Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a Mr. Red bobblehead that was part of a 2002 credit card promotion.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
2017 Cincinati Reds Bobblehead Predictions Part 2
Please note that this was written before any bobbleheads were announced.
With Redsfest just around the corner, I thought it would be an appopriate time to share my predictions for the 2017 series of Cincinnati Reds bobbleheads. One post will cover the line of nodders that the team will give away to fans during the season, and another post I will write will discuss the bobbleheads I think the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will give out during 2017. Please note that these are just my predictions and not an actual list of bobbleheads the Reds are producing. In this post, I will discuss the bobbles that I think the Reds Hall of Fame will hand out to fans this upcoming season.
With Redsfest just around the corner, I thought it would be an appopriate time to share my predictions for the 2017 series of Cincinnati Reds bobbleheads. One post will cover the line of nodders that the team will give away to fans during the season, and another post I will write will discuss the bobbleheads I think the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will give out during 2017. Please note that these are just my predictions and not an actual list of bobbleheads the Reds are producing. In this post, I will discuss the bobbles that I think the Reds Hall of Fame will hand out to fans this upcoming season.
My first prediction is a bobblehead of Lou Piniella. The
legendary manager of the 1990 wire-to-wire World Series Championship team has
yet to be immortalized as a Reds bobblehead. To me, that is a huge travesty as
the team won its first World Series since 1976 with Piniella at the helm. Since
Piniella is more involved with the Reds organization now than in years past,
hopefully this is the year Reds fans finally get a bobblehead of “Sweet Lou.”
Another Reds legend I predict that the Reds Hall of Fame
will give to fans as a bobblehead is Johnny Vander Meer. Vander Meer is famous
for being the only pitcher in MLB history to throw consecutive no-hitters, and
he helped the Reds win the World Series in 1940. Vander Meer is another player
whose lack of bobblehead from the Reds baffles me. Since he has not been
immortalized as a bobble yet, I predict that this is the year we finally see
the only man with back-to-back no hitters as a bobblehead.
Third on my list of predictions is Ted Kluszewski. “Big Klu”
is another Reds legend who I thought should have had a bobblehead a long time
ago. Known for cutting the sleeves off his jersey, Kluszewski was a widely
popular favorite among Reds fans. After his playing days were over, Kluszewski
became a hitting coach for the Big Red Machine and helped the team win
consecutive World Series Championships in 1975 and in 1976.
My fourth prediction is Jose Rijo. The 1990 World Series MVP
has yet to be featured as a bobblehead. Rijo’s incredible pitching during the
1990 World Series was key in propelling the Reds over the Oakland Athletics.
Reds fans have not forgotten his contributions either as he received a great
ovation at the 1990 World Series reunion game in 2015.
My fifth and final prediction is that the Reds Hall of Fame
will give out a bobblehead of Aaron Boone. Boone was one of the biggest stars
on the team during the late 1990s and early 2000s before he was traded to the
New York Yankees. Boone was a favorite of mine when I was a kid, and the
popular “Booooooooooone” chant echoed throughout the stadium whenever he came
up to bat. The Reds never gave out a bobblehead of him during his playing days,
so hopefully the Reds Hall of Fame rights that wrong this year.
Those are my predictions for the five bobbleheads the
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will give out to fans. Should my
predictions prove to be true, I will be heading to the Reds Hall of Fame once a
month to get each bobble. These are only predictions though, and no official
bobblehead giveaway has been announced by the Reds Hall of Fame at the time
that I wrote this. Until then, us Reds fans can only speculate and guess what
kinds of bobbleheads the Reds Hall of Fame has planned for 2017.
Go Redlegs!
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #PHIvsCIN #TNF #MNF #nba #nhl #sports pic.twitter.com/nxyVQSFuiQ— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 30, 2016
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #PHIvsCIN #football #nba #NFL #NHL #sports #TNF pic.twitter.com/Ss4Ck6JdCZ— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 30, 2016
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
2017 Cincinati Reds Bobblehead Predictions Part 1
With Redsfest just around the corner, I thought it would be
an appopriate time to share my predictions for the 2017 series of Cincinnati
Reds bobbleheads. One post will cover the line of nodders that the team will
give away to fans during the season, and another post I will write will discuss
the bobbleheads I think the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will give
out during 2017. Please note that these are just my predictions and not an
actual list of bobbleheads the Reds are producing. Let’s start with the bobbles
that I think the team will hand out to fans this upcoming season.
