#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #CLEvsCIN #TNF #MNF #MLBPlayoffs #mlb pic.twitter.com/P1IMpUwgI0— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 19, 2016
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Autograph Page Update
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #CLEvsCIN #BeyondTheStripes #TNF #NFL #football pic.twitter.com/JYSV71NGo2— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 19, 2016
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Bengal Shows 2016
With the 2016 NFL season officially underway, the
opportunities for fans of the Cincinnati Bengals to get autographs are popping
up each and every week in the form of Bengal shows. Bengal shows are shows
where fans can get autographs from Cincinnati Bengals players, and I attend at
least one show a week in hopes of snagging a signature for my Bengals autograph
collection. In this post, I will discuss three of the Bengal shows that take
place each week.
The first show of the week is “Benagls Line.” It is held at
the Holy Grail on the banks in Cincinnati the day after Bengals games and can be
heard on ESPN 1530. The show features radio personality Lance McAllister and
former Bengals player Dave Lapham as the hosts and goes from 6 pm to 9 pm. There
are usually two guest players who are interviewed during the first two hours of
the show. One player is interviewed from 6 pm to 7 pm and the other is
interviewed from 7 pm to 8 pm with the final hour being mainly discussion
between McAllister and Lapham. Players sign autographs during commercials and
there are raffles throughout the night with the prizes ranging from Bengals
apparel to Bengals tickets.
The second show of the week is “Beyond the Stripes.” This
show is presented by the Cincinnati Enquirer and is held at the Hofbräuhaus in
Newport, KY. The show is streamed live on the Enquirer’s Facebook page from 7
pm to 8 pm and features a panel of four reporters interviewing the guest player
before playing a game with the player to end the show. The interviews are
always entertaining and usually feature a few laughs as some of the questions
asked by the panel and answers given by the players are over the top. Once the
show is finished, fans can line up and have one item signed by the player.
The third show of the week is “Bengals Nation.” This show is
held at the Moerlein Lager House on Wednesdays from 6 pm to 8 pm and is
presented by television station Local 12. It is filmed in segments and is
broadcasted on Saturdays. The show has gotten worse in my opinion as its move
from the Holy Grail has really cut back on the interaction that the show used
to have the fans. The area in the Moerlein Lager House where the show is filmed
is a lot smaller than the Holy Grail, so some of the segments, such as fans
asking the guest player questions and some of the games, have been eliminated.
Once the show is finished, fans can get an item signed by the guest player only
if they have an autograph pass. The autograph passes are handed out in the
beginning of the show, and if you do not get there early enough to get an
autograph pass, you will not be able to receive an autograph.
Those are the three different Bengal shows that are held
throughout the week. They are a great way to not only get autographs but to
also interact with fellow Bengals fans. “Beyond the Stripes” is my favorite
show as it is easily the most entertaining of the three. I would say that
“Bengals Line” is next with “Bengals Nation” being the least enjoyable show.
They are all still fun to attend though, and I highly recommend checking out a
few for yourself.
Who Dey!
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #CINvsNE #TNF #MNF #MLBPlayoffs #mlb pic.twitter.com/XQTQqxtuSW— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 12, 2016
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #CINvsNE #BeyondTheStripes #TNF #NFL #football pic.twitter.com/0Rr2D3eGSN— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 12, 2016
Monday, October 10, 2016
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
What a Debut!
As one of the world’s most popular sports, soccer is played
in almost every country and has taken America by storm in recent years.
International teams have American fan bases, and Major League Soccer is
continuing to grow as more American cities vie for expansion franchises. One of
those cities happens to be Cincinnati as FC Cincinnati, the city’s United
Soccer League team, has exceeded all expectations in its debut season.
When it came to the pitch, I don’t think anybody expected the
team to play as well as they did. The team finished third in the USL Eastern Division
standings with a record of 16-6-8 and secured a home playoff game against
Charleston Battery. They had outstanding goalkeeping performances by Mitch
Hildebrandt and were led in scoring by breakout star forward Sean Okoli who was
also the 2016 USL Golden Boot award winner. Other players such as Jimmy
McLaughlin and Cincinnati’s own Austin Berry also had good years that helped FC
Cincinnati have such a stellar debut season.
