Austin Kearns Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2003 Cincinnati Reds SGA bobblehead of Austin Kearns.

The Hounds Are Back

The Monday Night Raw after SummerSlam 2018 was one of the best episodes of Raw in recent memory. The show kicked off with a bang when Finn Balor accepted Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship challenge and the momentum seemingly carried throughout the show. Ronda Rousey nearly ripped out Stephanie McMahon’s arm, Elias avoided ending Curt Hawkins’ losing streak, and Dean Ambrose had his first match back from injury in a very entertaining bout against Dolph Ziggler. All were great moments, but all paled in comparison to the return of one of wrestling’s most dominant factions: the Shield.

After a thrilling main event that saw Reigns successfully defend his title against Finn Balor, the stage appeared to be set for Braun Strowman to cash in his Money in the Bank contract. He delivered a big boot to the Universal Champ, handed his briefcase to the referee, and the ring announcer proclaimed that “Monster Among Men” was cashing in for a Universal Title shot. Before the bell could ring, a familiar tune echoed throughout the Barclay’s Center. The crowd erupted when Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins stormed down to the ring in their traditional black gear as the Shield theme music played over the speakers. 

Reigns stood up in the ring as Ambrose and Rollins climbed onto the apron. Strowman looked around at the Hounds of Justice and, despite knowing he was outnumbered, went on the attack. It was a futile attempt as the numbers game proved to be too much for the monster to overcome as the Shield easily handled Strowman and capped off their reunion by triple powerbombing him through the announce table. It was a fantastic ending to what had been a great episode of Monday Night Raw. 

So is the Shield heel? That remains to be seen. While Strowman is one of the biggest faces on the roster, so is the Shield. WWE could be setting up for a face versus face rivalry, but imagine how much more fun it would be to see a heel Shield run roughshod over WWE similar to what they did when they burst on the scene nearly six year ago. Only time will tell if the Shield is face or heel, but there is one thing that we do know and that is to always believe in the Shield.

The Gridiron Meets the Diamond

Do you love baseball? Do you love football? Do you love bobbleheads? If you are like me, then you said yes to all three of these questions. Luckily for us baseball, football, and bobblehead fans, the Florence Freedom baseball team of the Frontier League has come up with an ingenious idea that will satisfy everybody who loves both sports and bobbleheads.

On Friday, August 24, the Florence Freedom will host “Are You Ready for Some Football Night” when they take on the Gateway Grizzlies at 7:05 PM. The Freedom will be giving away a double bobblehead of Cincinnati Bengals legends Ken Anderson and Anthony Munoz. This is sure to be a sought-after bobblehead so you better pick up your tickets fast. In order to get the bobblehead, fans must buy two tickets meaning if you go with a significant other or a friend, only one of you will get the bobblehead. Aside from the bobblehead giveaway, the game will also feature a postgame fireworks show.

I am very excited for this game and bought my tickets a few weeks ago. I love baseball, football, and bobbleheads so going to this game is a must for me. I believe this is the first time that Anthony Munoz has been featured as a bobblehead. He is a pro football hall of famer, and this is a bobblehead that all members of Who Dey Nation need in their collection. Tickets are available for purchase on the Florence Freedom website.

Who Dey and go Freedom!

SummerSlam 2018 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE SummerSlam 2018.

Tom Seaver Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews a 2004 Columbus Clippers SGA Cincinnati Reds Tom Seaver bobblehead. 

Boos for Braun?

There are a few certainties in life. Death, taxes, and Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman will always win cleanly no matter the odds. Almost every time I watch WWE programming, both Reigns and Strowman are usually having their hands raised in victory. The only difference between the two is that Reigns is booked to look like an underdog despite his "Big Dog" moniker. Strowman on the other hand is billed as the "Monster Among Men" and is booked like one most of the time. The two have crossed paths before with Reigns playing the hated face and Strowman taking on the role of beloved heel. However, Strowman has since left the dark side of the wrestling world and has been booked to win almost every match he has. Could this cause Strowman's crowd reactions to mimic that of Reigns?

