Bobbleheads Bobble Sniper

UNLV’s Mascot Name Is Retired But Not Before These Two Bobbleheads Were Manufactured

by | Jan 19, 2022 | Sniper Rants

The University of Nevada-Las Vegas recently announced that they are retiring the Hey Reb! mascot. However, the school is still keeping its Rebels nickname. The decision to retire the mascot comes after UNLV removed a statue of Hey Reb! last spring due to its Confederate roots. 

Hey Reb! was originally created in 1982 by Las Vegas artist Mike Miller and was an ode to western trailblazers of the 1800s. The school has updated the mascot on three different occasions prior to the decision to retire it.

According to UNLV’s website, Hey Reb! has been labeled with quite a bit of criticism in recent years and many people employed by the school worked on a solution that keep’s the mascot’s history intact. As of today, UNLV has yet to determine a new mascot but fans, students and alumni will be pleased that the school is keeping the Rebels name. 

I recently acquired a Hey Reb! prototype bobblehead as I’ve never seen these before on any market. This hard to find mascot bobble has Reb holding up the LV sign with his fingers to show who’s heart still live in Las Vegas. The base has a “Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” emblem as Reb’s roots go deep in Sin City. The large cowboy hat slightly covers the eyes of Reb as he sure is an intimidating mascot toward fellow opponents.

Until the University decides on a new mascot, fans of UNLV will always recognize Hey Reb! as their crowd pleaser.

 

Sniper

The Bobble Hall Releases Their First College Athlete Bobblehead- McKenzie Milton

by | Jan 14, 2022 | Sniper Rants

MILWAUKEE – This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled two additional limited edition bobbleheads of former University of Central Florida and current Florida State University quarterback McKenzie Milton. The new bobbleheads feature Milton in white and black jerseys with gold trim while the first version featured Milton in a garnet and gold jersey. Milton previously led the University of Central Florida Knights to a perfect 13-0 season as a sophomore before a devastating injury caused the native of Hawaii to miss the 2019 and 2020 seasons. In December, he was named Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year

The Milton bobbleheads are positioned to throw the football while standing on a football-shaped base bearing his name. Sporting eye black in the shape of a cross, he is wearing a black jersey with white numbers and gold trim in the first bobblehead and a white jersey with black numbers and gold trim in the second. His number 10 jersey has his name on the back. Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 2,022 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 to customers in May, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. Available here for purchase. https://store.bobbleheadhall.com/collections/bobbleheads/products/mckenziemilton?aff=11

The limited edition bobbleheads are being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in conjunction with McKenzie Milton. Milton’s bobbleheads are the first of a college athlete to be released by the Hall of Fame and Museum since the NIL rules changes in 2021.

A native of Kapolei, Hawaii, Milton was the Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior at Mililani High School in 2014. In 34 career games, he compiled 9,113 yards of total offense (7,303 passing) with 99 touchdowns. Milton played three tremendous seasons at UCF, throwing for 8,683 yards and 72 TDs, and compiling a 27-6 record as a starter. As a sophomore, Milton led the Knights to a 12-0 record in the regular season – two years after the program went 0-12 – and finished eighth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. In the Peach Bowl, UCF defeated SEC runner-up Auburn, 34-27, before a crowd of 71,109 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Milton was selected as the game’s Offensive MVP after passing for 245 yards and two TDs and rushing for 116 yards and one TD.

In the final regular-season game of his junior season against South Florida on November 23rd, 2018, Milton suffered a devastating injury to his right knee, which caused him to miss the 2019 and 2020 seasons. After graduating from UCF and completing a long road to recovery, Milton transferred to FSU to close out his collegiate career. In the 2021 season, he appeared in six games (four starts) and threw for 775 yards and three TDs and was named the ACC’s Brian Piccolo Award winner, which honors the league’s most courageous player. After the season, Florida State accepted an invitation to the 2022 Hula Bowl, which was moved from Honolulu to UCF’s on-campus stadium this year and will be played on Saturday, January 15, 2022.

