Billy Hatcher Bobblehead Review

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Boomer Esiason Bobblehead Review

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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

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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. 

Reds Recap 2020

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps the 2020 Cincinnati Reds season. 

Glenn Braggs Bobblehead

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Glenn Braggs bobblehead. 

Pat Moran Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Pat Moran bobblehead.

George Wright Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum George Wright bobblehead. 

150th Anniversary Mr. Redlegs Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds SGA 150th Anniversary Mr. Redlegs bobblehead.

Jumbo Joey Votto Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Jumbo Joey Votto bobblehead. 

Aaron Harang Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2007 SGA Cincinnati Reds Aaron Harang bobblehead.

Bronson Arroyo Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2007 SGA Cincinnati Reds Bronson Arroyo bobblehead. 

2018 Cincinnati Sports Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The city of Cincinnati had a very interesting year with its three professional sports teams. There was some good, some bad, and some ugly as FC Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cincinnati Bengals all competed in their respective sports to bring a championship to the Queen City. So how was 2018 for each team? Let's take a look.

Let's start with the good. FC Cincinnati by far had the best year when compared to the Reds and the Bengals. They once again set numerous attendance records and strung together a 23 match unbeaten streak that culminated in a United Soccer League Regular Season Championship. Despite bowing out of the USL Cup playoffs in the second round, their season was a smashing success. Forrest Lasso won the USL Defender of the Year award, Emmanuel Ledesma won the USL Most Valuable Player award, and Alan Koch won the USL Coach of the Year award. The biggest prize the team won was its expansion spot in Major League Soccer. MLS officially awarded FCC an expansion franchise on May 29, 2018, and the team will begin MLS play in 2019.

Moving on to the bad, we have the Reds. 2018 was supposed to be a season that saw the team make strides and show that the rebuild was actually working. Instead it turned out to be a very forgettable season as the Redlegs once again finished at the bottom of the National League Central Division. The lack of pitching plagued the team all season as inconsistent performances from both the rotation and the bullpen proved to be the franchise's Achilles heel. The hitting on the other hand was pretty good all year as Joey Votto, Scooter Gennett, and Eugenio Suarez were the backbone of the Reds lineup and earned spots on the National League All-Star team. Jesse Winker and Scott Schebler became reliable at the plate as well and Jose Peraza showed great progress both in the field and with a bat in his hand. The team did fire Bryan Price early in the season and named Jim Riggleman as interim manager for the remainder of the season. Under Riggleman, the Reds were hot for about a month but ultimately still played poorly for a majority of the season. David Bell was named manager once the season concluded and two blockbuster additions in Turner Ward and Derek Johnson have been added to Bell's coaching staff. Most recently, the team announced they will part ways with Billy Hamilton which could lead to top prospects like Nick Senzel and Taylor Trammell getting some big league playing time in 2019.

The ugly unquestionably goes to the Bengals. 2018 was a year that started out with immense optimism as the team jumped out to a 4-1 start with an offense that looked unstoppable. The defense was another story however as they continued to turn in poor performance after poor performance. They were so bad that the team's brand new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was fired during the middle of the season. Head coach Marvin Lewis took over defensive duties but little improvement was made. The team was ravaged by injuries as Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, and Tyler Eifert all wound up on the season ending injured reserved list and guys like Joe Mixon and Gio Bernard missed a few games due to knee problems. The team as a whole looked uninspired and unprepared in games against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Cleveland Browns, and the Denver Broncos. As I write this, the Bengals are most likely going to miss the playoffs and Lewis is rumored once again to be on the hot seat. Many Bengals fans fear that the recently fired Browns coach Hue Jackson was rehired by the Bengals to be the heir apparent to Lewis. Overall, 2018 was a disastrous year that reminded Who Dey Nation of the dark decade that was the 1990s.

In conclusion, 2018 was a mixed bag for Cincinnati sports. FC Cincinnati had a very successful season and is currently preparing to begin MLS play. The Reds had a bad season but have renewed fan optimism by hiring a new manager and hitting the reset button with the coaching staff while their prospects appear to be making exciting strides at the minor league level. The Bengals are looking like a mess and are in desperate need of massive shakeup to revitalize the franchise. Hopefully FCC builds upon its 2018 success in 2019 and both the Reds and Bengals are able to right the ship and get back to their winning ways. With three professional major league sports teams, maybe one of these teams can bring a championship to Cincinnati for the first time since 1990.

