Bobbleheads Bobble Sniper

The Bobble Hall Honors The Late Chicago Legendary Broadcaster Les Grobstein

by | Mar 11, 2022 | Sniper Rants

Today, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled a limited-edition official bobblehead to honor longtime Chicago Sports Radio Broadcaster Les Grobstein, who passed away on January 16, 2022 at the age of 69. The bobblehead is being released on March 11, 2022, which would have been Grobstein’s 70th birthday. In addition, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a proclamation declaring March 11, 2022, as Les Grobstein Day. The bobblehead is being produced by the museum in conjunction with Les Grobstein’s family and AUTOGRAPH1 to honor the beloved “Grobber.”

Wearing a press pass around his neck, the smiling Grobstein bobblehead is holding a microphone in his right hand and his trusty tape recorder in his left hand. He is standing on a circular base bearing his name along with the 670 The Score (WSCR-AM) logo. The bobblehead includes sound clips from Grobstein that play at the touch of a button.

Each bobblehead will be individually numbered 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 July 2022, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. Les Grobstein Bobblehead

Grobstein, a Chicago native, had a career that spanned over 50 years on the Chicago airwaves. Grobstein served as 670 The Score’s weeknight overnight host since 2009. In addition to his time spent at 670 The Score, Grobstein was the Sports Director at WLS-AM Radio from 1979-89 and he also worked for WLUP-AM and WMVP-AM. He had worked for Associated Press Broadcasting since 1975 and ABC Sports Radio since 1980. His career play-by-play assignments included the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League, Northwestern University Wildcats basketball, Chicago Hustle women’s basketball, Chicago Sting soccer, Chicago Horizons indoor soccer, UIC Flames basketball and hockey, Chicago Cheetahs roller hockey, the Chicago Sky of the WNBA, and many high school football and basketball contests.

A fixture in press boxes for every professional sports team in Chicago and around the country, Grobstein’s claim to fame was recording an infamous obscenity-laced tirade by former Chicago Cubs Manager Lee Elia in 1983 in which he ripped Cubs fans for failing to support the team. The clip remains popular almost 40 years later. Some wondered if Grobstein ever slept since he worked overnights in between covering games. Known for his encyclopedic memory and sports knowledge, Grobstein could remember the first Bears-Packers game he attended as a young fan in 1963. In his life, he attended more than 100 games between the bitter rivals.

Les’ family made the following statement on the release of the bobblehead, “The family is still reeling from the sudden loss of Les, but we are thrilled to see this bobblehead released on his birthday. He was a bobblehead fan and would have loved seeing his bobblehead unveiled today.”

“We are honored to release this bobblehead of Chicago sports legend Les Grobstein,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum Co-Founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Just like the rest of his loyal fans, we were saddened by the death of ‘The Grobber’. Sports radio in Chicago, especially overnights, won’t be the same.”

AUTOGRAPH1 Co-Owners Mitch Dubinsky and Steve Gassman said, “When we received the call from National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum Co-Founder and CEO Phil Sklar to get involved in producing another bobblehead, we were thrilled that it was going to be in honor of Chicago’s very own Les Grobstein.”

Two Olympic Curling Legends Are Honored By The Bobblehead Hall Of Fame

by | Mar 4, 2022 | Sniper Rants

MILWAUKEE – This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled limited-edition bobbleheads featuring Team USA curlers Matt Hamilton and John Shuster. Matt Hamilton, who is from McFarland, Wisconsin and is a member of the Madison Curling Club, is being honored with his second bobblehead, with the new version featuring his long hair and new tattoos. This marks the first bobblehead of John Shuster, who resides in Superior, Wisconsin and is a member of the Duluth Curling Club in Duluth, Minnesota.

Hamilton’s new bobblehead features a focused Hamilton in a rock-throwing pose on an oval red, white and blue base bearing his name. The mustachioed Hamilton bobblehead is wearing a hat with USA on the front with his shoulder-length hair flowing behind. Holding a broom in his left hand which showcases his sleeve tattoo on his left arm, he is wearing a blue shirt and white pants along with his multi-colored shoes, which were all the rage at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Shuster’s bobblehead features the skip on an oval red, white and blue base holding a broom in his left hand while celebrating his team’s victory. Both bobbleheads include removable gold medals. 

