The REAL. BIG. Blog

Marion Jones was introduced as the newest member of the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock today, approximately one and a half years after she was released from a prison sentence for lying to federal prosecutors about performance-enhancing drugs and her role in a check-fraud scam.  Marion, undoubtedly, is one of the most recognizable Joneses in the nation, but where does she stack up on the list of Greatest Joneses of All Time?

According to our highly-structured, completely objective ranking system, Marion Jones doesn’t even crack the top five on the list of Greatest Joneses of All Time.  So which Joneses are greater?

5.  James Earl Jones – The voice of Darth Vader and the star of great movies like The Sandlot, Coming to America, and Soul Man, James Earl Jones is an American icon.

4. Indiana Jones – He didn’t star in nearly as many movies as James Earl Jones, but his role was fairly integral to movies like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

3.  Star Jones – A nine-year member of The View that achieved celebrity in two drastically different weight classes, Star Jones still pops up on the cover of the National Enquirer from time to time.

2.  Grace Jones - Multi-talented Grace Jones was a muse to Andy Warhol, a musical success in the UK (with limited success here in the states), and the star of classic movies like Conan the Destroyer, Boomerang, and Wolf Girl.  Her impact on the fashion world might be forever felt.

1.  Tom Jones - With a wardrobe full of skin-tight polyester jumpsuits and an enviably hairy chest, Tom Jones is one of the most important Welsh crooners ever to be born to a coal miner.  Songs like “It’s Not Unusual,” “What’s New, Pussycat?” and “She’s a Lady” will likely continue to influence musical artists for the next seven centuries.

Fourth Nominee, courtesy of Ducksters.com:

Q: Why did the basketball player go to jail?

A: Because he shot the ball.

Fathead is delighted to share the latest editions  to the NFL and Fathead bloggers: Mr. James Laurinaitis, Mr. Jeremy Maclin, and Mr. Darrius Heyward-Bey! Fathead will be having weekly posts from the recently Fathead-ed NFL Rookies and giving fans their first hand experiences in the Pros.  Sports Fanatics, Friends and Family can all put themselves in a day in the life of each of these talented athletes. Stop by their blog pages and make your comments, let them know what you think of their new Fathead, encouragement for the next big  game, ask them the questions you are most interested in hearing and welcome them to the team.

Check their blogs and images out at:

http://blog.fathead.com/fathead-insider-darrius-heyward-bey/

http://www.fathead.com/nfl/oakland-raiders/darrius-heyward-bey/

http://blog.fathead.com/fathead-insider-james-laurinaitis/

http://www.fathead.com/nfl/st.-louis-rams/james-laurinaitis/

http://blog.fathead.com/fathead-insider-jeremy-maclin/

http://www.fathead.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/jeremy-maclin/

To pretty much everyone on the planet outside the US and maybe Canada, football is a 90 minute game (called a match) that involves a lot of running, kicking, heading and no hands (unless you’re the goal keeper and you’re inside the box). Football is played on a pitch, which looks a lot like a field. When Fathead introduced players from Manchester United and FCBarcelona to its ever-expanding roster last week, there was some debate about what to call the new category. Well, actually, the debate took place mostly in my mind because when it comes to the world’s game there aren’t exactly a lot of aficionados around here. I settled on International Soccer because to most Americans that’s pretty clear and leaves little room for confusion over the phrase “pass the football” which in this case does not involve a tight spiral.

In case you don’t follow International Soccer, Manchester United and FCBarcelona faced off in this year’s UEFA Champions League final match which FCBarcelona won. These seemed like two really good clubs to start with since we had our pick of some well-known players like Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry of Barca and Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Cristiano Ronaldo of Man U. And yes, we know that Ronaldo is most likely off to Real Madrid but he’s had such a great career at Manchester United that we felt like everyone should have a chance to get him in his Red Devils jersey. We have a couple more clubs waiting on the sidelines that we’re finalizing now. We’re also planning on having the club crests which you might call the team logos.

Since Fathead is just getting into the world of International Soccer it seems like a good time to hear from all you fans out there about which clubs and footballers you’d love to see as a giant wall graphic. Give us a shout and let us know what you think. And, if you have any opinions about what to call the sport, you can share that too.

Wow! Promise yourself now that someday you will go to a Final Four game. I finally got a chance to do it on Saturday here in Detroit and it was awesome. Sure, sure, you think you got a better view of the action at home on your 50” mega-tube and you probably did. You got the commentary and the professional insight of the seasoned analyst.  You got the reverse-angle, close-up, slow-mo, rewind and repeat view of the action. But the action wasn’t just on the hardwood.

