What Paul Brown Can Learn From Lucas Oil

I love going to Cincinnati Bengals games. Getting to watch professional football live and in person is one of the best sports events that all fans of the National Football League should try to experience. The atmosphere is phenomenal, the action on the field is usually constant, and getting to watch the game with a bunch of fellow football fans is always fun. Until this past season, I have only watched NFL games at Paul Brown Stadium. I always have fun cheering on the Bengals, and Paul Brown Stadium is a fine place to watch a game. However, my eyes were truly opened when I went up to Indianapolis to watch the Bengals take on the Colts in their 2018 season opener at Lucas Oil Stadium.

I have seen Lucas Oil Stadium on television multiple times but being there in person was a breathtaking experience. The Colts have a gorgeous stadium. From the Peyton Manning statue that greets fans outside the main entrance to the championship banners that hang from the ceiling, Lucas Oil Stadium is a palace when compared to Paul Brown Stadium. The stadium pays tribute to the city’s racecar heritage with various NASCAR and Indy Car models and it blends together nicely with the Colts décor that fills Lucas Oil Stadium to the brim. It was a cold and rainy day in Indianapolis so the roof was closed, and I believe that helped make the stadium louder. The retractable roof structure of the stadium also allowed the team to shoot off pyro and fire off streamers every time the Colt scored a touchdown. Lucas Oil Stadium was truly an experience that I wish Paul Brown Stadium could replicate.

I know that stadiums in Cincinnati is a touchy subject considering how the Reds and Bengals stadium deals are regarded as some of the worst of all time, and FC Cincinnati’s bait and switch and three site rotation stadium saga was nauseating. However, should the Bengals decide that they need a new stadium, I would hope they model it after Lucas Oil Stadium. I love Paul Brown Stadium, but Lucas Oil Stadium is without a shadow of a doubt much better. A new Bengals stadium could feature statues of franchise legends and also pay tribute to the city’s heritage. A retractable roof would be nice during the winter and for whenever it rains during a game and having orange fireworks go off whenever the Bengals score would be awesome. 

Those are just some of the things that I think the Bengals could implement into a new stadium should one be built. It would greatly enhance the game day experience, and the franchise could host a lot more events. Final Fours, College Football Championship games, state championship football games, concerts, Super Bowls, and WrestleMania among other events could all emanate from a new Bengals stadium that followed the Lucas Oil Stadium model. Maybe one day a new state of the art Paul Brown Stadium will see the Bengals not only host the Super Bowl but win it as well. 

Who Dey!

Redsfest 2018 Commemorative Ornament Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Redsfest 2018 Commemorative Ornament. 

My Reds and Marvel Bobblehead Wish List

Once again, the Cincinnati Reds and Marvel are joining forces to give away a themed ticket package bobblehead of a super hero. This year's bobble will feature Black Panther. This is the third consecutive year in which the Redlegs and Marvel have teamed up to give out a bobblehead. 2017 saw the Reds give out bobbleheads of Rocket Raccoon and Iron Man, and Captain America was given out last year. With an entire Marvel Universe of characters to feature as bobbleheads, who should the Reds immortalize as a bobble next? Here are my top five choices.

Let's start with the mighty Thor. The Asgardian god of thunder would make for an excellent bobblehead. Have him stand at the plate with his hammer instead of his bat and you've got an awesome crossover bobble that would make Odin proud.

Fourth on my list is Thanos. The ultimate villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe would look awesome as a Reds bobblehead. One hand could have the infinity gauntlet and the other could feature all five Reds World Series Championship rings.

Third on my list is Wolverine. He has always been my favorite X-Men character and is one of the toughest characters in the history of Marvel. I'd love to see him in either his traditional blue and yellow gear or in a red and white themed Redlegs outfit.

Second is the Incredible Hulk. The big, green rage monster has been one of Marvel's most popular characters and has been featured as a bobblehead by a few different teams already. A bobblehead of him smashing through Great American Ball Park would be epic.

My number one choice for a Marvel Reds bobblehead is Spider-Man. Not only is he my all time favorite super hero, but he is one of the most popular super heroes in the history of comics. He could also be featured in a variety of styles such as his Venom costume, the Miles Morales outfit, or his traditional red and blue gear. The possibilities are seemingly endless.

