Bobbleheads Bobble Sniper

After 40 Years, The Cocaine Bear Receives An Exclusive Bobblehead

by | Apr 21, 2023 | Sniper Rants

This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in conjunction with KY for KY unveiled the first Cocaine Bear Bobblehead. The limited-edition bobblehead features the 175-pound black bear who died of an overdose of cocaine after discovering a batch of the drug in the mountains of Fannin County, Georgia, just south of the Tennessee border nearly 40 years ago in 1985. The very same bear is said to be on display in Lexington, Kentucky, at the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall and has garnered a significant following that culminated in the recently released movie Cocaine Bear.

Standing on the display mount, accessorized by a duffle bag of cocaine, the fun-loving Cocaine Bear bobblehead sports its chained plaque including its fateful description. The bobbleheads, which will be individually numbered, are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store and the KY for KY Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in July, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

In December of 1985, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced that a 175-pound black bear had “died of an overdose of cocaine after discovering a batch of the drug,” according to a three-sentence item from United Press International that appeared in the New York Times. The cocaine was apparently dropped from a plane piloted by convicted drug smuggler Andrew Thornton because he was carrying too heavy a load while parachuting. The bear was found dead in the mountains of Fannin County, Georgia, just south of the Tennessee border, alongside 40 opened plastic containers of cocaine. Dr. Kenneth Alonso, the state’s chief medical examiner at the time, said after a December 1985 autopsy that the bear had absorbed three or four grams of cocaine into its blood stream, although it may have eaten more.

Nearly 40 years later, the story inspired a movie, loosely inspired by the events. “Cocaine Bear,” a comedy-horror film directed by Elizabeth Banks and written by Jimmy Warden, was released in the United States on February 24th, 2023, by Universal Pictures. The film, which marked the posthumous release for Ray Liotta who died May 26th, 2022, received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $30 million worldwide in its debut weekend.

In 2015, Whit Hiler and Griffin VanMeter installed Cocaine Bear’s taxidermied body into their Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington, Kentucky. The Kentucky gift shop sells various styles of Cocaine Bear t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and other memorabilia. “Visited (by) and bringing joy to thousands of people every month, Cocaine Bear is not just a roadside attraction — and soon-to-be biopic antihero — he’s also a city mascot, a heartwarming community builder, and a warning to all the dangers of drug abuse,” Kentucky for Kentucky wrote in a statement timed to the release of the movie. “We trademarked his name and likeness as part of our guardianship, popularizing him as a character. You can visit Cocaine Bear free of charge during opening hours. We hope that you do.”

As it turns out, VanMeter confirmed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that Kentucky for Kentucky’s Cocaine Bear claim was fabricated. The taxidermy bear had previously resided in the basement of a friend’s parents. Thanks to some creative advertising and a fictional backstory on how they came to own the bear, the legend of Cocaine Bear took off.

“Nothing makes a bear’s head bobble more than a bunch of cocaine,” said Griffin VanMeter from Kentucky for Kentucky. “We’re honored that Cocaine Bear is making its bobblehead debut with the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. They’ve been amazing partners to develop this Cocaine Bear keepsake with–the first of its kind!”

“We’re excited to be working with KY for KY to create the first bobblehead of Cocaine Bear whose wild story nearly 40 years ago has taken on a life of its own,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Since the release of the movie of the same name, Cocaine Bear has found himself in the spotlight. This bobblehead is a must-have for fans of this party animal.”

Iowa’s Women’s Basketball Receives Historic Bobblehead

by | Apr 7, 2023 | Sniper Rants

This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed, limited-edition bobblehead to commemorate the Iowa Hawkeyes Women’s Basketball Team’s historic 2022-23 season. The team’s record-breaking season included a program high 31 wins and the first appearance in the National Championship Game. The special edition bobblehead is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official producer of licensed University of Iowa Bobbleheads.

The bobblehead features Iowa’s mascot, Herky the Hawk, holding up a copy of the sports section of a newspaper titled “Iowa News”. The front page proclaims, “HAWKEYES MAKE IOWA PROUD!”. Herky is standing on a stack of newspapers with the headline “IOWA WOMEN’S HISTORIC 31-WIN 2022-23 SEASONIS ONE FOR THE AGES WITH FANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY CHEERING FOR THE HIGH-FLYING HAWKEYES!”

