The Royal Rumble Winner Is...

The Royal Rumble is a few weeks away and the road to Wrestlemania has officially started. The buildup to WWE's biggest event of the year is usually a fun ride as surprise returns are mixed in with some of the biggest wrestlers being involved in some of the best storylines. One of the storylines that WWE produces every year is who the Royal Rumble winner will challenge at Wrestlemania in a world championship main event match. In my opinion, there is only one person who will outlast 29 other wrestlers and punch his ticket to the main event of the showcase of the immortals. That man is Seth Rollins. 

The architect had a fantastic 2018. Every time he stepped between the ropes, magic seemingly happened. He had excellent match after excellent match and became Monday Night Raw's resident highlight reel. He also became the biggest face on the red brand, garnering huge cheers from the audience whenever he entered the arena. After dropping the Intercontinental Championship to Dean Ambrose, Rollins has been calling out WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and the two seemed destined to collide at the biggest wrestling event of the year. They briefly crossed paths in 2015, and I think that a full and fleshed out storyline between the two would make for interesting television. 

That is why I think Seth Rollins will win the Royal Rumble. He had an amazing 2018 and showed that he can be the face of Raw and the company flag bearer in Roman Reigns' absence. The fan support he has his genuine, and the reaction he will receive should he win the Royal Rumble match will blow the roof off the place. Get ready WWE Universe. Rollins is going to burn it down in the main event of Wrestlemania 35.

Bengals Recap 2018

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps the 2018 season of the Cincinnati Bengals. 

2018 Cincinnati Sports Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The city of Cincinnati had a very interesting year with its three professional sports teams. There was some good, some bad, and some ugly as FC Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cincinnati Bengals all competed in their respective sports to bring a championship to the Queen City. So how was 2018 for each team? Let's take a look.

Let's start with the good. FC Cincinnati by far had the best year when compared to the Reds and the Bengals. They once again set numerous attendance records and strung together a 23 match unbeaten streak that culminated in a United Soccer League Regular Season Championship. Despite bowing out of the USL Cup playoffs in the second round, their season was a smashing success. Forrest Lasso won the USL Defender of the Year award, Emmanuel Ledesma won the USL Most Valuable Player award, and Alan Koch won the USL Coach of the Year award. The biggest prize the team won was its expansion spot in Major League Soccer. MLS officially awarded FCC an expansion franchise on May 29, 2018, and the team will begin MLS play in 2019.

Moving on to the bad, we have the Reds. 2018 was supposed to be a season that saw the team make strides and show that the rebuild was actually working. Instead it turned out to be a very forgettable season as the Redlegs once again finished at the bottom of the National League Central Division. The lack of pitching plagued the team all season as inconsistent performances from both the rotation and the bullpen proved to be the franchise's Achilles heel. The hitting on the other hand was pretty good all year as Joey Votto, Scooter Gennett, and Eugenio Suarez were the backbone of the Reds lineup and earned spots on the National League All-Star team. Jesse Winker and Scott Schebler became reliable at the plate as well and Jose Peraza showed great progress both in the field and with a bat in his hand. The team did fire Bryan Price early in the season and named Jim Riggleman as interim manager for the remainder of the season. Under Riggleman, the Reds were hot for about a month but ultimately still played poorly for a majority of the season. David Bell was named manager once the season concluded and two blockbuster additions in Turner Ward and Derek Johnson have been added to Bell's coaching staff. Most recently, the team announced they will part ways with Billy Hamilton which could lead to top prospects like Nick Senzel and Taylor Trammell getting some big league playing time in 2019.

The ugly unquestionably goes to the Bengals. 2018 was a year that started out with immense optimism as the team jumped out to a 4-1 start with an offense that looked unstoppable. The defense was another story however as they continued to turn in poor performance after poor performance. They were so bad that the team's brand new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was fired during the middle of the season. Head coach Marvin Lewis took over defensive duties but little improvement was made. The team was ravaged by injuries as Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, and Tyler Eifert all wound up on the season ending injured reserved list and guys like Joe Mixon and Gio Bernard missed a few games due to knee problems. The team as a whole looked uninspired and unprepared in games against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Cleveland Browns, and the Denver Broncos. As I write this, the Bengals are most likely going to miss the playoffs and Lewis is rumored once again to be on the hot seat. Many Bengals fans fear that the recently fired Browns coach Hue Jackson was rehired by the Bengals to be the heir apparent to Lewis. Overall, 2018 was a disastrous year that reminded Who Dey Nation of the dark decade that was the 1990s.

