Promotional merch

San Antonio Missions' 2024 season giveaways include jerseys of 2 legendary Spurs

Time to play ball and get free stuff at San Antonio Missions games.

Photo courtesy of San Antonio Missions

Opening day for the San Antonio Missions arrives Tuesday, April 9, against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium.

It'll be the first of 69 home games for the Missions, now the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. It's an exciting schedule for fans who "root, root, root for the home team." Who else should get excited? Fans of free stuff.

Cool promotional merchandise is an annual tradition for the Missions. According to a release, the new season will include 14 giveaways, including, for the first time, basketball jerseys of Spurs legends David Robinson (May 31 and August 30) and Manu Ginobili (May 18 and June 29).

There will also be four baseball jersey giveaways, including a Nolan Ryan Missions jersey (June 14), a Craig Biggio Missions jersey (July 12), and a Roger Clemens Missions jersey (August 16). All of the former star players are affiliated with the Missions' ownership group.

San Antonio Missions jerseys Renderings of some of the jerseys that will be given away during the season.Courtesy of the San Antonio Missions

Fans can also expect the return of Used Car Night (June 28) and Shirt Off Our Back Night (September 13) this season. Used Car Night allows fans the opportunity to win a used car during the game, while Shirt Off Our Back Night offers the chance to win a game-used, autographed Missions jersey.

Other giveaways include thermal mugs, pullovers, trucker hats, and Hawaiian shirts. Fireworks will follow every Saturday home game throughout the season, and they'll also rev up during the H-E-B July 4th Celebration on July 4, which includes a post-game concert.

The stadium will host two theme nights during the 2024 season: Harry Potter Night (July 13) and Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond (June 15). Even the team will be wearing themed jerseys, which will be auctioned later for charity.

Throughout the season, Tuesday nights will be an AARP $2 Tuesday (offering outfield reserved tickets for $2), and Thursdays will be Taco Bell Value Night (offering half-priced tickets). Four-legged furry fans are welcome for Bark in the Park at every Wednesday game. Sunday games will feature Military Appreciation and Six Flags Kids Day.

More information about promotions and individual tickets for all games can be found on the Missions' website.

San Antonio Missions 2024 Promotional Giveaways

April 12 – Thermal Mugs Presented by Circle K (First 1,500 fans)
April 26 – Fiesta Jersey Presented by McCombs Ford West (First 2,000 fans)
May 17 – 3/4 Flying Chanclas Pullover Presented by Bill Miller BBQ (First 1,500 fans)
May 18 – Manu Ginobili White Flying Chanclas Basketball Jersey Presented by Circle K (First 1,500 fans)
May 31 – David Robinson White Missions Basketball Jersey Presented by Circle K (First 1,500 fans)
June 14 – Nolan Ryan Missions Jersey Presented by McCombs Ford West (First 2,000 fans)
June 28 – Used Car Night Presented by Security Service Federal Credit Union
June 29 – Manu Ginobili Blue Flying Chanclas Basketball Jersey Presented by Circle K (First 1,500 fans)
July 5 – Patriotic Trucker Hat Presented by TSAOG (First 1,500 fans)
July 12 – Craig Biggio Missions Jersey Presented by McCombs Ford West (First 2,000 fans)
August 2 – Hawaiian Shirt Presented by San Antonio Water System (First 1,500 fans)
August 16 – Roger Clemens Missions Jersey Presented by McCombs Ford West (First 2,000 fans)
August 30 – David Robinson Blue Missions Basketball Jersey Presented by Circle K (First 1,500 fans)
September 13 – Shirt Off Our Back Night Presented by Security Service Federal Credit Union

giveaways missions sports

Movie Review

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 plays to the interests of video game fans

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Sonic the Hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) in Sonic the Hedgehog 3

The first Sonic the Hedgehog movie in 2020 was one of the few video game adaptations that managed to appeal to both fans of the Sega game and those who just want to watch a fun movie. As the series moved into a second and now third film, though, it’s become increasingly reliant on giving the video game fans what they want, with not as much attention paid toward simply telling a good story.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) continues to live with human friends Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter), as well as Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba), who stuck around after the events of the second film. Dispensing with any kind of narrative coherence, the trio is called away by an undefined military force to help with the escape of Shadow (Keanu Reeves), another alien hedgehog who has been locked away off the coast of Japan for many years.

Suffice it to say that the trio does not initially fare well against the powerful Shadow, forcing Sonic to do the unthinkable: Ask his nemesis, Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey), for help. What Sonic doesn’t anticipate is that Shadow has a history that left him with a grudge against most of human society, and he’s intent on using his powers — with a little help from his former mentor, Gerald Robotnik (also Carrey) — to exact his plans for revenge.

Made by the same team of director Jeff Fowler and writers Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the film is a combination of manic action, jokey sequences, and a dash of heart. The addition of Shadow ups the mayhem considerably, and the filmmakers rarely slow things down (although, oddly, the super-speed of Sonic and company feels lessened this time around).

The initial casting of Carrey gave the comic actor permission to indulge in whatever wackiness he could imagine, and giving him two roles in this film means double the nonsense. Ivo and Gerald (who’s Ivo’s grandfather, for the record) face off in a number of silly scenes, none more absurd than a dance sequence aboard a space station threatening to explode Earth (yeah, this movie is a lot).

Does the plot make a lick of sense? Absolutely not, but the filmmakers seem to acknowledge that fact, throwing anything and everything at the screen to try to entertain kids and/or fans of the video game series. It should come as no surprise that the end credits tease yet more characters from the video games joining the franchise, making it abundantly clear who is expected to get the most enjoyment out of the series going forward.

In addition to Carrey, the voice actors continue to make the characters fun. Schwartz and O’Shaughnessey provide the cartoon-style acting, while Elba and now Reeves give a nice counterbalance with their deep and serious voices. Marsden and Sumpter aren’t given much to do this time around, and Krysten Ritter shows up as Director Rockwell, a character who’s mostly there to move what little plot there is further along.

A four-quadrant movie is one that appeals to all ages and genders; Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a one or maybe two-quadrant movie at most. But it’s more fun than the other family-friendly offering this Christmas season, and fans of the video game will likely love the depiction of their favorite characters on screen, so it’s doing something right.

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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is now playing in theaters.

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