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 July, are $40 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

Under 23rd-year coach Lisa Bluder, Iowa finished as the runner-up in the Big Ten Conference with a 15-3 record sitting behind Indiana. Following the regular season, the Hawkeyes won the Big Ten Conference Tournament title for the second consecutive season. Iowa earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 with victories over 15th-seeded Southeastern Louisiana, 95-43, and 10th-seeded Georgia, 74-66, in the first two rounds. They then beat sixth-seeded Colorado, 87-77, and fifth-seeded Louisville, 97-83, to advance to their first Final Four since 1993.

In the national semifinals, Iowa knocked off defending champion, previously undefeated and top-seeded South Carolina, 77-73, before a sellout crowd of 19,288 at American Airlines Center in Dallas in one of the most anticipated matchups in women’s Final Four history. Dazzling All-American junior point guard Caitlin Clark scored 41 points to set the record for the highest-scoring NCAA Tournament semifinal as the Hawkeyes snapped South Carolina’s 42-game winning streak and advanced to their first-ever national championship. Facing another SEC team in the final, Iowa’s magical run fell short in a 102-85 loss to third-seeded LSU to finish 31-7 overall. The 31 victories were the most in school history for the Hawkeyes and the National Championship game was the first for the women’s basketball program.

“The Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team’s remarkable 2022-23 season is well-deserving of a bobblehead to commemorate all of the accomplishments,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “We think this bobblehead will be one that Hawkeyes alumni, students, faculty, staff, and fans will enjoy really enjoy.”

No Upset Here As Fairleigh Dickinson Receives Their 1st Bobblehead

by | Mar 23, 2023 | Sniper Rants

Today, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed, limited-edition Fairleigh Dickinson Knights Bobblehead to celebrate #16 seeded FDU’s unbelievable win over #1 seeded Purdue in the First Round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament last Friday. This marks the first bobblehead for Fairleigh Dickinson, and it joins bobbleheads produced by the Museum to commemorate fellow New Jersey school Saint Peter’s 2022 Cinderella run and UMBC’s first win as a #16 seed in the Men’s NCAA Tournament.

FDU captured the attention of sports fans everywhere with their stunning victory over top-seeded Purdue in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 17th. The Knights became only the second No. 16 seed to win a game in March Madness, and their win over heavily favored Purdue became the biggest upset in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

The bobblehead features a generic vintage design with the player wearing #16 for Fairleigh Dickinson’s 16-seed in the tournament. He is wearing the FDU uniform matching the one worn during the upset victory and holding a basketball in one hand and a newspaper in the other hand. The newspaper is dated March 18, 2023, and has the headline “FDUnbelievable!” with the text, “#16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson Knights knock off #1 seed for biggest upset in tournament history!”

Each bobblehead will be individually numbered to 2,023, are they are now available for pre-order through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads cost $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. They are expected in ship in July.

Fairleigh Dickinson University is composed of four campuses with two in New Jersey, one in Canada and one in England. The school that registered the upset victory over Purdue was FDU’s Metropolitan campus in Teaneck, New Jersey, which is less than five miles from Manhattan. It also has a Florham campus that competes in Division III. With over 12,000 students total, it is the largest private school in New Jersey.

The Fairleigh Dickinson bobblehead follows previously released bobbleheads commemorating the underdog Saint Peter’s Peacocks and UMBC Retrievers, who shocked the college basketball world in a similar fashion in 2022 and 2018, respectively. Saint Peter’s, a private Jesuit University located in Jersey City New Jersey, was a No. 15 seed and recorded victories over Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue to advance to the Elite Eight where its incredible run came to an end against North Carolina. In 2018, UMBC became the first-ever No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1 seed when it overwhelmed Virginia, 74-54.

The shortest of the 363 NCAA Division I teams in the country, Fairleigh Dickinson stunned top-seeded Purdue and 7-foot-4 All-American center Zach Edey, 63-58, for a St. Patrick’s Day surprise. Before FDU’s shocker, No. 16 seeds had a record of 1-150 against No. 1 seeds in tourney history. “If we played them 100 times, they’d probably beat us 99 times,” FDU coach Tobin Anderson said. Making their seventh trip to March Madness, and their sixth as a No. 16 seed, the Knights, who went 4-22 last season, knocked off Texas Southern, 84-61, in a First Four matchup to advance to play Purdue. After the win, Anderson made a prophetic statement, telling his team, “The more I see Purdue, the more I think we can beat them.”

