CINCINNATI — What a difference a year can make for Cincinnati sports fans.
At this time last June, supporters of the Cincinnati Reds and FC Cincinnati were bickering daily, seemingly, about everything to do with those two teams — from on-field performance to roster moves to who was making the decisions in the front office.
The Reds were stuck in a season-long slump, and while the Orange and Blue ultimately qualified for the playoffs for the first time, they had to battle over the final few weeks of the season to find their way into the tournament.
In fact, no professional Cincinnati franchise in the top-tier league of its sport has won a title since the Reds in 1990.
But heading into this July — roughly the halfway point of the Major League Baseball season and a key milestone on the Major League Soccer table — it’s a much different experience for the fan bases of both teams.
And really, Cincinnati as a whole.
What You Need To Know
- After struggles last season, both FC Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Reds are among the hottest teams in their respective leagues
- The success of those teams, and the promise of the Bengals' season ahead, has created a "buzz" in the city, fans say
- Casual fans noted the excitement is leading them to want to get more involved
- Fans believe the summer of winning has the power to bring energy to local businesses as well
FC Cincinnati went into its Wednesday night showdown with Toronto FC with the best record in the league by far. The former basement dwellers have lost only once all season through 17 matches and have a perfect 12-0-0 record in all competitions so far at TQL Stadium.
A win against Toronto would tie an MLS record for most league wins at home to start a season with 10.
A few blocks away at Great American Ball Park, the Reds are showing no signs of slowing down. The upstart club reeled off its 11th straight win on Wednesday, its most wins in a row since 1957. The recent surge is thanks in no small part to the boost from the call-up of five-tool phenom Elly De La Cruz as well as standout performances from rookie shortstop Matt McLain, outfielder TJ Friedl and second baseman Jonathan India. Beloved slugger Joey Votto also returned to the lineup Monday for the first time since undergoing rotator cuff surgery in August 2022.
With the recent success of the Reds and FCC, it’s sometimes hard to tell if anyone is even thinking about the Cincinnati Bengals right now. They’re getting set to enter the 2023 season as one of the favorites to reach at least the AFC Championship game again.
As of Wednesday, there were only 81 days until Joe Burrow and his roster of superstar talent take the field against the Cleveland Browns in the regular-season opener.
‘The city is buzzing’
“I’m so hyped to witness the sudden rise of Cincinnati's sports teams,” said Adam Koehler, a lifelong Cincinnati sports fan.
“Nobody was expecting the Reds and FC Cincinnati to be this competitive this year,” Koehler added. He felt some even projected the Reds to lose 100 games again this season. Instead, “the city is buzzing, and fans are caught up in the anticipation of each game.”
The west sider described the recent success as instilling a shared sense of community pride and camaraderie.
“Having three major teams becoming the talk of the town and national media is not just thrilling but uniting,” he added. “Compared to last season, this is nothing short of a renaissance.”
Pavan Parikh grew up in Cincinnati, and the father of two can’t recall ever experiencing anything as a fan quite like what’s happening right now. He said it’s not just limited to the “big three,” either. Parikh also mentioned the Cincinnati Cyclones — a minor-league hockey team — who made a postseason run earlier this year.
“Everyone is firing on all cylinders,” said Parikh, Hamilton County’s clerk of courts. “To have everyone performing at the highest level at the same time is almost like a metaphor for the renaissance of our city as we continue to get recognized for excellence around our communities across the world.”
Bringing more energy, fans to the stadium
Miranda McGee Bratton has had a not-quite front-row seat for the Reds recent hot streak. She and her husband are regulars at Great American Ball Park, typically finding the best seat they can grab on any given night.
Those choice seats have been slightly more difficult to find as of recent with the show of success. The Reds pulled out their Wednesday victory over the Colorado Rockies in front of a larger-than-usual crown for an afternoon game.
“The energy at the stadium is insane right now,” McGee Bratton said of recent Reds home games. “It’s not just the crowd, but the players, too. You can tell something magical is going on.”
McGee Bratton didn’t grow up loving the Reds, or baseball, for that matter. She’s from Australia. But the Cincinnati transplant gradually grew to fall in love with the team and the sport. She credits the fact she and her now-husband attended a lot of games when they started dating in 2019.
The couple got engaged at Great American Ball Park two years later. More than 30 of their friends and loved ones surrounded them in section 509.
While she has a lot of great memories, McGee Bratton has also experienced some dark times there as a fan. During a recent Tuesday night game, she recalled looking around the stadium and asking, “Where have all these people been for the past few years?”
She referred to the fans as having some “dismal days” at the ballpark, especially last year. They lost 100 games in 2022, finishing tied for last in their division and 31 games out of first place.
To many fans, the season received a blemish from the start with perceptions of the management selling off top players and injuries to stars like Votto.
“Even when they were doing OK, there was this level of sadness and bitterness last year,” McGee Bratton said.
She described the past few weeks as being a complete turnaround for the club and the fans.
“It’s great to see the fans come out in full support, and I think the players can feel that,” McGee Bratton added.
Historically, Erin Haklik has been what she labeled a casual sports fan. She’ll check out a game if it’s on TV while she’s out with friends or visiting her father’s house in Monroe, Ohio. But she’s never gone “out of her way” to stay up to date on scores, roster moves and things of that nature.
At least not until this season.
Haklik has noticed a considerable uptick in Cincinnati sports chatter on social media in recent weeks. She noted friends talking a lot more about the success of their teams or players on a hot streak. There’ve also been more pictures of people at games.
Not wanting to miss out on the fun, she decided to get more involved herself.
On June 3, Haklik attended her first FC Cincinnati game. It was a low-scoring, 1-0 match against a not particularly great Chicago Fire team. But she described the energy inside and outside the stadium as “palpable.” The fact the team was winning likely played a role in that, she added.
Haklik enjoyed it so much she plans to attend the team’s match against Nashville SC on July 15.
“Everyone was just so excited and happy that it just kind of makes you want to be part of it,” she added.
Bigger than just winning and losing
Each victory is not only bringing a boost to the morale of Cincinnati fans, but it’s also bolstering the local economy, Koehler said. He feels successful teams bring in money for sporting goods stores, bars, restaurants and other game-day businesses.
Binski's Bar in Camp Washington isn’t a traditional sports bar, but its owner, Kiel Erdelac, said he’s seen an increase in customers asking to watch Cincinnati sports over the last few days.
Since opening June 5, Erdelac installed a 65-inch TV in the back room and another one in the outdoor patio area to meet customer demand, he said.
Most of the clamoring from guests so far has been about plans for football season, or to watch FC Cincinnati, Erdelac said. A local cycling club, for example, is doing a group ride to the Colerain Avenue watering hole for at least the first half on Wednesday. But there have been a few now-regulars who’ve asked him to turn on the Reds game, especially over the past week.
He expects guests to have a greater demand to continue if the Reds continue to play well and as the bar becomes better known to locals.
“I guess I’ll have to figure out how to get Bally’s Sports on all these TVs,” he said with a laugh.
As for the fans, people like Parikh know that this type of success can’t last forever. But right now, he and other Cincinnatians want to soak up all the summertime magic with his two young sons.
Parikh was in attendance for Monday’s Reds game with his son, Rohan. They pair enjoyed seeing Votto — one of Parikh’s favorite players for years and the club’s elder statesman — play well since returning from the injured list.
“I won't be so bold as to think this can happen every year, but for right now I'm going to enjoy it as much as I possibly can,” he added. “I look forward to sharing that with my kids so they can grow up in what may be the golden era of Cincinnati sports fandom.”