Monday, December 14, 2020

A Cincy Fan Zone Update

 

Hey guys! It has definitely been a minute since I last wrote a post for my website. 2020 has no doubt been the craziest year of everybody’s lives and it has definitely impacted the way I upload content to the Cincy Fan Zone website. A lot has changed for me in my personal life and combining those changes with the chaos that has been 2020 has been nothing short of stressful. To be completely honest, I kicked around the idea of ending the site as finding the time to consistently create content for it became increasingly difficult throughout the year. 

 

For the first time ever, there was a major lack of written posts as I only had time to upload a weekly video and was unable to carve out the time necessary to write and upload a post. And even though there was at least one video uploaded each week, the number of videos I usually film each year dropped as there were no fans allowed at Reds games which meant there was a sharp decrease in new bobbleheads to unbox. Redsfest was also cancelled which meant no vlog of the event, and Bengals autograph shows obviously did not make a return in 2020 due to social distancing guidelines. 

 

So with the year coming to a close and 2021 on the horizon, I decided to write a quick update post on the status of the Cincy Fan Zone website. After the WWE TLC 2020 review video, I will be taking time for the holidays. As of now, the first video of the new year is scheduled to be the 2020 Bengals recap video followed by a few bobblehead review videos I uploaded in 2014 but never published. January is then scheduled to end with the 2021 Royal Rumble review video before I reassess things for February. 

 

Thank you for continuing to check out my website and sticking with me during this insane year. I hope everybody stays safe and has a healthy and happy holiday season!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Welcome to FC Cincinnati, Jaap Stam!


FC Cincinnati’s fifth season may currently be on hold, but that did not stop the team from naming a new head coach before play resumed. Jaap Stam was officially introduced as the club’s new manager, the team’s fifth in as many years. Stam takes over as head coach following the dismissal of Ron Jans earlier this year. 

Stam comes to FC Cincinnati with some coaching experience under his belt. He was the head coach of Reading from June 2016 to March 2018 and PEC Zwolle from December 2018 to May 2019. Stam looks to right the FCC ship after the team started the season with an 0-2-0 record. Assuming the season restarts and star player Jurgen Locadia is still with the orange and blue, Stam might have the greatest chance to succeed in MLS compared to the team’s previous head coaches. The 2020 FCC roster is unquestionably better than the inaugural team of last season and with proper guidance, could be a good squad.

As I write this, MLS and the Major League Soccer Players Association are reportedly working on a new collective bargaining agreement which could lead to the resumption of the sport in America. Early reports say that the MLS might conduct the rest of the 2020 season in Orlando, Florida via a tournament. Should that tournament come to fruition, Stam will have the opportunity to endear himself to FCC fans everywhere by leading the team to a tournament title. 










Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Man Cave Tour


Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone gives a tour of his man cave. 

Thank You, Andy


Last week, the Cincinnati Bengals officially released Andy Dalton making the Red Rile an NFL free agent for the first time since he entered the league in 2011. Dalton was the starting quarterback for the Bengals ever since the team drafted him out of Texas Christian University. Even though Bengals fans knew this day was coming ever since the “Bungle for Burrow” mantra took over Cincinnati last season, it was still a bit of shock as Dalton had been with the team for nearly a decade. 

As a lifelong Bengals fan, I can honestly say I have never had more fun watching this team than during Dalton’s nine years behind center. In 2011, he and fellow rookie draft pick A.J. Green gave fans hope after Chad Johnson wound up with the New England Patriots and Carson Palmer threatened to retire if the Bengals did not trade him. In his first season, Dalton helped lead the team to a 9-7 record and a playoff appearance as a wildcard team when everybody thought the Bengals would finish last in the league. This playoff appearance was the first of five consecutive seasons in which the Bengals would qualify for the postseason.

The Bengals would earn wildcard berths again in 2012 and 2014 and would win the AFC North Division in 2013 and in 2015. During that stretch, Dalton and the Bengals had some of the most exciting wins in franchise history. In 2012, they marched into Pittsburgh and won on a late field goal that knocked the Steelers out of playoff contention while clinching a playoff spot for the Bengals. During their 8-0 home record season of 2013, the Bengals beat the Green Bay Packers in comeback fashion. In 2014, the Bengals beat the Denver Broncos in a Monday night thriller that clinched a postseason spot. In 2015, Dalton helped lead a furious late game come from behind victory over the Seattle Seahawks in overtime which I still consider to be my all-time favorite Bengals game. 