One of the few bright spots on last year's team was Adam
Duvall. The left fielder made his way to the Reds by way of a trade with the San
Francisco Giants in 2015, and he had his first full season as a member of the
Redlegs last year. He quickly burst on the scene with great defense in the
outfield and an impressive bat at the plate. He also represented the Reds in
the 2016 Home Run Derby and in the MLB All-Star Game. Based on his fantastic
Reds debut last year, I think it's a no brainer that he will be featured as a
bobblehead in 2017.
Another possible candidate to be featured as a bobblehead is
Reds pitcher Raisel Iglesias. Although he spent some time on the disabled list
because of injuries last year, he managed to bounce back and pick up right
where he left off in 2015 albeit from the bullpen instead of the starting
rotation. He seemingly became the heir apparent to Aroldis Chapman as Iglesias
was largely used as a closer. Due to his solid 2015 and 2016 campaigns, I could
definitely see the Reds featuring the young pitcher as a nodder for the
upcoming season.
Speaking of young pitches, Brandon Finnegan is another
potential player to be featured as a bobblehead. With this team undergoing a
reconstruction period, Finnegan was without a shadow of a doubt the most
consistent young pitcher in the starting rotation. He flirted with a no hitter
and was always reliable whenever he took to the mound. Finnegan is a guy the
Reds can build a starting rotation around, and I believe he deserves to be
immortalized as a bobblehead.
The most exciting player on the Reds roster last year was
Billy Hamilton. While he is known for struggling at the plate, his speed and
defensive prowess have made him a favorite player among Reds fans. His reckless
abandon in center field added many impressive catches to his defensive
highlight reel and cemented him as one of MLB's premier outfielders. Even
though he has already had two bobbleheads given out by the Reds in the past, I do
not doubt that the team will go back to the Billy Hamilton well once again when
you consider the lack of established stars the team has.
The fifth and final bobblehead I predict the Reds will give
out is a Star Wars themed nodder. Last season, the team gave a bobblehead of
Mr. Redlegs flying an X-Wing, and it was really cool and easily one of the best
nodders the Reds have ever given out to fans. With Star Wars themed bobbleheads
being a growing trend among MLB teams, I expect the Reds to give out another
Star Wars themed bobble. My guess is a bobblehead of Gapper that looks like Chewbacca.
Those are my predictions for the five bobbleheads the
Cincinnati Reds will give out to fans. Should my predictions prove to be true,
I would attend every bobblehead game except the Billy Hamilton one as I already
have a nodder of Hamilton in my collection. These are only predictions though,
and no official bobblehead giveaway has been announced by the team at the time
that I wrote this. Until then, us Reds fans can only speculate and guess what
kinds of bobbleheads the team has planned for 2017.
Go Redlegs!
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #CINvsBAL #TNF #MNF #nba #nhl #sports pic.twitter.com/vdR85wnK9j— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 23, 2016
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #CINvsBAL #football #nba #NFL #NHL #sports #TNF pic.twitter.com/KV2utTYda4— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 23, 2016
Monday, November 21, 2016
Survivor Series 2016 Thoughts
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Bengal Graphs 2016 Part 2
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the different autographs he has gotten from the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2016 NFL season.
My Top 5 WWE Fantasy Matches
With WWE’s Survivor Series event hyping the “fantasy”
matchup of Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg II, I thought that this would be a good
time to share five fantasy bouts of mine. Some of these matches have a slight
chance of happening while others can only take place in the world of WWE video
games. For the sake of variety, I will not repeat wrestlers for this post. Without
any further ado, here are my top five WWE fantasy matches.
5. Brian Pillman vs.
Dean Ambrose
Being a Greater Cincinnati native, I would love to see the
two most famous wrestlers from the Queen City square off in the middle of the
ring. Pillman’s high flying maneuvers that earned him the nickname of “Flyin’
Brian” combined with his “loose cannon” gimmick would make for a very
interesting wrestling mash up with Ambrose’s hardcore reputation and “lunatic
fringe” character. As I said in my introduction, some of these matches can only
take place in video games, and this match is one of them as Pillman tragically
passed away in 1997.
4. Randy Orton vs. The
Rock
This is a bout that I have played many times on my WWE video
games. The “Viper” and the “Brahma Bull” would no doubt tear the house down if
they ever met in a ring for a one-on-one match. They did have a previous
encounter at Wrestlemania 20 in a 3-on-2 tag team match when Evolution took on
the Rock ‘n Sock Connection, but these two third generation wrestlers have
never battled each other in a singles match. Orton’s slow and calculating
approach would clash wonderfully with the charismatic and electrifying tactics
of the Rock. This match has a pretty good chance of taking place as Orton is
still an active wrestler, and the Rock usually comes back to the WWE once a
year.
3. John Cena vs. Hulk
Hogan
I think this match is a no brainer as Cena, the
self-proclaimed “face that runs the place,” is today’s version of Hulk Hogan.
