FC Cincinnati is in MLS!

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone celebrates FC Cincinnati joining Major League Soccer!

Who Dey Draft 2018

The 2018 NFL Draft has come and gone, and it was a chance for my beloved Cincinnati Bengals to address some of the issues that plagued this team the past two seasons. The biggest of these problems was the offensive line. For the last two years, Andy Dalton was seemingly running for his life every other play. That is why many NFL Draft experts predicted that the Bengals would select an offensive lineman in the first round.

Despite rumors that the Bengals would take quarterback Lamar Jackson out of the University of Louisville, the franchise selected center Billy Price out of Ohio State University. Price replaces center Russell Bodine who signed with the Buffalo Bills in free agency. Hopefully he can prove to be a better center than Bodine and provide adequate blocking for Dalton.

In the second round, the Bengals selected safety Jessie Bates III out of Wake Forest. The Bengals are hoping he can help cover slots and and allow them to stay in base defense. In the third round, the team took defensive end Sam Hubbard out of Ohio State. Hopefully he can help strengthen the pass rush. They also selected Malik Jefferson. He is a linebacker out of Texas. With Vontaze Burfict facing a suspension to start the season as well as his injury history, I feel like the Jefferson’s selection is self explanatory.

The Bengals had one selection in the fourth round, and the chose Miami Hurricane running back Mark Walton. With Jeremy Hill joing former Bengals running back Rex Burkhead in New England, the Bengals were down to Joe Mixon and Gio Bernard. Walton will probably be the new third string back as well as contribute on special teams.

In the fifth round, the Bengals had three picks. First they selected cornerback Davontae Harris out of Illinois State. With Adam Jones currently a free agent, Harris adds some depth to the cornerback position. The Bengals then selected Andrew Brown. The former Virginia Cavalier defensive tackle will most likely see some time on the field behind Geno Atkins. Their final fifth round pick was Darius Phillips out Western Michigan. He is a cornerback who could also be used as a returner.

The Bengals had no six round picks, but did make three selections in the seventh round. First was Toledo Rockets quarterback Logan Woodside. He will most likely be competing for a backup role or might even be the practice squad quarterback. Next was Rod Taylor, an offensive lineman out of the University of Mississippi. The Bengals have stated that they believe he can play either guard or tackle, and they are hoping his versatility can help bolster the offensive line. The final draft pick made by the Bengals in 2018 was wide receiver Auden Tate from Florida State University. He will compete for one of the receiver spots on the team as the Bengals have stated that they believe he can be a major target for Dalton.

Those are all of the 2018 draft picks of the Bengals. They addressed some of their offensive line needs, strengthened the defense, and hopefully picked up a few players that can help them win a Super Bowl Championship. On paper, I’d say that they had a good draft. Of course, we won’t really know how the draft picks pan out until the season starts.

Who Dey!

Chuck Harmon Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum member exclusive bobblehead of Chuck Harmon. 

Face or Heel?

Dean Ambrose has been out with an injury since December. He was in the midst of a storyline in which and he his Shield brother Seth Rollins were battling the Bar for the Raw Tag Team Championship. The injury brought an abrupt end to what had been an abbreviated Shield reunion and has left Raw without one of its biggest stars and storylines. Rumors were swirling that Ambrose was going to turn heel and betray Rollins in a rivalry that would lead to a Wrestlemania match between the former tag team champs. I was hoping the rumors turned out to be true. A heel Ambrose vs. a face Rollins could have been the rivalry of the year. When Ambrose does return, should he be face or heel?

Aside from the early days of the Shield, Ambrose has been a face during his time on the main roster. When the Shield broke up, Ambrose became the breakout face of the group. Reigns garnered boos despite being positioned as the main good guy of the Shield while Ambrose consistently revived great crowd reactions. The Lunatic Fringe gimmick worked as he tweaked it to become more goofy than unpredictable and it worked for the most part. The act did get stale though and Ambrose was in need of a character change. That change came in the form of the Shield reunion. The goofy aspect of The Lunatic Fringe was dropped as Ambrose embraced his unpredictable side once again. His promos were more intense and he regained the "mox" that made him a fan favorite on the Indy wrestling circuit. 