The attendance has also been a big factor in establishing FC
Cincinnati as a premier team in American soccer. The number of people that have
gone to watch FC Cincinnati soccer games at Nippert Stadium has been impressive
to say the least. Halfway through the regular season, the team broke the
regular season record before setting set the new all-time regular season
attendance record of 259,437 at season’s end. They team also set the new USL
single game regular season attendance record when 24,376 people packed Nippert Stadium
as FC Cincinnati ended their regular season home stand with a 1-0 victory over
Orlando City B. They then broke that record by drawing 30,187 people for their home playoff game. The team averaged 17,296 fans per home game, and if the
friendly match against Premier League squad Crystal Palace is taken into
account, the total number of people that saw an FC Cincinnati match at Nippert Stadium
was an astronomical 333,353.
Speaking of Crystal Palace, FC Cincinnati was the only USL
team selected to play Crystal Palace during their three-match tour of America.
The FC Cincinnati versus Crystal Palace match outdrew the other two matches
Crystal Palace played on their tour against the Philadelphia Union and the Vancouver
White Caps. The Union and the White Caps, both of which are MLS teams, drew
12,881 and 14,788 respectively while FCC Cincinnati more than doubled both of
those numbers by drawing in 35,061 people.
With FC Cincinnati being a contender in their first year of
USL play while also consistently drawing impressive crowds, it appears that MLS
has taken notice. It has been reported that FC Cincinnati executives met with
MLS officials during the MLS All-Star break, and MLS Commissioner Don Garber is
set to visit the Queen City in November. These reports have fueled speculation
that FC Cincinnati is being considered as a possible MLS expansion team.
Getting noticed by MLS is always a good thing. Getting noticed by MLS during
your debut year? Incredible!
In conclusion, it has been a whirlwind debut season for FC
Cincinnati. They made the playoffs with a third place finish in the USL Eastern
Division, set attendance records seemingly all season, played an international
team in Crystal Palace, and is being noticed by MLS. I have been to numerous FC
Cincinnati games this season and was in the bailey for their inaugural home
opener. Every game I have been to has been a blast, and I am proud of what the
team has been able to accomplish in its debut year. Hopefully they will have
continued success for years to come, and hopefully it will be at the MLS level.
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With a New #Bengals Autograph#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #DALvsCIN #TNF #MNF #MLBPlayoffs #mlb pic.twitter.com/9iCD8pyVJv— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 5, 2016
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals & #Reds Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #CINvsDAL #BeyondTheStripes #TNF #NFL pic.twitter.com/Rs7D3OCqDx— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) October 5, 2016
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With New #Bengals, #reds, & #fccincy Autographs#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #MIAvsCIN #TNF #MNF pic.twitter.com/rH4DrqjlJT— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) September 28, 2016
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #MNF #LetsRoar #MIAvsCIN #BeyondTheStripes #TNF #NFL #football pic.twitter.com/P0sC4Sz2sg— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) September 28, 2016
The Better Show
When WWE announced that they would be bringing back the
brand split a few months ago, I was not excited about it. I am still not
thrilled that Raw and SmackDown are being treated as separate brands, but I
still tune in each and every week to see what happens on both shows. So which
one do I think has been better? Allow me to explain.
Based on the rules and results of the WWE draft, it appeared
that Raw had the better of the two rosters. They have talented guys like Seth
Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Kevin Owens, and they have arguably the two best
women wrestlers in the company in Charlotte and Sasha Banks. SmackDown has
stars like Dean Ambrose, A.J. Styles, John Cena, and Becky Lynch, but the crop
of talent on the blue brand is not as deep as it is on Raw as the red brand
also features guys like Sheamus, Sami Zayn, Cesaro, the New Day, the Club, and
the entire cruiserweight division. With a talent pool so deep, you would think
that Raw would be able to put on a quality three-hour television program.
Unfortunately that has not always been the case.
Despite getting off to a hot start by immediately
establishing Finn Balor as a star on the main roster, there have been many
times where Raw has fallen flat. The “Old Day” segment was extremely hard to
watch and the rivalry between Titus O’Neil and Darren Young has been bland
since the very start. That is not to say it has all been bad as Kevin Owens
winning the Universal Championship was one of the best endings to an episode of
Raw I have ever watched. Unfortunately the great moments and matches aren’t
enough to overcome the laughably bad segments that Raw sometimes has which
results in the show being just good.
