Autograph Page Update

#AUTOGRAPH PAGE UPDATE @ https://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr WITH #BENGALS SIGNATURES #WhoDey #LetsRoar #Reds #SuperBowl #NFL pic.twitter.com/90pPc7LvSC

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 30, 2016

2016 Cincinnati Reds Bobbleheads So Far

Even though Opening Day is not for a few months, the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum are already promoting what bobbleheads they will be giving out to fans this season. At the time that this post was written, the Reds have announced four of the bobbleheads that they will give away and the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum have announced two of the bobbleheads that will be given to fans with the price of admission. In this post, I will share my thoughts on the nodders that have been revealed.

Let’s start with the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum bobbleheads. The bobblehead that will be given out during the month of April will be of legendary Reds pitcher Jim Maloney. This is an awesome choice for a bobblehead. Maloney had a great career as a Red and is more than deserving of his own bobblehead. I definitely plan on stopping by the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum to pick up this nodder.

The other bobblehead that the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum has announced is of Lee May. “The Big Bopper” is another fantastic choice for a bobblehead as he was a great player who helped the Reds reach the 1970 World Series, and he helped lay the foundation for the Big Red Machine that would dominate baseball throughout the 1970’s. This bobblehead is a must have for my collection.

The Reds have announced four bobbleheads that they will be giving out with the first one being a superhero bobblehead of Joey Votto. While I do find this bobblehead to be underwhelming as there are tons of Joey Votto bobbleheads in the world, I do plan on attending the game so that I can get it. Odds are that the bobblehead will be of Votto in some sort of superhero outfit instead of the typical Reds uniform, so I consider it to be different enough to add to my collection.

The second bobblehead that will be given out will be a Star Wars X-Wing Fighter Mr. Redlegs bobblehead. This sounds awesome. Even though I have three variations of Mr. Redlegs nodders in my collection already, a Star Wars Mr. Redlegs bobblehead is too good to pass up on so I will definitely be heading to the game to get it.

The third bobblehead the team will give out is a dual Cincinnati Reds/Seattle Mariners Ken Griffey Jr. bobblehead. This bobblehead is another cool nodder that I will be adding to my collection. With “the Kid” most likely taking his rightful place in the Hall of Fame this year, it makes perfect sense for the Reds to capitalize on it and produce a nodder of him. The fact that it will feature him as both a member of the Reds and the Mariners is a cool idea, and I cannot wait to get it.

The fourth bobblehead is of shortstop Zack Cozart. I am excited about this bobblehead as it features a solid player on the team who has yet to be immortalized as a Reds SGA nodder. Cozart is an amazing defensive shortstop, so my guess is that the nodder will portray him making a great defensive play.

Those are the six Reds bobbleheads that have been announced, and aside from the Votto nodder, they all have me pretty excited. It is pretty much assumed that the Reds, who are currently in rebuild mode, will suck in 2016, so the need for awesome promotions to help drive fans to the games is at a high level. Based on the bobbleheads they have announced so far, they are on the right track.

Go Redlegs!

Royal Rumble 2016 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on the 2016 Royal Rumble event.

MyHobbyChannel Giveaway Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone opens a giveaway from MyHobbyChannel.

Give MyHobbyChannel a sub: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeBHxJ-6-DylM3M8ic5-7Gg

Phoning It In?

Before you dive into this post, please let me make one thing clear. I am a diehard fan of World Wrestling Entertainment. I fell in love with the world of professional wrestling when I was kid during the Attitude Era. Guys like Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock ran wild in WWE and factions like the New World Order dominated World Championship Wrestling. It was a great time to be a wrestling fan. As I watch the product now though, I can’t help but feel somewhat disappointed with what WWE has become. The lack of creativity in storytelling by WWE officials is appalling. It sometimes feels as if WWE is phoning it in until Wrestlemania season. In this post I will discuss why I feel WWE is in need of a major shakeup to make it must see television again.

A major shakeup can come very easily in two different ways. Creating better characters is probably the most obvious way of doing that. Guys like Wade Barrett, Alberto Del Rio, and Sheamus are stagnant to me. They are all fine when it comes to in ring ability, but their characters are just too boring. Much like John Cena’s babyface persona is in major need of a heel turn to make him refreshing and add depth to his character, these guys need more character development in order for me to care that they are heels. Personally, I find them pretty boring and until WWE can find a way to make me invest in them and give me a reason to truly despise these heels, I, like much of the WWE universe, will continue to see them as boring.

Another way to shake tings up is with better storylines. Team ECW versus the Wyatt Family was just thrown together, and Tyler Breeze versus Dolph Ziggler has become very bland. These wrestlers are all very talented, but poor storytelling on WWE’s part has made me care very little about them. The stories are repetitive and a bit lazy in the creative department, and WWE needs to fix this immediately.

