Man Cave Tour

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

Redsfest 2019 Day 2

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone vlogs about day 2 of Redsfest 2019.

Redsfest 2019 Day 1

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone vlogs about day 1 of Redsfest 2019.

Ready for Redsfest 2019

It's the most wonderful time of the offseason for members of Reds Country! Redsfest 2019 will happen this weekend at the Duke Energy Center. Cincinnati Reds fans from all over the country will gather for the one of a kind fan fest that celebrates the very first franchise in Major League Baseball history. 

The fun gets started on Friday, December 6, and will continue through Saturday, December 7. Fans can buy passes for either one day or both. In order to get the full Redsfest experience, I recommend purchasing the two day pass. If you are a Reds Hall of Fame and Museum member or a season ticket holder, your two day ticket pass is free. 

Once you check in at Redsfest, you will receive a Reds lanyard to hold your ticket as well as a free Reds swag bag with a free gift inside. Past gifts have included a winter hat, socks, and an ornament. After you check in, you can finally enter the convention center and behold the glory of the Redsfest event. 

Inside are tons of Reds memorabilia such as jerseys, autographs, bobbleheads, and even the World Series Championship trophies. There is a stage area where you can watch Reds Family Feud, ask the players questions, and get your picture taken with the mascots. There is a game area, wiffle ball fields, and booths where you can get your picture taken with players. You can play Redsfest Bingo and participate in the Reds Community Fund Poker Tournament that features current and former Reds players. 

It wouldn't be a fan fest without autographs, and the signing sessions are my favorite part of Redsfest. You can get autographs from current players and Reds legends. There are multiple signings happening at the same time throughout the event so you are pretty much guaranteed to get at least one autograph during your time at Redsfest. 

I cannot wait for Redsfest 2019. I have a free two day ticket because of my Reds Hall of Fame membership, and I plan on being there from open to close on both days. I'm hoping to get a lot of autographs and maybe a few bobbleheads if I can find some good deals. If you see me, come say hi!

Bengal Graphs 2018

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the various Cincinnati Bengals autographs he got during the 2018 NFL season. 

Reds Caravan 2019

With the cold winter season officially upon us and the Cincinnati Bengals missing the playoffs for the third year in a row, there is no better way to get your mind off of the cold or the Bengals blues than the Reds Caravan. The annual event is a great way for members of Reds Country to meet some of their favorite Cincinnati Reds players, broadcasters, front office members, and alumni. Happening from January 17 through January 20, the Reds Caravan will feature four different tours spread across five different states. 

The North Tour will travel across Ohio and feature current players Sal Romano and Cody Reed. The South Tour will travel through Kentucky and Tennessee. The featured players on this tour are Tucker Barnhart and Curt Casali as well as highly touted prospect Taylor Trammell. The East Tour will travel across Ohio and West Virginia and feature Philip Ervin and Jesse Winker. The West Tour will travel across Indiana and feature Eugenio Suarez and newly acquired pitcher Tanner Roark. All four tours will conclude at the Florence Mall on January 20 with a special “Caravan Finale” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In conclusion, the Reds Caravan is great way for Reds fans who live outside of the greater Cincinnati area to meet Reds players and personnel. The caravan tour features autographs, photos, a question and answer session, and a raffle to win tickets to Opening Day. Best of all, the event is free and open to the public. If you love the Redlegs, then I highly recommend you attend one of the stops on the Reds Caravan tour.

Go Redlegs!

Redsfest 2018 Recap

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps Redsfest 2018. 

Redsfest 2018 Day 2

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone vlogs about day 2 of Redsfest 2018.

Redsfest 2018 Day 1

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone vlogs about day 1 of Redsfest 2018.

Ready for Redsfest 2018

It's the most wonderful time of the offseason for members of Reds Country! Redsfest 2018 will happen this weekend at the Duke Energy Center. Cincinnati Reds fans from all over the country will gather for the one of a kind fan fest that celebrates the very first franchise in Major League Baseball history. 

The fun gets started on Friday, November 30, and will continue through Saturday, December 1. Fans can buy passes for either one day or both. In order to get the full Redsfest experience, I recommend purchasing the two day pass. If you are a Reds Hall of Fame and Museum member or a season ticket holder, your two day ticket pass is free. 

Once you check in at Redsfest, you will receive a Reds lanyard to hold your ticket as well as a free Reds swag bag with a free gift inside. Past gifts have included a winter hat, socks, and an ornament. After you check in, you can finally enter the convention center and behold the glory of the Redsfest event. 

Inside are tons of Reds memorabilia such as jerseys, autographs, bobbleheads, and even the World Series Championship trophies. There is a stage area where you can watch Reds Family Feud, ask the players questions, and get your picture taken with the mascots. There is a game area, wiffle ball fields, and booths where you can get your picture taken with players. You can play Redsfest Bingo and participate in the Reds Community Fund Poker Tournament that features current and former Reds players. 

