sports picks

McFarlane's Sports Picks is the name given to the line of sports-related action figures released by McFarlane Toys, a company founded by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane. The figures feature lifelike renderings of select stars in the five most popular sports in North America - baseball, football, hockey, basketball and stock car racing. The company has official licensing rights to the major professional leagues of all of these sports.
An avid sports fan, collector of sports memorabilia and part-owner of a professional hockey team (the Edmonton Oilers), Todd McFarlane created McFarlane's Sports Picks in 2001 with the release of a series of NHL hockey players. The figures were licensed by the NHLPA but not by the league itself; as such, the players' jerseys featured the colours of the teams for which they played, but the NHLPA logo in place of the team logos (which the NHL holds rights to).
The figures proved to be popular enough with fans and collectors that the NHL - and later the NFL - signed a licensing agreement with McFarlane, allowing future releases to be branded with league and team logos.
Later in 2001, McFarlane's Sports Picks released Series 1 of their NHL line, and Series 1 & 2 of their NFL line.
An avid sports fan, collector of sports memorabilia and a former part-owner of a professional hockey team (Edmonton Oilers), Todd McFarlane created McFarlane Sports Picks in 2000 with the release of a series of NHL hockey players. The figures were licensed by the NHLPA but not by the league itself; as such, the players' jerseys featured the colours of the teams for which they played, but the NHLPA logo in place of the team logos (which the NHL holds rights to).
The figures proved to be popular enough with fans and collectors that the NHL signed a licensing agreement with McFarlane, allowing future releases to be branded with league and team logos.
Later in 2001, McFarlane Sports Picks released Series 1 of their NHL line, and Series 1 & 2 of their NFL line.Quoted from Mark Weber (McFarlane: Sports Brand Manager)
Q: What's the difference between a "chase figure" and a "variant?"
A chase figure is a different version (the differences usually involve paint application, but could also be sculpt or accessory changes) of a regular figure, intentionally produced and generally released in limited numbers. For example, Nomar Garciaparra in MLB 9 was painted in his road gray uniform, but there are a small number of the same figure painted in the home white uniform. Those white-uniform Nomar figures are chase figures. All four figures in Spawn Series 16: Nitro Riders were released in both pewter- and gold-washed chase versions in addition to the regular fully painted figures. Almost every sports figure -- and a lesser number of non-sports figures -- has a chase version.
A variant figure is a paint or accessory difference from the “normal” figure that is often unintentional. Sometimes, these are production errors or glitches that occur at the factory and might be released into distribution before the mistake is caught and corrected. An example would be the Redeemer figure from Spawn Series 25 with different gradations of green paint on his wings or the Anthony Thomas figure from NFL 5, some of which had different colored mouthguards"
NHL 13 Alexander Ovechkin regular in white and chase in black.On April 11, 2008, McFarlane Toys made an announcement on their new chase figures. There will now be a new form of chase figures surfacing on the market. There have been the traditional chases like alternate, third jersey, retro's and throwbacks. Now the release of new chases will be minor tweaks or variations to the current jersey of the regular figure. These are most likely to be removal or addition of captaincies or the addition of patches.
When the NHLPA figures were first released, they were cardback packaged but once the first NHL licensed series came out, McFarlane decided to use "clamshell" blister packaging. Since the Series 1 to Series 14, the figures have had the same packaging design. From the start of Series 15, the company decided to change the packaging design which took on a more "streamline" look. The Series 15 design would eventually evolve into a more compact version at the start of NHL 16 and Legends 6. The amount of space that was reduced would also have an impact on how large the new bases would be and also eliminated the addition of a net for goalies.
On April 11, 2008, McFarlane Toys announced their plans to redesign their current packaging. Instead of having a full blister packaging, they have returned back to their traditional cardback packaging. After their release, there have been mixed reactions from collectors mainly those who like to keep their figures mint on card. The lines to first debut this new packaging is the NFL Legends 4 and their Halo series 2 lines.
Dominik Hasek, Detroit Red Wings, Regular: Home (White) Chase: Away (Red) Brett Hull, Detroit Red Wings, Regular: Home (White) Chase: Away (Red) Jaromir Jagr, Washington Capitals, Regular: Home (White) Chase: Away (Black) Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins, Regular: Away (Black 3rd) Chase: Home (White) Eric Lindros, New York Rangers, Regular: Home (White) Chase: Away (Blue) Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks, Regular: Away (Teal) Chase: Home (White) Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues, Regular: Home (White) Chase: Away (Blue) Tommy Salo, Edmonton Oilers, Regular: Away (Blue) Chase: Home (White) Joe Thornton, Boston Bruins, Regular: Away (Black) Chase: Home (White) 9/11 ribbon can be seen on parts of the figure.-Both Thornton and Hasek regulars have been mistaken as their chase figures due to the prototype image on the packaging features them in the opposite uniform.
-Just like the players on the ice, the figures in this series include 9/11 patches or markings on some part of the uniform (jersey or helmet) to remember the attacks on the World Trade Center the year before.
-With this series debuting the new Powerade water bottles, a Hasek figure has been seen with an older water bottle like those in Series 1 with the red wings logo. Value on the figure is unknown.
-Though the Red Wings figures have been made in more of a darker red than what they normally wear, there are a few "Pink Haseks" out on the market which have Hasek in a much lighter tone of red.
-Prototype photos of a Dallas Star Brett Hull are around the net. His Star figure was cancelled since he went to the Red Wings after the initial figure was announced.