The similarities between their two characters are obvious as Cena’s mantra of
“hustle, loyalty, and respect” is a modern twist on Hogan’s motto of “training,
saying your prayers, and eating your vitamins.” Both are notorious for turning
matches around in their favor with Hogan “hulking” up and Cena utilizing what
have become known as the “five moves of doom.” These two teamed up with Shawn
Michaels in 2005 on an episode of Monday Night Raw with Hogan going on to face
Michaels instead of Cena later that year at Summerslam. A matchup between these
two wrestling titans likely will not happen due to Hogan’s back issues and the
fact that he is currently not with WWE.
2. Goldberg vs. Stone
Cold Steve Austin
Two of the biggest names to come out of the Monday Night
Wars of the late 1990s and early 2000s have never exchanged fists inside the
squared circle. Goldberg was arguably the biggest star in WCW, and the same can
easily be said about Austin in WWE. Both of their onscreen characters were
legitimate tough guys, and their look, wrestling style, and appeal to wrestling
fans are eerily similar. Unfortunately, Austin’s history with neck injuries has
made this matchup impossible to happen. These two just missed squaring off in
2003 as Goldberg made his WWE debut the night after Austin had his final match
at Wrestlemania 19.
1. Sting vs. The
Undertaker
To me, this is the ultimate dream match. Sting and the
Undertaker were the two cornerstones for their respective companies during the
Monday Night War. The stinger never left WCW, and the dead man remained loyal
to WWE. Both of their characters evolved during this era of professional
wrestling with Sting transitioning from a colorful surfer like wrestler to a
silent vigilante reminiscent of “the Crow,” and the Undertaker morphing into
the sinister leader of the “Ministry of Darkness” and eventually the
intimidating reaper who rode motorcycles to the ring. After WCW was bought out
by WWE in 2001, everybody thought that Sting and the Undertaker would finally
meet. However, Sting would not appear in a WWE ring until 2014 when he made his
WWE debut as the silent vigilante at Survivor Series. During Sting’s absence,
the Undertaker had gone back to his dead man character, and these two wrestlers
with similar gimmicks seemed destined to clash at the “Showcase of the
Immortals.” It looked like the dream match between the Undertaker and Sting was
on the verge of becoming a reality at Wrestlemania 31, but Sting faced Triple H
and the Undertaker battled Bray Wyatt. A neck injury then forced Sting into
early retirement, making this dream match just that, a dream. Sting has hinted
that may have one more match left in him, but a bout between the icon and the
phenom will most likely never happen.
Those are my top five WWE fantasy matches. I think that each
match would be an exciting bout to watch and would easily be a match of the
year candidate. There are more dream matches that I would like to see such as
D-Generation X taking on the New World Order or Austin and Hogan meeting for
the first time, but as I said in the introduction to this post, I was only
listing one wrestler per match for the sake of variety. Hopefully one of these
matches does indeed happen in the future, but until then, I will continue to
play out these bouts in the form of video games.
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOD1kG With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #BUFvsCIN #TNF #MNF #nba #nhl #sports pic.twitter.com/dGLyhSlIuy— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 16, 2016
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdx14fU With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #BUFvsCIN #football #nba #NFL #NHL #sports #TNF pic.twitter.com/pKT3d0kZ3T— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 16, 2016
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
2015 All Star Mr. Redlegs Bobblehead and Bobblestache Review
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a 2015 All-Star Mr. Redlegs bobblestache and bobblehead.
The Streak Still Stings
In the world of sports, nothing lasts forever. The Chicago
Cubs proved that last week when they ended a drought that had plagued the north
side of the city for over a century by vanquishing the “curse of the goat” and
bringing Wrigley Field its first Commissioners Trophy since 1908. While Chicago
celebrates, Cleveland mourns as their search for their first World Series
championship since 1948 continues. Cincinnati is in a similar situation.
Though not as a drastic as the title woes of the Indians,
the Cincinnati Reds are now closing in on a 30-year gap since they last won the
World Series. The previous time the Reds won it all was 1990. Under the
tutelage of Lou Piniella, guys like Eric Davis, Barry Larkin, Billy Hatcher,
and the Nasty Boys spearheaded a World Series sweep of the Oakland Athletics to
cap off a wire-to-wire season. Since then, the Reds have only made it to the
postseason in 1995, 2010, 2012, and 2013 and have failed to win the World
Series all four times.
2012 was the year I thought the Reds had the talent
necessary to win it all. Unfortunately an injury to ace pitcher Johnny Cueto in
Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series and a three game collapse at
Great American Ballpark ended what had been the most successful season since
the 1995 campaign. With the Reds in an era of reconstruction, the streak of
seasons without a World Series championship for the Queen City does not appear
to be ending soon.