But what if Ambrose took that attitude and unpredictability to the next level? As a heel, I believe that he can. The Lunatic Fringe could morph into Jon Moxley. He could blend the CZW style of violence with WWE wrestling and run roughshod over the WWE roster. The promos he could cut as a heel would be some of the best in the business. Ambrose has always been one of the best promo cutters in WWE and as a full fledged heel, he could be one of the best promo cutters on wrestling history. He has an ability to demand your attention and make you hang on every word when he has a mic in his hand. As a he, his promos would be even better as he wouldn't have to suck up the crowd or try and make people laugh. He could be serious, intense, and real.

So should Ambrose return as a face or a heel? In my opinion, Ambrose should come back as a full force heel. WWE has a lot of face wrestlers at the moment and is in need of a true top heel. Ambrose can fill that role. The Lunatic Fringe character could thrive as a heel and make WWE much more interesting.

Scooter Gennett Bobblehead Unboxing

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

Will the Dark Knight Rise?

Last Tuesday, my beloved Cincinnati Reds traded catcher Devin Mesoraco to the New York Mets in exchange for pitcher Matt Harvey about an hour before the two teams played each other in game two of their three game series at Great American Ball Park. It was an odd trade for a number of reasons, one of them being that Mesoraco was in the lineup for the Reds and scheduled to catch that night. He had gotten his batting practice in and was reportedly getting ready for the game before he was informed that he had been traded to the team in the visitor’s clubhouse.

For Mesoraco, hopefully it is a fresh start for what was once considered a promising baseball career. He had a breakout season in 2014 in which he made the National League All-Star team and was awarded with a four-year contract worth $28 million. Injuries then derailed his career as he spent time in 2015, 2016, and 2017 on the disabled list. In his absence, Tucker Barnhart emerged as a fine catcher and suitable replacement. Barnhart’s winning of the 2017 Gold Glove award for his position essentially cemented him as the new starter. The Reds felt that Mesoraco was expendable and the trade was made.

What the Reds got in return is questionable. Despite rising to prominence as a Met in which he helped lead the team to the World Series, Harvey has since fallen off the map. The pitcher formerly known as the Dark Knight suffered a slew of injuries and in 2018, he was moved from the Mets starting rotation to the bullpen. The Mets then tried to demote him to the minors. When Harvey refused, they designated him for assignment before the trade with the Reds was announced.

As I write this, Harvey is scheduled to join up with the Reds in Los Angeles as they begin their series with Dodgers. It is expected that he pitches in some capacity on Friday. Whether that is as a starter or as a reliever remains to be seen. Either way, I believe there is no way that he is in the long-term plans of the franchise. With Harvey being a free agent at season’s end, my guess is that the Reds hope he reverts back to his old self so that they can demand a high price for him at the trade deadline. If he does not pan out well, the Reds can simply part ways with him at the end of the season. It is a low risk, high reward move by the Reds. Hopefully for the Reds, the Dark Knight will rise once again and garner the team some wins and a plethora of talent in a trade.

Getting Closer...

 A few weeks ago, FC Cincinnati’s last piece in its Major League Soccer expansion bid seemingly fell into place when both Cincinnati Public Schools and Cincinnati City Council approved a deal that made the West End the future site of an FCC soccer specific stadium. FCC appeared to have all the boxes checked. Fan support and a strong ownership group were there from the beginning. However, the stadium situation was a total mess. It rotated form Oakley to the West End to Newport to no sites are in play back to the West End. Despite all the drama, a stadium deal was secured and speculation that MLS would vote on FCC’s bid at the next board of governor’s meeting ran rampant. Ultimately no vote took place although MLS did issue a statement that appeared to have singled out FCC as the frontrunner.

