Who Day Eekeez Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Who Dey Eekez. 

Blue the Indianapolis Colts Mascot Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes an Indianapolis Colts bobblehead of Blue.

Who Dey Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a bobblehead of Who Dey, the Cincinnati Bengals mascot.

Adios AJ

The most popular backup quarterback in Cincinnati Bengals history is now an unrestricted free agent. AJ McCarron won his grievance against the Bengals and can now sign with any NFL team the he chooses. It is a big win for McCarron as he now has a shot to prove that he has what it takes to be a legitimate starting quarterback in the National Football League.

As for the Bengals, losing McCarron is a costly loss for the franchise as they will get nothing but a compensatory pick when McCarron signs with another team. Considering that the Bengals were on the verge of completing a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the Browns’ second and third round draft picks, only getting one compensatory pick is a big time downgrade in terms of McCarron’s return value. Had the Browns been able to complete the trade on their end, we would be talking about how the Bengals essentially stole two picks from the Browns. Instead we are left to wonder what could have been if the trade had been finalized.

Speaking of what could have been, Who Dey Nation will be left to wonder what could have been should McCarron have been named the starting quarterback over Andy Dalton. I am not bashing on Dalton. I am a Dalton fan and think he is a good quarterback. I’m not saying he is elite, but when it comes to current day NFL teams, there are a number of franchises that would love to have Dalton throwing the ball. However, McCarron is a proven winner. Just check out film from his days with the Alabama Crimson Tide. When Dalton broke his thumb in 2015, McCarron stepped in and played well enough to not only help the team win a few games to close out the regular season, but he almost guided the Bengals to their first playoff win in 25 years. I would have like to see what McCarron could have done had he been the starter for an entire season.

Unfortunately, the Bengals had other plans. Instead of making the starting quarterback job up for grabs in training camp, Dalton was always going to get the nod over McCarron. I will always root for my Bengals, but I like McCarron and hope he gets a starting job on another team. Maybe he will show the Bengals what they were missing. Or maybe he will prove the Bengals were right in not making him a starting quarterback. Either way, I wish him nothing but the best…except when he plays he Bengals in which case I hope Geno Atkins or Carlos Dunlap take him to the ground with an earth shaking sack.

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. 

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.

A Controversial Pick

With the 2017 NFL Draft now officially in the past, hundreds of former collegiate football players realized their dream of playing for an NFL team. My beloved Cincinnati Bengals selected numerous players from various colleges from across the country. There is one player, however, that generated more buzz than all of their draft picks combined. That player is former Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon.

For those of you who are unaware, Mixon was caught on video punching a woman in the face in the midst of an altercation. He hit her with such force that she was knocked off her feet and suffered broken bones in her face. The incident occurred in 2014, and Mixon was suspended for one season at Oklahoma. Mixon also had to serve 100 hours of community service and undergo counseling. The woman filed a suit against Mixon in 2016 that ended in a settlement. Mixon has since apologized to the woman, and both parties have expressed their desire to move on from the incident.

Almost every team in the league said they would not select Mixon. I was hoping the Bengals would follow suit as I found what he did in 2014 absolutely disgusting. Despite the immense baggage that Mixon would bring, the Bengals still decided to draft him in the second round. When NFL hall of famer and Bengals legend Anthony Munoz announced the pick, the entire NFL draft crowd erupted in deafening boos. A Bengals fan was shown on camera giving a thumb down to the decision. Despite the obvious backlash, the Bengals decided to welcome Mixon into the fold.

Who Dey Nation can do nothing about it. Mixon is in the Queen City and will help make up the offensive backfield alongside Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill. Despite Mixon’s presence, I am still going to root for the Bengals no matter what. I have been and will always be a diehard fan of the team. Mixon being on the roster does not change that. Media outlets have already criticized the Bengals for drafting the former Oklahoma Sooner. Let them. They need to realize that it was not Mike Brown or Marvin Lewis or anybody else on the team that punched that woman in 2014. It was one player. It was Joe Mixon. The Bengals are merely offering him a chance to play football. What Mixon does with it is up to him. It is his responsibility to change how people perceive him. The Bengals gave him the ball. Let’s see if he runs with it.

The Pacman Problem

Just when you thought a rough year for the Cincinnati Bengals could not get any worse, it did. On January 3, 2017, Bengals cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones was arrested after being accused of disorderly conduct and assaulting a security employee at a hotel in Cincinnati. Officials said that Jones was pounding on hotel room doors and when hotel security arrived to investigate, Jones got into an altercation with an employee by pushing the employee and poking him in the eye. According to court documents, the police were called and while Jones was being arrested, he was “head-butting” and “kicking” at officers. He was then taken to the county jail where things got much worse.

