The REAL. BIG. Blog

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!

By Apryl DeLancey

Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Carmelo Anthony were the Fathead favorites that helped lead the Men’s USA Basketball Team to Olympic gold against Spain. This was a particularly rewarding victory since the US had to settle for bronze at the last Olympics in Athens. LeBron James would no longer have to hear the taunts of “LeBronze” but could relish in the title King James once again.

Although Team USA got a real run for their money against Spain in the gold medal game, they were able to pull off the victory. Post-game interviews with Kobe and LeBron confirmed that they never believed that the team would be a pushover in spite of their domination (by 37 points) over them in earlier pool play. Spain was able to pull within 2 points on several occasions late in the game. Kobe also mentioned that this victory was sweeter than any championship. Sure, Kobe, that’s easy for you to say…we still would have liked to see you accomplish BOTH this year here in Los Angeles! I won’t complain though, it was a great game that kept you on the edge of your seat.

Fathead favorites Dwayne Wade scored 27 points and Kobe Bryant put up 20 in the victory. In fact, Kobe seemed to really come alive toward the end and had a hand in many of the 4th quarter scoring. He was a man on a mission, indeed and had a 4-point play with just over 3 minutes remaining. Focused, he put a finger to his mouth as if to say, “Alright, we’ve got them where we want them but let’s wait to celebrate”. Wade sank a 3 with time waning down under two minutes to make the score 111-104. Spain caught some technical fouls and Team USA could finally celebrate with 26 seconds left on the clock. Kobe started the party by dumping his bottled water over Coach K’s head, proving to the world that it really isn’t plastic. Final score, 118-107.

BY John Fontana

The NBA ballers. James, Wade, Anthony, Paul, Williams, Howard. It will be coming of age for these young heroes. LeBron James has already guaranteed the gold. Pressure? This is going to be good.

David Oliver. The 110-meter hurdler went to Denver East High School, just five blocks from my house and where my kids will go to high school. Hometown hurdler makes good? I’m hoping so.

Taylor Phinney. Another local favorite, the 18-year-old from Boulder, Colo., has all the genes he needs to shock the cycling world in individual pursuit on the track. His dad Davis Phinney was the first American to win a stage of the Tour de France and has a bronze from the 1984 games. His mother, Connie Carpenter-Phinney, won gold in the women’s road race the same year. Taylor captured an elite national title in the men’s individual pursuit in his first-ever track race.

Dara Torres. The 41-year-old swimmer is nothing short of phenomenal.

Michael Phelps. I watched Mark Spitz set the pool on fire in 1972 to the tune of seven gold medals. This is the second chapter of fish gone human.

Asafa Powell. Staying in Jamaica to train for the 100-meters at a local dilapidated track. This is the stuff that makes legends and PBS documentaries.

Liu Xiang. The decorated Chinese hurdler is under the gaze of 1.3 billion countrymen counting on an Athens gold repeat. Anything short of No. 1 and he won’t be able to go home. Pressure is what creates special athletes.

Eccentric U.S. shot putter Reese Hoffa whose profile says his dream is to compete in a bear suit after being brought onto the track in a cage. Literally a massive pro wrestling fan, the 5-foot-11, 315 pound athlete once competed while wearing a mask, calling himself the “Unknown Shot Putter.” He also loves to feast on turkey legs after a win. I love quirky athletes. Turk Wendell is still my favorite MLB pitcher. Ever.
Roman Sebrle, the Czech decathlon athlete once caught a javelin in the shoulder confirming that decathletes may be the toughest of all.

Who are you watching? Why?