It wouldn't be a fan fest without autographs, and the signing sessions are my favorite part of Redsfest. You can get autographs from current players and Reds legends. There are multiple signings happening at the same time throughout the event so you are pretty much guaranteed to get at least one autograph during your time at Redsfest. 

I cannot wait for Redsfest 2018. I have a free two day ticket because of my Reds Hall of Fame membership, and I plan on being there from open to close on both days. I'm hoping to get a lot of autographs and maybe a few bobbleheads if I can find some good deals. If you see me, come say hi!

Scott Schebler Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Scott Schebler bobblehead.

Training Camp 2018

With the Cincinnati Reds and FC Cincinnati dominating the Cincinnati summer sports scene, it is easy to become mesmerized by the action that unfolds on the diamond and on the pitch. Soon though, Cincinnati sports fans will be able to take in the action of the gridiron as the Bengals officially start their 2018 training camp.

Training camp starts on Thursday July 26 and goes until Saturday August 11. Gates will open 30 minutes before practice starts with most practices starting at 3 p.m. The only exceptions are when practice starts at 6 p.m. on Friday August 3, and 1 p.m. on Saturday August 4.

Practices are also held on the practice field right next to Paul Brown Stadium. The only practice not held on the practice field will be the Family Day event on August 4. The Family Day practice will be held inside Paul Brown Stadium and will feature a lot of activities and a giveaway for kids. If you are an autograph hunter like me, the family day practice is the best training camp session to attend as every player is available for autographs once practice concludes.

The Cincinnati Bengals training camp is a great way to check out the team up close and personal. It is really cool to witness the current players mix it up the rookie draft picks and see how well they mesh together. It is also a great opportunity to get some autographs from your favorite Bengals players! Attending training camp is something that I highly recommend as every true Bengals fan needs to experience it before the season starts.

Who Dey!

Bengal Graphs 2017 Part 4

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the different autographs he has gotten during the 2017 season of the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Bengal Graphs 2017 Part 3

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the various autographs he has gotten throughout the 2017 season of the Cincinnati Bengals. 

An Update to My Terrible Bengals Pro Shop Experience

 A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on how the Cincinnati Bengals Pro Shop badly botched an autograph signing that featured legends from Bengals teams of the past. To summarize, I was part of a group of about 30-50 people who were told to wait in one part of the store for autographs. We waited for over an hour only to be told that we were not allowed to get autographs. Needless to say, a lot of angry people left the Bengals Pro Shop that day because of the lack of communication from the employees to the fans and the overall disorganized feel of the event.

The other time I was at a Bengals legends autograph signing, fans were forced to do laps through the stadium and pro shop to get autographs. It was chaotic, made no sense, and was the oddest way of conducting an autograph signing I have ever seen, and it appeared that the Bengals had no idea what they were doing. That is not true though as I had personally experienced an organized Bengals autograph signing at the pro shop in April.

John Ross and Jordan Willis signed autographs at the Bengals Pro Shop after they were drafted. The store limited the signing to the first 100 people with tickets. Once all the tickets were handed out, nobody else could get autographs. It made sense, it was organized, and most importantly, it WORKED. Why the Bengals decided to ditch that formula in favor of a race around the stadium one week to splitting the autograph line in half another week is beyond me.

After the fiasco that saw a near riot of angry Bengals fans leave the pro shop, I sent the team an email voicing my frustrations and displeasure with how the autograph signing was handled. I received a response the next day. The email apologized for how the autograph signing was handled, and said that a different approach was being taken for the next autograph session.

The approach the pro shop took was the same onme they took for the Ross and Willis signing. They gave 100 tickets to the first 100 people and stopped the autographs once all the tickets were given to fans. It made sense, it was organized, and it WORKED. The entire operation was smooth and people were moving through the autograph line at a decent pace. Props to the Bengals Pro Shop for acknowledging the problem and fixing it so that it was a more enjoyable experience for Bengals fans.

Bengal Graphs 2017 Part 2

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the different autographs he has gotten throughout the 2017 season of the Cincinnati Bengals.

My Terrible Bengals Pro Shop Expereince

This past Saturday, I attended an autograph signing featuring Bengals legends at the Cincinnati Bengals Pro Shop. It was by far the worst autograph signing I have ever attended. I wrote an email to the Pro Shop that voiced my displeasure with the signing and overall terrible experience. Below is that email.