“Following the release of McKenzie’s bobblehead last week, we’ve been inundated with emails and calls from fans asking for a version with McKenzie in jerseys with the Central Florida colors,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “We’re excited to be releasing these two additional bobbleheads for fans. The comeback story of ‘KZ’ is an inspirational one and it was great to see him get back on the field with the Seminoles in 2021 after playing three memorable seasons with the UCF Knights. These bobbleheads are a symbol of resilience and toughness.”

The Bobble Hall Starts National Bobblehead Day With Hinkle And Butler Bulldog Bobbleheads

by | Jan 7, 2022 | Sniper Rants

This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled two officially licensed, limited edition Butler University Bulldog Bobbleheads. The first bobblehead features former legendary Butler University coach and athletic director Tony Hinkle while the second is a replica of the Butler Bulldog Statue that is outside the Atherton Union on Butler University’s campus. The special edition bobbleheads were produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum and are being released on National Bobblehead Day.

 Wearing a Butler T-shirt with tan slacks and brown shoes, the Hinkle bobblehead is standing on a base bearing his name in front of a replica of Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler’s home basketball arena. The Hinkle bobblehead is holding a football in his right hand, a baseball in his left hand and a basketball under his left arm. The Butler Bulldog Statue Bobblehead is a replica of the bulldog statue that is proudly displayed outside the entrance of Butler University’s Atherton Union. The statue was a gift from the class of 1996 and is a favorite photo spot on campus.

 Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 2,021 and they are available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which just arrived and ship now, are $25 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. They will also be available through the Butler Bookstore, which is in the Atherton Union. The two new bobbleheads follow previously released bobbleheads of Butler Blue I, II, III, and IV. Butler Blue IV has had both puppy and adult bobbleheads, with the adult bobblehead just arriving.

 Born in Logansport, Indiana, Hinkle was a standout three-sport athlete at the University of Chicago. After graduation, he moved on to Butler University where he did it all for the Bulldogs for nearly a half-century. After serving as an assistant coach for five seasons, Hinkle had three stints as the school’s head football coach (1926, 1935-41 and 1946-69), compiling a record of 183-104-16 and winning 17 conference titles. He also had three stints as the school’s head baseball coach (1921-28, 1933-41 and 1946-70), compiling a record of 335-309-3. While he coached three sports, he was primarily known for his two stints as the school’s head basketball coach (1926-42 and 1945-70), compiling a record of 560-392 with 10 conference titles. Hinkle’s 1929 team was crowned as the national champion and he was instrumental in ending the jump ball after every basket rule, and the introduction of the three-second rule.

 Along with winning more than 1,000 games across the three sports, Hinkle served as the school’s athletic director for 40 years. Hinkle was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the College Basketball Hall of Fame, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame. Hinkle’s legacy is remembered on the Butler campus with Hinkle Fieldhouse, the longtime site of Indiana’s state high school tournament which was featured in the film “Hoosiers.” Originally named the Butler Fieldhouse, it was the largest basketball arena in the U.S. for decades. It was renamed Hinkle Fieldhouse in 1966. While he retired in 1970, Hinkle remained in Indianapolis and loyal to Butler University until his death at the age of 92 in 1992.

 “We are excited to release these bobbleheads of Butler University legend Tony Hinkle and the Butler Bulldog Statue on National Bobblehead Day,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “The Butler University community has a deep pride in their school, and these bobbleheads will be must-haves for Bulldog fans of all ages.”

The Amarillo Sod Poodles And Ruckus Bring The Texas Heat Back In 2019

by | Jan 5, 2022 | Sniper Rants

The Amarillo Sod Poodles, nicknamed the Soddies, started their inaugural season back in 2019 as a minor league team of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They play their games at Hodgetown Stadium in Amarillo, Texas as they are located in the heart of downtown Amarillo. The community has gathered and has enjoyed many ball games, concerts and events in Hodgetown Stadium since the Sod Poodles were established. 

