Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Dave Parker bobblehead.
Monday, September 4, 2017
Honoring the Legends
With the Cincinnati Bengals celebrating their 50th
anniversary, the team will be honoring some of the legends that helped make the
franchise what it is today. There will be halftime ceremonies during the first
two games of the year, and the list of former Bengals being honored is quite
impressive.
Players being honored at the home opener against the Baltimore
Ravens on September 10 include Ken Anderson, Isaac Curtis, Ken Riley, Lemar
Parrish, Louis Breeden, Mike Reid, Ross Browner, Ken Avery, Al Beauchamp, Solomon
Brannan, Gary Burley, Turk Schonert, and John Stofa. The next ceremony will
take place four days later during the Septpember 14 Thursday night game against
the Houston Texans. Players being honored include Chad Johnson, Cris
Collinsworth, Max Montoya, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bill Bergey, Rich Braham, Ken
Blackman, Neal Craig, Jonathan Fanene, Corey Mays, and Shaun Smith.
This is the first time that the Bengals are really
acknowledging the past and thanking the players of yesteryear. I grew up
watching guys like Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and it is awesome that
they will be honored by the Bengals. Hopefully the team takes the next step by
creating a team hall of fame or a ring of honor so that the contributions these
players made to the franchise will never be forgotten.
Who Dey!
Bobblehead Page Update
#Bobblehead Page Update @ https://t.co/f6kg2Fon2e with a new Bobblehead#FrostyFrog #bobblehof #BobbleheAddicts pic.twitter.com/8bIqiWdiVI— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) September 4, 2017
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Cincinnati Bengals 2017 Season Outlook
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone previews the 2017 season of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Grand Slam Champ
SummerSlam 2017 saw numerous titles change hands. One of
those titles was the Raw Tag Team Championship. The team of Dean Ambrose and
Seth Rollins defeated Cesaro and Sheamus and were crowned as the new kings of
the tag team division. For Seth Rollins, the win marked the second time he was
part of a tag team championship team as he previously held the belts with Roman
Reigns. For Ambrose, this is the first time he has held tag team championship
gold, and it also granted him access to a very exclusive club in WWE: the grand
slam champion’s club.
In WWE, a grand slam champion is a wrestler who has won the
tag team championships, two secondary titles, and the world title. It is a very
short list that is filled with some of the most elite wrestlers in history.
Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, Daniel Bryan,
and Chris Jericho are some of the wrestlers who have accomplished the feat.
While these wrestlers are current and future hall of famers, not every legend
and big name wrestler can call themselves a grand slam champ. As of the writing
of this post, there have only been 16 grand slam champions, and guys The Rock,
Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Randy Orton, and John Cena are not on that
list of grand slam champions.
As I said earlier, a grand slam champion must win two
secondary titles, the tag team titles and the world title. Dean Ambrose has won
the United States Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, the Raw Tag
Team Championship, and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The last jewel
in his grand slam crown was the Raw Tag Team championship which he won at
SummerSlam. The win not only made him the 16th grand slam champion,
but it also made him the youngest grand slam champion in history. Congrats to
Dean Amrbose on the accomplishment!
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Bobblehead Page Update
#Bobblehead Page Update @ https://t.co/f6kg2Fon2e with a new #Reds Bobblehead#LetsGoReds #bobblehof #ATOBTTR #MLB #BobbleheAddicts #sports pic.twitter.com/dwVaBvb6Wy— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) August 22, 2017
Plight of the Cruiserweights
When WWE announced that they were bringing back the
cruiserweight division, I was excited. The Cruiserweight Classic on the WWE
Networks was producing unbelievable matches, and it was arguably the best
cruiserweight action on television since the days of WCW Monday Nitro. The
cruiserweight division that WCW had during the Monday Night Wars featured some
of the finest wrestling on television at the time and helped propel guys like
Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, and Chris Jericho into
superstardom. The bouts were often fast paced and filled with high flying
action. People were tuning into WCW for the big name wrestlers and New World
Order storyline, but they were staying because of the action that the
cruiserweights brought to the ring.
I thought a similar style would be replicated on WWE television.
I was wrong. The cruiserweight division is struggling. Instead of being
presented as an athletic showcase for wrestlers who meet the 205 pound weight
limit, the division barely gets any television time on Monday Night Raw, and
the 205 Live show on the WWE network generally features two matches with an in
ring segment in between. The action is not as quick or as dazzling despite the
fact that many of the cruiserweights are some of the most athletically gifted
on the roster. Cedric Alexander is a perfect example of this. He is arguably
the most athletic wrestler in the division but was involved in a horrendous
storyline with Noam Dar and Alicia Fox and really has no direction that enables
him to show off his wrestling skill.
If WWE stripped the division down, gave the wrestlers more
television time, and focused more on the actual wrestling, I think it would
improve. The Cruiserweight Classic proved that fans were invested in matches
because of the action in the ring. Short video packages highlighted each
wrestler before the match, but the wrestlers did not cut promos or have an in
ring segment to get over with the fans. They let their abilities do the
talking, and it spoke volumes. If WWE can make the cruiserweight division more
like the cruiserweight classic, I think the plight of the cruiserweights will
finally come to an end.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Cincinnati Reds Replica Pete Rose Statue Unboxing
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds replica statue of Pete Rose.