Fast forward to April 29 when FCC general manager Jeff Berding and team owner Carl Linder III were spotted in Los Angeles at LAFC’s stadium opener. Taylor Twellman of ESPN said he believed Berding and Linder were there to meet with MLS and that he would be “shocked” if FC Cincinnati was not announced as the next MLS expansion team in 10-14 days. FC Cincinnati then released a statement on May 2 that sounded as if it contradicted Twellman.

The club acknowledged that they met with MLS but also noted that they still had to finalize various legal agreements with CPS, the city of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, the Port Authority, and Nippert Stadium. Apparently once everything is signed and finalized, the bid will be complete and ready for review by MLS. The franchise also stated that they are scheduling a visit to Cincinnati by MLS commissioner Don Garber and other MLS officials. While this visit may be to inspect the stadium site, the statement also noted that Garber and company will meet with club ownership.

While the statement that FCC issued is not great, it is good. Trying to read between the lines, it appears that FCC needs a few signatures on its agreements with the city and CPS among others in order to fully cement them as finished. MLS has been burned by stadium situations in the past so it makes sense that the league would want everything in place before an expansion bid is granted. The statement about Nippert Stadium seems to suggest that FCC could begin MLS play in 2019 should it receive the bid and if Nippert is approved as a temporary venue until the stadium is built. The other statement that popped out at me was that Garber and league officials will meet with club ownership. If the visit were to just inspect the site, I think that would have been mentioned. In fact, the West End site is not mentioned at all in the statement. Could the visit be to iron the out last details of the bid and schedule an MLS announcement? Only time will tell.

WWE Backlash 2018 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Backlash 2018. 

Xavier University Musketeers Byron Larkin and Joe Sunderman Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a a Xavier University Musketeers double bobblehead of Byron Larkin and Joe Sunderman. 

The True World Championship

What is the true world championship in WWE? Raw and SmackDown are now separate brands under the WWE banner and each has their owner world championship. The WWE Championship is the biggest prize on SmackDown while the Universal Championship is the top title on Raw. Which is one is the true world championship though? Let’s dive into the details.

The WWE Championship has a long and historic lineage that dates back to “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers. Legends such as Bruno Samamrtino, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the Rock have all been crowned as WWE Champion. It was unified with the World Heavyweight Championship twice and has been fought for at every Wrestlemania event except for Wrestlemania 1. It has a classy design that truly illustrates what a championship title should look like. It has been the centerpiece of some of the biggest matches in history such as Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 12 and the SummerSlam 2000 main event between Triple H, Kurt Angle, and the Rock. It has long been considered not only the biggest championship in WWE but the entire professional wrestling industry.

The Universal Championship has been around for about a year and a half. Finn Balor was crowned as the inaugural Universal Champion when he defeated Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2016. Since then, the title has been held by Kevin Owens, Goldberg, and Brock Lesnar at the time that this post was written. The design could definitely use an overhaul. While it is a near mirror image of the WWE Championship, the all red strap makes it look more like a toy as opposed to an actual championship. The Universal Championship has also been contested for in some of the biggest matches in WWE history. Brock Lesnar and Goldberg battled for it at Wrestlemania 33 and Kevin Owens won a very exciting fatal four-way elimination match to become the Universal Champion on an episode of Raw.

So which title is the true world championship? I am going to have to side with the WWE Championship. Its lineage, its design, and the fact that it is considered the top title in the entire professional wrestling industry make this one an easy decision. I am not saying that the Universal Championship cannot reach similar heights, but odds are WWE will keep the WWE Championship around should a unification match take place.

Cris Collinsworth Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Bengals Cris Collinsworth bobblehead. 