I am not a WWE hater or a “smark.” I am a fan of WWE and while a lot of WWE programming has been bad as of late, there are some good. Guys like Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, and the New Day have well developed characters and are masters at capturing the attention of the audience. The Dean Ambrose versus Seth Rollins rivalry and the Daniel Bryan versus the Authority feud were two of the best pieces of storytelling that WWE has produced in the past few years. This proves that WWE is capable of producing intriguing stories with captivating characters that make the audience invest in them. Wrestlemania season and the “Attitude Era” are prime examples of that. If WWE could do this on a weekly basis, then perhaps its rating for Raw and Smackdown might reverse its current downward trend.

I really hope WWE smells the coffee and wakes up to the fact that its product is in a state of staleness. Something needs to be done to make it interesting again. Shake things up ,WWE. I am begging you to stop phoning it in until Wrestlemania season. Make wrestling fun again.

Bengals Recap 2015

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps the 2015 season of the Cincinnati Bengals.

PO’ed: Poorly Officiated

January 9, 2016, is a date that I and many other fans of the Cincinnati Bengals would like to forget. After trailing the entire game, my beloved Bengals fought and clawed their way back into the game and took a 16-15 lead over their biggest rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, with a little under two minutes left in the game. It looked like the Bengals would finally win in the playoffs and end a 25 year postseason victory draught that dates all the way back to the 1990 NFL season. Unfortunately, the Steelers escaped with an 18-15 win over the Bengals after two stupid penalties cost the Bengals 30 yards. While the Bengals ultimately cost themselves the game, the officiating definitely played a role. Now I am not saying that the officials are the reason why the Bengals lost the game. I am saying that the officiating was so bad that the game essentially turned into a fight, and the lack of control by the referees played a key role into how violent the game became.

The head referee for this game was the same referee who officiated the second Steelers versus Bengals game. In that contest, the two teams got in a fight before the game even started. During the game, Steelers player Mike Mitchell laid a hard shot into Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert that resulted in Eifert leaving the game with a concussion. The tension only escalated from there and the officiating crew was heavily criticized for how they handled the game.

Fast forward to the playoff game for Steelers versus Bengals part three. For some stupid reason, the NFL has the same head official from the previous Steelers versus Bengals game referee the playoff game. Apparently the NFL told both teams before the game that they would not tolerate the same kind of violent play that characterized their previous meeting and at first, it looked like the officials had control of the game. Both teams were playing hard and other than an incident involving one of the Steelers coaches and Bengals safety Reggie Nelson, the game was going on without a hitch although it was a hard-hitting matchup. The officiating took a nosedive after an incident involving Ryan Shazier of the Steelers and Giovani Bernard of the Bengals.

Bernard caught a pass and took two steps before being knocked out by Ryan Shazier’s helmet-to-helmet shot that was horrific to watch. Bernard was motionless on the ground for a few minutes. Apparently the play was legal, but it was no doubt a dirty and vicious hit that could have seriously injured both players. To make matters worse, Shazier, in a display of the poorest of sportsmanship, celebrated the hit on the sideline. Things escalated quickly.

Both teams appeared to be hitting each other harder and the fans even started throwing trash onto the field. Toward the end of the game, Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict laid out Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown with a shot to the head from his shoulder that floored Brown. It was reminiscent of the hit Shazier placed on Bernard. That was called a penalty. However, the play also led to another scrummage between the two teams. This time though, Steelers coach Joey Porter was on the field and jawing with Bengals cornerback Adam Jones. There was absolutely no reason for Porter to be on the field. He is a coach and should have stayed on the sideline. Had that play in which Shazier knocked out Bernard been handled better, then perhaps Brown would not have suffered that hit and the game would have not turned into a fight with fans throwing debris onto the field. The game was poorly officiated as the referees lost control. In my opinion, the NFL has a lot of explaining to do. 

I could go on and on about how bad the officiating was, but I am still disgusted with how the game ended. It was a poor display of sportsmanship from a few coaches and players on the field and an embarrassment for the NFL.

Holiday Pickups 2015

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows what he picked up over the holidays.

We Really Want This One

We really want this one. Who am I referring to as “we?” I am referring to Who Dey Nation which is made up of every single Cincinnati Bengals fan. What am I referring to as “this one?” I am referring to the Bengals first round playoff game this weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Should the Bengals come away with a victory against the Steelers, a twenty-five year playoff win draught would come to an end and a curse that was seemingly placed on the Bengals by the Steelers a decade ago would finally be lifted.

This is the most “must win” Bengals game of my lifetime. I was born in 1992 so I missed both Super Bowl appearances and the last time the Bengals won in the postseason was during the 1990 NFL season. Since that win, the Bengals have gone through peaks and valleys with the lowest of the lows being the “Dark Ages” of the 1990s.