“We are excited to unveil the first Fairleigh Dickinson bobblehead following FDU’s incredible upset victory that captivated fans everywhere,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “This victory will be talked about for a long time, and now fans, students, alumni, faculty, and staff will have a bobblehead to commemorate the historic accomplishment!”

Fairleigh Dickinson Knights #16 Seed Upset Bobblehead (Presale)

 

Iowa’s Standout Record Holder Receives 3 Exclusive Bobbleheads From The Bobble Hall Of Fame

by | Mar 23, 2023 | Sniper Rants

This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled the first bobbleheads of Iowa Hawkeyes Men’s Basketball standout record holder, Jordan Bohannon. The release comes during the NCAA Tournament, as Bohannon helped lead the Hawkeyes to three NCAA Tournament appearances and two trips to the Second Round during his time at Iowa. The officially licensed, limited-edition bobbleheads are being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in conjunction with Bohannon, and they are officially licensed by the University of Iowa.

The 25-year-old Marion, Iowa native, who is currently playing on the Iowa Wolves NBA G League team, played for the University of Iowa for 6 seasons. Bohannon is the school record holder for 3-pointers made (455), assists (709), and free throw percentage (.887). Among his many accolades include being fourth in NCAA history scoring 455 3-pointers in his college career, the 2022 College Three-Point Contest Champion, and having the most 3-pointers made in a single game at the University of Iowa (10). In addition to playing for the Iowa Wolves, Bohannon is taking his knowledge and basketball expertise off the court by co-hosting a college basketball podcast presented by Barstool Sports called RoundBall.

There are three different versions of the bobblehead which feature Iowa’s three jersey colors: black, gold, and white. Bohannon is standing on a basketball shaped base bearing his #3 Iowa Jersey posing with three fingers raised indicating another made 3-point shot. His name and number are included on the back of his jersey.

The bobbleheads, which will be individually numbered, are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in June, cost $30 each or $85 for a set of three and a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

“We are excited to unveil the first bobbleheads featuring one of Iowa’s most accomplished student-athletes,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Jordan had some tremendous accomplishments during his time at Iowa, and we think fans will enjoy these new bobbleheads!”

Jordan Bohannon Iowa Hawkeyes Bobbleheads (Presale)

The Wisconsin Badgers And The Bobble Hall Spring Into Step With 2 New Bobbleheads

by | Mar 21, 2023 | Sniper Rants

Wisconsin Badger fans can rejoice as the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum have just released two exclusive mascot bobbleheads. The first bobble displays Bucky doing his “Jump Around” jump, in celebration of a great play by the Badgers.  Beneath his feet are two springs to showcase extra bobble action of Bucky in mid-air. The second Bucky release features the vintage mascot in an action pose standing on a an all-gold base. This is the first vintage bobblehead for Wisconsin and is officially by the university. 

Both bobbleheads are in pre-production as these designs are a first hand look. They are scheduled to arrive in early July and are each individually numbered to 2023 but less than that will be produced for the first batch. 

Click below to pre-order the duo Badger bobbleheads.

Bucky Badger Wisconsin Badgers Jump Around Mascot Bobblehead (Presale)

The Bobble Hall Going For Gold With 4 New U.S. Olympic Bobbleheads

by | Feb 24, 2023 | Sniper Rants

This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled the first bobbleheads featuring four U.S. Olympians: bobsledders Elana Meyers Taylor and Kaillie Humphries, speed skater Erin Jackson, and figure skater Jason Brown. The limited edition bobbleheads are being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in conjunction with the athletes.

Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 2,022 and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store at the links above. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in June, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

Elana Meyers Taylor:

Competing in her fourth Winter Olympics in 2022, Elana Meyers Taylor upped her medal total to five in her illustrious career with a silver medal in the inaugural monobob event and a bronze medal in the two-woman event with Sylvia Hoffman. With her two medals, Meyers Taylor surpassed speed skater Shani Davis for the most medals by a Black athlete in Winter Olympics history. She also became the most decorated U.S. Olympic bobsledder of all time. Previously, Meyers Taylor won a bronze medal in the two-woman in 2010 and silver medals in the two-woman in 2014 and 2018. Meyers Taylor was chosen as a flag bearer for Team USA in 2022, but she was unable to attend the opening ceremony after testing positive for COVID-19.

