The REAL. BIG. Blog

By Matthew Martz

Who said Christmas doesn’t come early? It does if you ask New York Yankees fans. It looks like the Yankees are doing a lot more to move out of the past and into future besides just moving into their pricey new ballpark in 2009. They will have the 4 highest paid players in baseball with A-Rod, Teixeira, CC Sabathia and Derek Jeter, as they try to win the World Series for the first time since 2000. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez has baseball’s highest deal at $275 million over 10 years, and shortstop Derek Jeter is second at $189 million over 10 years. They have also signed Mark Teixeira for $180 million over eight years, and are spending $161 million for CC Sabathia over a seven-year contract term. The Yankees’ off-season spending spree has now climbed to a staggering $423.5 million.

By Ignacio Salazar

Can you remember the last time a Houston pro football team had a winning season?   I can. The 1993 Houston Oilers .

That’s 15 years too long and it’s getting old.The best the Texans can hope for is 8-8 which is the record they had last year. Bob McNair must be getting impatient. This is not what he envisioned when he purchased the team.

With more world championships under their belt than any other team, the Boston Celtics set records at every turn – including in their off-the-court philanthropic efforts.  The team is involved in numerous community-based projects aimed at aiding local youth through education, health, and athletics.  Since ‘tis the season to be extra kind to our fellow man, we thought it appropriate to highlight a few of the Celtics laudable community efforts:

By Matthew Martz

Reminiscent of the Florida Central Voter File that spawned controversy surrounding the US presidential elections in 2000, and hockey scrub Rory Fitzpatrick finishing 3rd among defensemen during a grass roots movement to get him into the 2007 All-Star game. The NHL is looking into voting irregularities in this year’s all-star voting process. It seems that some Canadiens hockey fans were not being honest. Really?

Apparently a scheme by Montreal Canadiens fans to flood the NHL All-Star Game ballot box with artificial votes was uncovered, in which a computer script augmented vote totals for Alexei Kovalev, Saku Koivu, Alex Tanguay, Andrei Markov, Mike Komisarek and Carey Price. Les Robots du Montreal.

By Rebecca Moodie

Dare I say it, but after watching the coveted Brett Favre underthrow pass after pass against a woeful Seahawks secondary, a Jets fan has to wonder…would the Jets have been better off this season with Chad Pennington at QB???

Of course we all did back flips when we heard the announcement that the Jets had signed Brett Favre.  I still have the newspaper announcement taped to my front window.  But is Favre just a has-been, washed-up star who should be spending his final days playing BINGO and shuffleboard?

When I was ten years-old, I earned my own foldin’ money by delivering The Detroit News. Come Christmas, said foldin’ money meant that I was grown up enough to do my own Christmas shopping. It wasn’t long before I learned that there were hidden advantages to shopping with Mom and/or Dad. Sure, they could be kinda embarrassing when we bumped into Melissa (a girl I was crushing on at the time) and, sure, they tended to veto certain gift choices I made (apparently, Hustler was inappropriate for my uncle even if he was a single gentlemen).

Entering week 16, the AFC East remains locked in a three-way tie.  The New York Jets, New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins, all with 9-5 records, are battling for the title of division leader with just two remaining games in the regular season.

Each of these teams has there own little Cinderella story upon arriving to this point.  The New York Jets finished last season with a woeful 4-12 record.  But BIG off-season acquisitions (perhaps the biggest being the arrival of Brett Favre to be posted behind a revamped o-line) have helped them snap back from last season’s demise.  The Miami Dolphins almost succeeded in achieving the dreaded winless season last year, but instead finished with a 1-15 record. 

Limited-Edition Jonas Brothers Fathead Series

World Famous Musicians Get REAL.BIG. for the Holidays at Fathead.com

That’s right, kids…the young platinum record-making brothers have come to Fathead.com.  But it’s just a pit stop on their way to your room!  Fathead has just launched a 4-image series of the Grammy-nominated recording artists, the Jonas Brothers!  The life-like images will feature a solo shot of the hearthrobs Joe, Nick and Kevin.  In response to the phenomenal demand for the Jonas Brothers, the new collection has been made available just in time for the holidays.  They may be too big to fit in the kids’ stockings, but they’ll still fit nicely under your tree!

The Jonas Brothers Fathead series is topped off with a collector’s limited-edition image of the group, of which only 500 will be produced…making this series sure to be a REAL.BIG. hit with fans.  Based on the Jonas Brothers’ incredible success in music, television and movies, they are the first band to be given the larger than life opportunity of having a collection of Fathead images inspired by their rise to stardom.  The Jonas Brothers are red hot, having garnered seven Teen Choice awards, two MTV Video Music Awards and a Kid’s Choice Award.  Not to mention American Music Award and Billboard Touring Award nominations, numerous television appearances and massive press coverage.

Fathead CEO, Brock Weatherup, is no stranger to the phenomenon of fame.  “Jonas Brothers fans have endless enthusiasm for the band.  We have received countless emails and phone calls asking about Jonas Brothers and we are happy to have these images ready for the holidays.  Fans now have the perfect way to bring the brothers into their homes without causing pandemonium.”

Far be it from me to make a prediction on sales, but if the limited-edition Jonas Brothers’ Fathead series flies off the shelves like the brothers’ concert tickets or DVDs, these wall graphics will be gone fast.  To get a jump on the other fans and purchase yours now, click here.  Happy Holidays!