In conclusion, 2018 was a mixed bag for Cincinnati sports. FC Cincinnati had a very successful season and is currently preparing to begin MLS play. The Reds had a bad season but have renewed fan optimism by hiring a new manager and hitting the reset button with the coaching staff while their prospects appear to be making exciting strides at the minor league level. The Bengals are looking like a mess and are in desperate need of massive shakeup to revitalize the franchise. Hopefully FCC builds upon its 2018 success in 2019 and both the Reds and Bengals are able to right the ship and get back to their winning ways. With three professional major league sports teams, maybe one of these teams can bring a championship to Cincinnati for the first time since 1990.

2018 Cincinnati Reds Garden Gnome Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2018 Cincinnati Reds garden gnome.

FC Cincinnati Recap 2018

FC Cincinnati may have completed only its third season, but it was by far its biggest year in the team's short existence. Attendance records were shattered, on field performances were fantastic, and a call up to Major League Soccer made 2018 an unforgettable year for the orange and blue. Here's a recap of the year 2018 for FC Cincinnati.

The year started immediately after the team pitched their bid to MLS just before Christmas of 2017. Nashville had already been awarded one of two coveted MLS expansion slots and Cincinnati, Sacramento, and Detroit were left to compete for the last one. The three remaining cities had an issue with their bid, and it seemed that whoever straightened things out first would be awarded with an MLS expansion team. For FC Cincinnati, it was the soccer specific stadium situation that was holding up things. Newport, Oakley, and the West End were all tagged as possible areas for a stadium, but no deals had been locked down and no plan had been officially put into motion. This sparked a massive saga that dragged out for months of where the stadium will be built and who would pay for it.

Meanwhile, FCC head coach Alan Koch was preparing for his second season as the team's leader and had been traveling around the world recruiting players. New faces such as Emmanuel Ledesma, Nazmi Albadawi, and Forrest Lasso were joining returning players from the 2017 team such as Justin Hoyte and Danni Konig as well as FCC OGs Jimmy McLaughlin, Kenny Walker, and Corben Bone.

The team definitely had a new look not only with the acquisition of its many new players, but it's uniforms as well. Gone were the blue, orange, and white uniforms that mimicked the look of the United States Men's National Team as the team unveiled new, sleeker kits that featured a striped look with diamonds. The new look of the team combined with the impending MLS bid made the 2018 FCC season the most hyped sporting story in Cincinnati, and the season hadn't even started yet.

Once the lads took to the pitch, they got off to a bit of a slow start as it took time for the combination of returning and new players to develop some on field chemistry. Once they began to gel, they dominated the United Soccer League and notched big wins over New York Red Bulls II and arch rival Louisville City FC. They continued to pack Nippert Stadium with soccer crazed fans as attendance records were continually set and broken seemingly week after week. The team also strung together a 23 match unbeaten streak in route to capturing the USL Regular Season Championship. They knocked off future MLS rival Nashville SC in the first round of the playoffs in a dramatic penalty kick thriller before ending their USL tenure with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Red Bulls II.

With the team taking care of business on the field, Jeff Bearding and Carl Linder III were taking care of business off the field to secure the MLS bid. After a nauseating months long debate of where the stadium should be built, the West End was officially announced as the future soccer specific stadium site for FCC once a deal was reached between the team, the city, the West End, and Cincinnati Public Schools. It was the final piece of the puzzle that FCC needed to secure its place in MLS. On May 29, 2018, MLS officially announced that FCC would be joining the league as an expansion team and would being play in 2019. The city celebrated as thousands gathered at Fountain Square to participate in the most historic sports moment that Cincinnati has seen in quite some time.