When it comes to the gridiron, the Cincinnati Bengals are
still searching for their Super Bowl victory in franchise history and their
first postseason win since the 1990 season. Despite reaching the Super Bowl
twice in the 1980s, the Bengals fell to the San Francisco 49ers both times.
Following the 1990 season, the team fell into an abyss that members of Who Dey
Nation know as the “Dark Ages of the 1990s.” Marvin Lewis was then hired and
began to lead the Bengals out of the wilderness and into the promised land in
2003. The team has reached the playoffs seven times with Lewis at the helm.
Unfortunately the Bengals were defeated in the first round
of the postseason all seven times and are not only still trying to win their
first Super Bowl but their first playoff game in nearly 30 years. The Bengals
have made the playoffs for the past five years, and the 2015 season appeared to
be the season of destiny for the team. They finished with a record of 12-4 and
had the city dreaming of a Super Bowl victory. A December thumb injury to Andy
Dalton and an infamous implosion in the playoff game derailed what had been the
most successful Bengals season of my lifetime and extended the playoff win
draught.
Like the Indians, the city of Cincinnati knows all about
postseason streaks that result in heartbreak. The Reds and the Bengals haven’t
had real postseason success since 1990 as that was the last year the Reds won
the World Series and the final time the Bengals notched a playoff victory.
Hopefully this streak of postseason misery comes to an end soon so that
Cincinnati sports fans can once again feel the joy of a win when it matters
most.
Go Redlegs and Who Dey!
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #CINvsNYG #TNF #MNF #nba #nhl #sports pic.twitter.com/yBv3mLCx5K— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 9, 2016
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals & #Bearcats Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #CINvsNYG #football #nba #TNF #NFL pic.twitter.com/9ZMvuAtJeX— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 9, 2016
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Goldberg vs. Lesnar II: Survivor Series or Wrestlemania?
For months, rumors had been swirling that WWE was in
negotiations with Goldberg for a return bout against Brock Lesnar, and a recent
ESPN interview all but confirmed that the man who had compiled a record of
173-0 in World Championship Wrestling was indeed set to make his return. WWE
hyped up the interview on its social media outlets and on its weekly television
programs before Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, issued the challenge to
Goldberg. The next week, Goldberg made his return to Monday Night Raw after a
12 year absence and declared that Lesnar was “next.” WWE then announced that
Goldberg and Lesnar would square off at Survivor Series in November.
For Lesnar, it is a chance to right the lone blemish on his
list of wrestlers that he has been able to conquer throughout his WWE career.
For Goldberg, it is an opportunity to prove that he can still hang with the
best that the wrestling world has to offer. A match of this magnitude should be
reserved for the grandest of stages. Survivor Series is one of WWE’s biggest
shows of the year, but is it big enough for Goldberg vs. Lesnar II?
Personally, I don’t think it is. Survivor Series is regarded
as the smallest of WWE’s “Big Four” pay-per-view events behind the Royal Rumble,
SummerSlam, and Wrestlemania and is known for its traditional five on five
elimination tag team matches. Wrestlemania on the other hand is known for its
marquee bouts that often feature wrestling legends. Goldberg vs. Lesnar II is a
marquee match that should be saved for Wrestlemania. This would allow WWE to
slowly build up the story with the payoff match being at its biggest event of
the year. They could continue to build up Lesnar as “the beast” by having him
steamroll opponents, and they could also build Goldberg up by having him start
a new winning streak before putting it on the line against Lesnar.
The slow build would entice fans and help make the
anticipation for the match reach a fever pitch. The Wrestlemania setting would
also play a natural role in the story as Goldberg defeated Lesnar in their
first encounter at Wrestlemania 20. WWE could bill this as a Wrestlemania
rematch 13 years in the making, and it would easily increase the amount of buys
and hype for the pay-per-view. That is not to say that it would not affect
Survivor Series in a similar fashion, but WWE prides itself on having
Wrestlemania being the one event of the year that shatters records. Goldberg
vs. Lesnar II would no doubt help WWE do that.
That is why I think WWE should save Goldberg vs. Lesnar II
for Wrestlemania 33. Survivor Series is a big show, but Wrestlemania is bigger
and having the bout take place there would be more beneficial for both the
match and WWE. The story could build slowly which would heighten anticipation,
the Wrestlemania setting would play right into the buildup of the match, and
the bout between Goldberg and Lesnar is defiantly worthy of being contested at
the “Showcase of the Immortals.”
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #WASvsCIN #TNF #MNF #WorldSeries #mlb pic.twitter.com/cyVltBLLJi— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 2, 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/iij3XdOkKs— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 2, 2016
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