After that lost decade that made up the first eight years of my childhood, the Marvin Lewis era began in 2003, and the dark cloud that hung over Paul Brown Stadium began to dissipate. It seemed like rays of sunshine were finally beginning to illuminate the once dark and depressing home of the Bengals. In 2005, the team won the AFC North crown, and the horrible past of the Bengals was becoming a distant memory. A high-powered offense led by stars such as Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer seemed destined to lead the Bengals to the promised land. Bengals fever was at an all time high as the team hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2005 playoffs. All seemed right in the world. Then came a crushing sports injury that devastated the 13-year-old Bengals fan that was me a decade ago. Carson Palmer was tackled low and tore both his MCL and ACL and the dream season of the Bengals ended in nightmare fashion as the team lost the game and was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round.

Unfortunately, the first round playoff exits continued as the New York Jets, the Houston Texans, the San Diego Chargers, and the Indianapolis Colts have all ended the postseason dreams of the Bengals in the first round. Every time the Bengals lost in the first round of the playoffs, the dark cloud that hung over Paul Brown Stadium became darker. Every first round playoff loss was a reminder of the curse that the Steelers placed on the Bengals ten years ago.

All of that can change this weekend. The Bengals are different this year. They have destroyed teams such as the Cleveland Browns and the St. Louis Rams and have grinded out wins against other teams like the Seattle Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens. They finished the regular season with a record of 12-4 and won the AFC North title. Their four losses came against four teams who made the postseason and three out of those four games were nail biters that came down to the wire. Their one crushing defeat came at the hands of the Steelers, and it was due to the fact that Dalton suffered a thumb injury on the first Bengals offensive drive and did not play the rest of the game. 

This team is different. This team can shake the curse and finally win in the playoffs. It would be so fitting and so satisfying to end the curse by beating the team that placed the curse upon them. The Steelers are the most hated rival of the Bengals. This rivalry has grown immensely over the last few years, and the pure disdain between the two teams has escalated to a whole new level. The game this weekend will be a knockdown, drag out fight that will probably come down to the wire. Hopefully the Bengals will come away with the win and end the postseason draught and curse. A decade of suffering would finally come to an end. The gorilla that has been on the back of the Bengals for 25 years will finally be shaken off with a win. This is the most must-win Bengals game of my lifetime. Who Dey Nation really wants this one. Make it happen Bengals.

Who Dey!

Autograph Page Update

#AUTOGRAPH PAGE UPDATE @ https://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr WITH NEW #REDS SIGNATURE #Bengals #WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #PITvsCIN pic.twitter.com/X2OVSm3M0w

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 6, 2016

Photo Page Update

PIC PAGE UPDATE @ https://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #BALvsCIN, #Bengals Line, #BeyondTheStripes & #Reds HOT STOVE PICS pic.twitter.com/HpcdkeYH5P

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 6, 2016

MikeO Care Package Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a care package from MikeO.

Give MikeO a sub: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0lnxZxSIPRJ-88XUu4g05w

Holiday Autographs

If you are a Cincinnati sports fan, then the holidays are a prime time for you to snag some autographs from some of your favorite Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals players. Most people take time off from work during the holidays and if you are one of those lucky people that get a holiday break and would love to meet some of the best athletes on the diamond or the gridiron during your holiday vacation, keep reading as I will discuss the various sports shows that take place in Cincinnati which allow you to meet players from both the Reds and the Bengals.

On Mondays, ESPN 1530 broadcasts “Bengals Line,” a Bengals radio talk show that takes place at the Holy Grail bar in Cincinnati from 6 to 9pm. Lance McAlister and former Bengals player Dave Lapham are the hosts, and during the first two hours of the three hour show, they will interview two current Bengals players. The show typically features one player from the offense and one from the defense, and fans are allowed to get autographs from the players during commercial breaks. I have been multiple times and have gotten the autographs of A.J. Green, Andy Dalton, and Carlos Dunlap among others.

The Holy Grail is also the site for Reds Hot Stove League on Tuesdays from 6 to 7pm. This is a Cincinnati Reds talk show in which Reds broadcasters such as Marty Brennaman and Jim Kelch will interview a Reds player. Guests have included Devin Mesoraco and Michael Lorenzen among other past and current Reds players.

On Tuesdays at the Moerlein Lager House from 7 to 8pm, the Cincinnati Enquirer broadcasts their web show called “Beyond the Stripes.” This is my favorite Bengals show to go to as it features a funny panel of Bengals reporters who really interact well with the guest player. Unlike the other Bengals shows in Cincinnati, “Beyond the Stripes” supplies fans with pictures of the guest player that the guest player will sign. The pictures look really nice and are a fantastic addition to any Bengals fan memorabilia collection. Guests this season have included Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill, and Tyler Eifert.