Reds 2018 Special Ticket Package Bobbleheads

 Like the Captain America Cincinnati Reds bobblehead I wrote about in a previous post, the team is giving out a few other bobbleheads only available through special ticket packages. In this post, I will talk about the different special ticket package bobbleheads that the team plans to give to fans.

On April 25, the Reds will be giving out a bobblehead of the legendary painter Bob Ross. The Reds will be taking on the Atlanta Braves in a 6:40 p.m. game. Aside from the bobblehead, fans will also have the opportunity to purchase a ticket package that not only includes the bobblehead, but admission to the “Joy of Painting” VIP painting class.

In May, there will be three special ticket package bobbleheads. On May 4, the Reds and Star Wars are teaming up to distribute a bobblehead of Chewbacca. This lines up very well for Reds and Star Wars fans as it is both a Friday and “Star Wars Day.” On May 7, the Reds will be celebrating the 20^th anniversary of the “Flying Pig Marathon” by giving away a Flying Pig bobblehead. For those of you who are unaware, the “Flying Pig Marathon” is Cincinnati’s trademark race and the Flying Pig has become a mascot for the city. On May 20, the Reds will be giving out a bobblehead of Snoopy. I believe last year’s Peanuts bobblehead was Charlie Brown so Snoopy is the next logical choice.

June will feature three special ticket package bobbleheads. First up is Captain America on June 8 which I already discussed in a previous post. Second is the Fiona the Hippo bobblehead that will be given out on June 19. Fiona became a global superstar after the Cincinnati Zoo documented her treatment and recovery after her premature birth. Like the Flying Pig, she has become a mascot for Cincinnati and I believe that this will be a very popular bobblehead. On June 29, Cincinnati parrot heads will be flocking to Great American Ball Park. The Reds will team up with Margaritaville to distribute a Shark bobblehead to fans who purchase the ticket package.

Two special ticket package bobbleheads will be given out in July. On July 22, the Reds and Sony Pictures Animation will give out a bobblehead of Mavis from the new “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” movie. On July 27, the Reds will celebrate the King of Rock and Roll by giving out a bobblehead of Elvis.

August will feature the last ticket package bobblehead of the year. The 17^th of the month will be “Grateful Dead Night.” To celebrate, fans can purchase a special ticket package that will net them a bobblehead of Uncle Sam.

Those are all the special ticket package bobbleheads that the Reds plan to give away during the 2018 season. It is a cool way for bobblehead collectors to snag some unique additions for their collections, and it is also a great way to introduce non-baseball fans to America’s pastime. If any of these bobbleheads caught your interest, head on over to Great American Ball Park to get these ticket packages so you can add the bobbleheads to your collection.

Go Redlegs!

Bobblehead Collection Update 2017

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the 2017 additions to his bobblehead collection.

Captain America for America’s Pastime

 For the second consecutive year, the Cincinnati Reds and Marvel are teaming up to bring fans a unique bobblehead. Last year, the Reds gave out bobbleheads of Iron Man and Rocket Raccoon. For the 2018 season, Captain America will be making his Reds bobblehead debut.

This bobblehead is only available to fans that buy a special ticket package to the June 8 game against the St. Louis Cardinals. There are three different ticket packages available for fans to purchase. View level seats are $25, field box seats are $59, and infield box seats are $85.

I purchased ticket packages for both the Rocket Raccoon bobblehead game and the Iron Man bobblehead game. Both bobbles are fantastic. Being a fan of both the Reds and Marvel, I was very pleased that the bobbleheads showcase two of “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” with a little touch of the Redlegs. I plan on going to the Captain America game this year to add the bobblehead to my collection. If you love Marvel and the Reds, I suggest you get your hands on some tickets to the game.

Go Redlegs!

Wrestlemania 33 Two-Disc Blu-Ray Set Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. This week’s post will look at the Blu-ray version of Wrestlemania 33.

Aside from watching Wrestlemania 33 live on television when it aired in 2017, I have only seen it on Blu-ray on a 16:9 television screen. Therefore I have no idea how the DVD version of Wrestlemania 33 is presented on a 16:9 or a 4:3 television.