In conclusion, FCC's third season was a massive success. Even though the team fell short of winning the USL Cup, they did win the USL Regular Season Championship, set numerous attendance records once again, and most importantly, secured its spot in the highest American professional soccer league. Individual USL honors were awarded to Forrest Lasso, Emmanuel Ledesma, and Alan Koch. Lasso won the USL Defender of the Year award, Ledesma won the USL Most Valuable Player award, and Koch won the USL Coach of the Year award. All three are returning to FCC as part of its MLS team in 2019. I thoroughly enjoyed FCC's 2018 campaign and cannot wait for them to step foot on an MLS pitch in 2019. If their MLS debut is anything like their 2018 USL swan song was, Cincinnati is going to be in for a fun ride.

Redsfest 2018 Recap

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps Redsfest 2018. 

2018 Cincinnati Reds Bobbleheads Review

2018 featured some pretty cool Cincinnati Reds bobbleheads. The team continued its tradition of distributing bobbleheads to fans a few games a year as well as giving special ticket package bobbleheads that feature some sort of cross promotion. I did not get every bobblehead that the team handed out this season as some were of repeat players, others were of cross promotions that did not appeal to me, and most importantly because I have a budget (haha). In this post, I will review the bobbleheads I added to my collection that were distributed by the Reds.

The first bobblehead of given out by the Reds that I added to my collection was of Captain America. This was the second consecutive year that the Reds and Marvel teamed up to distribute a bobblehead via a special ticket package. I really like this bobblehead as it looks great and displays my fandom for both the Reds and super heroes.

The second bobblehead I received from the Reds was a standard stadium giveaway bobble of Scooter Gennett on a scooter. This bobble commemorated Scooter’s four home run game from 2017 and featured Gennett on the scooter that the team presented him with due to his outstanding performance. Scooter is my current favorite Reds player and having a bobblehead of him on a scooter is really cool. In my opinion, the Reds knocked this one out of the park.

Third on the list of bobbleheads I received from the Reds is a bobble of the team’s female mascot, Rosie Red. This is the first ever stadium giveaway bobblehead of Rosie the team has given to fans, and I love it. The team rarely distributes bobbleheads of its mascots so getting my hands on the first ever Rosie Red stadium giveaway bobblehead was a must.

The fourth and final 2018 bobblehead in my collection courtesy of the Reds is of Scott Schebler. The outfielder won the fan vote this year and had his very bobblehead game on August 18. Known for his slugging, the Reds had Schebler in a batting pose, and I think the bobblehead is an excellent way to cap off the 2018 Reds bobblehead season.

Those were all the bobbleheads I added to my collection by attending Cincinnati Reds games. Captain America was a special ticket package bobble and Scooter, Rosie, and Schebler were standard stadium giveaways. The Reds also distributed bobbleheads of Eugenio Suaerz and Tucker Barnhart as well as a variety of other special ticket package bobbles. I did not obtain those as I already have bobbleheads of Barnhart and Suarez and the other ticket package bobbleheads did not appeal to me that much. Overall, the 2018 lineup of Reds bobbleheads was a solid one, and the bobbles I picked up for my collection have made for great additions.

WWE TLC 2018 Thoughts

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

A Brilliant Heel Turn

Without question, the October 22 episode of Monday Night Raw was one of the most emotional episodes that WWE has ever produced. Roman Reigns revealed he is battling leukemia and had to relinquish the Universal Championship. It was a very real segment that separated Joseph Anoa’i the man from Roman Reigns the character. I wish nothing but the best for Reigns and hope he is able to beat the cancer. The emotional announcement was capped off by an embrace from his Shield brothers Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins and a Hounds of Justice triple fist bump at the top of entrance ramp. 

After the announcement, it appeared that the Ambrose heel turn that has been hinted at for weeks was put on hold. He and Rollins were set to challenge Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler for the Raw Tag Team Championships later in the main event, and the two members of the Shield cut a promo before their match that pretty much stated they were fighting for Reigns. The match itself was very entertaining and worthy of being in the main event. In the end, Ambrose and Rollins emerged victorious and came away with the tag title belts. It seemed like a night that began with heart wrenching news would end on a brighter note. That was not the case.