SmackDown on the other hand has looked like the premier show
that many people thought Raw would be. Despite having less airtime and talent,
the blue brand is thriving. Segments on the show have a purpose and are usually
very entertaining, matches are almost always good, and the creative team seems
to know how to craft storylines that get the most out of the wrestlers on the
roster. For example, the segment involving John Cena, A.J. Styles, and Dean
Ambrose was gold, and the story of Heath Slater has been a major highlight of
the blue brand. It might be the two-hour constraint compared to Raw’s three
hours, but SmackDown makes the most of its time and wastes very little
television with filler.
In conclusion, I believe that SmackDown has been the better
show. While I feel that Raw programming has dragged at certain points, the
programming on SmackDown seems concise and is usually always entertaining.
Maybe Raw will get better once the cruiserweight division takes shape and
steals some airtime away from the filler that really does not serve a purpose.
I really do not want to see any more “Old Day” segments on Raw anymore. That
was just painful to watch…
Monday, September 26, 2016
WWE Clash of Champions 2016 Thoughts
Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Clash of Champions 2016.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Cincinnati Reds Get Your 'Stache On Garden Gnome Unboxing
My All-Time Favorite Cincinnati Bengals Game
With the 2016 NFL season officially underway, my Cincinnati
Bengals are once again looking to end the playoff win draught that has plagued
the Queen City for over 25 years. Being a lifelong Bengals fan, I have seen it
all. I was a kid during the Dark Ages of the 1990s, and I have experienced the
renaissance of this franchise during the Marvin Lewis era. I have seen dramatic
comebacks and primetime meltdowns. I experienced the lowest of lows during the
2015 playoff implosion, but I have also experienced the highest of highs such
as the 17 point comeback against the Seattle Seahawks. In fact, that is my
all-time favorite Bengals game, and in this post, I will explain why.
The game between the Seahawks and my beloved Bengals
happened during week 5 of the 2015 NFL season. The Bengals were riding a huge
wave of momentum after sprinting out of the gates to a 4-0 start. The Seahawks
were the Super Bowl champs in 2013 as well as the reigning 2014 NFC champions.
This game had a big fight feel to it and was hyped in Cincinnati in the week
leading up to the battle on the gridiron. Needless to say, it delivered.
The Bengals got off to a hot start by scoring on their
opening drive and taking a 7-0 lead. The Seahawks responded later in the
quarter and dominated the Bengals throughout the rest of the half and the
entire third quarter. By the time the fourth and final quarter of play started,
the Bengals were on the wrong end of a 24-7 score with the Seahawks’ “Legion of
Boom” standing in their way. It was not looking good for Who Dey Nation.
Despite being down, the team was not out and still fought
with determination and the will to win. Quarterback Andy Dalton connected with
Tyler Eifert for a touchdown, Eifert’s second receiving touchdown of the game,
to cut the lead to 10. Then with a little over three and half minutes left in
the game, Dalton called an audible at the line of scrimmage and ran the ball
into the end zone from five yards out to bring the Bengals within three points.
Time was not on the home team’s side but the defense was able to force the
Seahawks to punt the ball. After Adam Jones’ punt return was called back after
a controversial fair catch call, the Bengals had one last shot to put points on
the board.
They moved the ball down the field on a methodical drive
that was highlighted by a tremendous diving catch by Tyler Eifert while the
clock continued to tick. After a scramble by Dalton fell short of the first
down marker, the offense rushed off the field as the special teams unit
sprinted on with no timeouts left to use. Kicker Mike Nugent kicked the ball as
time ran out, and the ball sailed through the uprights! The Bengals had tied
the game at 24-24 and forced overtime!
Overtime was very competitive as both teams’ defensives were
able to force stops. Neither team seemed able to break through and end the game
with a scoring drive…until the Bengals were able to string together a couple of
offensive plays that put them in a position to win the game. With a little over
three and a half minutes left in overtime, Nugent ran onto the field to attempt
a 42-yard field goal. The snap was good, the hold was good, and the kick began
to sail to the left of the uprights in midflight. The ball hit the left post
but banked in for the win! The stadium erupted with cheers, and I was going
nuts on my couch! My beloved Cincinnati Bengals climbed out of a 17-point hole
and defeated the Seattle Seahawks 27-24 in overtime!
This was the most exciting Bengals game I have ever watched.