That's my list of Marvel characters I'd like to see featured as Reds bobbleheads. I've collected every one the Reds and Marvel have given out so far, and I already have my tickets for the Black Panther game. If this partnership between Marvel and the Reds continues, you can bet that I will be heading to Great American Ball Park to assemble my collection of Marvel and Reds bobbleheads!

Jonny Gomes Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2011 SGA Cincinnati Reds Jonny Gomes bobblehead. 

Dak Prescott McFarlane Figure Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Dak Prescott McFarlane figure.

An Unforgettable Night

March 17, 2019, will go down in history as one of the best nights in the history of FC Cincinnati. The team had its inaugural Major League Soccer home opening match in front of a sold crowd at Nippert Stadium. 32,250 people not only witnessed FCC take to the pitch as an MLS team in Cincinnati for the first time, but they also saw the lads in orange and blue shutout the defending MLS Western Conference Champions Portland Timbers 3-0. It was an unforgettable night and truly one of the most exciting and fun sporting events I have ever attended. 

This night truly had a big league feel when compared to previous United Soccer League matches I had attended in the past. The march to the stadium by the Bailey seemingly stretched for miles and miles and was louder than in years past. Skydivers descended upon the stadium with one towing an American flag. Gary the Lion, the team’s mascot, stood on a stone pillar and was pumping up the crowd as FCC’s MLS flag was raised. Fireworks lit up the sky during the National Anthem and once again moments before kickoff. It was as much a spectacle as the actual match.

After being dominated in a week 1 loss to Seattle Sounders FC and seemingly finding their groove in a week 2 draw against Atlanta United FC, FCC came out with a new energy against the Portland Timbers and were in control for a majority of the match. The blue and orange took their first ever lead when captain Kendall Waston headed in a ball in the first half that sent the sold out crowd into a frenzy as chants of “FCC” echoed throughout Nippert Stadium. Allan Cruz extended the lead with one of the best goals in team history as he backfooted a ball into the corner of the net in the second half to give FCC a 2-0 lead over the Timbers. Minutes later, Mathieu Deplagne scored to extend the FCC lead to 3-0. Spencer Richey turned in a brilliant performance as goalkeeper and earned a clean sheet as FCC notched their first ever MLS win.

As a diehard FCC fan, I could not have asked for a better night. The atmosphere was comparable to that of a playoff game, the pregame festivities had a true big league feel, and the performance by the team on the field was nearly flawless. The hype for FCC’s first ever MLS home opener was off the charts high, and the newest franchise in Major League Soccer not only lived up to it but surpassed it by miles in my opinion. I was at the team’s very first home opener during its United Soccer League days in 2016, and I had a blast at the game. Their first ever MLS home opener blew that game out of the water, and I can honestly say it was one of the best sporting events I have ever attended. Well done, FCC. With the eyes of the professional soccer world watching, you showed why Cincinnati is Soccer City, USA, and created a night that will be forever etched in the minds of the FC Cincinnati faithful. 

Big Game Weekends

I love sports. I love weekends. The two seemingly go hand in hand. My free time is limited to weekends, and I enjoy spending my weekends at sporting events. I feel like most sports fans feel this way. So why have big games on Sunday nights and during the work week?

The Super Bowl is on Sunday, and the College Football Playoff National Championship and the NCAA Championship basketball games are on Monday. Why? Most people work Monday through Friday and have to get up early for work. I am one of those people. I try not to stay up too late Sundays through Thursdays, but the sports fan in me requires that I watch these games. As a result, I am more groggy than usual the following day. 

The easy solution is to just record it or read about it the next day, but true sports fans know that is an impossible task as the desire to watch the event to see who will win will keep you up at night and render not watching the event in order to sleep meaningless. It’s not just sports who are guilty of making fans stay up late when they have to work the next day. Professional wrestling does this as well. Every WWE pay-per-view is on a Sunday, and if it is a big show such as Wrestlemania, prepare to make yourself a cup of coffee or chug a soda. You’ll need the caffeine in the morning as most WWE pay-per-views end after 11 pm.

Aside from the lack of sleep, there is also a lack of festivities that come from having these events on non-weekend days. If your team wins, you will want to go crazy and party and celebrate the victory! Party too hard, and you’ll have a rough morning the following day. Party too soft, and you aren’t really celebrating the win. 