I think it might. Despite being booked as a monster, WWE made Strowman appear as a bit of an underdog at Money in the Bank. Every wrestler in that match teamed together to eliminate Strowman by attempting to bury the monster underneath a pile of ladders. That was not enough to stop him though as he soon emerged from the rubble like Godzilla rising out of the sea and proceeded to destroy everybody in sight in route to winning the Money in the Bank briefcase. There are only a handful of guys I can think of who can overcome odds like that and win: Hulk Hogan, John Cena, and Roman Reigns. All have previously been booked as unstoppable underdogs and all have previously been booed out of the building. If WWE is not careful, Strowman might be grouped in this category.

Let's look at some of Strowman's accomplishments so far this year. At Wrestlemania 34, he easily defeated the Bar with a kid name Nicholas to win the Raw Tag Team Championships. He then won the Greatest Royal Rumble match in Saudi Arabia. He overcame the odds at Money in the Bank, and even though his team lost the next night on Raw, it was Balor, not Strowman, who ate the pin. In terms of professional wrestling, that is an incredible year so far and we are only in the month of June. There are still six months left in 2018 for Strowman to be booked as invincible.

WWE crowds turn on wrestlers they think are overexposed or never lose. While Strowman is not there yet, he's getting awfully close. A lot of people did not like the decision to have Strowman win the Money in the Bank briefcase as they feel like he is already over enough with the crowd. Despite that sentiment, WWE still booked the monster to win and he has already called out Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Everybody thinks Strowman will cash in and finally be the one to defeat the beast. I'm thinking that Reigns and Lesnar clash at SummerSlam with Reigns finally taking the belt from the beast only for Strowman to cash in and take the title from Reigns. This sends the crowd home happy and keeps Strowman on the crowd's good side as he will be feuding with Reigns again. But what about when the Reigns feud is finished? We'll have to wait and see what happens. Hopefully WWE handles Strowman better than they have Reigns so that monster does not feel the wrath of the fans.

Rosie Red Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds SGA bobblehead of Rosie Red.

And the Winner Is…

The final stadium giveaway bobblehead the Cincinnati Reds are giving away in 2018 is a fan vote bobblehead. During the month of April, fans had the opportunity to vote for the final bobblehead giveaway of the season. The candidates were Luis Castillo, Scott Schebler, Michael Lorenzen, Jose Peraza, and Jesse Winker. 

When the votes were tallied, the winner was Scott Schebler. This is the first bobblehead of Schebler that the Reds have ever given out and even though I did not vote for Schebler, I am still excited to get his bobblehead. He has been crushing it so far in 2018 and is deserving of this honor.

The bobblehead will be given out to the first 20,000 fans in attendance for the 7:10 pm San Francisco Giants game on Saturday August 18. At the time that this post was written, the Reds just swept the Chicago Cubs during a four game series and were on a seven game winning streak. Hopefully they are still playing just as well when this game rolls around and can send the fans home with both a bobblehead and a win.

Go Redlegs!

Scooter on a Scooter Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Scooter Gennett on a scooter bobblehead.

Training Camp 2018

With the Cincinnati Reds and FC Cincinnati dominating the Cincinnati summer sports scene, it is easy to become mesmerized by the action that unfolds on the diamond and on the pitch. Soon though, Cincinnati sports fans will be able to take in the action of the gridiron as the Bengals officially start their 2018 training camp.

Training camp starts on Thursday July 26 and goes until Saturday August 11. Gates will open 30 minutes before practice starts with most practices starting at 3 p.m. The only exceptions are when practice starts at 6 p.m. on Friday August 3, and 1 p.m. on Saturday August 4.

Practices are also held on the practice field right next to Paul Brown Stadium. The only practice not held on the practice field will be the Family Day event on August 4. The Family Day practice will be held inside Paul Brown Stadium and will feature a lot of activities and a giveaway for kids. If you are an autograph hunter like me, the family day practice is the best training camp session to attend as every player is available for autographs once practice concludes.

The Cincinnati Bengals training camp is a great way to check out the team up close and personal. It is really cool to witness the current players mix it up the rookie draft picks and see how well they mesh together. It is also a great opportunity to get some autographs from your favorite Bengals players! Attending training camp is something that I highly recommend as every true Bengals fan needs to experience it before the season starts.