It was an emotional rollercoaster ride from start to finish, and by the time it
was over, I was exhausted. It was the peak of Bengals fever in 2015, and is one
of the first games I think about when discussing the 2015 Bengals teams. It is
my all-time favorite Bengals game as it had everything that makes the sport of
football so thrilling to watch. To see how incredible this game was, check out
the highlights here.
Who Dey!
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With a New #Bengals Autograph#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #DENvsCIN pic.twitter.com/s3zyhiiXgR— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) September 21, 2016
Photo Page Update
Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With New #Bengals Pics#WhoDey #LetsRoar #DENvsCIN #BeyondTheStripes pic.twitter.com/PmxmfNxYjI— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) September 21, 2016
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Reds Bobbles vs. Reds Hall of Fame Bobbles 2016
For the past few weeks, I have been going over the
bobbleheads that the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum and the Cincinnati
Reds gave to fans in 2016. Since I got every bobblehead that both the team and
the hall of fame gave away to fans, I thought I would compare the lines of
nodders and determine who had the better series of bobbles. I will look at the
players featured, the appearance of the bobbles, and the overall quality of the
nodders in determining which bobblehead series reigns supreme for 2016.
For players featured, the Cincinnati Reds introduced the
bobblehead versions of two players who had not been immortalized as nodders in
Zack Cozart and Eugenio Suarez. There were also three repeat player bobbles
that had a unique twist to differentiate them from years past. They were nodders
of Vottomatic who is the superhero version of Joey Votto, a Cincinnati Reds /
Seattle Mariners Ken Griffey Jr. double bobblehead, and a Star Wars X-Wing
pilot Mr. Redlegs bobblehead. The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum gave
out bobbleheads of Gary Nolan, Jack Billingham, Jim Maloney, Lee May, and Pete
Rose. For everybody but Rose, this was their bobblehead debut. The Rose bobble
was of him being inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame while the other bobbles
featured the Reds legends in their playing days. Since the Reds Hall of Fame
featured more new players as bobbles than the Reds, I’m giving this round to
the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.
Next we will take a look at the overall appearance of the
nodders. The bobbleheads that the Reds gave away looked great. Suarez and
Cozart are in traditional Reds uniforms, Vottomatic is in a superhero outfit,
Ken Griffey Jr. is featured in both his Reds and Mariners uniform, and the Star
Wars Mr. Redlegs bobblehead features the mustached mascot of the Reds in an
X-Wing spaceship. The Reds Hall of Fame bobbles feature the players in
traditional Reds uniforms based on the era that the players were from with the
Rose bobblehead featuring Rose in his red hall of fame induction jacket. Based
on the uniqueness of the appearances of the Reds bobbleheads, I’m giving this
round to the Reds.
With both the Reds and the Reds Hall of Fame claiming a
point apiece, this round will determine which bobbleheads were of better
quality as well as who is the bobblehead champion of 2016. The overall quality
of the Reds bobbleheads was pretty good. The paintjobs on the players were
decent for the most part and the heads bobbled pretty well. However, the paintjobs
on the bases could have been better as the lettering for the names of the
players looked a little splotchy on some bobbles. Also, the bats that are held
in the hands of the Griffey Jr. bobble were pretty loose and would fall out
easily. The Reds Hall of Fame bobbles feature quality paintjobs on both the
players and the bases. The bat in Lee May’s hands fit snuggly, and Rose’s foot
screw into the base to keep the bobble in place. Therefore, the quality round
goes to the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.
Based on a final score of 2-1, the Cincinnati Reds Hall of
Fame and Museum gave out the better line of bobbleheads in 2016. The players
were featured were mostly new, and the quality of the bobbles were topnotch.
The Reds bobbles had the better look, but the repeat players and shabby
paintjobs on the bases and the loose bats on the Girffey Jr. bobblehead were
the factors that gave the title of bobblehead champ to the Reds Hall of Fame.
That is not to say that the Reds bobbles are bad as they are in fact really
nice, but the Reds Hall of Fame bobbles were just better overall. If you are a
Reds fan, I suggest picking up both lines of bobbleheads for your collection.
Go Redlegs!
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Autograph Page Update
#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/ULDHSOUCJg With a New #Bengals Autograph#WhoDey #LetsRoar #NFL #CINvsPIT pic.twitter.com/YkhCwW5YPE— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) September 14, 2016
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