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The Bobblehead Hall Celebrates The 125th Anniversary Of Michigan State Basketball

by | Dec 18, 2023 | Sniper Rants

This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled the officially licensed Michigan State Basketball 125th Anniversary Bobblehead Collection. The collection features five limited edition bobbleheads including one of Michigan State mascot, Sparty, and two of Hall of Fame coaches Jud Heathcote and Tom Izzo including bobbleheads honoring each of their National Championships. The special edition bobbleheads are part of the 125th Anniversary Collection and are being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee of Michigan State University.

Standing on the Michigan State Basketball 125th Anniversary logo, the Sparty bobblehead is holding a basketball and giving the No. 1 signal. Standing on a circular basketball court base bearing their names and the MSU 125th Anniversary logo, the Jud Heathcote and Tom Izzo bobbleheads are each holding a basketball with the Michigan State logo. Standing on a circular basketball court base bearing his name and the MSU 125th Anniversary logo, the Jud Heathcote Championship Celebration bobblehead is holding the net for all to see. Standing on a circular basketball court base bearing his name and the MSU 125th Anniversary logo, the Tom Izzo Championship Celebration bobblehead is standing on a ladder and triumphantly holding the net in the air for all to see after cutting it down.

Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 2,023 and they are now available for pre-order through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in March, are $40 for the Sparty Bobblehead, $30 for the coach bobbleheads, and $35 for the championship celebration bobbleheads plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. A set of all five is available for $150.

Playing their first season in 1898, the Michigan State Spartans have made 36 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1957, including 25 consecutive appearances. That is the third-longest streak ever and the longest active streak in college basketball. The Spartans have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen 21 times and the Elite Eight 14 times. Their 10 Final Four appearances are the sixth-most all time. In Big Ten Conference play, Michigan State has won 16 regular-season championships and six tournament championships.

Amazingly, the Spartans have had only two head coaches since 1976. Heathcote (1976-95) coached the Spartans for 19 seasons. Led by All-American guard Magic Johnson, Heathcote guided MSU to its first national title in 1979 with a 75-64 victory over Indiana State. The game was the most watched college basketball game in history with 35 million television viewers. Izzo took over for Heathcote in 1995 after 11 years as his assistant coach and led the Spartans to their second national title in 2000 with an 89-76 victory over Florida. The Spartans also finished as the national runner-up in 2009. Izzo entered his 29th season in 2023-24 with an overall record of 687-280. On March 6th, 2022, Izzo passed Indiana’s Bob Knight for the most wins by a men’s basketball coach at a Big Ten School.

“We are excited to release these bobbleheads in celebration of 125 years of Michigan State men’s basketball,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “With Hall of Fame coaches Jud Heathcote and Tom Izzo leading the way, the Spartans have been one of the most successful programs in the history of men’s college basketball. These bobbleheads will be must-haves for Michigan State fans everywhere!”

Bobbleheads

Chargers Super Fan Merrianne Do Cheers Her Way To Bobblehead Spotlight

by | Nov 17, 2023 | Sniper Rants

This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled five special edition bobbleheads featuring Los Angeles Chargers Super Fan Merrianne Do, who went viral after her appearance on Monday Night Football during a game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys on October 16th at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The special edition bobbleheads are being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in conjunction with Merrianne.

Wearing a blue jersey and positioned on a blue circular base, there are five Merrianne bobbleheads available in various states of her die-hard fandom – nervous, sad, happy, angry, and angry with red eyes. Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 2,023 and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in March, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. A set of all five is available for $125.

“I’m super thrilled and can’t believe my game-day reactions are turning into bobbleheads!” Merrianne said when asked about being turned into a bobblehead. “I think many sports fans can relate to one of more of these roller coaster emotions, and the fact that they are being encapsulated into bobbleheads is so fun!”

During the latter moments of the Chargers’ 20-17 loss to the Cowboys on Monday Night Football, the ESPN cameras at SoFi Stadium kept panning to Merrianne as she rode a roller coaster of emotions with the game hanging in the balance. In the days that followed, Merrianne was accused of being an actor, planted by the NFL. She spoke with multiple media outlets and appeared as a guest on the Pat McAfee Show along with NFL Total Access to tell her story and talk about her rise to stardom. The Minnesota native, who grew up rooting for the Vikings, moved to California 20 years and is a Chargers’ season-ticket holder. Married with four children, Merrianne works as a pharmacist at Walgreens.