The emotional victory celebration was cut short as Ambrose hit Rollins with a Dirty Deeds much to the shock of those in attendance as well as the world-wide audience watching on television. The beating continued. Ambrose unloaded a storm of punches on Rollins before tossing him out of the ring. The assault continued at ringside before a cranium cracking Dirty Deeds to Rollins on the exposed arena floor left the Lunatic Fringe satisfied with the damage he had done to his co-tag team champion. Boos and A$$hole chants were reverberating off the walls as Ambrose tore off his Shield vest and exited the arena through the crowd. 

In my opinion, it was one of the most brilliant heel turns WWE has ever had. The emotion was real throughout the night and to see Ambrose destroy what would have been a feel-good moment to close a show that had a somber beginning generated a massive amount of very real heat. It was the heel turn everybody saw coming at the moment nobody expected to see it, and that is why it will be remembered as one of the best in professional wrestling.

Redsfest 2018 Day 2

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone vlogs about day 2 of Redsfest 2018.

Too Much of a Good Thing

I love watching professional wrestling, mainly World Wrestling Entertainment. Ever since I was a kid I have been hooked on the battles that take place inside the squared circle. As a kid, pay-per-views were one of the main reasons to come back each week to see what unfolded on Raw and SmackDown. The events of those weekly television shows crafted the stories that culminated at pay-per-views. In today’s WWE, I feel like that is missing because there are so many pay-per-view events held throughout the year.

As I type this, Super Show-Down is set to broadcast live from Australia at 5 AM eastern time on October 6. After that is Evolution, the all women pay-per-view, on October 28. Following Evolution is Crown Jewel on November 2 and Survivor Series on November 18. That is four WWE pay-per-views in two months, essentially one every two weeks. In my opinion, you can’t build up a story effectively in such a short span. For the men, it is not as a big of a deal as they won’t be featured again on pay-per-view until Crown Jewel. It is more problematic for the women as they will be featured on all four pay-per-views.

Due to this packed schedule, the buildup for the matches will be rushed. Stories will have less meaning. Character arcs will be less developed. Twists might not have as big an impact. It is also annoying to see WWE promote multiple pay-per-view events at the same.

 In my opinion, less is more. I think WWE should go back to one pay-per-view a month to allow the storylines to progress naturally without feeling rushed. The road to WrestleMania usually features one pay-per-view a month, and that is generally seen as the time of year when WWE produces its best programming. Wrestling fans love pay-per-views, but having so many throughout the year is too much of a good thing.

Redsfest 2018 Day 1

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone vlogs about day 1 of Redsfest 2018.

Ready for Redsfest 2018

It's the most wonderful time of the offseason for members of Reds Country! Redsfest 2018 will happen this weekend at the Duke Energy Center. Cincinnati Reds fans from all over the country will gather for the one of a kind fan fest that celebrates the very first franchise in Major League Baseball history. 

The fun gets started on Friday, November 30, and will continue through Saturday, December 1. Fans can buy passes for either one day or both. In order to get the full Redsfest experience, I recommend purchasing the two day pass. If you are a Reds Hall of Fame and Museum member or a season ticket holder, your two day ticket pass is free. 

Once you check in at Redsfest, you will receive a Reds lanyard to hold your ticket as well as a free Reds swag bag with a free gift inside. Past gifts have included a winter hat, socks, and an ornament. After you check in, you can finally enter the convention center and behold the glory of the Redsfest event. 

Inside are tons of Reds memorabilia such as jerseys, autographs, bobbleheads, and even the World Series Championship trophies. There is a stage area where you can watch Reds Family Feud, ask the players questions, and get your picture taken with the mascots. There is a game area, wiffle ball fields, and booths where you can get your picture taken with players. You can play Redsfest Bingo and participate in the Reds Community Fund Poker Tournament that features current and former Reds players. 