The exception to this is championships that are decided by a series. The World Series, the NBA Finals, and the Stanley Cup require winning 4 out of 7 games in order to be crowned champion, so it is necessary to have these games on non-weekend days. The Super Bowl though? It is one game played after a two-week layoff. Just move it to Saturday! In fact, just move all championship games and wrestling pay-per-views to Fridays and Saturdays! Or better yet, make the days of the games as well as the days after national holidays! 

Okay, I’m finished ranting. I apologize for my cranky post. I stayed up to late watching the National Championship.

Wrestlemania 35 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Wrestlemania 35. 

An NIT Suggestion

The goal of every college basketball team is to play in March Madness and compete for the NCAA National Championship. Out of every college team in the country, only 68 qualify and get to go dancing in what is perhaps the best tournament in college sports. So what about the bubble teams that were left on the outside looking in and the team's from mid major conferences that did not win their conference tournament? They still get to dance, but it will be in a tournament with less national attention and far less people watching watching. Of course, I'm talking about the National Invitational Tournament.

After once being regarded as more prestigious than March Madness, the NIT has since declined in popularity and is widely seen as a consolation prize for teams that do not qualify for the NCAA National Championship Tournament. Unless the team you specifically root for is in the NIT, odds are you will not be watching. I can honestly say the only reason I watched any of this year's NIT was to see how the Xavier Musketeers did as they are one of the college basketball teams of which I am a fan. Had Xavier not been in it, I would have not been watching.

So how can the NIT make itself more interesting? Grant the winner of the NIT an automatic bid into next year's NCAA National Championship Tournament. If the two NIT finalists were playing for a shot at dancing in March Madness the following year, you'll have more people watching to see who will be the first to punch their ticket to the big dance. It will make the NIT more meaningful to the players and coaches, and fans will see it as more than a consolation prize. You can even move the NIT Championship game to the Sunday between the Final Four and national title game. Put it in the same arena as the Final Four and championship game and make it a weekend long March Madness event.

That's my idea of how to make the NIT more interesting. As I said earlier, it is now thought of a consolation prize and is the most well known tournament that nobody really cares about unless your school is participating in it. If you put a spot in March Madness the following year up for grabs and move it to the Sunday in between the Final Four and the championship game, then I think more people will watch and help make the NIT feel as prestigious as it did in years past.

Wily Mo Pena Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2005 SGA Cincinnati Reds Wily Mo Pena bobblehead.

The 2019 Cincinnati Reds Bobbleheads Are...

With the Cincinnati Reds celebrating their 150th anniversary season this year, the team has announced that they will be giving away seven bobbleheads that represent different eras of Reds baseball. Six of these bobbleheads are of Redlegs legends who have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. So who is being featured as a bobblehead this year? Let's take a look. 

The first bobblehead that will be given out is a 150th anniversary Mr. Redlegs bobble. This will be given out on May 4 against the San Francisco Giants. This is the bobblehead game I am looking forward to the most as Mr. Redlegs is a timeless mascot who is synonymous with the team, and it makes perfect sense that the franchise wants to incorporate him into their 150th anniversary season celebration. 

The second bobblehead of the season is of Ernie Lombardi. This will be given out to fans when the Redlegs host the Dodgers on May 18. While this is the first time the Reds team is giving out a bobblehead of Lombardi, it is actually the second year in a row in which fans can attain a bobble of the legendary player as the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum gave out a Lombardi bobblehead last season. 

Third on the list of Reds 2019 bobblehead giveaways is Joe Morgan. This bobblehead will be given out when the Washington Nationals come to town on June 1. Considered to be one of the greatest if not the greatest second baseman of all time, it is a little shocking that this is only the second Morgan bobblehead the team has ever given out to fans with the first being distributed in 2004. The Reds Hall of Fame gave out a mini bobblehead of Morgan in 2012. I would expect a big crowd for this game as Morgan is a heavy fan favorite in Cincinnati. 

On June 15 against the Texas Rangers, the Reds will give out a bobblehead of local legend and National Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin. The Reds have previously given out Larkin bobbles three times and the Reds Hall of Fame gave out a bobblehead of Larkin in 2014. The crowd for this game should be large too as Larkin played his entire career with his hometown Redlegs and is a huge fan favorite.