With people complaining about the length of Wrestlemania 32, Wrestlemania 33 seemingly said, “hold my beer.” When including the two hour kickoff show, Wrestlemania 33 clocked in at about 7 hours and fifteen minutes. However this event was much more enjoyable than the 2016 edition of Wrestlemania, so watching it straight through is not as bad. The length caused the event to once again be split up across two discs. The first disc contains most of the Wrestlemania 33 card. It starts with Tinashe performing “America the Beautiful” and ends with the announcement a new Citrus Bowl attendance record. Also included on the first disc are the “Total Bellas” segments that showcase the Miz and Maryse mocking John Cena and Nikki Bella.

The second disc features the Wrestlemania 33 main event that saw Roman Reigns challenge the Undertaker in a No Holds Barred Match. It also features the entire 2017 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony that featured a stacked class of inductees. New hall of famers included Diamond Dallas Page, the Rock ‘N’ Roll Express, Beth Phoenix, Rick Rude, and Kurt Angle among others. This is easily one of the best hall of fame classes of all time as the inductees truly left an impact on the professional wrestling industry. This ceremony is must see TV for wrestling fans. There is no additional content on the second disc.

The packaging for Wrestlemania 33 is great. The front features the Wrestlemania 33 logo and a collage of wrestlers in front of a roller coaster track. The back looks really cool as well as it too has a nice collage of wrestlers as well as a paragraph highlighting the event’s biggest matches. Also included is a listing of hall of fame inductees.

The inside packaging looks good as it features a wide shot of the Citrus Bowl with fireworks.

In conclusion, this is a good home video version of Wrestlemania 33. I say good because it does not include the three kickoff show matches. The Cruiserweight Championship match, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and the Intercontinental Championship match all took place on the kickoff show. To me, not including these on the Blu-ray home video version of the event is unacceptable. Due to the lack of those matches, the event is much shorter than when it originally aired. Despite the absence of those matches, Wrestlemania 33 was still a solid event that featured some great matches. The return of the Hardy Boyz, AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon, the Universal Championship match between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg, and the possible curtain call of the Undertaker make this event worth watching.

Stay tuned for the Wrestlemania 34 Blu-ray review!

Wrestlemania 34 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Wrestlemania 34.

"Vintage" Mr. Redlegs Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a 2017 "Vintage" Mr. Redlegs bobblehead from the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. 

Wrestlemania 32 Two-Disc Blu-Ray Set Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. This week's post will look at the Blu-ray version of Wrestlemania 32.

Aside from watching Wrestlemania 32 live on television when it aired in 2016, I have only seen it on Blu-ray on a 16:9 television screen. Therefore I have no idea how the DVD version of Wrestlemania 32 is presented on a 16:9 or a 4:3 television.

This Wrestlemania has the infamous distinction of being considered one of the worst and one of the longest Wrestlemanias of all time. Clocking in at just under seven hours when adding in the two hour kickoff show that aired prior to the main card, the event had to be split up on two Blu-ray discs. The first disc contains most of the Wrestlemania 32 card. It starts with Fifth Harmony performing “America the Beautiful” and ends with the Rock coming to the ring to address the crowd. Also included on the first disc are the three matches that took place on the kickoff show.

The second disc features the Wrestlemania 32 main event that saw Roman Reigns challenge Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I also features the entire 2016 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony that featured a very good class of inductees. New hall of famers included the Godfather, the Fabulous Freebirds, and Sting. Obviously Sting was the headliner for this class as he is undoubtedly one of the greatest stars in the history of professional wrestling. I loved his epic battle with the New World Order in 1997 as he became the silent vigilante for World Championship Wrestling. His induction alone is enough to make this ceremony worth watching. The last feature on disc 2 is a Blu-ray exclusive titled “Fighting for a Legacy.”

