Billy Hatcher Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a 2015 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Billy Hatcher bobblehead. 

Nasty Boys Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a 2015 Cincinnati Reds Nasty Boys bobblehead. 

Boomer Esiason Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a Cincinnati Bengals Boomer Esiason bobblehead. 

Joe Oliver Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a 2015 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Joe Oliver bobblehead. 

Todd Benzinger Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a 2015 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Todd Benzinger bobblehead. 

Eric Davis Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a 2002 Cincinnati Reds Eric Davis bobblehead. 

Chris Sabo Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a 2010 Cincinnati Reds Chris Sabo bobblehead. 

Barry Larkin Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a 2006 Cincinnati Reds Barry Larkin bobblehead. 

Cincinnati Reds 2020 SGA Sonny Gray Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds 2020 SGA Sonny Gray bobblehead. 

Trevor Bauer Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Trevor Bauer bobblehead. 

Marty Brennaman Microphone Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Marty Brennaman microphone. 

2014 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Barry Larkin Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2014 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Barry Larkin bobblehead. 

2014 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Sparky Anderson Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2014 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Sparky Anderson bobblehead. 

150th Anniversary Ernie Lombardi Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds 150th anniversary Ernie Lombardi bobblehead. 

Bengals on the Ballot

The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2019 selection process is currently underway. Fans have a unique opportunity to help select who gets inducted from the list of 102 Modern-Era nominees by voting for who they think deserves a gold hall of fame jacket. Once the votes are tallied, the list will be reduced to 25 semi-finalists in November before being reduced again to 15 finalists who will be revealed in January.  

My beloved Cincinnati Bengals have a few former players on the list. Willie Anderson, one of the best offensive lineman to have worn the black and orange stripes is on the ballot as is former linebacker Takeo Spikes who stood head and shoulders above the other defensive players on the team during his time with the Bengals in the late 90s and early 2000s. Former offensive tackle Richmond Webb, who spent most of his career with the Miami Dolphins but did play two seasons with the the Bengals, is also on the list. Local product Shaun Alexander is also up for nomination. Despite being known for his dominant run game with the Seattle Seahawks, Alexander had a cup of coffee with the Bengals but ultimately could not come to terms on a final contract with the franchise although I do have a football card of Alexander in a Bengals uniform.

Another former Bengal on the ballot is running back Corey Dillon. During the dark ages of the franchise in the 90s, Dillon was able to put crazy numbers and run roughshod over opposing defenses. He is arguably the greatest running back in franchise history and is deserving of a spot in the hall of fame. The last player on the list of nominees is Chad Johnson. Ochocinco was one of the greatest if not the best wide receiver in the history of the Bengals. His numbers are jaw dropping, and he was the first true superstar the team had since the 1980s. Johnson was my favorite player as a kid because he played a huge part in turning the franchise around, and he made being a Bengals fan fun again. In my opinion, he has definitely earned a gold jacket. 

As you can see, the Bengals are well represented on the Modern-Era ballot for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Out of the players listed, I think Alexander, Dillon, and Johnson have the best chances of being inducted. Make you sure visit the NFL website and vote for these former Bengals players!

Who Dey!

Bobblehead Page Update

#Bobblehead Page Update @ https://t.co/f6kg2Fon2e with a new #Reds Bobblehead#bobbleheadaddicts #bobblehof #letsgoreds #ATOBTTR #14forever pic.twitter.com/AoapW8TJdm

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) June 27, 2017

Oh It’s True!

WWE has been home to some of the greatest athletes on the planet. Shawn Michaels, A.J. Styles, and Shelton Benjamin all come to mind when discussing wrestlers who personified pure athleticism. However there is one wrestler that tops them all in my opinion, and that man is Kurt Angle. After a long professional wrestling career that started in 1999, the 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist will take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the 2017 induction class.

During my childhood, Angle was easily the most athletically gifted wrestler on the WWE roster. He debuted with the company at Survivor Series 1999 and transitioned from the world of amateur wrestling to professional wrestling with unparalleled ease. His ability to perform in the ring was apparent very early in his career, and he went on to have fantastic matches with some of the biggest names in the industry at the time. His triple threat match at Wrestlemania 16 for his Intercontinental Championship and European Championships was a fun bout to watch, and it was the first real sign that Angle would be a true WWE superstar.

Aside from holding both the Intercontinental and European titles, Angle also won the 2000 King of the Ring tournament and capped off his rookie year by capturing the WWE Championship with a win over the Rock at No Mercy 2000. He is also the only man in WWE history to have defeated the Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Undertaker, and Triple H in the same night as he retained his WWE title over those four men plus Rikishi in a 6 man Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon 2000. Angle would continue to win more titles and have more fantastic matches throughout the rest of his WWE career. His rivalry with Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship in 2003 was easily the best feud in the company that year, and his matches with wrestlers such as Edge, Eddie Guerrero, and Shawn Michaels were incredible to watch.