Tony Perez will have his bobblehead given out on July 27 when the Reds play the Colorado Rockies. The Reds gave out a single bobblehead of Perez in 2005, and he was featured as part of a triple bobblehead alongside Sean Casey and Joey Votto in 2017. Considering how scarce Perez bubbleheads are, this could be the hottest giveaway of the season.

On August 17, the Reds will give out a bobblehead of Johnny Bench when the St. Louis Cardinals come to town. I believe that Bench is the player to be featured the most as a bobblehead by both the Reds and the Reds Hall of Fame. Despite that fact, the Big Red Machine is held in high regard in Cincinnati and a bobblehead of Bench is sure to garner a big crowd.

The last bobblehead the Reds will give out in 2018 will be on September 7 when the Reds take on the Arizona Diamondbacks, This bobblehead will feature Ken Griffey Jr. who is not only a popular player in Reds Country but in all of Major League Baseball. The Reds have previously given out bobbles of Griffey Jr. three times with the most recent bobble having been given out in 2016. With Griffey Jr. being inducted into the Hall of Fame a few years ago, this bobblehead could rival the Perez one as most sought after stadium giveaway item for 2019.

Those are the bobbleheads the Reds will give to fans in 2019. All the featured players have already been immortalized as bobbleheads by either the Reds, the Reds Hall of Fame, or both. All of the bobbleheads except for Mr. Redlegs are being given out as two sets of three with each set representing three different eras of Reds history. These eras include the Crosley Field era, the Riverfront Stadium era and the Great American Ball Park era. A cool feature of these sets is that when they are put together, the backdrops will form the 150^thanniversary logo of the Reds.

While I am excited to add these 150^thanniversary bobbleheads to my collection, I am bummed that no current players are being featured. I would have loved to add bobbleheads of Jesse Winker, Amir Garrett, Jose Peraza, and Luis Castillo among others to my collection. The bobblehead I am looking forward to obtaining the most this season is Mr. Redlegs. He is a great mascot, and I love adding different Mr. Redlegs bobblehead variants to my collection. In conclusion, the lineup of Reds legends will make for a highly desirable series of bobbleheads that will make Reds fans happy.

1/29/19 Update:
Today the Cincinnati Reds announced that they will be giving out a bobblehead of newly acquired outfielder Yasiel Puig. Aside from the Mr. Redlegs bobblehead, the Puig bobble is the one I am looking forward to the most. Puig came to the Reds via a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is one of the most popular players in baseball and considering how the Reds currently only have him under contract for one season, having a Puig bobblehead game is a no brainer.

Reds 2019 Season Outlook

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone previews the 2019 Cincinnati Reds season. 

The Norse are Dancing

March is here and that means spring has sprung and the madness is about to start! I love March Madness and try to watch every game that I can by using a combination of various screens. I fill out a few brackets and root for teams that I'm a fan of and also ones that I have going deep into the tournament. This year will be a little different though as for only the second time in history, I will be cheering for my Alma mater.

Last Tuesday, the Northern Kentucky University Norse won the Horizon League Conference Tournament and earned an automatic bid to the big dance. I couldn't be happier. After seemingly coming from out of nowhere to win the conference tournament two years ago to make their first March Madness appearance, the team was upset in last year's Horizon League Tournament and had to settle for the National Invitation Tournament despite being crowned Horizon League Regular Season Champions. For those of you who do not know, the Horizon League is a small mid major conference and only the conference tournament champs get to go dancing in March. That is why winning the conference championship is so important for schools in smaller leagues.

For NKU, the 2018-19 season has easily been the best in school history. The team won a share of the Horizon League Regular Season Championship, Drew McDonald was named Horizon League Player of the Year, and the Norse defeated the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in thrilling fashion when McDonald drilled a game winning three pointer 1.6 seconds left in the game before cruising past the Wright State Raiders to win the Horizon League Conference Tournament Championship. Hopefully the momentum the Norse have captured continues into the NCAA tournament. Cinderella teams usually make their mark in March, and the Norse just might be wearing some glass slippers.

Norse up!