“I wish I was getting paid,” Merrianne said on the Pat McAfee Show. “I wish I could make myself an AI and as beautiful as I want, but at the end of the day, this is me, guys. This is me, a crazy mom of four, crazy Chargers fan, crazy freaking football fan. But now it’s crazy. It’s overwhelming that the whole world thinks this is so different because this is what my kids have had to deal with all their lives. … I’m not afraid to hold my fandom out there because at the end of the day, there are so many people in the stands. We all feel the same way. … They always get me on the Jumbotron because I am freaking nuts. But I’ve never been on TV, and then somebody comes up to me from the field. And they’re like, ‘Do you know you’re on TV?’ So, I had no idea until the end, and then I’m like, ‘OK, why do I have these text messages?’ … So, I get home, my kids are like, ‘Mommy, you’re on TV.’”

“We are excited to unveiled these specials bobbleheads of Super Fan Merrianne going through a range of emotions while rooting on her team,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Merrianne’s passion came through loud and clear, and we think fans will enjoy these unique, new bobbleheads!”

Chargers Super Fan Bobblehead

Super Fan Merrianne Bobbleheads (Presale)

The Rally Possum Helps The Red Raiders To Victory Over TCU

by | Nov 9, 2023 | Sniper Rants

This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed Texas Tech Rally Possum Bobblehead. The limited-edition bobblehead features the possum who went viral after running on the football field during Texas Tech’s 35-28 victory over rival TCU last Thursday, November 2nd at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. The special edition bobblehead is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee of Texas Tech University.

Standing on a turf texture base that resembles the turf at Jones AT&T Stadium, the Rally Possum is positioned next to a football bearing the Texas Tech logo. The front of the red and black base reads “RALLY POSSUM” and “TEXAS TECH.” Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 2,023 and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in February, are $35 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

The 66th meeting between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the TCU Horned Frogs during the 2023 football season will be remembered for Texas Tech’s 35-28 victory – and an appearance by a wild possum. With the score tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter, the marsupial decided it wanted in on the action and dashed onto the field at Jones AT&T Stadium. A frantic chase ensued to capture the critter, who was reluctant to leave the field after being ensnared by stadium staff. “He was not happy about being escorted out of the stadium,” one of the FS1 commentators remarked about the ornery intruder when the replay was shown.

The determined possum went viral after being dragged off the field. Digging its claws into the ground, it had a look of shock on its face as it left the field, instantly creating a new set of memes on social media. It wasn’t the first time that a wild animal made an appearance at a Texas Tech-TCU game. When the teams met in 2013, a fox was running back and forth behind the players on the TCU sideline. Ten years later, the possum’s appearance may have brought some good luck as Texas Tech snapped a four-game losing streak to TCU and claimed the Saddle Trophy in the rivalry game known as the “West Texas Championship.” Texas Tech now holds a 33-30-3 edge in the tightly contested series, which was first played in 1926.

“We are excited to release this unique bobblehead to recognize the Rally Possum who helped propel the Texas Tech football team to victory over TCU in the 2023 West Texas Championship,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “The football-loving possum played a small and memorable role as the Red Raiders reclaimed the Saddle Trophy for the first time since 2018. Texas Tech fans are sure to want this must-have bobblehead for their collection.”

 

Boomer The Bobcat Drops The Puck As Quinnipiac Wins The National Championship

by | Oct 27, 2023 | Sniper Rants

This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed, limited-edition bobblehead commemorating Quinnipiac University’s 2023 Men’s Hockey Division I National Championship. The bobblehead features Quinnipiac’s mascot, Boomer the Bobcat, and celebrates the hockey team’s first national championship. The release comes ahead of Quinnipiac’s two home games against New Hampshire this weekend before conference play starts next week. The special edition bobblehead is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee of Quinnipiac University.

Wearing a gold No. 00 Quinnipiac jersey with his name on the back, the bobblehead features Boomer the Bobcat giving the No. 1 signal with his right hand and holding a hockey stick with his left hand. Boomer is standing on a blue and gold base which reads: “2023 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey National Champions” along with the Quinnipiac logo.

