BY CHARLOTTE COATES AND ISABELLA PAZ
Whether you’re a fanatic or a foodie, the Cincinnati sports games are where the fun happens. The question that comes…which game offers the most?
Cincinnati hosts five different sport teams during the year, including the Reds baseball, Bengals football, FC Cincinnati soccer, and the Cyclones ice-hockey.
Over the summer, many Mariemont students, including us, put on our orange and blue and traveled to UC’s Nippert Stadium for the FC Cincinnati soccer game. Walking into the game, you see lots of vendors and food options, such as pizza, hamburgers, hotdogs, snow cones, and soft pretzels.
Right from the start, the atmosphere of the game consists of endless chants from the Bailey (mega fan section), the wave, and rowdy fans.
Mariemont High School junior Nolan Buck was one of the fans in the crowd during the season. He says, “I had a good time in the positive energy that was there, even when the team was not winning.”
Sophomore Ava Dorsten attended an FC game. She had a bit of a different experience, seeing a helicopter drop the ball while sitting in her box seat.
She said, “It was super fun, I enjoyed meeting kids from the other schools and getting to do the wave.”
Altogether, a general admission fee for a single is $10, along with any other additional costs like food or beverages, making the grand total of your game experience around $30.
As football season is in full swing, we made our way down to Paul Brown Stadium to see Cincinnati’s own NFL team perform. This stadium also offers food from concession stands filled with many different candy, drinks and chips.
Though the team has a 3-6 record, MHS families, like the Reavill’s, still purchased their season tickets.
Sadly, the season is in the Winter, making for a cold three hours at the game, says Chloe Reavill.
Reavill went last year to the Bengals vs Cleveland game in December. She says, “We didn’t have very good seats, but it was still fun. There were lots of crazy people…like the guy who kept hitting on my mom.”
Another MHS student, Kendall Dewey said, “I love going to football games the best because it is the most fun sport to watch!”
As prices differ from your purchase date and seat section, the tickets usually cost no less than $40. If you attempt to buy them sooner to the game date, the minimum price increases. This also does not include food or extra purchases.
“Make sure to bring money, the food is one of the best parts” says Elizabeth Bonnell.
We also went downtown to watch the Reds Baseball team play the Red Sox . The stadium is located near the Ohio River with parks including Smale Riverfront Park & Garden.
The Reds game offers some different options, like firework shows when the Reds earn a homerun. Also, the Reds offer bring-your-dog game days, but you can always rely on hotdogs and cotton candy. The number of people at the game varies on the competition level.
One of Mariemont School District’s own, Mr. Zaya, a 5th grade Terrace Park Elementary teacher, can be seen walking up and down selling food and drinks.
As it is a hot spot for many spring, summer and fall nights, multiple MHS students have had experiences of their own at the Reds.
Sophomore Lauren Barrett attended a bring-your-dog to the game. “It is just nice to have your furry friend on your lap while eating a hot dog,” she said.
Lastly, we traveled to the US Bank Area to watch the Cincinnati’s hockey team: The Cyclones. Sadly, the last home game ended in a loss against Walleye, but whether the team comes up with a win or a loss, the game is still a 10/10.
The huge stadium (which holds up to 17,000 people) offers different food options. From Skyline to Graeters to nachos, they have it all.
Stephanie Renner and her family make it a tradition to attend a Cyclones game every year. “When they win, confetti comes from the ceiling which is fun, but my favorite part is watching the zamboni,” she said.
Claire Wilder tries to catch the pucks when she attends a Cyclones game. She said, “I have been to a couple of games and have caught two pucks. One time the guy in front of me caught it and gave it to me and the other one I caught on my own!”
Wilder isn’t the only one leaving the game with a puck. Sophomore Andrew Mehl also caught a puck on his trip there, he said. He said,“My favorite part about hockey games is being able to see the fights…especially when someone loses a tooth or something.”
After all of our travels, we have gained some knowledge. No matter where you go, it’s always a fun time.
This city provides people with a variety of sporting events to choose from, and as Jack Borgerding says, “I can’t go wrong with which sporting event I attend.”