Each bobblehead, which also includes a removable gold medal, is individually numbered to 2,022 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 July, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. Purchase Here

 John Shuster led Team USA to the country’s first gold medal in curling at the 2018 Winter Olympics and has now played in five straight Winter Olympics. Shuster was chosen as one of two United States flag bearers for the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Olympics. Matt Hamilton helped Team USA bring home a gold medal from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, after helping Team Schuster win five straight must-win matches. Hamilton’s first bobblehead, which was released following the 2018 gold medal performance, was the first curling bobblehead ever produced and honored the first curling gold medal for Team USA in Olympics history.

 In Beijing for the 2022 Olympics, Team Schuster was unable to defend their title after winning gold in 2018. The Americans went home without a medal after losing the bronze-medal game to Canada, 8-5. Despite being unable to duplicate the success from 2018, Team USA still got people talking about curling. Hamilton, who received his last haircut four years ago, said he would be cutting his hair for charity in March. Working with stachestrong.org, a nonprofit group that raises money for brain cancer research, Hamilton planned to cut off his hair and donate it to a children’s wig foundation while raising money for StacheStrong. “Every dollar that goes to them goes into the charity,” Hamilton said in an interview. “So, I’m just super stoked to be a part of it. And with the mustache myself, I felt like I was a good representative.”

 “We are excited to release two new bobbleheads featuring two curling legends—Matt Hamilton and John Shuster,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “We received many requests for a bobblehead featuring Matt’s new hair and tattoos and a bobblehead of John Shuster, and we’re thrilled to be teaming up with both of them to make these new bobbleheads available for fans.”

The Bobble Hall Swims To Victory With The Release Of Two Olympic Swimmers

by | Feb 24, 2022 | Sniper Rants

MILWAUKEE- This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled limited-edition bobbleheads featuring swimmers Caeleb Dressel and Lydia Jacoby. Dressel is a seven-time Olympic gold medalist and world record-holder in three events while Jacoby won a gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke as a 17-year-old at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. This marks the first bobblehead of both Dressel and Jacoby, and both bobbleheads are being produced by the Museum in conjunction with Dressel and Jacoby.

The smiling and wide-eyed Dressel bobblehead, with water up to his waist, is raising his index fingers on both hands over his head, signaling No. 1 after a gold-medal performance in the 100-meter freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics. The base, which bears his name, is transparent. Wearing a white USA warmup jacket and pants, the smiling Jacoby bobblehead has a gold medal around her neck. With her arms extended over her head, she is holding flowers in her right hand as she celebrates her victory in the 100-meter breaststroke in Tokyo. She is standing on a patriotic base bearing her name in metallic gold.

Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 2,020 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 July, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. https://store.bobbleheadhall.com/collections/bobbleheads?aff=11

Billed as the heir to swimming superstar Michael Phelps, Dressel did not disappoint at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as he emerged as the world’s most dominant swimmer. The 25-year-old Florida native won gold medals in the 50 and 100 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. He was also a member of the 400 freestyle and 400 medley gold-medal relays to become only the fifth American swimmer to win five gold medals in a single Olympic Games since 1970, joining Phelps, Mark Spitz, Eric Heiden, and Matt Biondi. He also became the first swimmer in the history of swimming at the modern Olympic Games to win gold medals in the 50 and 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly at the same Olympics. That pushed his total to seven golds after winning his first two in Rio de Janeiro in the 400 freestyle and 400 medley relays.

A member of the Cali Condors in the International Swimming League, Dressel holds world records in the 100 butterfly (long course and short course), 50 freestyle (short course) and 100 individual medley (short course). Dressel won 10 NCAA titles at the University of Florida from 2015-18. He also won a record seven gold medals at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships, nine medals (six gold) at the 2018 World Swimming Championships and eight medals (six gold) at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships. Also known for his tattoos, Dressel’s bobbleheads will include the face of an alligator on his left forearm, an eagle with the flag of America on his left shoulder, a bear on his upper left arm, and the American flag on his left forearm.