Good Afternoon,

I am writing to you about an unpleasant experience I had at the Cincinnati Bengals Pro Shop today. I arrived at the Pro Shop around 11:20 AM for the 12:00 PM autograph signing featuring the Bengals legends. My girlfriend and I were walking to the back of the line when a man who I later learned was the manager stopped us and told us to “stand here.” We stood there as more people arrived at the store and another long line formed behind us.

We patiently waited for our line to join with the back of the other line for the autograph signing. A security guard was at the end of the first line, and eventually the lines merged as the security guard left the end of the first line. We thought we were going to get autographs from the Bengals legends as the two separate lines had finally become one. A few minutes later, the security guard came back and said that my line was not allowed to get autographs and cut off the line splitting it back into two separate lines. An employee, not the manager, came back to tell us that we would not be getting autographs, and that the line had been cut off when it reached the wall at the end of the clearance section. Needless to say, this made the entire line mad as we were essentially told to wait for autographs when the manager knew that we would not be getting autographs.

I am not mad that I was cut off from receiving autographs. I am mad that we were not told from the beginning that we would not be getting autographs and wasted over an hour of our time standing in line for nothing. As I said earlier, the manager told us to “stand here.” He did not once say that the line had already been cut off. He did not even have the decency to come tell us himself that the line was cut off after the two lines had already merged. On top of that, the signing started late.

So to recap, the manager told us to “stand here” despite knowing the line was already cut off. The lines merged and a security guard and an employee, not the manager, told us that we would not be allowed to get autographs because of the cut off. The manager did not even attempt to talk to us or explain the situation to us at all.

I would like to know why we were told by the manager to “stand here” when he clearly knew we would not be getting autographs. This was easily the WORST autograph signing I have ever attended. There was little to no communication from the staff or manager to the attendees, no explanation as to why we were told to wait for no reason, and it started late. Needless to say this was a terrible experience. Please explain to me how this is considered acceptable by the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cincinnati Bengals Pro Shop.

Sincerely,

Ryan Cahill

I want to clarify that I am not mad that I was cut off. I am mad that the manager did not tell myself, my girlfriend, or the massive line behind us that we had been cut off and would not be receiving any autographs from the beginning and had us wait over an hour for nothing. It was a huge waste of time. If you plan on attending a Bengals Legends autograph signing, be prepared for a very unpleasant experience if the Bengals Pro Shop does fix this problem.

Meet the Legends

With this year being the 50^th anniversary of the Cincinnati Bengals, the team will be bringing back several legends for each home game for a special halftime ceremony. These legends will also be available for autographs for 30 minutes the day before the game as well as the day of the game. Legends who have signed already include Chad Johnson, Ken Anderson, and Max Montoya among others.

When the autograph sessions are the day before the game, the legends will be at tables inside Paul Brown Stadium by the entrance to the Pro Shop. There will be several lines for the different tables and once you get the autographs of players at one table, you have to exit the stadium through the Pro Shop before reentering the stadium through the gates by the ticket windows in order to get more autographs.

When the autograph sessions are the day of the game, the players will be featured under a tent in the Jungle Zone outside of the stadium. There is one line, and it is a first come first serve basis for autographs with every legend that is signing sitting at one big table. If you want autographs at this session, get there early as the crowd is huge due to the game.

I went to the autograph session the day before the home opener and got to have the legends sign my Bengals banner. The sessions are a great way to add some autographs to your Bengals memorabilia collection and meet some of the grid iron greats that wore black and orange stripes.

Who Dey!

Bengal Shows 2017

With the 2017 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 Holy Grail. 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 with 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!

Training Camp 2017

With the Cincinnati Reds and FC Cincinnati dominating the Cincinnati summer sports scene, it is easy to become mesmerized by the action that unfolds on the diamond and on the pitch. Soon though, Cincinnati sports fans will be able to take in the action of the gridiron as the Bengals officially start their 2017 training camp.

Training camp starts on Friday July 28 and goes until Thursday August 10. Gates will open 30 minutes before practice starts with most practices starting at 3 p.m. The only exceptions are when practice starts at 6 p.m. on Friday August 4, 1 p.m. on Saturday August 5, 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday August 9, and 10:30 a.m. on Thursday August 11.

Practices are also held on the practice field right next to Paul Brown Stadium. The only practice not held on the practice field will be the Family Day event on August 5. The Family Day practice will be held inside Paul Brown Stadium and will feature a lot of activities and a giveaway for kids. If you are an autograph hunter like me, the family day practice is the best training camp session to attend as every player is available for autographs once practice concludes.

The Cincinnati Bengals training camp is a great way to check out the team up close and personal. It is really cool to witness the current players mix it up the rookie draft picks and see how well they mesh together. It is also a great opportunity to get some autographs from your favorite Bengals players! Attending training camp is something that I highly recommend as every true Bengals fan needs to experience it before the season starts.

Who Dey!