It wouldn't be a fan fest without autographs, and the signing sessions are my favorite part of Redsfest. You can get autographs from current players and Reds legends. There are multiple signings happening at the same time throughout the event so you are pretty much guaranteed to get at least one autograph during your time at Redsfest. 

I cannot wait for Redsfest 2018. I have a free two day ticket because of my Reds Hall of Fame membership, and I plan on being there from open to close on both days. I'm hoping to get a lot of autographs and maybe a few bobbleheads if I can find some good deals. If you see me, come say hi!

Reds Threads Vlog

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone vlogs about the Reds Threads exhibit at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. 

2019 Cincinnati Reds Bobblehead Predictions

With the 2018 Cincinnati Reds bobblehead season officially over, it’s time to look ahead and try to predict what the Redlegs will give to fans next season. 2019 will be a monumental season for the Reds as the franchise will celebrate its 150^thanniversary. There are a multitude of players that the Reds could feature as bobbleheads as there are still plenty of greats who have not been featured as a bobblehead. For the sake of this post, we will assume the Reds are going to feature bobbleheads of players from the current roster. Here are my predictions of Cincinnati Reds bobbleheads that will be given out during the 2019 season.

My first prediction is Jose Peraza. The Reds starting shortstop really stepped up his game this year both defensively and at the plate. He became one of the team’s best hitters and his speed on the base path is only second to Billy Hamilton’s. Based on his breakthrough 2018, I think the Reds will feature Peraza as a bobblehead in 2019.

My second bobblehead prediction for 2019 is Michael Lorenzen. Aside from being a reliable reliever out of the bullpen, he proved to be the most versatile player on the team. Not only did he pitch well, but he also filled in as outfielder, pinch runner, and was a home run slugger by hitting a few homers in 2018 including a grand slam. If the Reds do make Lorenzen a bobblehead, hopefully it incorporates his pitching with his ability to hit dingers.

Third on my prediction list is Jesse Winker. The Reds outfielder was making great progress during his first full season in the big leagues before an injury shortened his season. He was sporting a batting average of .299 with 43 runs batted in and 7 homers. 

The fourth bobblehead prediction I have for 2019 is Curt Casali. The Reds catcher may have backed up Tucker Barnhart behind the dish, but he was a force to be reckoned with when he stepped up to bat. At the time that this post was written, Casali had a batting average of .333. He was routinely used by Jim Riggleman to hit in key situations and really made a name for himself with the Redlegs in 2018. 

My fifth and final 2019 Reds bobblehead prediction is Amir Garrett. Even though the Reds relief pitcher struggled a bit during the 2018 season, Garrett was still one of the more popular players on the team. Known for his intensity when pitching as well as carving his initials onto the mound with his foot, Garrett would make for a pretty cool bobblehead for Reds fans in 2019.

Those are my five Cincinnati Reds bobblehead predictions for 2019. All are of players who have previously not been featured as bobbles. As I noted earlier in this post, it is the Reds 150^thanniversary next season so I would not be shocked if the team gave out bobbleheads of players from the past to celebrate the century and a half milestone. Personally, I do not care if the bobbleheads are of current or past players. All I hope for is that the bobbleheads the Reds actually give out in 2019 are of players who have not yet been immortalized as bobbles.

Survivor Series 2018 Thoughts

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

2019 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Bobblehead Predictions

The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum's bobblehead season has officially come to a close. 2018 was a good year for Reds Hall of Fame bobbles as new players such as Ernie Lombardi, Johnny Vanderbilt Meer, and Chuck Harmon were featured as bobbleheads. With 2019 being the 150th anniversary of the Cincinnati Reds and the 100th anniversary of the franchise's first ever World Series Championship, the Reds Hall of Fame has a plethora of legends to feature as bobbleheads. So who will the Reds Hall of Fame feature as bobbleheads in 2019? Here are my predictions.

My first prediction is Ted Kluszewski. "Big Klu is one of the most popular Reds players in history, and I am shocked that that he has not been featured as a bobblehead yet. Known 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. I could go on and on about Klu's career and why he deserves to be immortalized as a bobblehead.