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!

The Sweet Spot

I love summer. The weather is warm, skies are usually sunny, and sports are constantly on my television. The Cincinnati Reds and FC Cincinnati have been playing since spring and are in the midst of their 2018 campaigns while the Cincinnati Bengals are getting set to start their season. This is the only time of year in which all three of Cincinnati’s major league professional sports teams (yes, I included FC Cincinnati in this category as they will be in Major League Soccer starting in 2019) are playing at the same time. I refer to this time of the year as the sweet spot. It is during the sweet spot that you are almost guaranteed a sporting event from either of these three teams every day. 

Despite the Major League Baseball season winding down for the Redlegs, they still have a chance to play spoiler for potential playoff teams. They also seemingly play six days out of the week so you can watch their games with ease. For FCC, they generally play on weekends although they will occasionally have a midweek match. They currently sit atop the United Soccer League Eastern Conference standings and are also in the midst of their transition to MLS. It is a very exciting time to watch the orange and blue take the pitch. Lastly, the Bengals have finally stepped foot on the gridiron. The preseason just wrapped up and the regular season is in full swing as the Bengals begin their march to a Super Bowl Championship. The Bengals play mostly on Sundays with the occasional Monday night and Thursday night game sprinkled into the mix.

As you can see, it is a great time to be a Cincinnati sports fan. The Redlegs are on the diamond, FCC is on the pitch, and the Bengals are on the gridiron. You are guaranteed a Cincinnati sporting event almost every day courtesy of the Queen City’s three major league teams. I’ll be watching as much as a can and enjoying every second of Cincinnati’s summer sports sweet spot.

Playoff Bound!

FC Cincinnati could not have asked for a better start to the month of September. Not only did they win a thriller against United Soccer League rival Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, but they also were the first team to punch their ticket to the USL Cup playoffs. The win also helped cushion their lead in the USL East standings. At the time that this post was written, FCC has a 13-point lead over second place Louisville City FC and a 14-point lead over the Riverhounds who sit in third. The September 1 victory was big for the club, but it did not come easy.

The first half featured unusually sloppy play from FCC as the offense had trouble getting anything going, and the Riverhounds took advantage. They fired off numerous shots but the defense, mainly goalkeeper Spencer Richey, was able to repel the Riverhounds' offensive attack. For FCC, Emanuel Ledesma's soft tapper was inches away from finding the back of net until a Riverhounds defender cleared the shot. Not to be outdone, Richey came up big and had some key saves that kept the sides even at 0-0 when the first half ended. 

While defense reigned supreme in the first half, the second featured both teams' offenses finally breaking through. Despite sailing a penalty kick over the head of Richey early in the second half, the Riverhounds still managed to strike first when a shot got by Richey in the 57th minute to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. The score remained that way for a majority of the second half, and it looked like FCC's unbeaten streak was about to be broken. It wouldn't be until the final 10 minutes of regulation when FCC finally broke through the stingy Riverhounds defense. 

Dekel Keinan headed in a free kick from Ledesma in the 80th minute to knot things up at 1-1 sending the crowd that packed Nippert Stadium into a frenzy. Eight minutes later, Fanendo Adi, the club's first player guaranteed a spot on next season's Major League Soccer roster, fought through two Riverhounds defenders and scored from just inside the 18 to give FCC a 2-1 lead. Nipper Stadium erupted as Adi ran toward Coach Alan Koch for a celebratory embrace that became an entire team group hug. The defense held during the final two minutes and through four minutes of stoppage time to give FCC a dramatic 2-1 win over the Riverhounds as well as a spot in the playoffs.

I was in attendance for the match, and I can honestly say it was one of the best sporting events I have ever witnessed in person. In terms of drama and thrilling action, it ranks right up there with the three 2017 Open Cup matches against MLS teams that emanated from Nippert Stadium. The win was a big one as it helped cushion FCC's lead in the standings. In terms of playoffs, it is the third consecutive year that the three-year-old franchise has qualified for postseason play. As exciting as a match that it was, FCC has to put it in the rear-view mirror as they have a tough road matchup against Louisville City this weekend. Hopefully they notch another win and continue to build momentum toward the playoffs.