Here’s Hoping

On Tuesday, January 31, 2017, FC Cincinnati officially submitted its application to join Major League Soccer as an expansion team. For those of you who do not follow the sport of soccer, FC Cincinnati is currently in the United Soccer League, which is a second tier professional soccer league in the United States. MLS is the highest tier in American soccer as designated by the United States Soccer Federation. With MLS undergoing expansion, a number of cities have entered the race to be chosen as a site for an MLS expansion team. The Queen City was thrust into the mix thanks to the fantastic debut season of FC Cincinnati.

During its premier season in the USL, FC Cincinnati made waves by shattering USL attendance records and by producing a quality product on the field of play. When it came to attendance, FC Cincinnati was able to draw a record setting average of 17,296 fans a match with a season total of 333,353 people. Their home playoff game drew a staggering 30,187 people, which is a USL single game attendance record, and their friendly match against Crystal Palace drew a jaw dropping 35,061 people. It must also be noted that they were the only USL team selected to play Crystal Palace during Crystal Palace’s three-match friendly tour of America. The other two teams selected were MLS teams and drew less than half the amount of people that FC Cincinnati was able to draw for their friendly match with Crystal Palace.

Aside from having the attendance numbers of an MLS team, FC Cincinnati was able to hang with the best competition that the USL had to offer. The team finished third in the USL Eastern Division with a record of 16-6-8 and was able to clinch a home playoff match. Players such as Mitch Hildebrandt and Sean Okoli were honored with multiple USL awards for their efforts on the pitch with Okoli receiving the coveted USL Most Valuable Player award. In fact, Okoli performed so well during the 2016 season that he was offered and accepted a contract to join the New York City Football Club which plays in MLS.

Aside from FC Cincinnati proving that they can draw fans like an MLS team and that they have on field talent worthy of being on an MLS team, they have also presented themselves as an MLS team. From the very beginning, FC Cincinnati presented itself as a professional sports team at a major league level. They secured deals with local radio and television stations to have their games broadcasted in the Cincinnati area and have garnered huge partnership and sponsorship deals with companies such as Toyota, Kroger, and Pepsi. FC Cincinnati’s major league presentation has reverberated well with fans as they perceive the team as major league franchise on par with the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals.

The only big question about FC Cincinnati’s bid to become an MLS team is the stadium situation. MLS requires teams to have a soccer specific stadium to host matches. FC Cincinnati is currently playing in Nippert Stadium on the University of Cincinnati campus. Nippert Stadium serves as the home field for the UC Bearcats football team and is currently undergoing FC Cincinnati funded field expansion so that it can meet FIFA standards. It has been reported that FC Cincinnati has found a few suitable areas for a soccer specific stadium to be built. With the commitment that the team has shown in converting a football stadium into a makeshift soccer stadium, I personally believe that FC Cincinnati will do whatever it takes to construct a soccer specific stadium to call home.

As of now, FC Cincinnati appears to be hitting all the right buttons in its quest to become an MLS team. The team has a huge fan base that shattered attendance records last year and has already bought close to 10,000 season tickets for the 2017 season, and it has an on field product capable of playing with some of the best teams that make up the USL. FC Cincinnati has also presented itself as a major league team by securing big corporate partnerships, local television and radio deals, and by scouting areas for its own stadium. I believe the team has what it takes to be the next MLS expansion franchise, and I will be waiting with baited breath for MLS to announce which city will be the next location for an MLS team. Here’s hoping its Cincinnati!

Bye-Bye BP

One of the hardest things for any sports fan to go through is the rebuilding process of their favorite teams. It can feel like somebody is rubbing salt in the wound as teams undergoing reconstruction generally have losing records and also trade away players perceived as fan favorites. Trading away the star players that fans had grown to love is perhaps the hardest thing about rebuilding a franchise as it usually catches fans off guard when it happens. For members of Reds Country, the rebuilding process has been felt for the past few years. Guys like Johnny Cueto, Jay Bruce, Mike Leake, Aroldis Chapman, and Todd Frazier all contributed to the success the Cincinnati Reds had from 2010 to 2013 and have all since been traded due to the rebuilding efforts of the franchise. All the players previously mentioned left an impact on the franchise that fans will never forget. However, the Reds’ most recent trade might prove to be the most difficult for fans to swallow as the franchise traded team veteran and Cincinnati favorite Brandon Phillips to the Atlanta Braves for a pair of young pitchers.

