Reds fans weren’t happy. Reds players weren’t happy. And many of the 2022 season's woes ultimately could be traced back to team ownership and the front office. The Reds' 2022 payroll was about $114 million, a downgrade (from $135 million in 2021 and $140 million in 2020) that clearly affected the season's record and championship potential. Last season, the Reds racked up 100 losses for just the second time in franchise history. The losing also kept more people away from the ballpark, with the team experiencing its lowest season attendance since 1984. None of this was news to Cincinnati fans, who have long bashed owner Bob Castellini, even banding together before opening day to raise more than $4,000 for a billboard urging Castellini to sell the team to someone who would invest in winning, or at least in a legitimate playoff push. One fan even said he wanted to, um, defecate in a truck the team was giving away as a prize. The I-75 billboard and fans' growing lack of trust elicited a sharp response from Phil Castellini, the Reds' chief operating officer and Bob Castellini's son, who told 700 WLW-AM that Cincinnatians essentially just had to deal with it when the team repeatedly refuses to pay for productive veteran players. “Where are you going to go?” Phil Castellini asked on air. He later walked back his comments, but the damage was done and Reds fans refused to be silent. 

Here are the 2023 Best Of Cincinnati® Reader and Staff Pick winners for Sports & Recreation.

1. Soccer City
2. Town and Country Sports Health Club
3. Wall2Wall

1. Schmidt Boat Ramp and Ballfields
2. Riverside Park
3. Westside Sports Park

1. 700 WLW-AM
2. FOX Sports Ohio
3. WCPO-TV

1. Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
2. YMCA Camp Ernst
3. Clifton Cultural Arts Center

1. Cincinnati Rollergirls
2. Florence Y’alls
3. Dayton Dragons

1. Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino
2. FanDuel Sportsbook
3. Betfred

1. University of Cincinnati football
2. Xavier University men’s basketball
3. Ohio State University football

1. Cincinnati Bengals
2. FC Cincinnati
3. Cincinnati Cyclones

1. Sawyer Point Park
2. Camargo Racquet Club
3. The Club at Harper’s Point

1. Fifty West Production Works
2. Knotty Pine Rock Club and Tiki Bar
3. Cabana on the River

1. Body Alive
2. Shellates Studio
3. Pilates Center of Cincinnati

1. Red River Gorge
2. Hocking Hills State Park
3. Winton Woods

1. Sunlite Pool (Coney Island)
2. Ziegler Park
3. Kings Island

1. Flying Pig Marathon
2. Queen Bee Half Marathon
3. Thanksgiving Day Race

1. Sawyer Point Park
2. Fifty West Brewing Company
3. Dulle Park

1. Joey Votto
2. Jonathan India
3. Tyler Stephenson

1. Oakley Park
2. Blue Ash Recreation Center
3. Mt. Echo Park

1. ProForce Sports Performance
2. Strength Beyond the Weights
3. Trilogy Fitness Systems

1. Joe Burrow
2. Sam Hubbard
3. Tee Higgins