A native of Anchorage, Alaska, Jacoby became the first swimmer from Alaska to qualify for an Olympic Games when she qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 100-meter breaststroke. The 17-year-old was one of 11 teenage female swimmers to make the team. After ranking third overall after the semifinals with a time of 1:05.72, Jacoby had a winning time of 1:04.95 in the final to garner Team USA’s first gold medal. It was the first medal won by an Alaskan-born swimmer at an Olympic Games. Her time also set a new National Age Group record for American girls in the 17-18-year-old age group. On the final day of competition, Jacoby won a silver medal as part of the 400-meter medley relay. Time magazine later acknowledged her as a “fresh face” highlight of the U.S. swim team at the Olympic Games.

Following the Olympics, Jacoby competed in the 2021 FINA Swimming World Cup and was the overall highest scoring female American competitor in the international competition. She won silver medals in the 50-meter breaststroke in Berlin and Budapest and in the 100-meter breaststroke in Budapest. She also won a bronze medal in the 100-meter breaststroke in Berlin. A graduate of Seward High School in Seward, Alaska, Jacoby committed to swimming in college for the University of Texas starting in the fall of 2022.

When asked about being honored by the Hall of Fame and Museum with a bobblehead, Jacoby said, “I am excited to partner with the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in the hopes of bringing fans and fellow swimmers a smile.”

“We are excited to release these bobbleheads of Caeleb Dressel and Lydia Jacoby who have both shined on the world’s biggest staged and inspired so many across the globe,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “We think these fans will love these new bobbleheads featured two swimming superstars.”

The Bobble Hall Celebrates Presidents Day With 45 New Bobbleheads

by | Feb 21, 2022 | Sniper Rants

MILWAUKEE – This morning, to celebrate Presidents’ Day, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled the first complete series of United States President bobbleheads. The series includes all 45 United States Presidents on bases that feature a replica of the White House, and each bobblehead is individually numbered to the year that the president was elected. The bobbleheads were produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.

The collection includes George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John. F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.

The bobbleheads are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order or $1,250 for the complete set. The Joe Biden and Donald Trump bobbleheads are in stock now while the others are expected to ship in May. All bobbleheads include the name of the president on the front of the base and their president number on the back of the base.

The President of the United States acts as the head of the Executive Branch of the government, as well as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for carrying out the laws written by Congress and appointing the heads of the federal agencies. The Constitution lists only three qualifications for the Presidency — they must be at least 35 years of age, be a natural-born citizen, and must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. The President of the United States is one of the most powerful people in the world, with awesome privileges and responsibilities.

Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., the White House is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States. Construction took place between 1792 and 1800 using Aquia Creek sandstone painted white. It has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. The residence was designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban in the neoclassical style. He modeled the building after the Leinster House in Dublin, a building which today houses the Oireachtas, the Irish legislature. The modern-day White House complex includes the Executive Residence, West Wing, East Wing, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (the former State Department, which now houses offices for the president’s staff and the vice president) and Blair House, a guest residence. In 2007, the White House was ranked second on the American Institute of Architects list of “America’s Favorite Architecture.”

“We’re excited to release this complete collection of bobbleheads featuring all 45 U.S. Presidents to celebrate Presidents’ Day,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Each president played an important part in our country’s history, and we think people will enjoy this new series of presidential bobbleheads.”

The Battle Between Being A Completist vs Dissimilarity Within Collecting

by | Feb 8, 2022 | Sniper Rants

We as collector’s tend to collect our favorite players and teams and often face tough decisions when the likeness of a bobble doesn’t sit well with us.

For example, this Maine Red Claws Larry Bird collectible is highly touted as one of the rarest bobbleheads of Larry. It’s also perceived to be the ugliest, as it down right looks creepy. The egg yolk yellow hair as well as the eyebrow and mustache looks like a horror character. Given the fact that Larry is toothless makes this a debatable item to collect.

I myself am I diehard Celtics fan and a huge Larry Bird fan. I followed the C’s since I was 6 years old and never turned back. Once I got knee deep into the bobble game, this Bird bobble was readily available on the open market. I had to have it. There was no question about it as I had to add it to my Bird collection.

Fast forward 10 years later, I question my decision that I acquired it. Looking at it now, it creeps me the fuck out. I literally have a hard time looking at it.

So the ongoing debate remains…even if a bobblehead is ugly as dog shit, do you still get it? Or, do you “Have” to get it because you’re a completist? It’s a fascinating discussion to have amongst avid collectors.