Who Will Walk Out as Champ?
SummerSlam 2017 will boast a huge main event as Brock Lesnar
will defend his WWE Universal Championship in a Fatal 4 Way match against Braun
Strowman, Samoa Joe, and Roman Reigns. The match should be a war as four of
WWE’s most over wrestlers battle it out to determine who is the top guy on
Monday Night Raw. So will a new champ be crowned?
Nope. Not at SummerSlam 2017 at least. I predict Brock
Lesnar will walk into SummerSlam as champion and walk out as champion. That is
not to say he won’t have a tough match ahead of him. Strowman has become the
resident monster for the red brand, Samoa Joe was seconds away from choking out
the landlord of Suplex City at Great Balls of Fire, and Reigns is the only
other guy aside from Lesnar to defeat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania.
Despite the threat that each of the challengers pose to the
champ, they will not take the Universal Championship for themselves. I think
that Lesnar will win and hold onto the title until Wrestlemania 34 before
dropping the belt to Reigns. The seeds for that match will be planted at
SummerSlam as Lesnar successfully retains his title.
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Ron Oester Bobblehead Unboxing
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Ron Oester bobblehead.
The Run Continues
FC Cincinnati’s legendary run in the 2017 U.S. Lamar Hunt
Open Cup will continue after they defeated Miami FC of the NASL in the
quarterfinals last Wednesday. After the first half ended with both teams
scoreless, FCC took a 1-0 lead when Djiby Fall scored off a pass from Justin
Hoyte. It was the only goal of the game and the only goal the team needed as
FCC managed to hold off Miami FC’s offensive onslaught late in the game to move
onto a semifinal matchup with the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer on
August 15.
For FCC, the Red Bulls will be the third MLS team they have
face in their last four Open Cup matches. They previously defeated Columbus
Crew SC 1-0 and the Chicago Fire 3-1 on penalty kicks. Both games were in front
of raucous crowds of over 30,000 at Nippert Stadium. Their win against Miami
has given them the chance for another monumental victory in front of the
hometown crowd. Not only is a trip to the Open Cup Finals on the line, but a
third straight win over an MLS team would amplify the already thunderous buzz
FCC has created for themselves in American soccer and further strengthen their
case to be selected as an MLS expansion team.
I love this team and have been following them since they
were established in the summer of 2015. Aside from seeing the Reds win the
World Series and the Bengals win the Super Bowl, there is nothing I want more
when it comes to sports than for FCC to join MLS. They have been hitting all
the right buttons as a franchise, and the Open Cup has given them a national
stage to prove that they are MLS ready. Hopefully they can muster up some more
Open Cup magic on the 15th and continue this incredible ride.
Bobblehead Page Update
#Bobblehead Page Update @ https://t.co/f6kg2Fon2e with a new #Reds Bobblehead#LetsGoReds #bobblehof #ATOBTTR #MLB #BobbleheAddicts #sports pic.twitter.com/UPnWY9AzwZ— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) August 8, 2017
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Hey U Bobblehead Unboxing
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a bobblehead of the former mascot of the Northern Kentucky University Norse, Hey U.
Double Bobble Weekend
What’s better than getting a bobblehead at a baseball game?
Getting two bobbleheads at a baseball game! This Saturday, August 5, fans of
the Cincinnati Reds will have the opportunity to attain two bobbleheads when
they head to Great American Ball Park.
The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will be giving
away a bobblehead of Dave Parker. The bobblehead of “the Cobra” will be given away to fans who purchased a
general admission ticket to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum on
Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays in August. There are only 6,000 bobbleheads
available and with Parker being a fan favorite, this bobble could sell out
pretty fast.
The Cincinnati Reds are giving away a bobblehead of star
relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias to the first 20,000 fans on August 5. Iglesias
has been the best pitcher of the Reds bullpen this year, and his excellent
pitching has allowed him to secure the spot of team closer. Based on his
popularity among Reds fans, I would expect a big turnout for this game despite
the lackluster record the Reds have.
If you plan your day correctly on August 5, you will be able
to add bobbleheads of Dave Parker and Raisel Iglesias to your collection.
Parker is a Reds legend and Iglesias is becoming a bigger star every time he
takes to the mound. I have tickets to the game and plan stopping by the Reds
Hall of Fame to get the Parker bobble before heading into the stadium to get
the Iglesias bobble. The only thing that would the weekend better is a win for
the Reds!
Go Redlegs!