Who Dey!

Captain America Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds bobblehead of Captain America.

A Friendly Celebration

Saturday July 28, 2018, will be a big day for FC Cincinnati and its fans. The team will host RCD Espanyol of La Liga for its annual international friendly and will also celebrate its entry into Major League Soccer. La Liga is the top professional Spanish soccer league and MLS is the top professional soccer league in America. 

This is the third international friendly that FCC has hosted. In 2016, the team played host to Crystal Palace FC of the English Premier League in front of a crowd over 35,000. The 2017 friendly was in front of a crowd of over 24,000 and featured Valencia Club de Futbol of La Liga. 

In terms of the MLS celebration, FCC has a few things planned. At halftime, there will be a special video presentation with guest speakers. The team will also give away an MLS poster to fans in attendance.

In conclusion, the match should be a memorable one as FCC plays host to RCD Espanyol and celebrates its MLS bid. Tickets start at $15 and prepaid parking passes are available for $10. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend heading to Nippert Stadium for the match.  

A World Class Training Facility

A major league team needs a major league training facility, and Major League Soccer's newest franchise appears to have settled on a location. On Tuesday June 26, 2018, FC Cincinnati officially announced plans to construct a training facility in Milford, Ohio. As of now, the agreement is pending between FCC and local government entities of both Clermont County and Milford. 

The training complex will be built on the site of the former Expressway Park. Rumors were swirling that FCC bought the park when the former owners released a notification that the season's softball leagues would be cancelled. FCC's training facility is scheduled to be operational by July of next year with all site work finished by the end of 2019. The team plans to relocate to the complex in January and will use temporary facilities until the work is complete. 

Costing $30 million to construct, the complex will sprawl across about 23 acres of land and will host a variety of soccer related events such as FCC academy matches and local soccer tournaments. There are plans for three full sized and fully lighted soccer fields as well as a designated area for goalies. There are also plans for a 30,000 square foot multilevel building for the MLS team and a 6,500 square foot center for the academy teams.

In conclusion, this sounds like a state of the art training facility for Cincinnati's newest major league team. I have seen a few pictures online of what the complex might look like, and I've liked what I've seen so far. This process also seemed to be much smoother than the stadium saga, and I am beyond thankful for that. 

There is still a lot of work to be done before the start of next year's MLS season. I believe the team is still working with the University of Cincinnati to finalize the necessary upgrades to make Nippert Stadium ready for the 2019 season while FCC's soccer specific stadium is being built. They are also in the process of assembling an MLS roster while focusing on the current United Soccer League season. If you thought the journey to get into MLS was chaotic, I have a feeling that the trek to the start of the MLS season will be a wilder rider. Regardless, I cannot wait for FCC to finally step foot onto an MLS pitch.

Extreme Rules 2018 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Extreme Rules 2018.

Johnny Vander Meer Double Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum double bobblehead of Johnny Vander Meer.

D.C. Bound

With my beloved Cincinnati Reds playing some better baseball as the first half of the season comes to a close, three members of the team have been selected as National League All-Stars. Scooter Gennett, Eugenio Suarez, and Joey Votto will represent the Redlegs in Washington D.C. during the 2018 Major League Ball All-Star Game. They have been by far the best players on the team this year and are very much deserving of this honor.

Scooter has become a fan favorite in Cincinnati ever since he signed with the team in 2017. He is a solid second baseman and has been crushing it at the plate. He is currently batting .329 and is one of the best offensive players in the National League. Suarez has become an excellent third baseman and is arguably the best overall player on the team. As of now, he has 66 RBIs and is batting .312. Votto is continuing to craft his hall of fame worthy resume and is further cementing himself as the best hitter in franchise history. Known for having a keen eye at the plate, he currently has an OBP of .428 is batting .296.

As I said earlier, Scooter, Suarez, and Votto are all deserving of being named to the NL All-Star team. They are big threats at the plate and are quality defensive players as well. Having one player represent your team in the All-Star game is great but having three is fantastic. This is the first time since 2014 that the Reds will be sending three players to the midsummer classic. I’m sure they will make Cincinnati proud.

