Whit-sburgh: Company Launches Ryan Whitney Mean Mug Bobblehead

It was the most balanced trade in Pittsburgh Penguins history. After drafting, grooming, and deploying one of the game’s greatest offensive defensemen, on Feb. 26, 2009, the Penguins traded Ryan Whitney to the Anaheim Ducks for a stiff named Chris Kunitz.

Or at least that’s how Whitney tells the story on his world-famous podcast Spittin’ Chiclets with fellow Penguins alum (and former Wheeling Nailer) Paul Bissonette (aka Bizz-Nasty). The show is on the Barstool podcast network, one of the world’s five largest podcasters. The show is the largest hockey podcast in the world and launched in October 2018.

Last summer, the pair wrangled Sidney Crosby into 18 holes and managed to leave their former teammate in stitches, figuratively, not literally. And had to buy dinner afterward.

Though if you saw either podcaster golf, you know stitches or bruises were a real possibility.

FOCO, a manufacturer specializing in sports-themed items from bikinis to bobbleheads, backpacks to suits, is launching a limited edition Whitney bobblehead as part of their Mean Mug collection.

And as you can see by the picture, Whitney is giving his best intimidating look.

Only 360 of the nine-inch, hand-painted Whitney bobblehead dolls with the ice surface base are being made. Of course, the Pittsburgh Penguins logo is also prominently featured. Preorders began this week. They are available here. 

FOCO says the bobbleheads will ship out this summer.

The company is touting its first hockey bobblehead thusly:

“Welcome to Whit-sburgh, home of the hockey player/podcaster/bobblehead extraordinaire! Show off Whit’s grit by adding this Ryan Whitney Penguins Mean Mug Bobblehead to your lineup!”

Whitney, who ended his hockey career with a couple of games in the Swedish elite league in 2016, was the Penguins first-round pick in 2002 (5th overall) and was the first of the Penguins succession of top five picks, which began with Whitney and ended with Jordan Staal in 2006. In between were Marc-Andre Fleury (1st overall), Evgeni Malkin (2nd overall), and Sidney Crosby (1st overall).