Rumors of the trade began to circulate late Saturday night and intensified into Sunday. Baseball experts and various sports outlets were reporting that a trade between the Reds and the Braves involving Brandon Phillips was a done deal. I was a bit skeptical when I read these reports as the Reds have unsuccessfully tried to ship Phillips out of the Queen City multiple times in the past. Each time it seemed like the Reds had finally traded away the popular second baseman, news would break saying that Phillips exercised his no trade clause and would remain as a member of the Reds.

I followed the story throughout the morning on Sunday and did not see anything notably different than what was originally reported on Saturday night. I thought the trade was going to fall through again. A few hours later, a notification appeared on my phone saying that the Reds had traded Phillips to the Braves in exchange for two pitchers. I immediately checked the Twitter account of the Reds. To my shock, a statement had been released by the franchise confirming the trade. I was stunned not because the Reds traded Phillips but because Phillips had accepted the trade. I had heard reports of how Phillips loved Cincinnati and had hoped to retire as a Red. That is why he kept exercising his no trade clause. I began to expect him to leave via free agency since a trade was having trouble materializing. However, the Reds managed to get Phillips to accept the trade and ended his decade with the franchise.

Phillips was my favorite player on the team. He came to Cincinnati in 2006 and dazzled fans with his defensive prowess. He routinely made fantastic plays such as bare handing grounders, making diving catches, and throwing out base runners by tossing the ball behind his back. During his decade with the Reds, Phillips won four Gold Glove awards, a Silver Slugger award, became only the third Red in history to join the 30-30 club, and made the National League All-Star team three times. He also helped revitalize the franchise by bringing playoff baseball back the Queen City for the first time in 15 years. Aside from his on field accomplishments, Phillips was a fantastic representative of the Reds. He usually signed autographs before every game, never hesitated to take pictures with fans, and would occasionally pop up at high school sporting events in the Greater Cincinnati area. He was one of the friendliest players on the team, and the city will miss his trademark infectious smile.

Phillips was a huge fan favorite and had a genuine connection with the city that only few players can muster. He created a defensive highlight reel with the Reds and was one of the most popular players in the history of the franchise. His skill on the field combined with his love for Reds Country was well received by the city, and it is definitely sad to see him go. However, that is the cost of rebuilding a franchise. Fan favorites leave and make room for young prospects. As a Reds fan, I am excited to see what the two young pitchers the team got in exchange for Phillips can do. Hopefully they can help lead the Reds to prominence once again and have an impact on the city similar to that of Phillips. Thanks for the memories BP, and good luck in Atlanta.

Go Redlegs!

Elimination Chamber 2017 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Elimination Chamber 2017.

Cincinnati Reds Nutcracker Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds nutcracker.

Are We Being Trolled?

I am by no means a Roman Reigns hater. Despite his shortcomings on the microphone, I find his ring work entertaining. His career in WWE, however, has me asking one question: Are we being trolled? It is no secret that WWE wants to push Roman Reigns as the next top star of the company. WWE has done seemingly everything in their power to position Reigns as the heir apparent to John Cena and lead the company over the next decade. He has been booked as an unstoppable underdog. No matter how high the odds seem to be stacked against him, he usually overcomes them. Whether it be the Authority, the League of Nations, or a WWE wellness policy violation and suspension, Roman Reigns has always come out on top. His booking history is a very clear indicator of WWE’s big plans for the “big dog.”

He debuted as a member of the Shield in 2012 alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, and the trio received a massive push by running over everybody that stood in their way. While the group appeared as a unit of solidarity, Roman Reigns was actually being portrayed as the best of the bunch. At Survivor Series 2013, Reigns was the sole survivor in a traditional Survivor Series 5-on-5 elimination tag team match. During the 2014 Royal Rumble match, Reigns eliminated both of his Shield brethren in route to tossing a record total of 12 people over the top rope while finishing as the bout’s runner-up. When Rollins dismantled the Shield during the summer of 2014, Reigns was immediately thrust into the main event scene and world title contention. He won the 2015 Royal Rumble and earned a main event Wrestlemania 31 WWE World Heavyweight title shot. Although he lost the match, he still managed to win the title by the end of 2015. He lost the title at the 2016 Royal Rumble but regained it in the main event of Wrestlemania 32. He then lost it again at Money in the Bank 2016 and was suspended for a month for violating the WWE wellness policy. However, his first match back from his suspension was a WWE title match and although he lost, he was inserted into the United States Championship picture. He proceeded to win the United States title and was again back in world title contention.

