Fyter Fest 2019 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on AEW Fyter Fest 2019.

Stomping Grounds 2019 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Stomping Grounds 2019. 

Reds Rockin' 150

The Cincinnati Reds are in the midst of their 150th Anniversary season and to celebrate, they will be throwing a party on July 5 that will be sure to rock the Queen City. The Redlegs will host Reds Rockin' 150 at Great American Ball Park. The event is a combination open house, concert, fan fest, and fireworks show to celebrate the first ever professional baseball franchise.

Doors to the stadium will open at 5:00 pm and the event is scheduled to conclude at 11:00 pm. At 8:00 pm, a concert featuring Phillip Phillips, X Ambassadors, and Three Doors Down will start and will be followed by a fireworks show to close out the event. There will also be other live music options before the main concert starts including a performance by the Bronson Arroyo band.

Aside from the music and fireworks, fans will also have the opportunity to meet Reds players and alumni, run the bases, take a few swings in the Reds batting cages, and check out exclusive areas of the ballpark. Mascots and circus performers will also be scattered throughout the stadium for additional entertainment. Available concessions in the stadium will be 50% off as well. 

Tickets to this event are free, and at the time that this post was written, are available on the Cincinnati Reds website. I think this is a great way to celebrate the very first professional baseball franchise in history, and the fact that it is free should be more than enough reason for every member of Reds Country to try and attend. There will be live music, current and former Reds greats, fireworks, and 50% concessions. Kudos to the Reds for hosting this event and further cementing Cincinnati as a baseball town.

A.J. Green Flathlete Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Bengals A.J. Green flathlete. 

Shaking Things Up

FC Cincinnati might only be in its fourth year of existence and first year in Major League Soccer, but the young franchise is not afraid to pull the trigger on making big moves. Following the team's loss to the San Jose Earthquakes, FCC dismissed head coach Alan Koch and named assistant coach Yoann Damet as interim head coach.

Under Koch FCC attained a record of 2 wins, 2 draws, and 7 losses totaling only 8 points in the MLS eastern standings through their first 11 games. The club had gone winless in their last seven matches in a row and had not scored in their previous five.

Signs of Koch's dismissal were pretty apparent. After the team's fell to the Philadelphia Union in a Wednesday night match, Koch said he needed additional players in order to win. The comments essentially threw FCC's front office and roster under the bus. Following the team's next loss to the Earthquakes, a few players such as Fanendo Adi voiced their frustrations with Koch's coaching style and lack of team identity. The club released a statement saying that Koch was dismissed because of "a series of recent issues and a team culture that had deteriorated."

At the time that this post was written, FCC had only played one match with Damet at the helm. The team earned a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Impact as Allan Cruz ended the club's 528 minute scoreless streak early in the first half. Fatal Alashe scored his first goal of the season in the second half. It is still early, but the team looked very different under Damet. They were passing the ball more and creating more opportunities on offense. Whether or not that is a result of Damet's style or a lack of film on it remains to be seen but for now, everything seems to be copacetic in the Queen City.

Will Damet be the permanent coach for FC Cincinnati? Let's see him coach a few more games first. Rumors are that Gerard Nijkamp has been hired by the club to be the new general manager, and he will make the final decision as to who the next head coach of FCC is. If Damet can actually turn the team around and string together some wins, then I could definitely see FCC naming him as head coach. If not, then I really hope the team conducts an international search and brings in the best coach possible that can lead this team to a future MLS Cup victory.

Bobblehead Collection 2018

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps the 2018 additions to his bobblehead collection. 

USMNT to the 513

Nippert Stadium has been the home of FC Cincinnati since their inaugural United Soccer League season in 2016. Fans saw the team host Crystal Palace F.C. in 2016, the memorable Open Cup victories over the Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire in 2017 were under the Nippert Stadium lights, and FCC’s first win in Major League Soccer was in front of a packed home crowd on St. Patrick’s Day 2019. This Sunday, another memorable soccer moment will happen as the United States Men’s National Team will play Venzeula in the team’s final preparation match before the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup. 

The game is set to begin at 2 PM on Sunday June 9 and marks the first ever visit to the Queen City by the USMNT. It will be broadcasted nationally on FOX and will further show why Cincinnati is Soccer City, USA. Tickets are currently on sale via ussoccer.com.

In my opinion, this is one of the coolest sporting events to come to Cincinnati. The players on the USMNT are supposed to be the best that America has to offer and getting to see them play in my own backyard is incredible. I bought tickets to this game a few weeks ago and have been counting the days until kickoff. 

I believe that we will win!

Wally Post Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds bobblehead of Wally Post.