FCC Playoff Pricing and Seating

With FC Cincinnati having secured at least a two seed in the United Soccer League Cup Playoffs, the team has announced times and ticketing information for their first two playoff matches should FCC advance past round 1. Tickets will be made available in increments with priority going to current season ticket holders, followed by 2019 season ticket deposit holders, and finally the general public. 

Starting Monday, September 24 at 9 a.m., current 2018 USL season ticket holders will have first dibs at obtaining playoff tickets. This season ticket holder exclusive purchasing window will be four days long. Starting Friday, September 28 at 9 a.m., 2019 season ticket deposit holders will have the next crack at purchasing tickets. The remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, October 1 at 10 a.m. 

For those wondering how much tickets will cost, FC Cincinnati has answered that question as well. For the first round, and if necessary the second, tickets prices will remain the same as they have all season meaning you can purchase a ticket for as low as $10. Should FCC make it to the Eastern Conference Finals and the USL Cup Finals and if those matches are played at Nippert Stadium, ticket prices as well as the seating map will mirror that of the 2019 Major League Soccer season. 

At the time that this post was written, FC Cincinnati is currently in first place in the USL East and is close to clinching the overall number one seed in the playoffs. Should they do that, then the road to the USL Cup will go through Nippert Stadium. There has never been a more exciting time to be an FCC fan. Hopefully the team can cap their final USL season with a USL Cup Championship before they begin MLS play in 2019.

Felipe Lopez Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds 2006 SGA bobblehead of Felipe Lopez. 

The Sweet Spot

I love summer. The weather is warm, skies are usually sunny, and sports are constantly on my television. The Cincinnati Reds and FC Cincinnati have been playing since spring and are in the midst of their 2018 campaigns while the Cincinnati Bengals are getting set to start their season. This is the only time of year in which all three of Cincinnati’s major league professional sports teams (yes, I included FC Cincinnati in this category as they will be in Major League Soccer starting in 2019) are playing at the same time. I refer to this time of the year as the sweet spot. It is during the sweet spot that you are almost guaranteed a sporting event from either of these three teams every day. 

Despite the Major League Baseball season winding down for the Redlegs, they still have a chance to play spoiler for potential playoff teams. They also seemingly play six days out of the week so you can watch their games with ease. For FCC, they generally play on weekends although they will occasionally have a midweek match. They currently sit atop the United Soccer League Eastern Conference standings and are also in the midst of their transition to MLS. It is a very exciting time to watch the orange and blue take the pitch. Lastly, the Bengals have finally stepped foot on the gridiron. The preseason just wrapped up and the regular season is in full swing as the Bengals begin their march to a Super Bowl Championship. The Bengals play mostly on Sundays with the occasional Monday night and Thursday night game sprinkled into the mix.

As you can see, it is a great time to be a Cincinnati sports fan. The Redlegs are on the diamond, FCC is on the pitch, and the Bengals are on the gridiron. You are guaranteed a Cincinnati sporting event almost every day courtesy of the Queen City’s three major league teams. I’ll be watching as much as a can and enjoying every second of Cincinnati’s summer sports sweet spot.

Hell in a Cell 2018 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Hell in a Cell 2018.

Tom Browning on a Building Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Tom Browning on a Building bobblehead. 

Playoff Bound!

FC Cincinnati could not have asked for a better start to the month of September. Not only did they win a thriller against United Soccer League rival Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, but they also were the first team to punch their ticket to the USL Cup playoffs. The win also helped cushion their lead in the USL East standings. At the time that this post was written, FCC has a 13-point lead over second place Louisville City FC and a 14-point lead over the Riverhounds who sit in third. The September 1 victory was big for the club, but it did not come easy.

The first half featured unusually sloppy play from FCC as the offense had trouble getting anything going, and the Riverhounds took advantage. They fired off numerous shots but the defense, mainly goalkeeper Spencer Richey, was able to repel the Riverhounds' offensive attack. For FCC, Emanuel Ledesma's soft tapper was inches away from finding the back of net until a Riverhounds defender cleared the shot. Not to be outdone, Richey came up big and had some key saves that kept the sides even at 0-0 when the first half ended. 