As you can see, Reigns has had arguably the best booking of any WWE wrestler since 2012. However, it has not been well received by fans. Despite being a face, he gets mixed reactions at best as the boos and jeers generally drown out the little amount of cheers he gets in wrestling arenas. Every time he takes on a heel, it is as if the roles are reversed. The heel gets the face reaction while Reigns is the target of the heel reaction. Why is this?

I believe it stems from the booking. With Reigns being positioned as the unstoppable underdog and next big megastar of the company, he rarely loses cleanly which can have negative effects on the other wrestlers on the roster as they generally come out of a match with Reigns looking weaker than they did heading into it. His booking has also prevented other wrestles from reaching the next level of superstardom in the WWE. In 2015, Daniel Bryan was the clear choice of the fans to main event Wrestlemania 31, but instead the nod went to Reigns. In 2016, Dean Ambrose was white hot in terms of popularity and should have been in the main event of Wrestlemania 32 but was cast aside by WWE in favor of Reigns again. Both Bryan and Ambrose were still popular, but Bryan had to retire due to injury and never reached that next level of superstardom, and Ambrose cooled off significantly over the course of the past year.

So here we are in 2017 and Reigns is still being booked the same way and is having the same type of fan reactions. He was the 30^th and final entrant in the 2017 Royal Rumble match and was greeted with a chorus of boos from the Alamodome crowd. Chants of “this is bull sh*t” could also be heard and only grew louder when Reigns eliminated the massively popular and respected Undertaker from the match. It was at this point in time I began to wonder if WWE is using Roman Reigns to mess with the fans. He is one of the most hated wrestlers on the roster, and WWE clearly knows it. They have done everything possible to get Reigns over and have even edited videos of fan reactions to Reigns to make it seem like the fans support him. The lengths WWE is willing to go to protect Reigns is laughable. At the same time, they are still irking fans with how they book him. This is the most stubborn booking by WWE I have ever seen. It is not working at all, but WWE keeps pushing it.

So how do you fix this situation? It is cliché for people to call for a wrestler to have a heel turn in order get over with the crowd. It doesn’t always work, but it could actually be beneficial for Reigns. He already gets a heel reaction so WWE should heavily consider turning the “big dog” heel. It may delay their plans to have Reigns as the next big face of the company, but the boos will at least match the character being portrayed. A potential Wrestlemania feud with the Undertaker could finally lead Reigns to the dark side, but until that happens expect the WWE to continue trolling the fans with the nonsensical booking of Roman Reigns.

Royal Rumble 2017 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on the 2017 WWE Royal Rumble event.

Bengal Graphs 2016 Part 4

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the different Cincinnati Bengals autographs he has gotten throughout the 2016 NFL season.

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!

Who Will The Phenom Face?

The road to Wrestlemania is officially underway. Over the last few weeks, various wrestlers have announced their participation in the Royal Rumble match. Wrestlers such as Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, the Miz, the Undertaker, and Dean Ambrose have all said that they will be participating in the bout. The winner will earn a main event title shot at Wrestlemania, and I believe that the Undertaker is the current odds on favorite to emerge victorious. Should the Undertaker indeed win the Royal Rumble match, who will he face? Allow me to explain.

There are currently two world champions in WWE. Raw is home to reigning WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens, and SmackDown has WWE World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles. Owens is in the midst of a feud with Roman Reigns and appears to have a showdown with Chris Jericho on the horizon. Styles is currently set to defend his title against John Cena at the Royal Rumble in what should be another fantastic bout between the two top wrestlers of the blue brand. I think Cena will defeat Styles and win his record-tying 16^th world title. This will set up the much-anticipated Wrestlemania showdown with the Undertaker.