My second Reds Hall of Fame bobblehead prediction is Lou Piniella. Known as "Sweet Lou" to members of Reds Country, Piniella is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most popular managers in Redlegs history, arguably only second to Sparky Anderson. He took over as Reds skipper in 1990 and led the team to a wire to wire season that was capped off with an improbable sweep of the Oakland Athletics in the World Series. Combine that World Series Championship with his fiery attitude and it is easy to see why the former first base throwing Reds manager would make for an excellent bobblehead.

Third on my list of predictions is Edd Roush. Not only was he a key member of the 1919 World Series Championship Reds team, but he is also in both the Reds Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. During his first stint with the Redlegs, Roush never batted below .321 and won the National League batting title twice. He played with the team from 1916-1926 before coming back and retiring as a Red in 1931. In my opinion, Roush is a perfect choice that celebrates the franchise's 150th anniversary as well as the 100th of the team's first ever World Series title.

I predict that Fred Hutchinson will be featured as a bobblehead. "Hutch" became one of the most respected managers in Reds history and led the 1961 team to a National League Championship. Under his guidance, players such as Vada Pinson, Pete Rose, Leo Cardenas, Jim O'Toole, and Frank Robinson among others flourished and etched their names into Redlegs history. He is a member of the Reds Hall of Fame and his number, 1, has been retired by the team.

My fifth and final Reds Hall of Fame bobblehead prediction is Don Gullett. He was a key member of the Big Red Machine's pitching staff and helped the team reach the World Series in 1970 and in 1972 and helped them win back to back World Series Championships in 1975 and in 1976. During his nine year career, Gullett had a 3.11 ERA and totaled 921 strikeouts and 109 wins. He is a fan favorite and is an obvious choice to be featured as a Reds Hall of Fame bobblehead.

Those are my 2019 bobblehead predictions for the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. I believe that these legends represent various generations of the Reds and will help the Reds Hall of Fame celebrate the 150th anniversary of the team. I cannot wait to see who the Reds Hall of Fame will feature as bobbles for 2019 and am excited to add some new bobbleheads of Reds legends to my collection.

Blue the Indianapolis Colts Mascot Bobblehead Unboxing

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

Soccer Stadium Sneak Peak

One of the requirements that FC Cincinnati needed to meet before the team was welcomed into Major League Soccer was a soccer specific stadium. Everybody in the Queen City knows about the months long drama that unfolded as the team, the city, and Cincinnati Public Schools battled for months on a deal that benefitted all parties involved. Needless to say, a deal was reached and FCC became the newest MLS expansion team earlier this summer. The stadium appears to have been worth all the debate as the franchise unveiled initial design concepts that have left many soccer fans and reporters speechless.

The early designs for the stadium are gorgeous in my opinion and should the designs come to fruition, the fan experience for an FCC match should be one of the best in MLS. The seating capacity is estimated to be between 25,500 to 26,500 which is an increase from the original concept that the team unveiled earlier this year. The amount of seats would also make the stadium one of the largest soccer venues in the country. Part of the expanded seating options is the larger Bailey section which is expected to be double the size of the current Bailey section in Nippert Stadium.

Perhaps the most prominent feature of the stadium’s early design is the canopy roof. The canopy will go around the entire bowl and cover all seats. It will also serve as a way to help keep noise levels down in the surrounding West End neighborhoods while also increasing the volume inside the stadium to keep the pitch rocking. The canopy is also is also made of ethylene tetrafluoro-ethylene (ETFE) foil technology. This is cool feature as it allows for a variety of colors and patterns to be displayed on the canopy’s surface. It has been reported that the design stage will continue into 2019 with a target stadium opening date of March 2021. 

I am a fan of the stadium design and cannot wait to see the finished product when it opens in 2021. The fan experience at Nippert Stadium is phenomenal, and I think it will be even better in the new stadium. For now at least, it appears that the stadium will be worth the drama. The early designs are gorgeous, and the stadium should make an excellent home for Cincinnati’s newest major league team. 

Who Dey Bobblehead Unboxing

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