Each bobblehead is individually numbered to only 2,023 to commemorate the championship season. The bobbleheads are now available for pre-order exclusively through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in February, are $40 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

Under 29th-year head coach Rand Pecknold, the winningest active NCAA Division 1 coach, Quinnipiac capped a season to remember with a 3-2 overtime victory over Minnesota in the 2023 NCAA Division I title contest on April 8th at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Trailing 2-0 in the second period, the Bobcats scored three unanswered goals with Jacob Quillan netting the game winner just 10 seconds into overtime. It was the quickest overtime goal in championship game history. The sophomore was named the Most Outstanding Player after scoring five goals in the tournament. Quinnipiac captain Zach Metsa assisted on all three goals, while Sam Lipkin had two assists. Collin Graf’s goal tied the game with 2:47 left in the third period. Cristophe Tellier got Quinnipiac on the board in the second period.

Making its third trip to the Frozen Four since 2013, Quinnipiac, the No. 2 overall seed, advanced to the title game for the third time in that span with a 5-2 semifinal victory over Michigan. Quillan scored the team’s first two goals and assisted on the third. Lipkin, Metsa and Ethan de Jong also scored goals, while Yaniv Perets had 29 saves. In its 25th season playing at the NCAA Division I level (47th overall), Quinnipiac finished with a record of 34-4-3, including 20-2 in conference play. The 34 victories were the most in program history.

“Bobbleheads are the ultimate way to celebrate a championship season, and we’re excited to be unveiling this bobblehead celebrating Quinnipiac’s remarkable 2023 Hockey National Championship,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “This bobblehead will be a must-have for Quinnipiac alumni, students, faculty, staff, and fans and a treasured keepsake.”

The Hall Honors PGA Tour Courage Award Winner D.J. Gregory

by | Oct 20, 2023 | Sniper Rants

This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled the first bobblehead featuring PGA Tour Courage Award Winner D.J. Gregory, who has raised more than $1 million for his Walking For Kids Foundation. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum will be donating $5 from every bobblehead sold to the Walking For Kids Foundation. The special edition bobblehead is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in conjunction with D.J.

The smiling D.J. Gregory bobblehead is holding a cane in his left hand while walking the course. Each bobblehead will be individually numbered, and they are available exclusively through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in January, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

Born 10 weeks premature with cerebral palsy, doctors told D.J.’s parents that their son would never walk. After battling through multiple surgeries, a determined Gregory willed himself to walk – first with a walker, then with two canes, and now, with just one. At the age of 12, Gregory fell in love with the game of golf and the rest, you could say, is history. Since 2008, Gregory has been a fixture at PGA Tour events, attending between 45 and 48 tournaments each year. After picking a player, he walks all four rounds with him. If that player misses the cut, he picks another player for the final two rounds. In the last 15 years, Gregory has walked more than 42,000 holes. Along the way, he has raised more than $1 million for his Walking For Kids Foundation, which allows PGA Tour players and golf fans an opportunity to donate to children’s charities.

On February 8th, 2022, Gregory received the PGA Tour Courage Award during a surprise ceremony at the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. The award is presented to a person who has overcome personal tragedy or debilitating injury or illness to make a meaningful contribution to the game. Gregory became the first non-member of the PGA Tour to receive the award, which was introduced in 2012. During the award ceremony, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan announced that the Tour would make a $25,000 donation to Walking For Kids. Waste Management then followed suit as did Jon Rahm, who was the No. 1 player in the world at the time. “He’s an inspiration to a lot of people,” Rahm said. “He was not dealt the best hand in his life, and he made something wonderful out of it and the fact that he goes out there and walks as much as he does with the difficulty he has to walk, it’s very, very impressive. He’s captured a lot of hearts of us players – definitely mine.”

When asked about being honored with a bobblehead, D.J. said, “When I was first told about bobblehead idea, I was little surprised and thought it was a joke. On a serious note though, I think this is a true honor and I am excited and proud to have my own bobblehead. I think it’s really cool! I appreciate being acknowledged for what I do for The Kids in a unique way.”

“We are thrilled to be releasing this bobblehead celebrating D.J. Gregory and helping to raise funds for the Walking For Kids Foundation,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “A familiar face walking the courses at so many tour events, D.J.’s determination and perseverance is unmatched, as is the impact he has made through his Walking For Kids Foundation. We think golf fans and anyone who knows D.J.’s story will love this bobblehead.”