A Wrestlemania match between “the face that runs the place” and “the phenom” is a Wrestlemania dream match that has yet to come to fruition. The two were engaged in a rivalry during Cena’s early days on the roster in 2003, and they almost faced off at Wrestlemania 23 in 2007. The Undertaker had won the Royal Rumble match that year and Cena was the reigning WWE Champion. It was teased that “the dead man” was going to face Cena, but he ultimately challenged Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship instead.

I think it would be very fitting if Cena and the Undertaker clashed at the “Showcase of the Immortals.” The Undertaker has been a WWE cornerstone for nearly three decades, and Cena has been the most well-known wrestler on the roster for about 15 years. A bout between two of WWE’s greatest wrestlers would definitely sell out Wrestlemania 33, and WWE needs to capitalize on this opportunity. The Undertaker only has a few matches left in him, and Cena is transitioning from a full time wrestler to a part time wrestler/actor. The window is closing fast for this match, and I think that this is the year WWE pulls the trigger on a Wrestlemania matchup between Cena and the Undertaker.

Bobblehead Collection 2016

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows his entire bobblehead collection.

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.

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #louisville basketball pics#GoCards #L1C4 #ncaa #basketball #UofL #CardNation pic.twitter.com/F5hJVwY8UB

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 18, 2017

Redsfest 2016 Day 2

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone vlogs about his experience at day 2 of Redsfest 2016.

Watch the day 1 vlog of Redsfest 2016 here.

The 2017 Reds Bobbleheads Are…

The Cincinnati Reds have finally announced what bobbleheads they will be giving out during the 2017 season. For the most part, the lineup of nodders is pretty solid. New players are being featured, but the team has once again decided to showcase a certain first baseman. In this post, I will share my thoughts on the bobbleheads that the Reds plan to give out in 2017. Please note that I am only sharing my thoughts on the standard stadium giveaway bobbleheads and not the special package bobbleheads.

The first bobblehead the Reds will be giving out is of Adam Duvall. This was a no brainer. Duvall was the breakout star of the team last season. He competed in both the homerun derby and the all-star game and really made a name for himself at the plate. The Reds have already posted a picture of the bobblehead on their twitter account, and it looks great. I will definitely try to go to the ballpark on May 20 to pick up this bobblehead.

The second bobblehead of the year will feature pitcher Anthony DeSclafani. This is another great choice as DeSclafani has been a very solid member of the pitching rotation for the last few years. He usually has very good starts and is almost guaranteed to have the Reds in position to pull out a win. His bobblehead will be given out on June 3, the same day a special ticket package Iron Man bobblehead will be featured. If you play your cards right, you could go to the game and walk away with two bobbleheads.

Third on the list is Billy Hamilton. This will be the third bobblehead the Reds have given out of Hamilton in the last four years. I do not plan on going to the July 15 game to get it as I have the Hamilton bobble that the team gave out in 2014. The previous two nodders featured Hamilton stealing a base. Based on his emergence as a defensive stud last year, I think the Reds will have this bobblehead showcase Hamilton in the midst of an incredible catch in centerfield.

Fourth is a bobblehead of Raisel Iglesias. The heir apparent to Aroldis Chapman stepped into the closer role last year and did a pretty good job overall. While there is room for improvement, he was definitely the best bullpen pitcher for the Reds in 2016. His work last year was deserving of a bobblehead, and I plan on heading to the stadium on August 5 to get it.

The fifth bobblehead of the 2017 season is of pitcher Homer Bailey. Reds Country has mixed feelings about Bailey. He was spectacular in 2012 and in 2013 and earned a hefty contract based on his performances on the mound. Since he signed the new contract, he has seemingly barely pitched for the Reds as injuries have shortened his season for the past three years. This has many people claiming the Reds wasted a ton of money on the pitcher. Despite this, the team will be giving out a Bailey bobblehead on August 26.

Sixth on the list of bobbleheads is a Reds “Past and Present” triple bobblehead that will be given out on September 16. It will feature three first basemen representing three different eras of the team. The first basemen chosen for this nodder are Tony Perez, Sean Casey, and Joey Votto. I have lost count on how many times the Reds have featured Votto as a bobblehead. This will be the second time Perez will be featured and the third time Casey will be showcased. The concept for this bobblehead seems pretty cool, and I will probably try to add it to my collection.