Back in 2019 fans were elated for the promotional schedule to be released and many took notice when they saw that a Ruckus the Sod Poodle bobblehead was to be given out. I can’t imagine how long the lines were on the night of July 21st of 2019 for fans to receive their SGA bobblehead. From what I was told, 1,000 of the Ruckus bobbles were handed out and as we sit here now, it’s a very hard to come by collectible. 

I recently obtained this prototype Ruckus bobble and I can see why fans were so excited to get their mitts on this one. AGP did a smash up job on this as the letters are all raised which we know improves the quality of the product. Ruckus is proudly wearing a red bandanna around his neck with the state of Texas belt around his waist. The cowboy hat adds a great feature as Ruckus shows how proud people are in Texas who wear the cowboy hat. 

Apparently, when the Sod Poodles promotional team contacted AGP about manufacturing their first ever bobblehead, this specific prototype is the one they saw prior to production. If you have this Ruckus SGA bobble in your collection, I’m sure you love it as much as I do as the features and overall quality are as good as you’ll see. 

Mark Pysyk And Popeye’s Team Up For A Delicious Biscuit Bobblehead

by | Dec 28, 2021 | Sniper Rants

Mark Pysyk is no stranger to being in the spotlight no matter how old he is. At the age of just 15 years old, Pysyk became the first-ever draft pick of the current incarnation of the Edmonton Oil Kings when he was selected third overall in the 2007 Western Hockey League (WHL). Due to his age, he would only be able to play with the team as an affiliate player for the 2007–08 season. He began the season with the AMBHL but was told by Oil Kings head coach Steve Pleau he would make his WHL debut after the Christmas break. Pysyk subsequently made his debut on December 28, 2007. He eventually returned to the Oil Kings for the 09-10 season and dealt with a broken foot for many games. One the next few years, Pysyk bounced around from the Sabres, Panthers and now of the Dallas Stars. 

I recently acquired this prototype bobblehead of Mark Pysyk in his Edmonton Oil Kings uniform. He apparently loves Popeye’s as his favorite choice of food as Popeye’s is sponsored just about everywhere on the bobble. The biscuit on top of his head, to him skating on a warm and toasty biscuit as the base. The defenceman is clearing out the puck as his position dictates with his hockey stick in motion. 

I have looked just about everywhere regarding when and where this was supposedly given out and have come up empty. It is unknown the direct correlation between Pysyk and Popeye’s as there is a Popeye’s in Alberta, Canada where the Oil Kings play. 

Correction: A fellow Sniper just informed me that this was a Season Ticket Holder giveaway. 

Local Artist Jeremy Fish Pays Tribute To His Street Gang “The Silly Pink Bunnies”

by | Dec 21, 2021 | Sniper Rants

Jeremy Fish, born and raised in upstate New York quickly found himself in San Francisco where he attended college to pursue an art career. From designing artwork on Nike sneakers to collaborating with well known artists, Fish made quite the name for himself in a short period of time.

In 2011, Fish created a sculpture and mural at the corner of Haight Street and Laguna Street in San Francisco, featuring a large, pink rabbit head widely opening its mouth to reveal a skull. According to Fish, “My gang, THE SILLY PINK BUNNIES, is celebrating 20 years of being a mean gang this year. Coincidentally 2011 is the year of the rabbit. This statue and mural is a tribute to the the gang and our history in the lower Haight.”

I recently acquired this very unique prototype bobblehead manufactured by Alexander Global Promotions. Although I’ve never had a bunny in my bobblehead collection, the back story of a well-known artist paints the perfect picture of Fish’s gang in San Francisco. The opening of the bunny’s mouth that reveals the skull is the most eye-catching aspect of the collectible.

Unfortunately, the Silly Pink Bunnies was removed in 2013 due to construction. A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign was started and raised over $50,000 to erect a permanent bronze bunny near the same location in the future. If you’re ever in the Laguna are of San Francisco, make sure to look out for the newly renovated “Bronze” Bunny.