The packaging is not really eye-popping. The front features the Wrestlemania 32 logo and the wrestlers that were involved in the biggest matches. The back is very similar to that of the Wrestlemania 31 set as it features a few pictures from the event’s biggest moments. It also a small paragraph that discusses the matches and lists the bonus content as well as the 2016 hall of fame inductees.

The inside packaging is pretty bland as it features a wide shot of a lukewarm crowd response to the WWE title win of Roman Reigns.

In conclusion, this is a really good home video version of Wrestlemania 32. Despite the event definitely not being one of the best of all time and being classified as mediocre, the Blu-ray version does contain every match and the entire hall of fame ceremony. The women’s championship triple threat match, the Intercontinental Championship ladder match, AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho, and seeing Shane McMahon channel his inner Mick Foley in the Hell in a Cell match against the Undertaker are definitely the highlights of this event. If you are a diehard fan of professional wrestling, I’d pick up the Blu-ray version.

Stay tuned for the Wrestlemania 33 Blu-ray review!

Reds 2018 Season Outlook

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone previews the 2018 season of the Cincinnati Reds.

Soccer Stadium Sickness

Despite the end of March drawing closer and the fact that both the MLS and USL seasons have started, FC Cincinnati soccer fans are still waiting to know if the franchise will move up to the top tier soccer league in America. Everybody knows by now that the hold up is the stadium site. On March 16, FC Cincinnati reviewed the Cincinnati Public Schools land swap counter offer and conceded the West End. In a nutshell, the franchise said they are not going to build the stadium in the West End and instead focus on sites in Oakley in Newport. The West End debate that raged on for what seemingly felt like an eternity had finally ended. Or so we thought…

As I type this post, apparently CPS voted to approve a potential land swap with FCC should the franchise agree to their terms. Not long after, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune said that FCC general manager Jeff Bearding told him that there is still interest in the West End. I do have my doubts on how factual Portune’s statement is considering how he is the same guy who could not understand why Nippert Stadium and Paul Brown Stadium would not be accepted by MLS. He even reiterated that Nippert and Paul Brown Stadium are viable solutions this past weekend. If it is true and FCC is still pursing the West End, I only have one thing to say. You have got to be joking me.

The residents of the West End have made it very clear that they do not want the stadium. The debates were nonstop. I understand that the site is very suitable for an MLS soccer stadium as it is close to an urban core. However when the residents constantly say they do not want it and CPS makes a counter offer that FCC already said they cannot afford, I see no reasonable explanation as to why the franchise is still pursuing this site. I am sick of it, and I just want the entire stadium situation to end.

FCC needs to focus on either Oakley or Newport. The West End had its chance. Bearding himself has said they will not build the stadium there if is not wanted. The entire city has known for about a month that the West End does not want the stadium. In Oakley, FCC has said that a stadium can be built on old the Cast-Fab site. The preliminary results of the traffic study show that a stadium can be built there but there will definitely need to be adjustments and improvements to the roads in Oakley to accommodate the added traffic. The reception in Oakley however has been lukewarm at best. Newport has the Ovation site which has been described as shovel ready. FCC has a memorandum of understanding with the site owner to build the stadium. The reception in Newport seemingly has the full support of Northern Kentucky as the area is practically begging FCC to build the stadium on Kentucky’s shores of the Ohio River.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. I love FC Cincinnati. I want them to get into MLS. To do that, they need to lock down a stadium site. It has been a straight up fiasco to this point, and the possibility that the West End site may not be dead after all absolutely drives me crazy. I prefer Newport, but I am also fine with Oakley. Please just pick a site, FC Cincinnati. The March 31 deadline is quickly approaching. The MLS expansion clock is ticking. Fans are sick and tired of the stadium arguments and of waiting for an announcement. I am begging you. Pick a site, finalize the MLS bid, and net the biggest win that Cincinnati has had in a long time.