The seventh and final bobblehead the Reds will give out in 2017 will feature somebody voted on by the fans. According to the Reds promotional schedule, a poll will be held in April with the winner of the poll being featured as the final bobblehead of 2017. I hope players and coaches who have not had bobbleheads are featured in this poll. If Lou Piniella is a choice, he has my vote. This game will be on September 23 and will be during the 1975 Cincinnati Reds World Series Championship replica ring package weekend. I plan on getting the ring, and the bobblehead would be a nice little bonus.

Those are the bobbleheads that the Reds plan to give out to fans in 2017. It is a mix of new and repeat players that makes for a solid lineup overall. I plan on getting a few of these nodders for my collection, and hopefully I can get the tickets to these games soon. More information on the bobbleheads as well as the other promotions the Reds have planned can be found here. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the unboxing videos!

Go Redlegs!

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With a New #Wwe Autograph#SDLive #RAW #nxt #WWENXT #205live #talkingsmack #Wrestlemania pic.twitter.com/64oq1JvrcY

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 11, 2017

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Wwe Pics#sdlive #raw #nxt #205live #WWENXT #talkingsmack #Wrestlemania #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/LMBGPyWdMy

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 11, 2017

Bengals Recap 2016

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

Taken for Granted

Being a Cincinnati Bengals fan is not always the easiest thing. Aside from having to deal with the constant reminder that the Bengals have not won a playoff game since 1990, you also have to deal with internal conflicts and wars of words amongst fellow members of Who Dey Nation. There are constant debates of whether or not Marvin Lewis should be fired or if AJ McCarron should be the starting quarterback over Andy Dalton. While these internal arguments seemed to decrease within the last five years, the 2016 season has seen a resurgence of these debates. The conflicts are again raging on with the topic of whether or not Ken Zampese should remain offensive coordinator being thrown into the mix. But why are these arguments once again the main focus of Bengals fans? It is because the team will not make the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season.

After a very disappointing 2010 campaign in which the team finished with an abysmal 4-12 record, the franchise was essentially forced to hit the reset button. Star quarterback Carson Palmer refused to come back to the team, and the question of who would be behind center for the Bengals was a topic hot discussion during the offseason. In response to Palmer’s poor display of team leadership, the Bengals drafted Texas Christian University quarterback Andy Dalton in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft. Dalton was paired with Bengals first round draft pick A.J. Green, a wide receiver out of the University of Georgia. Together the duo helped lead the Bengals to a 6-2 record through the first nine weeks of the 2011 season which prompted the team to trade Palmer to the Oakland Raiders for two future draft picks. The 2011 Bengals finished the season with a record of 9-7 and qualified for the playoffs as a wildcard team.

2011 marked the first of five consecutive years in which the Bengals qualified for the playoffs. They qualified as a wildcard team in 2011, 2012, and in 2014 and qualified as division champs in 2013 and in 2015. Bengals fans began to expect the team to become a yearly contender. Instead of hoping for the team to make the playoffs, fans began to hope that the team would find postseason success. Questioning if the team would make the playoffs became laughable. This state of mind was shared by nearly every member of Who Dey Nation including me.

I had no doubt that the team would once again reach the playoffs at the end of the 2016 season. In my Bengals 2016 season preview video, I predicted that the team would reach the postseason and win in the first round. That will not happen. I, like so many other Bengals fans, took playoff qualification for granted. What us fans have to realize is that making the playoffs is not a guarantee. Each game during the NFL season has huge consequences when it comes to the playoffs, and members of Who Dey Nation are getting an unpleasant reminder of those consequences this year.

I have come to terms with the fact that the Bengals will not be playing for a chance to win the Super Bowl this season. I have also realized that the opportunity to play for a Super Bowl title is not a guarantee. The 2016 season has proved that playoff qualification should not be taken for granted and that the five-year stretch of success the Bengals had could be difficult to duplicate in the future. I have learned my lesson, and I hope all Bengals fans as well as the entire Bengals franchise has learned their lesson as well. Hopefully 2017 will be a rebound year that will include a valuable trip to the playoffs.

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

Bengal Graphs 2016 Part 3

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the different autographs he has gotten from the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2016 NFL season.