Over 72,000 people packed into Ford Field, the most ever for a Final Four. There were something like another 30,000 outside the stadium. With MSU only 92 miles away the chorus of “Go White! Go Green!” spilled out into the streets for blocks around. And that was before the tip-off. It’s Monday now and my ears are still ringing.

The last 15 minutes of the game, when all the Spartan fans began to think that the improbable might be possible, there was a human wave of emotion that you could physically see. It started with the in-bounds pass of either team. As the ball traveled up the court the wave would begin when a few fans down front would jump up. Each row in succession would rise until, in a matter of seconds, everyone was on their feet right up to the rafters. The last five minutes no one sat down.   

I give the UConnfans a lot of credit. They had to walk into the fires of hell on Saturday night and they stayed true to their team.  The teenage girl in front of me, sitting with her Dad in her UConn Tee, never gave up and never showed any fear.

Here at Fathead we talk about being Fathead Worthy. It’s what captures the essence of what Fathead is all about – the passion, the excellence, the memorable moments that you never want to lose.  We don’t do what we do because of the athletes and the entertainers. We do it because of the fans. After what I experienced on Saturday night in Detroit I just want to say that college hoops fans are truly Fathead worthy.

It’s time to raise the roof for your favorite team in this year’s college basketball tournament. Vote for your favorite school now! Then see how other fans are voting and how your school stacks up!

BY JD BUTTERS

Well, the Oscars of the sporting world, the Espys, came off last Friday night in LA. In the galaxy of the Espys, the worlds of entertainment and sports collide in a manner that isn’t duplicated at any other event. For us residents of LA, it brings in athletes from all corners of the sports world. In fact, I ran into Greg Oden at the mall on Saturday! Of course, for once in my life, I didn’t have my camera on me. But I digress. Like many of the Oscar pundits and analysts who watch with pen and pad in hand, I thought I would do the same, and give my analysis of this year’s broadcast. Check it out – be sure to write in and let me know what YOUR favorite moments of this year’s excellent show were!

9:05 – Already, I can tell Justin Timberlake is going to do an excellent job. JT is the entertainment equivalent of a five-tool player, and he handled his opening remarks with aplomb, showing excellent comedic timing. And for all you chumps who’ll say some junk like “you lose your man privileges for fawning over JT like that,” I will simply say, game recognizes game.

9:10 – OK, what in tarnation is Danica Patrick WEARING?? I don’t even know what to describe it as! Is it a onesy? Is it a pantsuit with shorts? Beach wear?

9:33 – I don’t know if it’s purposeful, but Greg Oden is really getting a lot of mileage, and some good imaging, out of what appears to be a good sense of humor and a fun-loving, self-deprecating attitude. Look for him to help fill that gap when Shaq retires. Without the rapping, hopefully.

9:49 – Wow, Posh can actually crease that dour mug of hers into a smile. FASCINATING! How did a cat that seems as cool as Becks end up with THIS Cruella DeVille?

9:52 – I don’t care if she deserves to win for Best Breakthrough Athlete, but I hope she does just so I can see more Ana Ivanovic!

9:53 – DAMN that Adrian Peterson!!!

9:54 – OK, this Host Auditions Part I with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly is one of the funniest things I’ve seen this year. Their list of demands is both ridiculous and sublime!

10:02 – Steve Nash is super dapper in his grey 3-pc. suit. He’d BETTER be dapper, with that hair.

10:12 – John Carlos and Tommie Smith winning the Arthur Ashe Courage Award was one of those great moments that demonstrates how sports can transcend sport.

10:31 – I don’t know if he’s gonna win for Best Play, but Rick Nash looked like Harry Houdini on this goal. That was the hockey equivalent of breaking someone’s ankles!!

10:32 – From the look on his face, Nash was expecting to win.

10:33 – Wow, Eli Manning was actually glib during the acceptance speech. In other news, the forecast in hell is calling for heavy snow.

10:38 – OK, Host Auditions Part II are, again, HIGH-larious. I mean, who would have ever thought we would hear Joba Chamberlain sing Luther. And Greg Oden’s stone-faced “people tell me I’m hilarious. I’m like ‘yeah. . . .cool” is the comedic highlight of the entire broadcast.

11:18 – How weird. Just like the last Sopranos episode, my TV cut out right before they announced the winner of the Best Team award. Probably wasn’t anybody good anyway.