While sitting in the back of the police car, Jones can be seen on camera saying a lot of derogatory things to the officer that I have no desire of typing out in this post. If you want to see the video of Jones in the police car, click here. In the video, Jones repeatedly calls the officer a racially insensitive word, swears at the officer multiple times, kicks the door of the car, and says that he hopes the officer dies. Once inside the jail, Jones was allegedly combative and had to be placed in a restraint chair. According to court documents, Jones also spat on a female nurse when she tried to examine him. That action led to a felony charge of harassment with a bodily substance in addition to the multiple misdemeanor charges Jones is currently facing.

The video of Jones in the police car went viral on January 23, and a tidal wave of criticism and outrage came crashing down on Jones and the Bengals. The Bengals issued an apology to its fans as well as the city of Cincinnati, and Jones’ attorneys issued an apology to the officers, the Bengals organization, and fans of the team. At the time that this post was written, the NFL has yet to impose any kind of punishment on Jones.

Jones has been a tremendous asset to the defense during his time with the team, and he earned himself a hefty contract following a standout 2015 season. He seemingly turned his act around after years of off the field trouble. I went to an episode of “Beyond the Stripes” during the 2016 season in which Jones was the guest player. He was the best guest the show had all year, and he had nothing but good things to say about the Bengals franchise, the city of Cincinnati, and Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. He credited Lewis with saving his life. The Adam Jones I saw that night made the one from years past seem nonexistent. Unfortunately that is no longer the case as the work Jones did to rebuild his life and reputation has taken a huge hit due to his actions on January 3^rd.

Needless to say, the Bengals are in a tough situation. The charges alone Jones is facing are enough for the Bengals to cut the cornerback. Add in the video of Jones reverting to his past self in the back of the police car, and it is almost a forgone conclusion that Jones will not be with the team next season. He is a representation of the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that was once known for its players getting into trouble with the law. After essentially hitting the reset button and attaining the reputation of a model franchise in the NFL, it would make no sense for the Bengals to keep Jones. I love the Bengals, and I am a fan of Jones as a player. As a person though, Jones has proven that he has some work to do. I hope that Jones apologizes for his actions himself and takes the necessary steps to correct his behavior.

Here’s hoping to hear nothing but good news about the Bengals the rest of the offseason! Who Dey!

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#whodey #letsroar #football #NFLPlayoffs #nfl #sports pic.twitter.com/jmiefKMcPt

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 4, 2017

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFLPlayoffs #Sports #NFL #BeyondTheStripes #football pic.twitter.com/q1CUygF1AL

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 4, 2017

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#whodey #letsroar #NFL #MNF #TNF #football #BALvsCIN #sports pic.twitter.com/JUl6vPDYTG

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 28, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey  #LetsRoar #BALvsCIN #MNF #TNF #NFL #BeyondTheStripes #football pic.twitter.com/rJpeUk1Nht

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 28, 2016

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #CINvsBAL #TNF #MNF #nba #nhl #sports pic.twitter.com/vdR85wnK9j

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 23, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #CINvsBAL #football #nba #NFL #NHL #sports #TNF pic.twitter.com/KV2utTYda4

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) November 23, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #CLEvsCIN #BeyondTheStripes #TNF  #NFL #football pic.twitter.com/JYSV71NGo2

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 19, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #MIAvsCIN #BeyondTheStripes #TNF #NFL #football pic.twitter.com/P0sC4Sz2sg

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) September 28, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #LetsRoar #DENvsCIN #BeyondTheStripes pic.twitter.com/PmxmfNxYjI

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) September 21, 2016

Cincinnati Bengals 2016 Season Outlook

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone previews the 2016 season of the Cincinnati Bengals.

New Home for Beyond the Stripes

For Cincinnati Bengals fans, there are plenty of opportunities to get autographs. There are usually different talk shows in the Greater Cincinnati area such as Bengals Line and Bengals Nation. My favorite Bengals show is Beyond the Stripes. Hosted by Cincinnati Enquirer reporters, the show features in depth discussion as well as a fun segment with the guest player to close out the program. For the past few years, Beyond the Stripes has been held at the Moerlein Lager House but for the 2016 NFL season, the show will move to the Hofbrauhaus in Newport, Kentucky.

The Hofbrauhaus is a German restaurant. The food is pretty good, and the atmosphere is fun. It should be a nice setting for Beyond the Stripes. I am curious as to how they will set up the desk for the reporters and player as well as how autographs will be handled. When the show was at the Moerlein Lager House, the desk was set up in front of a window with Paul Brown Stadium in the background, and the autograph line formed a loop around the restaurant. Hopefully the Hofbrauhaus is set up in a similar way that allows fans to get autographs quite easily.

The first show is a special preseason show on August 23 with special guest Margus Hunt. There are rumors swirling that the first show of the regular season will feature Andy Dalton as the special guest. I really hope that is the case as it would be Dalton’s first time at Beyond the Stripes. I plan on attending every show I can, and if you see me there, give me a hello and a Who Dey!

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With #Bengals Training Camp Pics#Reds #WhoDey #LetsRoar #LetsGoReds pic.twitter.com/M88OBGgFWy

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) July 31, 2016