2016: Goodbye and Good Riddance

With the new year approaching, I thought I would take a retrospective look at 2016 for this week’s post. A lot of people I know here in the Cincinnati area are saying that 2016 sucked, and I have to agree. Aside from a few highlights such as the debut of FC Cincinnati, Adam Duvall’s breakout year with the Cincinnati Reds, and Dean Ambrose winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in his career, 2016 was an awful year. While I remember 2015 as being a fun and solid year overall, 2016 is a year I would love to forget. It all started in January…

My beloved Cincinnati Bengals rode a 12-4 record into the postseason where they faced their AFC North rival and the most hated football team in the Queen City: the Pittsburgh Steelers. The two teams met in the first round of the playoffs in a rematch that was 10 years in the making. Despite the Bengals playing without starting quarterback Andy Dalton, the team managed to grab the lead late in the fourth quarter. An interception by Vontaze Burfict seemingly ended a playoff win draught that plagued the franchise and the city for 25 years. Then the implosion happened. All the Bengals had to do was run out the clock, but Jeremy Hill fumbled the ball and the Steelers recovered. The defense committed two nonsensical and costly penalties, which put the Steelers in field goal range. The kick was good, and the Bengals were once again bounced from the playoffs in the first round in the most heartbreaking fashion.

Fast forward to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. March Madness was in full swing and the tourney was producing some heart-stopping moments. The University of Cincinnati became a victim of one of those heart-stopping moments. After falling in the American Athletic Conference tournament in quadruple overtime thriller to the University of Connecticut, the Bearcats fell in the first round of March Madness to St. Joe’s in another exciting game. With the Bearcats down two points, Ocatvius Ellis appeared to have tied the game with a slam-dunk as time expired. Replay showed that the ball was still in the hands of Ellis as time ran out on the clock. The bucket did not count, and the Bearcats lost 78-76.

The University of Xavier Musketeers also suffered a heartbreaking loss to end their season. After arguably their best regular season in school history, the Musketeers secured a two seed in March Madness and looked to make a big splash in the tournament. Unfortunately that would not happen. The Musketeers battled the Wisconsin Badgers in the second round of the tournament. The game was tied at 63-63, and the Badgers inbounded the ball. Bronson Koenig threw up a shot from behind the arc that fell through the net as the buzzer sounded. The Musketeers lost and were denied a trip to the Sweet 16.

After March Madness came baseball, and the Cincinnati Reds were pitiful to watch. I understand that it was a rebuilding year, but I personally didn’t think they would be as awful as they were. The team finished with a record of 68-94 and missed the playoffs for the third straight year. Players were seemingly getting injured everyday, the performances on the field were generally poor, and the season just left a bad taste in the moths of Reds fans.

For as bad as the Reds were, there was a tremendous bright spot during the summer for Queen City sports. Cincinnati’s United Soccer Leauge team began to make a lot of noise on and off the pitch, and soccer fever reached record highs in the city. However, FC Cincinnati was not immune to disappointment. Despite setting numerous attendance records and qualifying for the playoffs, the team fell in the first round of the postseason in front of a record setting home crowd at Nippert Stadium. While not as heartbreaking as the Bengals playoff loss, it was still sad to see such an amazing debut season end with defeat.

Once the soccer season and the baseball season were finished, attention focused back to the Bengals. Almost everybody expected them to compete for the division title and once again be a top team in the NFL. That was not the case. The team has had a very disappointing 2016 season that makes the playoff loss from January even tougher for Who Dey Nation to swallow. Star players such as A.J. Green, Giovani Bernard, and Tyler Eifert having their seasons end prematurely due to injury was like rubbing salt in the wound. The team will finish third in the AFC North and will have a lot of work to do in the offseason if they hope to make the playoffs next year. It is fitting that a year that started with disappointment from the Bengals ends with the Bengals once again disappointing the city.

2016 was a rough one for Cincinnati sports. The Reds have fallen from being division champs to basement dwellers, FC Cincinnati, the UC Bearcats, and the Xavier Musketeers suffered heartbreaking postseason losses, and the Bengals started and ended 2016 with disappointment. I have personally hated 2016 and cannot wait for the fresh year to start. Hopefully it is a much better year for the city of Cincinnati, and its sports teams.

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

Will The Shield Ever Fully Reunite?

