July 22, 2011
This week’s top selling Fatheads list looks very familiar to last week’s list except for the addition of the Cowboys and Steelers logo and the disappearance of Lionel Messi. For a while it looked as if fans were giving up on the NFL and turning to other sports like soccer for entertainment. But, with all the rumors about the lockout ending soon fans seem to be falling off the soccer wagon and jumping right back on to the NFL wagon.
The top ten selling Fatheads of last week(7/15 – 7/21): |
| 2. Derek Jeter |
| 3. Dirk Nowitzki |
| 4. Tim Thomas – Stanley Cup |
| 5. Kobe Bryant |
| 6. Pittsburgh Steelers Logo |
| 7. Kevin Durant |
| 8. Derrick Rose Rookie of the Year |
| 9. Miami Heat Logo |
| 10. Dallas Cowboys Logo |
July 15, 2011
Derek Jeter is at the top of his game. Not only did he reach his 3000th hit and is dating Minka Kelly, he also holds the first and third place in Fathead’s weekly top seller list. Our Fathead team was able to capture the once-in-a-lifetime moment of Derek Jeter getting his 3000th hit and immediately made a mural of it. No wonder it is number one on the list. In second place is Lionel Messi. Messi has undergone some criticism this past week because of his performance on the national team but it’s good to know there are still fans out there who support him.
Derek Jeter's 3000th Hit Mural
March 23, 2011
I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Chad Ochocinco is trying out for Major League Soccer’s Sporting KC. Ochocinco has never shied away from publicity, and MLS needs all the publicity it can get, so the tryout itself can’t be looked at as anything but positive. The potential for controversy really comes down to the decision the team will have to make at the end of the tryout.
Maybe he’ll legitimately earn his way onto the team. There’s no denying that he, like so many pros in any sport, is an exceptional athlete. He’s faster, stronger, more agile, more fit, and has better hand-eye coordination than 99.99% of the athletes in this country (when you include amateurs), so there’s no doubt in my mind that he has an infinitely better chance of making the Sporting KC team than I or any of the guys on my softball team would have. But is freaky athleticism enough to secure a spot on a professional soccer team when you haven’t played organized soccer in a decade?
Michael Jordan was one of the greatest athletes the world has ever witnessed. But even “His Greatness” wasn’t able to successfully make the switch from basketball to baseball. Recently retired pitcher John Smoltz was one of the best hurlers in baseball of the past three decades. His outstanding skills, however, have not yet been enough to launch a second career in golf. Had either of them given the same time and focus to their “second” sports that they gave to their “first” sports, is it possible that Jordan would today be mentioned in the same breath as Cal Ripken, Wade Boggs, and Ken Griffey, Jr., and that Smoltz would have spent the last two decades competing with the likes of Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods?
Multi-sport athletes are certainly not new. Jim Thorpe, who competed well before the time of anyone reading this, is a legend in baseball, football, basketball, and many track and field events. In more recent history, Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders put up very respectable baseball numbers while also playing professional football. But few have been able to truly excel at more than one professional sport. Even for the extremely gifted, it takes so much time and effort to compete at the highest level in one sport that there just aren’t enough hours in the day or energy in the body to be similarly elite at another game.
Did you know that Tom Brady was drafted by the Expos? Daunte Culpepper was drafted by the Yankees. John Elway played in both the Yankees’ and the Royals’ minor league system. Pat Riley was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, Danny Ainge played a few seasons for the Blue Jays, Tony Gwynn was drafted by the Clippers, Dan Marino was drafted by the Royals, and Randy “Macho Man” Savage played minor league ball for the Cardinals and Reds (Oh, yeah!). Each of these guys made a choice to concentrate on a single sport in an endeavor to excel, recognizing, I’m sure, that he couldn’t reach the level of greatness that he eventually reached if his efforts were divided between two sports.
Is it completely a matter of divided efforts, though? Or are some elite athletes just better suited for certain sports? Did Dan Marino turn down the opportunity to play baseball because it was clear to him that his skills gave him a much better shot at being a stand-out football player than a stand-out baseball player? A former college football playing buddy of mine often questions the choices he’s made. “For all I know,” he’ll say, “I could be the greatest pickle ball player, buffalo chip tosser, or Marco Poloist in the world, but I haven’t ever attempted any of them.” Maybe every elite athlete is built specifically for a certain game—athleticism can make him/her very good at many things, but only truly exceptional at one.