While defense reigned supreme in the first half, the second featured both teams' offenses finally breaking through. Despite sailing a penalty kick over the head of Richey early in the second half, the Riverhounds still managed to strike first when a shot got by Richey in the 57th minute to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. The score remained that way for a majority of the second half, and it looked like FCC's unbeaten streak was about to be broken. It wouldn't be until the final 10 minutes of regulation when FCC finally broke through the stingy Riverhounds defense. 

Dekel Keinan headed in a free kick from Ledesma in the 80th minute to knot things up at 1-1 sending the crowd that packed Nippert Stadium into a frenzy. Eight minutes later, Fanendo Adi, the club's first player guaranteed a spot on next season's Major League Soccer roster, fought through two Riverhounds defenders and scored from just inside the 18 to give FCC a 2-1 lead. Nipper Stadium erupted as Adi ran toward Coach Alan Koch for a celebratory embrace that became an entire team group hug. The defense held during the final two minutes and through four minutes of stoppage time to give FCC a dramatic 2-1 win over the Riverhounds as well as a spot in the playoffs.

I was in attendance for the match, and I can honestly say it was one of the best sporting events I have ever witnessed in person. In terms of drama and thrilling action, it ranks right up there with the three 2017 Open Cup matches against MLS teams that emanated from Nippert Stadium. The win was a big one as it helped cushion FCC's lead in the standings. In terms of playoffs, it is the third consecutive year that the three-year-old franchise has qualified for postseason play. As exciting as a match that it was, FCC has to put it in the rear-view mirror as they have a tough road matchup against Louisville City this weekend. Hopefully they notch another win and continue to build momentum toward the playoffs.

Cincinnati Bengals 2018 Season Outlook

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone previews the 2018 season of the Cincinnati Bengals. Please note that this was filmed a few weeks before the start of the regular season. Anything said in this video might have changed by the first game.

Honoring a Legend

When thinking about the Cincinnati Reds, it is impossible to ignore the rich history of Major League Baseball’s first professional franchise. Many legendary players and coaches have etched their names into Reds lore, but few have had the impact on Reds Country or the game of baseball like Joe Morgan had during his time as a member of the Redlegs. His accomplishments with the team include All-Star game appearances, National League Most Valuable Player awards, and two World Series Championships just to name a few. He is also a member of the Reds Hall of Fame as well as the National Baseball Hall of Fame. To honor Morgan as one of the greatest players in the history of the Reds, the team unveiled a statue of him outside Great American Ball Park in 2013. Almost five years to the day that his statue was unveiled, Reds fans will have the opportunity to obtain a mini version of Joe Morgan’s statue for themselves.

On Saturday, September 8, the Cincinnati Reds will host the San Francisco Giants for a 4:10 PM game. The first 20,000 fans through the gates will receive a replica Joe Morgan statue to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the statue dedication. The real statue is gorgeous and does an excellent job of celebrating the best Reds second baseman in franchise history. I’m sure the replica version will be no different.

I cannot wait for this game. I am big Joe Morgan fan. He is my dad’s favorite player and is the reason I picked number 8 for my jersey during my little league days. The game itself is also part of a huge sports weekend for Cincinnati’s three big league teams. FC Cincinnati will play rival Louisville City FC later that night, and the Cincinnati Bengals will start their 2018 NFL season the next day against the Indianapolis Colts. Needless to say, it will be a big weekend for Cincinnati sports and a great weekend for Cincinnati Reds fans.

Austin Kearns Bobblehead Unboxing

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

The Hounds Are Back

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

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

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

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

The Gridiron Meets the Diamond

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

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

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

Who Dey and go Freedom!

SummerSlam 2018 Thoughts

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

Tom Seaver Bobblehead Review

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

Boos for Braun?

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

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

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

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

Rosie Red Bobblehead Unboxing

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

And the Winner Is…

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

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

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

Go Redlegs!

Scooter on a Scooter Bobblehead Unboxing

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

Training Camp 2018

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

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

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

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

Who Dey!

Captain America Bobblehead Unboxing

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

A Friendly Celebration

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

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

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

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