Factions have and always will be big factors in professional wrestling. For those of you who do not know, a faction is a group of wrestlers that are tied together through some sort of alliance. Whether that alliance is from the sharing of a manager or a common goal, factions generally stick together and will try to eliminate everything that stands in their way. Even though factions usually rise to power before breaking up, a reunion between the faction’s members down the line is usually inevitable. From groups like the Four Horsemen, the New World Order, and D-Generation X, factions have proven that even though it appears that the wrestlers that formed the group have parted ways, there is always a possibility of a reunion.

In the current WWE landscape, the most successful faction has been the Shield. The trio of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns burst on the scene in 2012 as a group of renegades that set out to right the wrongs that they believed tainted the WWE. The Shield was booked as a three man wrecking crew that steamrolled opponents such as Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Ryback, and John Cena among others. They made waves by triple powerbombing the Undertaker through an announce table on SmackDown and by capturing the United States Championship and the Tag Team Championships on the same night at Extreme Rules 2013.

As the trio rose in power, so did their popularity. It became more apparent with each passing week that this faction was destined for greatness as Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns began to become some of the most popular wrestlers on the roster. After dominating 2013, the group looked to do the same in 2014. They waged war with the Wyatt Family, the New Age Outlaws, and Evolution, and it appeared that the era of the Shield would never end. That is until Rollins leveled Ambrose and Reigns with a chair and dismantled the brotherhood that he helped bring to power. Rollins aligned himself with the Authority, and Ambrose and Reigns embarked on singles careers while still remaining tag team partners.

Even though the Shield went their separate ways, their careers continued to intertwine as they battled each other multiple times in their quest to become the best in the professional wrestling business. All three eventually captured the top prize in the industry: the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Rollins won his first title at Wrestlemania 31, Reigns would earn his first championship at Survivor Series 2015, and Ambrose would finally become champion at Money in the Bank 2016. In fact, Money in the Bank 2016 was the night that each Shield member was WWE World Heavyweight Champion as Reigns was defeated by Rollins who was then defeated by Ambrose after Ambrose cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. The Shield battled for the title in a triple threat match at Battleground 2016 with Ambrose once again emerging victorious.

Since Battleground 2016, Ambrose has been on SmackDown while Rollins and Reigns have been on Raw. The faction briefly reunited at Survivor Series 2016 when they triple powerbombed A.J. Styles through an announce table, and they shared screen time during 2016’s Tribute to the Troops special. While hints have been dropped of a Shield reunion, it still has not fully happened. The trio continues to pursue singles glory, and any interaction between the three wrestlers has been brief aside from a few tag team matches and a recent alignment of Reigns and Rollins on Raw.

As it stands now, a Shield reunion does not appear to be happening anytime soon. Ambrose is on SmackDown, Rollins is gunning for Triple H, and Reigns is in the midst of a feud with Kevin Owens for the WWE Universal Championship. That isn’t to say a full-fledged reunion is out of the question. As WWE has proven before, never say never. The New World Order reunited in 2002 and D-Generation X in 2006. With all three wrestlers currently being faces, all it would take is for them to be on the same show. Ambrose could easily be traded to Raw, or WWE could decide to end the brand extension. Until then, the only thing WWE fans can do is wait for the hounds of justice to once again reign supreme over WWE.

Believe in the Shield!

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#whodey #letsroar #NFL #MNF #TNF #football #CINvsHOU #sports pic.twitter.com/IMVmzk3gey

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

Photo Page Update

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

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

WWE Roadblock 2016 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Roadblock 2016.

Redsfest 2016 Day 1

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone vlogs about his experience at day 1 of Redsfest 2016.

My Redsfest 2016 Experience

Redsfest is the massive fan fest that the Cincinnati Reds hold every December. It is a great way for fans to meet some of their favorite Reds players of today as well as some of the future stars of tomorrow. Throw in a couple of legends from Reds teams of yesteryear and you have an epic weekend that is like heaven on Earth. I was fortunate enough to get to go to Redsfest again, and I will share my thoughts on this year’s edition in this post.

When it came to autographs, I did pretty well. I managed to get over 30 autographs from past, current, and future players. In terms of players signing autographs, the selection was pretty good. There was a good balance of players spanning many generations to get autographs from and the system of obtaining autographs that the Reds organized for fans worked well for the most part. I was able to get the signatures of Dave Parker, Glenn Braggs, and Nick Senzel among others.

