What Paul Brown Can Learn From Lucas Oil

I love going to Cincinnati Bengals games. Getting to watch professional football live and in person is one of the best sports events that all fans of the National Football League should try to experience. The atmosphere is phenomenal, the action on the field is usually constant, and getting to watch the game with a bunch of fellow football fans is always fun. Until this past season, I have only watched NFL games at Paul Brown Stadium. I always have fun cheering on the Bengals, and Paul Brown Stadium is a fine place to watch a game. However, my eyes were truly opened when I went up to Indianapolis to watch the Bengals take on the Colts in their 2018 season opener at Lucas Oil Stadium.

I have seen Lucas Oil Stadium on television multiple times but being there in person was a breathtaking experience. The Colts have a gorgeous stadium. From the Peyton Manning statue that greets fans outside the main entrance to the championship banners that hang from the ceiling, Lucas Oil Stadium is a palace when compared to Paul Brown Stadium. The stadium pays tribute to the city’s racecar heritage with various NASCAR and Indy Car models and it blends together nicely with the Colts décor that fills Lucas Oil Stadium to the brim. It was a cold and rainy day in Indianapolis so the roof was closed, and I believe that helped make the stadium louder. The retractable roof structure of the stadium also allowed the team to shoot off pyro and fire off streamers every time the Colt scored a touchdown. Lucas Oil Stadium was truly an experience that I wish Paul Brown Stadium could replicate.

I know that stadiums in Cincinnati is a touchy subject considering how the Reds and Bengals stadium deals are regarded as some of the worst of all time, and FC Cincinnati’s bait and switch and three site rotation stadium saga was nauseating. However, should the Bengals decide that they need a new stadium, I would hope they model it after Lucas Oil Stadium. I love Paul Brown Stadium, but Lucas Oil Stadium is without a shadow of a doubt much better. A new Bengals stadium could feature statues of franchise legends and also pay tribute to the city’s heritage. A retractable roof would be nice during the winter and for whenever it rains during a game and having orange fireworks go off whenever the Bengals score would be awesome. 

Those are just some of the things that I think the Bengals could implement into a new stadium should one be built. It would greatly enhance the game day experience, and the franchise could host a lot more events. Final Fours, College Football Championship games, state championship football games, concerts, Super Bowls, and WrestleMania among other events could all emanate from a new Bengals stadium that followed the Lucas Oil Stadium model. Maybe one day a new state of the art Paul Brown Stadium will see the Bengals not only host the Super Bowl but win it as well. 

Who Dey!

Redsfest 2018 Commemorative Ornament Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Redsfest 2018 Commemorative Ornament. 

My Reds and Marvel Bobblehead Wish List

Once again, the Cincinnati Reds and Marvel are joining forces to give away a themed ticket package bobblehead of a super hero. This year's bobble will feature Black Panther. This is the third consecutive year in which the Redlegs and Marvel have teamed up to give out a bobblehead. 2017 saw the Reds give out bobbleheads of Rocket Raccoon and Iron Man, and Captain America was given out last year. With an entire Marvel Universe of characters to feature as bobbleheads, who should the Reds immortalize as a bobble next? Here are my top five choices.

Let's start with the mighty Thor. The Asgardian god of thunder would make for an excellent bobblehead. Have him stand at the plate with his hammer instead of his bat and you've got an awesome crossover bobble that would make Odin proud.

Fourth on my list is Thanos. The ultimate villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe would look awesome as a Reds bobblehead. One hand could have the infinity gauntlet and the other could feature all five Reds World Series Championship rings.

Third on my list is Wolverine. He has always been my favorite X-Men character and is one of the toughest characters in the history of Marvel. I'd love to see him in either his traditional blue and yellow gear or in a red and white themed Redlegs outfit.

Second is the Incredible Hulk. The big, green rage monster has been one of Marvel's most popular characters and has been featured as a bobblehead by a few different teams already. A bobblehead of him smashing through Great American Ball Park would be epic.

My number one choice for a Marvel Reds bobblehead is Spider-Man. Not only is he my all time favorite super hero, but he is one of the most popular super heroes in the history of comics. He could also be featured in a variety of styles such as his Venom costume, the Miles Morales outfit, or his traditional red and blue gear. The possibilities are seemingly endless.

That's my list of Marvel characters I'd like to see featured as Reds bobbleheads. I've collected every one the Reds and Marvel have given out so far, and I already have my tickets for the Black Panther game. If this partnership between Marvel and the Reds continues, you can bet that I will be heading to Great American Ball Park to assemble my collection of Marvel and Reds bobbleheads!

Jonny Gomes Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2011 SGA Cincinnati Reds Jonny Gomes bobblehead. 

Dak Prescott McFarlane Figure Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Dak Prescott McFarlane figure.

An Unforgettable Night

March 17, 2019, will go down in history as one of the best nights in the history of FC Cincinnati. The team had its inaugural Major League Soccer home opening match in front of a sold crowd at Nippert Stadium. 32,250 people not only witnessed FCC take to the pitch as an MLS team in Cincinnati for the first time, but they also saw the lads in orange and blue shutout the defending MLS Western Conference Champions Portland Timbers 3-0. It was an unforgettable night and truly one of the most exciting and fun sporting events I have ever attended. 