By Drew Bufalini

When I give someone a gift, I want them to positively plotz when they open it.  I want them to suck in their breath as their eyes pop out of their head, their jaw drops and their imagination fills with fantastic thoughts of what they’ll do with the gift.  Suffice it to say, no one in my family every gets socks and underpants from me.  I know I did well when I give my young nephew a present and all the other kids his age immediately set aside their own gifts and begin a battle royale to see who gets to play with it first.  It’s easy to get over-the-top reactions from kids.  Adults can be more challenging.  This holiday season, finances are tight for everyone. So how can you give gifts that draw an emotional response without breaking the bank?

Fathead products, by definition, get a REAL BIG reaction when they’re opened.  No one has a small reaction to a Fathead.  As an employee, I enjoy a healthy discount on our products and can make my entire gift list happy with Fathead products.  But you don’t need to work here to save big bucks on Fathead products.   Currently, we’re running a buy one, get one free special – that’s two gifts for the price of one, you savvy shopper, you.

You can also shop our Specials page.  Unlike most websites that use their “specials” page as a clearance bin for all the boring products no one wanted during the year, Fathead’s Specials page rotates in our top-sellers on a daily basis for 20-80% off.  Today, for example, you’ll find Reggie Bush, the New York Yankees logo, Hannah Montana, Sidney Crosby, Brian Urlacher, the Stanley Cup, Vince Carter, Dwayne Wade and, my personal favorite, Chewbacca.  Not to mention about thirty other fan-favorites ALL DISCOUNTED 20-80%.   Fathead wall graphics are almost as much fun to give as they are to receive AND they’re easy on your wallet.  But this year when you visit Fathead.com, you’ll discover we now offer much more than wall graphics.

Fathead Tradeables debuted in September and were an instant hit.  Just like our life-size wall graphics – except 5” x 7” – Tradeables come five to a pack.  The 2008 NFL Inaugural Edition features over 150 fan-favorite players and helmets from every team.  We recently released Hannah Montana Tradeables and have plans for new sets of Tradeables in the future.  For kids and adult collectors, Tradeables are an inexpensive way to earn a big smile from your gift recipient.

If you have less than $25 to spend, Skins from Fathead offer high fashion for laptops, game consoles, handhelds and controllers.  From Halo 3 to Hello Kitty, you can choose from hundreds of sports, entertainment and video game themed Skins to transform your devise in a heartbeat.  What’s more, Skins are great for fans of any age and ALWAYS get a positive response from gift recipients.

Should you have a few hundred extra bucks to blow on that special sports fan in your life and want to do it in spectacular fashion, a DreamSeat is the Fathead product for you. Just one of three recliners in Fathead’s Furniture for Fans collection, a DreamSeat is a fully team-themed leather recliner.  More than a comfortable sit and an attack on your visual senses, a DreamSeat is the ultimate expression of fan passion.  As such, it’s sure to draw a mega-response from your recipient.  I know I would plotz if I opened one on Christmas morning.

Regardless of your budget, finding a gift worthy of an over-the-top positive response on Fathead.com is as simple as doing a little browsing.  With four basic product categories and hundreds of products to choose from within each, we’re pretty sure there are more than a few Fathead products for every fan in our catalog.  Should you find yourself overwhelmed or out of time, you can always take the easy way out and buy Fathead gift cards for everyone on your list!

Since our ancestors first discovered the art of tattooing, mankind has found decorating or “customizing” the human body all the rage.  At once a profound declaration of rebellion, a method of asserting membership in a particular social group (such as Hell’s Angels) or a simple announcement of one preference passionately held over another – our skin has evolved from a mere organ used to keep the others from falling out…into the ultimate billboard advertisement. For those of us who fear pain, the thought of inking, piercing or branding our way to individuality can be a tad unsettling.  Thankfully, Fathead has found another avenue for us.  The company that brought you life-size wall graphics has taken a stand on the shoulders of a giant, witnessed the future on the horizon and packaged it for holiday delivery.  Say hello to “Skins from Fathead.”

Simply put, Skins are fashion for your laptop, game console, portable game console or game controller.  Based on Fathead’s fastidious peel-and-stick philosophy, Skins adhere to a wide variety of devices to offer both protection and customization.  The name does speak for itself.  But given the opportunity to afford a second skin for any of your computer or gaming devices, the real question becomes: what’ll it be?

Fortunately, Fathead has seen to it that your options are as endless as they are fantastic.  Put your compatibility worries behind you: Fathead creates Skins to fit 14” - 17” laptops as well as gaming consoles and gear from every major manufacturer.  Even better, one size DOES fit all.  So…the question is repeated…what style Skin shall you choose?

Skins are available in hundreds of popular designs and graphics including the logos of professional sports teams, colleges, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Tinker Bell, Hello Kitty, Club Penguin, Nintendo Mario, Ben 10, Naruto, Pokémon, Transformers, Batman, Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, Kiss, Motley Crue, Call of Duty, Halo, Gears of War, Scarface, The Office, and original works of art.  There you have it.  From video games and sports to movies and television shows, you can choose any Skin as long as it’s the one that fits you best.  Or…do you?

If, like the chameleon, you wish to change your skin according to your mood, environment or even those around you - you may simply peel off one Skin and outfit your device with another!  A sports fan from Detroit could change his laptop Skin from a football motif to a Detroit Red Wings logo!  A girl who graduates from the Hannah Montana to High School Musical stage of her life can do a quick Skin switcheroo and find her device dressed just right!  Even the Gods of Guitar Hero can adapt their Skin as their musical taste evolves from glam to heavy metal to grunge! But all this is only the beginning.

Unlike the monochromatic hues we are all born and destined to live with for the rest of our lives, our computer and gaming devices are not bound to suffer such blandness.  The spice of life is change and these hundreds of Skins options are merely Fathead’s first foray into the world of Skins.  What will come next?  Only popular culture and fans can say for sure.  Got an idea?  Let’s hear it…