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
No Shield Reunion...Yet
For those of you who do not follow professional wrestling, a
faction is a group of wrestlers that stick together like a team. The New World
Order, the Four Horsemen, and D-Generation X are perhaps the most well factions
in wrestling history, but a group that was composed of Dean Ambrose, Seth
Rollins, and Roman Reigns made their case a few years ago to be mentioned in
the same breath as the factions previously mentioned. They were known as the
Shield and dominated the wrestling landscape from the end of 2012 to the summer
of 2014. The pop they got when they entered arenas was deafening and their
attitude and in ring work was a perfect recipe for success. They acted as the
best and were perceived by fans as the best. However, as quick as they
skyrocketed in popularity, they were disbanded and set their sights on solo
careers after Rollins ended the Shield with a couple of chair shots to his
former “brothers.”
They all captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and
competed in a triple threat match at Battleground 2016. Since then, Rollins has
turned face while Ambrose and Reigns have been faces ever since the group
disbanded. Ambrose and Reigns have teamed up in the past as have Rollins and
Reigns, but Ambrose and Rollins have not teamed together and are scheduled to
join forces for the first time since 2014 on the July 24, 2017, episode of Raw.
The seeds have been planted for a Shield reunion and reactions for each hint
WWE drops have been great, but will it happen? Not yet.
Reason number one the Shield will not regroup anytime soon
is Roman Reigns. WWE is still trying to position him as the next big superstar
of the company. Despite the negative fan reaction he receives, Reigns is still
considered a face, and WWE will not put their attempt to launch him into the
stratosphere as a solo start on the backburner in order to reunite the Shield.
Reason number two, and the reason I am most interest in, is
that Ambrose and Rollins appear to have a rivalry brewing. The storyline of
Ambrose having a hard time trusting Rollins has been simmering with tension and
has the potential to be one of the best rivalries of the year. As good as
Ambrose and Rollins were as a team, they were even better as enemies and
brought the best out of each other during their feuds in 2014 and in 2016.
Their promos and matches are always some of the best on the show and the fact
that Ambrose could turn heel during this storyline adds a dynamic layer to the
Ambrose versus Rollins saga.
In conclusion, that is why the Shield will not reunite yet.
Roman Reigns is in the midst of a meteoric push and Rollins and Ambrose appear
to be coming close to igniting their rivalry once again. I am not saying the
Shield will never reunite. I’m just saying it wont happen now. Believe that.
Monday, July 24, 2017
Monday, July 17, 2017
2017 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Pete Rose Bobblehead Unboxing
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2017 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Pete Rose bobblehead.
The Newport Debate
When FC Cincinnati announced potential sites for it soccer
specific stadium should it be added to Major League Soccer as an expansion
team, the franchise revealed that it narrowed potential locations to three locations.
Oakley, Over-the-Rhine, and Newport were revealed as the three candidates to
become the host city for FC Cincinnati’s stadium. This sparked a debate as some
fans do not want the stadium built in Newport. Why? Newport is across the Ohio
River in Kentucky.
Personally I do not care that Newport is in Kentucky. The
city has undergone a revitalization with “Newport on the Levee” being a hot
spot for entertainment and fun. Downtown Cincinnati is easily seen as Newport
rests on the shores of the river, and the Cincinnati skyline would make for a
fantastic backdrop for FC Cincinnati’s stadium. So why all the hate?
The reason I have been hearing the most is, “it’s FC Cincinnati,
not FC Newport.” To me, that is a very stupid reason to complain about Newport
as a potential stadium site. For one, teams have been building stadiums in
cities that aren’t in their name for a long time. Look at the New York Jets and
the New York Giants. Their stadium is in New Jersey. Does that mean fans in New
York do not root for the Jets or the Giants? Nope.
Now let’s look at it from the other side. The Cincinnati
Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals are located in downtown Cincinnati. Does that
mean people from Kentucky cannot root for the Reds or the Bengals? Nope. There
are people who live in northern Kentucky who are diehard fans of the Reds, the
Bengals, and FC Cincinnati. How do I know this? I’m one of those fans. I live
across the river in northern Kentucky about ten minutes outside of downtown
Cincinnati. I love the Reds, the Bengals, and FC Cincinnati and have crossed
the Ohio River multiple times to attend their games. The fact that people in
Ohio cannot do the same thing should FC Cincinnati build a stadium in Newport
baffles me.
Being a resident of northern Kentucky, I would love to see
the stadium built in Newport. It would mean the trip to the stadium would be
about the same amount of time as if it were built downtown. Over-the-Rhine and
Oakley are both north of the downtown banks area where both the Reds’ and
Bengals’ stadiums reside. Why not have the stadium close to the heart of
Cincinnati and in the same vicinity of Paul Brown Stadium and Great American
Ball Park? To me, Newport would be an excellent choice for FC Cincinnati’s
stadium. However, should FC Cincinnati decide to build the stadium in
Over-the-Rhine or Oakley, I will still go to their games and continue to be a
diehard fan of the team.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Bobblehead Page Update
#Bobblehead Page Update @ https://t.co/f6kg2Fon2e with a new #Reds Bobblehead#LetsGoReds #bobblehof #ASG2017 #MLB #ATOBTTR #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/sR7nGgc0C9— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) July 11, 2017
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