The only autograph complaint I have is of how the Lou Piniella autograph signing was handled. It seemed that word had gotten out of when Piniella would be signing, and the line for his autograph booth was already full before it was officially announced that he would be signing autographs. This was really unfair as it prevented everybody from having an equal shot at getting Piniella’s autograph. Hopefully that does not happen next year.

I also really enjoyed the exhibits. There were some game used memorabilia to check out and buy, the Redsfest main stage with Q and A sessions and game shows, and the Reds Hall of Fame section with the World Series trophies and bobbleheads are just a few of the exhibits Redsfest had to offer. There is a lot to look at and immerse yourself in at Redsfest, and I highly recommend going on both days in order to get the full Redsfest experience.

You can see pictures from the event that I took as well as autographs that I got on the photo page and the autograph page on this site. You can also check out my Redsfest videos on the CFZ Vlogs playlist that can be accessed through the video page.

In conclusion, Redsfest 2016 was another great event that was well executed by the Cincinnati Reds. There were autograph opportunities, the chance to meet some of your favorite Reds players, and the two-day celebration of Redsfest is one that every true Reds fan should experience. Hopefully I can go again in 2017!

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#whodey #letsroar #NFL #MNF #TNF #football #PITvsCIN #sports pic.twitter.com/DUKgtllV19

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 14, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #LetsRoar #PITvsCIN #MNF #TNF #NFL #BeyondTheStripes #football pic.twitter.com/xlJGZ4Rhls

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 14, 2016

Too Much of a Good Thing?

I am a die heard professional wrestling fan. I was hooked on the violent form of sports entertainment ever since I was a kid when guys like Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock were the top stars of the industry. In fact, the professional wrestling industry was at the height of its popularity as World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling were battling for television ratings and the title of the top professional wrestling company in the world. WCW was eventually bought out by WWE leaving Vince McMahon’s wrestling empire as the undisputed champion of sports entertainment. WWE has since gone on to launch the WWE Network, and the amount of weekly programming WWE produces has increased drastically. While more programming sounds good on paper, is it a good idea in all actuality?

I do not think it is. During the height of professional wrestling’s popularity, WWE’s weekly programming consisted of two hours of Monday Night Raw, two hours of SmackDown on Thursday, and a three hour pay-per-view one Sunday a month. Let’s compare that to the current amount of WWE programming.

Monday Night Raw has since expanded to three hours with a 30-minute kickoff show, which is streamed, on YouTube and the WWE Network, that precedes each episode. SmackDown is still two hours long, but it too has a 30-minute kick off show that streams on YouTube and the WWE Network as well as a post show called Talking Smack that runs about 20-30 minutes on the WWE Network. WWE recently launched 205 Live to showcase its cruiserweight division. The show airs on the WWE Network after SmackDown, and the debut episode was about 50 minutes long. NXT, a show featuring WWE’s developmental system, airs for an hour every Wednesday. Pay-per-views have since increased to about two a month that run an average of three hours long. There is also a one-hour kickoff show for each pay-per-view unless the pay-per-view is the Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, SummerSlam, or Survivor Series in which case the kickoff show is two hours long.

That is a massive amount of weekly WWE programming to watch each week. For hardcore fans, watching that much wrestling a week is not a big deal. However WWE often tries to attract non-viewers and casual fans to its product, and I think this much programming in one week can be overwhelming. I consider myself a hardcore wrestling fan, and I have trouble keeping up with all the weekly wrestling shows WWE produces. I can only imagine what a casual fan must go through when trying to understand the storylines playing out on WWE programming.

I think WWE should consider cutting back on the amount of programming it produces. Perhaps reducing Raw back to two hours or eliminating the kickoff shows could help the situation by eliminating the feeling of being overwhelmed. Back when WWE had its highest ratings, it had only a few hours of programming a week. Maybe WWE could reflect on what made it so popular and try to expand upon that instead of its amount of weekly television shows.

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals & #Reds Autographs#whodey #letsroar #redsfest #letsgoreds #CINvsCLE pic.twitter.com/QAj2woVTNO

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 7, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals & and #Reds Pics#WhoDey #Redsfest #LetsRoar #CINvsCLE  #LetsGoReds #TNF #NFL pic.twitter.com/ALdZ2dQlx7

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 7, 2016

WWE TLC 2016 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE TLC 2016.