Whatever the case may be, the Ochocinco soccer tryout makes a great story. Can he achieve greatness in a second professional sport? I highly doubt it. But I marvel at his athleticism, and I don’t think I’m alone in saying that I can’t wait to watch the story unfold.
July 19, 2010
Breaking News: The Cast of the Jersey Shore is Going on Strike. (I hope you were sitting down for that)
I know people, it’s hard to comprehend. What will we do without the moral compass and intellectual guidance of Snickers and J-Woww (sp?)? Where will we go for awkwardly forward (and ultimately doomed) advances from the Situation? WHAT WILL WE DO IF WE CAN’T WATCH RONNIE DEAL WITH HIS EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS??
Apparently America’s collective plans for the fall have been dashed, because the Shore is on Strike.
I think my boss’ comments about summed up “The Situation on the Shore”:
“They’re on strike? From what? Their job is to live their lives…. so what are they not doing when on strike?”
And now, in honor of the strike, I have the pleasure of introducing the new Jersey Shore Fatheads!
You didn’t really click that link did you?
We are still waiting on comment from the ACLU and the UAW to see if they will take up the standard to defend their fellow oppressed workers.
And most importantly, what is supposed to bring us joy if we can’t see Snook getting rocked in the face with a right hook that Manny Pacquiao would be proud of??
Questions, Comments, Concerns, and Clown Jokes:
In an extremely shortsighted move, a Spanish aquarium is prepared to offer Paul the Octopus’ owners “whatever they demand” to move him to Madrid. I love soccer too, and I’m sure everyone will be partying up and down La Rambla (bonus Culture Lesson of the Day!) until Rio 2014 starts, I’m just not entirely sold that they will be paying to see Paul that long. And yes, if you are wondering, if you type in “Paul the” on google, “Paul the Octupus” shows up before “Paul the Apostle”, go ahead and try.
College football news: the college football world is corrupt. Who knew?
Jason Kidd might be officially making the jump from player to coach this week at the Team USA training camp this week in Las Vegas. Since the guy has never lost in a USA jersey, I’d say its a good call.
The always classy and rarely egotistical Jordan commented on the LeBronstallation of stars (OK, that was a stretch) in Miami, saying he never would have made the same move. That’s because Jordan, (Listen up LeBron) for all his faults, was a winner. The man would’ve sold his soul and stabbed his teammates for a championship that he won his way, he’d never team up with an arguably better teammate, just to avoid the possibility of a coattails discussion.
That’s about all I’ve got for you. You stay classy Fathead Nation.
Peace. Love. Guidos. Fatheads.
July 19, 2010
Imagine this: Your favorite MLB team ends the season with the worst record in the league and instead of shrugging it off like in years past, saying to yourself, there’s always next year, your team heads to the minors and some AAA team gets their spot. Example: the Detroit Tigers finish the season in fifth place in the AL Central and 2nd to last in the entire American League. (Hey, I’ve been following the Tigers since the mid ‘60’s, it’s been known to happen.) The Toledo Mud Hens win the International League the same year. The next year, the Mud Hens are playing in the Big Leagues and the Tigers are on the road in Pawtucket. Put aside the financial logistics and the fan uproar and simply ask yourself this: Would baseball be a better game if the best teams got a chance every year to play at the highest level?
A lot of folks think the English Premier League is the best soccer league in the world and you know what? Last year, three teams from that league were relegated, sent down to a lesser league, to make room for three teams that had great seasons. Imagine how the fans of those up and coming teams must feel! They’ll be hosting the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea at home this year. Can you imagine as a fan of the Mud Hens what you’d feel when the Twins or the Yankees came to town and you had a chance to beat them!
Granted, as a fan of the Detroit Tigers I’d never want to see my team sent down to the minors, but if I were a life-long fan of the Mud Hens, getting a chance to play in the Big Leagues, well that might be a different story.
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