This night truly had a big league feel when compared to previous United Soccer League matches I had attended in the past. The march to the stadium by the Bailey seemingly stretched for miles and miles and was louder than in years past. Skydivers descended upon the stadium with one towing an American flag. Gary the Lion, the team’s mascot, stood on a stone pillar and was pumping up the crowd as FCC’s MLS flag was raised. Fireworks lit up the sky during the National Anthem and once again moments before kickoff. It was as much a spectacle as the actual match.

After being dominated in a week 1 loss to Seattle Sounders FC and seemingly finding their groove in a week 2 draw against Atlanta United FC, FCC came out with a new energy against the Portland Timbers and were in control for a majority of the match. The blue and orange took their first ever lead when captain Kendall Waston headed in a ball in the first half that sent the sold out crowd into a frenzy as chants of “FCC” echoed throughout Nippert Stadium. Allan Cruz extended the lead with one of the best goals in team history as he backfooted a ball into the corner of the net in the second half to give FCC a 2-0 lead over the Timbers. Minutes later, Mathieu Deplagne scored to extend the FCC lead to 3-0. Spencer Richey turned in a brilliant performance as goalkeeper and earned a clean sheet as FCC notched their first ever MLS win.

As a diehard FCC fan, I could not have asked for a better night. The atmosphere was comparable to that of a playoff game, the pregame festivities had a true big league feel, and the performance by the team on the field was nearly flawless. The hype for FCC’s first ever MLS home opener was off the charts high, and the newest franchise in Major League Soccer not only lived up to it but surpassed it by miles in my opinion. I was at the team’s very first home opener during its United Soccer League days in 2016, and I had a blast at the game. Their first ever MLS home opener blew that game out of the water, and I can honestly say it was one of the best sporting events I have ever attended. Well done, FCC. With the eyes of the professional soccer world watching, you showed why Cincinnati is Soccer City, USA, and created a night that will be forever etched in the minds of the FC Cincinnati faithful. 

Big Game Weekends

I love sports. I love weekends. The two seemingly go hand in hand. My free time is limited to weekends, and I enjoy spending my weekends at sporting events. I feel like most sports fans feel this way. So why have big games on Sunday nights and during the work week?

The Super Bowl is on Sunday, and the College Football Playoff National Championship and the NCAA Championship basketball games are on Monday. Why? Most people work Monday through Friday and have to get up early for work. I am one of those people. I try not to stay up too late Sundays through Thursdays, but the sports fan in me requires that I watch these games. As a result, I am more groggy than usual the following day. 

The easy solution is to just record it or read about it the next day, but true sports fans know that is an impossible task as the desire to watch the event to see who will win will keep you up at night and render not watching the event in order to sleep meaningless. It’s not just sports who are guilty of making fans stay up late when they have to work the next day. Professional wrestling does this as well. Every WWE pay-per-view is on a Sunday, and if it is a big show such as Wrestlemania, prepare to make yourself a cup of coffee or chug a soda. You’ll need the caffeine in the morning as most WWE pay-per-views end after 11 pm.

Aside from the lack of sleep, there is also a lack of festivities that come from having these events on non-weekend days. If your team wins, you will want to go crazy and party and celebrate the victory! Party too hard, and you’ll have a rough morning the following day. Party too soft, and you aren’t really celebrating the win. 

The exception to this is championships that are decided by a series. The World Series, the NBA Finals, and the Stanley Cup require winning 4 out of 7 games in order to be crowned champion, so it is necessary to have these games on non-weekend days. The Super Bowl though? It is one game played after a two-week layoff. Just move it to Saturday! In fact, just move all championship games and wrestling pay-per-views to Fridays and Saturdays! Or better yet, make the days of the games as well as the days after national holidays! 

Okay, I’m finished ranting. I apologize for my cranky post. I stayed up to late watching the National Championship.

Wrestlemania 35 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Wrestlemania 35. 

An NIT Suggestion

The goal of every college basketball team is to play in March Madness and compete for the NCAA National Championship. Out of every college team in the country, only 68 qualify and get to go dancing in what is perhaps the best tournament in college sports. So what about the bubble teams that were left on the outside looking in and the team's from mid major conferences that did not win their conference tournament? They still get to dance, but it will be in a tournament with less national attention and far less people watching watching. Of course, I'm talking about the National Invitational Tournament.

After once being regarded as more prestigious than March Madness, the NIT has since declined in popularity and is widely seen as a consolation prize for teams that do not qualify for the NCAA National Championship Tournament. Unless the team you specifically root for is in the NIT, odds are you will not be watching. I can honestly say the only reason I watched any of this year's NIT was to see how the Xavier Musketeers did as they are one of the college basketball teams of which I am a fan. Had Xavier not been in it, I would have not been watching.

So how can the NIT make itself more interesting? Grant the winner of the NIT an automatic bid into next year's NCAA National Championship Tournament. If the two NIT finalists were playing for a shot at dancing in March Madness the following year, you'll have more people watching to see who will be the first to punch their ticket to the big dance. It will make the NIT more meaningful to the players and coaches, and fans will see it as more than a consolation prize. You can even move the NIT Championship game to the Sunday between the Final Four and national title game. Put it in the same arena as the Final Four and championship game and make it a weekend long March Madness event.

That's my idea of how to make the NIT more interesting. As I said earlier, it is now thought of a consolation prize and is the most well known tournament that nobody really cares about unless your school is participating in it. If you put a spot in March Madness the following year up for grabs and move it to the Sunday in between the Final Four and the championship game, then I think more people will watch and help make the NIT feel as prestigious as it did in years past.

Wily Mo Pena Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2005 SGA Cincinnati Reds Wily Mo Pena bobblehead.