Angle had more than just great in ring ability. He was an excellent talker on the microphone and had a surprising amount of charisma. His promos ranged from serious to funny, and every time he had a microphone in his hand people listened. He could annoy an audience by bragging about his Olympic gold medal. He could make an audience laugh with his rendition of “Jimmy Crack Corn” and his take on Shawn Michaels’ theme song. He could also intimidate his opponents by threatening to break their ankles with his trademark Ankle Lock submission hold. Some of my all-time favorite segments of Angle include his interactions with Edge during their run with Christian as Team ECK in 2000 and during their rivalry, which saw Edge shave Angle’s head in 2002. These segments always make me laugh and showcase the diverse talent of Angle.

Needless to say, Angle is quite deserving of a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. When factoring in his accomplishments in other promotions such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Angle is one of the most decorated professional wrestlers in history. He is the only person to have won an Olympic gold medal, the WWE Championship, the TNA Championship, and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. He also held just about every title available in both TNA and WWE and is regarded by many as the best pure athlete to ever grace a wrestling ring. I am very excited that Angle will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and I cannot wait to see him appear on WWE television one last time.

Bobblehead Page Update

Bobblehead Page Update @ https://t.co/f6kg2Fon2e With a New #Reds Nodder#BobbleHOF #BobbleheadAddicts #MLB #Sports pic.twitter.com/0HNSBtZtPK

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) June 15, 2016

Honoring the Kid

It's rare that a team gives away a double bobblehead. It is even rarer for a team to give out a bobblehead that features another franchise. The Cincinnati Reds will do both of these in one evening when they give out a double Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners Ken Griffey Jr. Bobblehead on May 21, 2016.

With Griffey Jr. being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, it was pretty obvious that the Reds were going to capitalize on his induction. I figured they would simply give out another regular bobblehead of him, but I was blown away when they announced it would be a double bobble.

The double bobble makes perfect sense in that it displays Jr’s time with the Mariners, which was unquestionably the best playing days of his historic career, while also showing that he was a Red for nearly a decade. The bobblehead looks awesome, and I consider it different enough from my normal Reds Griffey Jr. bobblehead. I have my tickets, and cannot wait to add it to my collection.

Griffey Jr. was without a shadow of a doubt the best baseball player of my childhood, and his swing was nothing short of legendary. He thrived as a Mariner, returned home to Cincinnati to play for the Reds, and was an incredible reminder of how natural talent could easily outshine the controversy of the PED era in baseball. He was one of the few players who accomplished his home run milestones without the help of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs, and his induction into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown is very much deserved. I can honestly say that the Kid is one of my all time favorite players, and I cannot wait to get one more bobblehead of him.

Congrats Jr! Go Redlegs!

Induction Injustice

What a horrible two days for Cincinnati sports fans. On Sunday, my beloved Cincinnati Bengals not only lost to their AFC North division rival the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they also lost quarterback Andy Dalton for a few weeks due to a fractured thumb. As if that was not bad enough, Rob Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, announced on Monday that he would not lift the ban from baseball on Cincinnati Reds legend Pete Rose thus essentially nullifying any hope that the “Hit King” might one day take his rightful place in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. So why am I talking about these two topics?

With next week being the week of Christmas, I will be uploading two blog posts this week. Each will discuss either the Dalton injury or the continuation of Rose’s ban from baseball. Not jovial topics for Cincinnati sports fans during the “most wonderful time of the year,” but topics important enough to warrant discussion from me. This post is about Pete Rose’s continued banishment from Major League Baseball and the Hall of Fame.

I want to start this post by saying that I am a diehard fan of the Cincinnati Reds and believe that Pete Rose deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. He had a career that many dream about and few actually achieve, and his accomplishments on the field are nothing short of legendary. I understand that Rose broke the rules established by Major League Baseball in regards to gambling. I understand that Rose agreed to and accepted the banishment from baseball and lied about his gambling for years. I understand that Rose has apparently not learned from his banishment as he continues to gamble on sports including baseball. What I cannot accept is the hypocritical nature of Major League Baseball.

MLB promotes fantasy sports gambling companies such as FanDeul and Draft Kings. They are fantasy sports sites in which users can gamble on baseball. This is clearly the pot calling the kettle black. MLB has a firm stance on being against gambling yet it promotes fantasy sports gambling companies and in turn receives revenue from these promotions.

Also, former big league stars such as Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Mark McGwire used performance-enhancing drugs during their playing days. This tainted the sport of baseball much like the Black Sox Scandal did in 1919. The outcomes of baseball games during the “steroid era” were in doubt not because of gambling like what the 1919 Chicago White Sox did, but because these “sluggers” were helping their teams win by cheating and not by talent. However, these cheaters are not banned from MLB and are still eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame while Rose, whose accomplishments on the field were due to pure baseball talent, is not.

In conclusion, I think it is completely ridiculous that Rose does not have the chance to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. While I understand MLB’s rule on gambling, I do not understand how it promotes fantasy sports gambling and allows former players who used performance-enhancing drugs to still have the opportunity for Hall of Fame induction. In my opinion, Rose does not even have to be let back into MLB. He should just have the opportunity to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I believe that the commissioner could have asked to have Rose placed on the ballot. If he receives the necessary amount of votes to get in, great. If he does not, at least he was given the opportunity. The decision by the commissioner to uphold the ban pretty much guarantees that the “Hit King” will never be enshrined in Cooperstown and proves that MLB is a hypocritical baseball entity.