Aaron Harang Bobblehead Unboxing

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

2018 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Bobbleheads Review

2018 featured some pretty cool Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum bobbleheads. The Reds Hall of Fame continued its tradition of distributing bobbleheads to fans on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays of each month during the season with the purchase of an admission ticket. I did not get every bobblehead that the Reds Hall of Fame handed out this season as some were of repeat players. In this post, I will review the bobbleheads I added to my collection courtesy of the Reds Hall of Fame.

The first bobblehead I received from the Reds Hall of Fame this year was a members’ exclusive bobblehead of Chuck Harmon. In order to obtain the bobblehead, you had to be a Reds Hall of Fame and Museum member. This is the first ever Reds bobblehead of Chuck Harmon and the reason why I became a member. The membership also included some other perks, but the Harmon bobblehead is the best benefit of being a member in my opinion.

The second bobblehead from the Reds Hall of Fame that was added to my collection was a 1988 Rookie of the Year Chris Sabo bobble. Sabo is a bigtime fan favorite among Reds Country, and this particular bobble honors his Rookie of the Year award. I do not actively try to get repeat players unless the bobblehead is significantly different. I have the 2010 Sabo bobblehead that the Reds gave out when he was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame. The 2018 bobblehead came free with my Reds Hall of Fame membership, and even though I already have a Sabo bobble, the Rookie of the Year version is a pretty cool addition to my collection.

Third on the list of Reds Hall of Fame bobbleheads that I received was a bobblehead of Ernie Lombardi. He is a Reds legend, and I had been wanting either the team or the Reds Hall of Fame to give out a bobblehead of him for what seemed like an eternity. This bobblehead looks great and came free with my membership.

Fourth was a double bobblehead of Johnny Vander Meer. Like Lombardi, I had been wanting the Reds Hall of Fame or the team to give a bobblehead of Vander Meer for a very long time. He was on the 1940 World Series Championship team and became the first player in history to throw back to back no hitters. As such, his bobblehead is a double bobble and it might be one of the best that the Reds Hall of Fame has ever produced.

The fifth Reds Hall of Fame bobblehead for my collection in 2018 is a Tom Browning on a Building bobblehead. This bobblehead commemorates his famous 1993 stunt in which he left Wrigley Field during a game and perched himself on a roof across the street from the stadium. This is a fantastic bobblehead of Browning, and I consider it significantly different from other Browning bobblehead in my collection. 

The final bobblehead of 2018 that the Reds Hall of Fame gave out was of Harry Wright. This bobblehead was given out in exchange for a donation to the Reds Hall of Fame "150th Anniversary Legacy Campaign" to help cover the costs of renovating the actual Reds Hall of Fame and Museum building. Wright is the "Father of Professional Baseball" as he paid every player on the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings making them the first professional baseball team. This is by far my favorite Reds Hall of Fame bobblehead of 2018. 

Those are all the bobbleheads that I added to my collection courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum in 2018. They all look great and do an excellent job of representing different generations of Reds history. My favorite from this batch might be Ernie Lombardi. It’s hard to beat a bobblehead of a Reds legend and National Baseball Hall of Famer which is what Lombardi is. The only bobbleheads from the 2018 Reds Hall of Fame lineup that I did not get were Adam Dunn and Johnny Bench as I already have bobbles of them in my collection, and I felt that the 2018 versions were not significantly different enough. 2018 was a solid year for Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum bobbleheads, and I cannot wait to see what the Reds Hall of Fame unveils for 2019.

Alexander Global Promotions Prize Pack Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes an Alexander Global Promotions prize pack.

Follow Alexander Global Promotions on Twitter: @AgpBobbleheads

Fastlane 2019 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Fastlane 2019.

2019 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Bobblehead Preview

The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is a great way to learn about the history of professional baseball's oldest franchise. With the team celebrating its 150th anniversary season this year along with the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum building undergoing a renovation this offseason, 2019 will be a year in which visiting the Reds Hall of Fame at least once is a must. Need another reason to check it out this year? The Reds Hall of Fame will be giving out a total of six bobbleheads with five of them being distributed on Saturdays and Sundays with price of admission from May through September.