On Wednesdays, Bengals fans can head back to the Holy Grail for the taping of “Bengals Nation.” This is a Bengals show that is made by CBS affiliate Local 12, and it is aired on Saturday nights. The show features question and answer sessions, a trivia game, and the opportunity for autographs from a guest player. Since this is a taped TV show, it is filmed in segments and doesn’t really give a talk show like feel. It is still a fun way to meet Bengals players though, and I have gotten the autographs from multiple Bengals players and personnel such as Marvin Lewis, Chris Carter, and Paul Guenther.

On Fridays, the Bengals radio talk show called “Bengals Pep Rally” is broadcasted from various Greater Cincinnati area Buffalo Wings and Rings restaurants usually from 3 to 6pm. Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham host this show and during the last hour of the broadcast, they will interview a Bengals player who will sign autographs during commercial breaks. I have gotten the autographs of players such as Mohammed Sanu, Ryan Hewitt, and Will Clarke from “Bengals Pep Rally.”

Those are all the Reds and Bengals shows in Cincinnati that give fans the opportunity to attain autographs from some of their favorite players. They are a lot of fun to attend and if you have time off during the holidays, I recommend you go. You will be able to eat some good food, meet players from the Reds and the Bengals, and be engrossed in the Cincinnati sports culture.

Who Dey and go Redlegs!

Photo Page Update

PIC PAGE UPDATE @ https://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #BENGALS PICS #BeyondTheStripes #WhoDey #LetsRoar #BALvsCIN #NFL #NBA pic.twitter.com/rOAwf1R31r

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 30, 2015

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Break Update

I will be taking a little break during the week of Christmas, so to make up for the lack of a post and a video next week, I have uploaded two posts and two videos this week. Scroll down the page to check them out or click on the links provided!

Induction Injustice

Dalton Debilitated

WWE TLC 2015 Thoughts

Bengal Graphs 2015 Part 3

Autograph Page Update

#AUOTGRAPH PAGE UPDATE @ https://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr WITH NEW #BENGALS SIGNATURE #WhoDey #LetsRoar #CINvsDEN #NFL #WWE pic.twitter.com/LMquj7jkN1

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 23, 2015

Photo Page Update

PIC PAGE UPDATE @ https://t.co/yzF6TznxxM WITH #BENGALS PICS #BeyondTheStripes #WhoDey #LetsRoar #CINvsDen #NFL #WWE pic.twitter.com/BB0ujfgUBq

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) December 23, 2015

Bengal Graphs 2015 Part 3

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the different Cincinnati Bengals autographs he has gotten.

Dalton Debilitated

What a horrible two days for Cincinnati sports fans. On Sunday, my beloved Cincinnati Bengals not only lost to their AFC North division rival the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they also lost quarterback Andy Dalton for a few weeks due to a fractured thumb. As if that was not bad enough, Rob Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, announced on Monday that he would not lift the ban from baseball on Cincinnati Reds legend Pete Rose thus essentially nullifying any hope that the “Hit King” might one day take his rightful place in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. So why am I talking about these two topics?

With next week being the week of Christmas, I will be uploading two blog posts this week. Each will discuss either the Dalton injury or the continuation of Rose’s ban from baseball. Not jovial topics for Cincinnati sports fans during the “most wonderful time of the year,” but topics important enough to warrant discussion from me. This post is about the injury to Andy Dalton and how it affects my beloved Cincinnati Bengals.

Unless you are not a Bengals fan or have been living under a rock, then odds are you already know that Dalton fractured his thumb on Sunday when attempting to make a tackle after an interception. It was a freak play that had me go from anger over the pick in the red zone to anguish after seeing Dalton walking back to the locker room. When he returned to the field, he was no longer in his football gear and had a big cast on his right arm. The injury was later reported to be a fractured thumb that thankfully will not require surgery. According to reports, Dalton’s status is week to week and if all goes well, he could play again as early as the regular season finale against the Baltimore Ravens

What does this mean for the Bengals until then? It means that AJ McCarron will be the starting quarterback until Dalton recovers. McCarron had a prolific college career as the starting quarterback for the University of Alabama. He led the Crimson Tide to multiple national championships and had it not been for uncertainty about his NFL career due to a shoulder injury, he could have been drafted higher than he was by the Bengals and might have been on a different team. Thankfully he is a member of the Bengals, and despite looking like a true rookie quarterback when he entered the game against the Steelers, he still made some really good throws and appears to have the potential to help hold the team over until Dalton returns.

While Dalton’s injury is a devastating blow to what is a great Bengals team, it is not the end of the world. Dalton was having a career year before the injury, and should he return in time for the playoffs, I would expect him to continue playing at the new level he has reached this season. McCarron has looked good during the limited times he has seen actual NFL action, and I believe that he will help lead the Bengals to a division clinching win and a berth in the postseason. Who Dey Nation has to keep the faith and get off the ledge. The season is far from over, and I still believe in my Bengals.

Who Dey!