By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A bobblehead doll of University of Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins will be sold in Kroger stores, with proceeds benefiting the Bob Huggins Foundation.

UC coach Bob Huggins and Hall of Fame jockey Steve Cauthen are new bobbleheads. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

"I thought it was time to have a good-looking bobblehead in this market," Huggins said Tuesday.

"The first version we came out with, we had based it on photos of Bob in the game," said Dave Slyby, division manager of Premium Corporation, which produced the Huggins bobblehead. "When he got the sample, his reaction was that he looked too calm. We had to go back and try to add a little personality."

Premium Corporation has produced 40,000 Huggins dolls, which will sell for $9.95. The foundation hopes to raise $140,000, most of which will be used to pay for renovation of the Emanuel Community Center at Race and 13th streets.

An announcement will be made next week detailing when the dolls will be available, said Judi Sturwold, co-founder and president of the Huggins Foundation. The project is also being sponsored by Skyline Chili, Pepsi and WLW-AM radio.

Not to be outdone, Turfway Park will offer Steve Cauthen bobblehead dolls at the March 22 Lane's End Stakes to the first 7,000 fans with paid admissions. Cauthen rode Affirmed to horse racing's Triple Crown 25 years ago, and the bobblehead has him attired in the pink-and-black Harbor View Farm silks in which he won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

"They tell me when you've got one, you've made it," Cauthen said. "... My friends should get a good laugh out of it, anyway."