The first bobblehead announced by the Reds Hall of Fame is if George Wright. George is the brother of Harry, the man credited with establishing the Cincinnati Red Stockings as the world's first professional baseball team in 1869. George played shortstop for the Red Stockings and was awarded the Clipper Medal in 1868 for being selected as baseball's best shortstop. He is a member of both the Reds Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and his bobblehead is exclusively being given out to 2019 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum members. I believe this will be the first bobblehead to feature Wright.

The series of Reds Hall of Fame bobblehead giveaways officially kicks off in May with a 100th anniversary celebration of the Reds' first World Series Championship when a bobblehead of Pat Moran will be given to fans. Moran was the manager of the Reds from 1919-1923 and guided the team to their first ever World Series Championship in 1919. As far as I know, this will be the first Reds bobblehead of Moran.

The second bobblehead will be given away in June and will celebrate the 75th anniversary Joe Nuxhall making his major league debut at the age of 15. Nuxhall was a fan favorite if Reds Country both on the field and in the radio booth as the longtime broadcast partner of Marty Brennaman. With Marty retiring at the end of the season, this bobblehead of "the Ol' Left-hander" should be a popular one with fans. This will be the third giveaway bobblehead of Nuxhall as the Reds gave out a dual bobble of Marty and Joe in 2003 and a bobblehead of Nuxhall as a player in 2004.

The July bobblehead will be the third of the series and will feature Gus Bell. He played for the Reds from 1953-61 and was a four time All-Star. He was later inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1964. Bell is the father of Buddy who was a former big leaguer who played for the Reds from 1985-88, and is the grandfather of current Reds manager David. This is the first Reds bobblehead of Gus that will be distributed to fans.

Vada Pinson is the fourth bobblehead of the series and will be given away in August. He played for the Redlegs from 1958-68 and helped the team capture the National League Championship Series in 1961. He was also named to the National League All-Star team in 1959 and in 1960 and won a Gold Glove Award in 1961. Pinson was inducted into he Reds Hall of Fame in 1977 and will have his first Reds bobblehead distributed this year.

The Reds Hall of Fame and Museum's final bobblehead giveaway of 2019 will happen in August, and in my opinion, they saved the best for last. The fifth bobblehead of the series is of Reds legend Ted Kluszewski. Known as "Big Klu," and for cutting the sleeves of his uniform because they were too tight around his massive arms, Kluszewski belted 279 homers and drove in 1,028 runs. He also helped lead the Big Red Machine to back to back World Series Championships as the team's hitting coach. Without a shadow of a doubt, the 1962 Reds Hall of Fame inductee is one of the most popular Reds players of all time and will finally be immortalized as a bobblehead for the first time ever this year.

Those are all the bobbleheads scheduled to be given out by the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019. The lineup is loaded with Reds legends and aside from Nuxhall, features guys who have never been immortalized as Reds bobbles. I am very excited for the "Big Klu" bobblehead and cannot wait to get my hands on it. If you are a Reds fan, a bobblehead fan, or both, make you sure you visit the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum this season to add these bobbleheads to your collection.

Bronson Arroyo Bobblehead Unboxing

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

Major League Crest

Earlier in November, FC Cincinnati unveiled their new team crest in preparation for their 2019 Major League Soccer debut. The new logo has an updated appearance from its United Soccer League counterpart and features a few details that pay tribute to the city of Cincinnati. 

The overall shape of the crest is inspired from the West End which is where the team’s stadium will be built. The font used on the crest for “FC Cincinnati” is said to be both German and modern and the way Cincinnati is displayed symbolizes how the city is on the rise. The winged lion has been given an updated look and is holding a sword to show how the club is ready for battle. The crown on the lion’s head is for the Queen City, and the three tiered wing commemorates the team’s USL seasons prior to joining MLS. It’s tail is in the shape of a capital “C” for Cincinnati, and the winged lion logo was retained to showcase the franchise’s winning spirit. 

I the crest was leaked a few days before the it was officially unveiled, and it received mixed reviews from fans. Personally, I love it. It looks sleek and much more professional than the USL logo. It also features Cincinnati much more prominently than the hold crest. I think as time goes on, more people will appreciate the new crest. I will always have a soft spot for the original USL crest as that is the symbol of the team that captured the attention of the soccer world and helped propel the franchise to MLS. I will continue to wear and obtain merchandise with both logos and support the team no matter what.

Go FCC!