Go Redlegs!

FC Cincinnati Pennant Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes an FC Cincinnati pennant.

No Magic This Year

In 2017, FC Cincinnati's run in the Lamar Hunt Open Cup took the city by storm. They upset two Major League Soccer teams before falling to a third in extra time in the semi finals. Crowds of over 30,000 people packed Nippert Stadium to watch the United Soccer League franchise face off against some of the top soccer teams in the country. The electricity surrounding those matches put Cincinnati on the world soccer map and helped the franchise land its MLS expansion slot a few weeks ago. A week after the MLS announcement, FCC played host to Minnesota United FC of MLS. Instead of feeling like a must see sporting event, it felt like a friendly with not much on the line. 

I think that can be attributed to FCC finally being awarded a spot in MLS. Last year's Open Cup run was viewed by the city as a chance to show MLS that we belong in the league. As a result Nippert Stadium was the place to be when an MLS team came to town for the Open Cup. It also helped that FCC played some of the more well known teams from the league. Columbus Crew SC is an instate rival from about two two hours north of the city. The Chicago Fire was one of the hottest teams in the league at the time and won the MLS Cup in their first year of existence in 1998. The New York Red Bulls, like the Crew, were one of MLS' inaugural teams. While Minnesota United is an MLS team, they are pretty new and have not really established themselves in MLS yet which could attribute to why interest in his match was down when compared to last year's matches. I believe only a little over 15,000 showed up for the match which is well low of last year's Open Cup attendance numbers and FCC's regular season attendance average. With FCC now going to play MLS teams every week starting in 2019, the interest in playing an MLS team in the Open Cup and the fact that it was a less established franchise contributed to the lack of hype surrounding the match.

I also think that the team is focusing their efforts on winning the USL Cup. I feel like this was evident by the fact that their backup goalie, Spencer Richey, was in the game and their two leading scorers in Danni Konig and Emmanuel Ledesma did not even dress for the match. This was probably done to let them rest for their league game. I say that because this is their last season in USL before they make the jump to the big leagues next year meaning it is their last chance to win the USL's top prize. As an MLS team, FCC will still play in the Open Cup and will have all the advantages that come with being a part of MLS such as starting the tournament during a later round. There would also be no greater USL swan song for FCC than to win the championship before they take the MLS pitch in 2019.  

In conclusion, even though FCC's Open Cup run may have been shorter than last year's and lacked the spark that set the soccer world on fire, they will still have many more chances to win an Open Cup Championship. For the USL Cup, it's now or never. Hopefully FCC can give the city of Cincinnati a USL Championship before making a run for the MLS Cup. 

Edinson Volquez Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds bobblehead of Edinson Volquez.

An Exclusive Bobblehead

The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame is not only a great place to learn about the history of Redlegs, but it is also a great place to pick up some bobbleheads for your collection. Usually the Reds Hall of Fame will give a bobblehead away with the price of admission on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the baseball season with a different bobblehead being featured every month. This year there will be a bobblehead given exclusively to Reds Hall of Fame members that features Chuck Harmon.

The bobblehead will be given out with every membership tier meaning you can still get it if you purchase the cheapest membership for $60. The membership itself is a great deal and automatically includes at least the first two bobbleheads the Reds hall of Fame distributes during the season. The more expensive the membership, the more bobbleheads you are guaranteed in addition to the Harmon bobblehead. Some of the other benefits include Redsfest passes, discounts on Reds merchandise, and use of the Reds Hall of Fame batting cage.

With the Harmon bobblehead being given away only to Reds Hall of Fame members, I decided to get a membership for the first time. I usually paid the $10 admission fee once a month to get the featured bobblehead for the month. After learning that Harmon would be a member exclusive bobblehead and discovering all the benefits that came with a membership, it turned out to be a great deal. If you are a Reds fan who collects bobbleheads, I suggest becoming a Reds Hall of Fame and Museum member. The benefits are incredible and the first ever Reds bobblehead of Chuck Harmon is a must have for bobblehead collectors.