Despite Dalton’s regular season success, the one knock on his career with the Bengals is the lack of postseason victories. The Bengals were 0-5 in the playoffs during that five year stretch, and Dalton was often blamed for the team’s postseason losses. However, Dalton will still go down in Bengals history as one of the franchise’s best quarterbacks. He set a few franchise records and is more than deserving of a Bengals Hall of Fame election (if the Bengals ever create a team Hall of Fame).

If I could say one thing to Andy Dalton, it would be thank you. Thank you for coming to the Bengals when the team was in turmoil and helping establish a culture of winning. Thank you for all your work in the community and helping make the city of Cincinnati a better place. Thank you for being an excellent representation of the Bengals franchise for nearly a decade. Thank you, Andy. 






Monday, April 27, 2020

Who Dey Draft 2020


The moment that the city of Cincinnati had been waiting for since last December finally came to fruition. Heisman Trophy winner, national champion, and local kid Joe Burrow is officially the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals. The 2020 NFL Draft happened last weekend and although it was a virtual format, that did not dampen the excitement of Bengals fans everywhere as the team chose the cornerstone of the franchise for the next 10-15 years. Aside from Burrow, key pieces that will shape the team’s future and launch the Bengals to championship success were also drafted. 

The Bengals had the number one overall pick in the draft by virtue of the horrendous 2019 season. Selecting Burrow as the top pick was the easiest decision of the entire draft process. Burrow had the greatest college football season in the history of the sport and was a no-brainer to be the face of the franchise. Aside from his incredible resume, Burrow is also a local kid as he grew up in Athens, Ohio, which Is about a three-hour drive from Cincinnati. If everything goes according to plan, Burrow will lead his local childhood team to multiple Super Bowl championships.

The Bengals have their quarterback, but he needs to targets to throw to on the field. The Bengals got him one in the second round of the draft by selecting wide receiver Tee Higgins out of Clemson. Higgins and Burrow reportedly did some training together before the draft and the rookie duo are poised to be the next big offensive combo for the Bengals for years to come. Higgins has said he became a Bengals fan after the team drafted his favorite player, A.J. Green, in 2011. Higgins grew up modeling his game after Green, and he now has the opportunity to play alongside his idol. 

The Bengals have not had the best linebackers the last few years and used this year’s draft to address that need. In the third round, they selected linebacker Logan Wilson out of the University of Wyoming. Considered to be one of the more athletic players at his position in the draft, the team jumped at the opportunity to select Wilson with their third-round pick. Wilson already has some experience with the Bengals as their staff met with Wilson while coaching the Senior Bowl.

The Bengals went back to the linebacker well in round four by drafting Akeem Davis-Gaither out of Appalachian State. The team clearly looks to rebuild its linebacker squad as any Bengals fan could easily tell you that it has been an absolute disaster for the past few seasons. Like Wilson, Davis-Gaither met the Bengals coaching staff at the Senior Bowl and was named a captain of his Senior Bowl team.

The Bengals stayed on the defensive side of the ball by drafting Khalid Kareem in the fifth round. Kareem played collegiately at Notre Dame as a defensive end. The Bengals need another guy to rush into the backfield, and Kareem looks to fill that spot as he racked up a total of 13 sacks for the Fighting Irish. 

The sixth-round pick selected by the Bengals was Hakeem Adeniji, an offensive tackle who played at the University of Kansas. Adeniji was the only lineman selected by the Bengals during the entire draft which was odd considering how poor the offensive line has been in recent years. He was a four-year starter for the Jayhawks and seemed to make a good impression on the Bengals coaching staff at the Senior Bowl.

The seventh and final pick of the Bengals in the 202 NFL draft was Markus Bailey, a linebacker out of Purdue. Bailey was the third linebacker taken by the Bengals in the draft despite missing his entire senior season with a torn ACL. With the position being a big need, it is no shock that the Bengals loaded up on linebackers in this year’s draft.

The Bengals addressed most of their needs in this year’s NFL draft. They stocked up on defense, drafted an offensive line, and added two possible franchise cornerstones that could lead to championship success. I do wish that they would have selected an offensive lineman earlier in the draft, but I cannot help but feel excited about the players they have added to the roster. Tee Higgins could be the heir apparent to A.J. Green, and Joe Burrow is shaping up be the biggest star in the history of the franchise. I can honestly say I have never been this hyped to be a Bengals fan. The only things that could top this feeling are a playoff win and Super Bowl championships, and this draft class has the potential to accomplish both of those things. 

Who Dey!








Gary the Lion Bobblehead Unboxing


Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes an FC Cincinnati Gary the Lion bobblehead.