Born in Oceanside, California, and raised in Douglasville, Georgia, the 37-year-old Meyers Taylor played collegiate softball at George Washington University. She began bobsledding in 2007 at the suggestion of her parents after she failed to make the U.S. Olympic softball team. A two-time women’s bobsled world and overall world cup champion in the two-woman event (2015 and 2017), Meyers Taylor became the first woman in U.S. history to win a world championship in the two-man event in 2015.

Competing in her fourth Winter Olympics in 2022, the 36-year-old Kaillie Humphries from Calgary was representing Team USA for the first time and won gold in the monobob with a total time of 4:19.27. The largest margin of victory in all bobsled disciplines in 42 years. She also finished in seventh place in the two-woman event with brakewoman Kaysha Love. Humphries previously competed for Canada, but left following a harassment complaint against the country’s bobsled and skeleton team. She won gold for Team Canada in the two-woman bobsled event in 2010 and 2014 and bronze for the same event in 2018. She was named to the U.S. bobsledding team for the Beijing Olympics in early-February, two months after she became a naturalized citizen.

Kaillie Humphries:

Since joining Team USA in 2019 – the same year she married former American bobsledder Travis Armbruster in California – Humphries has won three world titles, making her a five-time world champion and the most decorated woman in bobsled history. Humphries has tattoos that cover “about 60 percent of my body.” Among them are tributes to her late grandfather and late uncle and portraits of her parents, Olympic medals and other visuals that represent who she is. She is currently still competing while going through IVF to achieve her dreams of starting a family as well. She hopes to inspire people all over the world to fight for their dreams and do what others say is impossible. She is affiliated with the “I’ve Been Bullied” campaign, Right to Play, a sports program for underprivileged youth, and the Special Olympics.

When asked about the bobblehead, Humphries said, “It’s an honor to join the bobblehead hall of fame collection to celebrate my sport career and the great accomplishments over the last year, this is such a fun way to commemorate.”

Erin Jackson:

Competing in her second Winter Olympics in 2022, 29-year-old Ein Jackson won the gold medal in the 500 meters in a time of 37.04 seconds. With her victory, she became the first U.S. woman to capture a speed skating gold at the Olympics since Chris Witty won the 1,000 meters in 2002, and she became the first American woman to win the women’s 500 meters since Bonnie Blair in 1994. She also became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal since bobsledder Vonetta Flowers in 1992. What made Jackson’s story even more amazing is she first stepped on an ice rink in 2016. Also, she was only able to compete in the event after teammate and longtime friend Brittany Bowe gave up her spot in the race to Jackson, who initially did not qualify after she slipped in the trials.

Jackson, who grew up in Ocala, Florida, graduated with honors from the University of Florida in the materials science and engineering program. With prior experience in roller derby and inline skating, Jackson transitioned to the ice in 2016. She qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with only four months of experience speed skating on the ice. Jackson qualified in the 500 meters and placed 24th out of 31 competitors. In November of 2021, Jackson won her first World Cup 500-meter races in Poland with two track records, making her the first Black American woman to win in the World Cup.

Jason Brown:

Competing in his second Winter Olympics in 2022 after not competing in 2018, 27-year-old Jason Brown bested his ninth-place showing from the 2014 Sochi Games. Minus the flowing ponytail which had been his trademark, Brown came in sixth place with a program set to music by John Williams. Regarded as one of the best spinners in the world, he had personal-best scores of 97.24 in the short program and 184.00 in the free skate for a combined total of 281.24. Afterward, he told reporters that he has accomplished all of his goals but hasn’t decided yet if it’s time to retire. As a 19-year-old in 2014 in Sochi, Brown was part of the bronze-winning U.S. group in the team competition to become one of the youngest male figure skating Olympic medalists.

Born in Los Angeles, Brown grew up in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois. He began to skate when he was 3 years old and began working with a coach two years later. Brown emerged on the national skating scene in 2010 when he won the national junior title. In the years that followed, he was routinely ranked among the top 10 skaters in the world. Brown, who moved from Colorado to Toronto in recent years, is a nine-time Grand Prix medalist, a two-time Four Continents medalist and the 2015 U.S. national champion. More recently, he served as team captain and finished sixth as the U.S. won silver at the 2021 World Championships.

Jason Brown commented on his bobblehead saying, “Never thought I’d be honored as a bobblehead, but so fun to see this come to life. Hope it makes you smile and brings you joy!”

“We are excited to release the first bobbleheads for these accomplished Olympic athletes,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Bobbleheads are the ultimate honor, and we know fans of Kaillie, Elana, Erin, and Jason will be excited to have these.