericho refers to himself and
Owens as the WWE Universal Champion by constantly using the pronoun “we” when
discussing the title despite the fact that Owens is the actual champ. This
“friendship” with Owens is another great element of Jericho’s character that
both gives him somebody to play off of while planting the seeds for a future rivalry.
In conclusion, it is plain to see why Jericho is the best
part of Monday Night Raw. Despite being one of the oldest wrestlers on the
roster, he can still perform in the ring like he did when he first burst on the
scene. He continues to prove why he is regarded as one of the best talkers in
the industry, and his ability to play off Kevin Owens is fantastic. However, words
cannot do Jericho justice and to truly see how entertaining Y2J is, tune into
Monday Night Raw so that you can drink in the gift of Jericho.
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #CLEvsCIN #TNF #MNF #MLBPlayoffs #mlb pic.twitter.com/P1IMpUwgI0— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 19, 2016
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #CLEvsCIN #BeyondTheStripes #TNF #NFL #football pic.twitter.com/JYSV71NGo2— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 19, 2016
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Bengal Shows 2016
With the 2016 NFL season officially underway, the
opportunities for fans of the Cincinnati Bengals to get autographs are popping
up each and every week in the form of Bengal shows. Bengal shows are shows
where fans can get autographs from Cincinnati Bengals players, and I attend at
least one show a week in hopes of snagging a signature for my Bengals autograph
collection. In this post, I will discuss three of the Bengal shows that take
place each week.
The first show of the week is “Benagls Line.” It is held at
the Holy Grail on the banks in Cincinnati the day after Bengals games and can be
heard on ESPN 1530. The show features radio personality Lance McAllister and
former Bengals player Dave Lapham as the hosts and goes from 6 pm to 9 pm. There
are usually two guest players who are interviewed during the first two hours of
the show. One player is interviewed from 6 pm to 7 pm and the other is
interviewed from 7 pm to 8 pm with the final hour being mainly discussion
between McAllister and Lapham. Players sign autographs during commercials and
there are raffles throughout the night with the prizes ranging from Bengals
apparel to Bengals tickets.
The second show of the week is “Beyond the Stripes.” This
show is presented by the Cincinnati Enquirer and is held at the Hofbräuhaus in
Newport, KY. The show is streamed live on the Enquirer’s Facebook page from 7
pm to 8 pm and features a panel of four reporters interviewing the guest player
before playing a game with the player to end the show. The interviews are
always entertaining and usually feature a few laughs as some of the questions
asked by the panel and answers given by the players are over the top. Once the
show is finished, fans can line up and have one item signed by the player.
The third show of the week is “Bengals Nation.” This show is
held at the Moerlein Lager House on Wednesdays from 6 pm to 8 pm and is
presented by television station Local 12. It is filmed in segments and is
broadcasted on Saturdays. The show has gotten worse in my opinion as its move
from the Holy Grail has really cut back on the interaction that the show used
to have the fans. The area in the Moerlein Lager House where the show is filmed
is a lot smaller than the Holy Grail, so some of the segments, such as fans
asking the guest player questions and some of the games, have been eliminated.
Once the show is finished, fans can get an item signed by the guest player only
if they have an autograph pass. The autograph passes are handed out in the
beginning of the show, and if you do not get there early enough to get an
autograph pass, you will not be able to receive an autograph.
Those are the three different Bengal shows that are held
throughout the week. They are a great way to not only get autographs but to
also interact with fellow Bengals fans. “Beyond the Stripes” is my favorite
show as it is easily the most entertaining of the three. I would say that
“Bengals Line” is next with “Bengals Nation” being the least enjoyable show.
They are all still fun to attend though, and I highly recommend checking out a
few for yourself.
Who Dey!
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #CINvsNE #TNF #MNF #MLBPlayoffs #mlb pic.twitter.com/XQTQqxtuSW— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 12, 2016
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #CINvsNE #BeyondTheStripes #TNF #NFL #football pic.twitter.com/0Rr2D3eGSN— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 12, 2016
Monday, October 10, 2016
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
What a Debut!
As one of the world’s most popular sports, soccer is played
in almost every country and has taken America by storm in recent years.
International teams have American fan bases, and Major League Soccer is
continuing to grow as more American cities vie for expansion franchises. One of
those cities happens to be Cincinnati as FC Cincinnati, the city’s United
Soccer League team, has exceeded all expectations in its debut season.
When it came to the pitch, I don’t think anybody expected the
team to play as well as they did. The team finished third in the USL Eastern Division
standings with a record of 16-6-8 and secured a home playoff game against
Charleston Battery. They had outstanding goalkeeping performances by Mitch
Hildebrandt and were led in scoring by breakout star forward Sean Okoli who was
also the 2016 USL Golden Boot award winner. Other players such as Jimmy
McLaughlin and Cincinnati’s own Austin Berry also had good years that helped FC
Cincinnati have such a stellar debut season.
The attendance has also been a big factor in establishing FC
Cincinnati as a premier team in American soccer. The number of people that have
gone to watch FC Cincinnati soccer games at Nippert Stadium has been impressive
to say the least. Halfway through the regular season, the team broke the
regular season record before setting set the new all-time regular season
attendance record of 259,437 at season’s end. They team also set the new USL
single game regular season attendance record when 24,376 people packed Nippert Stadium
as FC Cincinnati ended their regular season home stand with a 1-0 victory over
Orlando City B. They then broke that record by drawing 30,187 people for their home playoff game. The team averaged 17,296 fans per home game, and if the
friendly match against Premier League squad Crystal Palace is taken into
account, the total number of people that saw an FC Cincinnati match at Nippert Stadium
was an astronomical 333,353.
Speaking of Crystal Palace, FC Cincinnati was the only USL
team selected to play Crystal Palace during their three-match tour of America.
The FC Cincinnati versus Crystal Palace match outdrew the other two matches
Crystal Palace played on their tour against the Philadelphia Union and the Vancouver
White Caps. The Union and the White Caps, both of which are MLS teams, drew
12,881 and 14,788 respectively while FCC Cincinnati more than doubled both of
those numbers by drawing in 35,061 people.
With FC Cincinnati being a contender in their first year of
USL play while also consistently drawing impressive crowds, it appears that MLS
has taken notice. It has been reported that FC Cincinnati executives met with
MLS officials during the MLS All-Star break, and MLS Commissioner Don Garber is
set to visit the Queen City in November. These reports have fueled speculation
that FC Cincinnati is being considered as a possible MLS expansion team.
Getting noticed by MLS is always a good thing. Getting noticed by MLS during
your debut year? Incredible!
In conclusion, it has been a whirlwind debut season for FC
Cincinnati. They made the playoffs with a third place finish in the USL Eastern
Division, set attendance records seemingly all season, played an international
team in Crystal Palace, and is being noticed by MLS. I have been to numerous FC
Cincinnati games this season and was in the bailey for their inaugural home
opener. Every game I have been to has been a blast, and I am proud of what the
team has been able to accomplish in its debut year. Hopefully they will have
continued success for years to come, and hopefully it will be at the MLS level.
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With a New #Bengals Autograph#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #DALvsCIN #TNF #MNF #MLBPlayoffs #mlb pic.twitter.com/9iCD8pyVJv— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 5, 2016
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals & #Reds Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #CINvsDAL #BeyondTheStripes #TNF #NFL pic.twitter.com/Rs7D3OCqDx— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 5, 2016
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