The REAL. BIG. Blog

Fathead and sister company Quicken Loans are elated to be celebrating and supporting Motown’s accomplishments over the past 50 years. This weekend as Berry Gordy and the rest of the Motown family return to the Motown’s birthplace of Detroit for two nights of parties celebrating the legendary record company’s 50th anniversary to benefit the Motown Historical Museum. Fathead has gone BIG for the weekend’s events and has produced the classic images of the many talented groups and individuals that captured our hearts and ears for years for fans to adorn and take pictures with while attending the events. The celebration takes place tonight at the Roostertail nightclub on the Detroit River — the scene of many a Motown performance and party during the 1960s and early ’70s — for a private alumni reception.

On Saturday, the museum hosts a Motown 50 Golden Gala fundraiser, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Kid Rock are slated to perform for an expected crowd of 500 at the ballroom in the GM Renaissance Center’s Marriott hotel. Comedian Sinbad hosts, with special honors given to early Motowners Smokey Robinson, Brian Holland, Robert Bateman, Janie Bradford and Raynoma Singleton.

The Partnership: Barrett-Jackson is to the world of collector cars what Fathead is to wall graphics – simply the best. To kick off the Barrett-Jackson Fathead partnership the folks at Barrett-Jackson picked out 12 spectacular automobiles for us to transform into giant 6 foot by 4  foot Fathead Murals. You can check them out here. The photography is exquisite. The effect in a room is, quite honestly, stunning.

Fathead Worthy Stuff: Fathead built the business on sports and particularly the greatest professional athletes captured in moments of extraordinary performance. It’s what we call “Fathead worthy”. When you see these cars you’ll understand why they compare to those athletes – and maybe it’s the other way around. It’s about the muscle, the quality, the beauty, the rarity.

About Barrett Jackson: Barrett-Jackson produces “The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions”. They are held in Scottsdale, Arizona; Palm Beach, Florida;  Las Vegas, Nevada; and Orange County, California. Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson specializes in providing products and services to classic and collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts around the world.

Dream Cars: Fathead operates out of metro Detroit so you know cars are in our blood here. Since we started our partnership with Barrett-Jackson and we first saw these photos we’ve all been talking about the cars we have, had or wish we had. We’ve got a couple of guys who write code by day and do some amazing car stuff at night and on the weekends. When I first met my wife she was driving a ‘67 Mustang – what a classic. She and her brother share great stories about all the work they did on his ’68 Camaro. Tell us your favorite classic car story or which car you would want to own if you could have any car in the world.

In my family, Central Michigan alumni run rampant. My parents, sister and uncle are all CMU grads and proudly support the Chippewas every football season. This is rarely a problem between me and my boyfriend, a MSU Spartan named Howie.

He is an AVID (putting it lightly) MSU fan and alum and is constantly talking “smack” about how MSU has a premier football program. Michigan State has had Top 25 seasons consistently throughout the last 10 years. CMU has been decent the last 4 or so (but the love runs deep J). Central doesn’t have the quantity of a student section that Spartan Stadium boasts, but the pride and quality is the same.

So being the wonderful Fathead employee that I am, I purchased a Spartan Helmet for Howie, in hopes of revitalizing the basement as well as making him happy on gameday. And being that Central is a small school and there wasn’t a Fathead for them yet I felt this was an appropriate alternative.

To continue the saga, the mighty CMU Chippewas visited Spartan Stadium to take on the Spartans this year. I was optimistic at best. Sure we were the underdogs, but in that stadium, with that student section, and that history, did we really stand a chance? Howie and I decided to make the 60 mile trek west to find out for ourselves.

Long story short…CMU was victorious (I’m still gloating) and I’m now awaiting the delivery of my own Central Michigan University Fathead. I think I’ll put it above the MSU one to show superiority…what do you think??

Congratulations to the New York Yankees on winning their 27th World Series title. The exhausting MLB season has finally come to a close, along with the best time of the year for sports…

October and November are some of the most exciting months for sports fans. It is the only time of the year that all 4 major sports are on at the same time.

The MLB Playoffs are nearing the end, where every pitch, every catch and every move matters. This year in the playoff you had two of the more storied franchises in all of sports with the Yankees and Dodgers. Let’s not forget the Red Sox and Cardinals who have both won a World Series title in the past 3 years. And then there are the two most consistent teams in baseball: the Twins and Angels. Year after year, those two teams always seem to be near, or at the top of their respected divisions. After starting 19-28 and firing their head coach, the Rockies came back and made another impressive run to the postseason.

The NFL is in full swing with intriguing story lines, bone-crushing hits and highlight reel plays. There are always surprises with the NFL. Who would have thought that at age 40, Brett Favre would be playing as well as he is… who would have thought that in week 9 we would still have two undefeated teams (Indianapolis and New Orleans both 7-0)… Who would have thought that the Wildcat would make defensive coordinators cringe… From the Ram’s, Lion’s and Buccaneers to the Saints, Colts and Vikings, Sunday’s are days where you can always find excitement with any team.

The NBA season tips off. A clean slate for every team. The Clippers look to spring forward with Blake Griffin, Stephen Curry looks to show off his sweet shot at the professional level, and the rest of the NBA Rookies look to make their mark on the league. This is a league full of superstars. From LeBron and Kobe to Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade, each player brings a different dynamic to the court that can only be classified as incredible.

And finally, the puck drops in the NHL. After a come from behind win against the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Penguins are looking for the first repeat since the Red Wings went back to back in ‘97 and ‘98. With all the free agent moves and offseason trades, the tides may be turning for some teams in the NHL.

Of course, I cannot forget College football. Every sports fan has a favorite NCAA team. With tailgaiting, face painting, BCS discussions, conference title hopes, stadiums with 100,000+ people, and bowl games… College football definitely demonstrates the true passion of fans and athletes.

Ah yes, it really is a great time of year!

Blame me.  Go ahead.  I don’t know how you’ll do it, but judging from some of your past emails  - your “get back” will be both creative and devestating.  Sure, I may have known for months…and, sure, knowing might have saved you some big bucks on your holiday shopping.  But in my defense…things get REALLY busy at Fathead during the holidays and, honestly, it just slipped my mind!  For the few of you who don’t know yet, here’s the skinny:

Every day, Fathead.com offers two HOT products at HALF OFF called the REAL.BIG. Deal of the Day to members of Fathead Nation.  When I say hot, I’m talking some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment like Emmitt Smith and the Dark Knight!  Or LeBron James and Homer Simpson!  Or Brett Favre and Hannah Montana!  If you happened to click on any of the previously linked superstars, apologies, those are past and potentially future deals…but still pretty sweet wall graphics, huh?

To make up for my memory lapse and prevent reader retribution, here’s some super-secret inside information that nobody else in the world knows.  Only you are privy to this, my friend.  Tomorrow’s REAL.BIG. Deals of the Day are…

Peyton Manning and the Superman logo. Either can be yours at HALF PRICE - TOMORROW -  when you sign-up for Fathead Nation.  Just go to Fathead.com tomorrow and click on the ad that says “REAL.BIG. Pride.”  Then score yourself a Petyon Manning or a Superman logo Fathead for 50% off the regular price.

So…we’re cool now, right?

By Apryl DeLancey

Baseball is finally getting back into the “swing” of things after the All-Star Break. Yeah, that was one loooooong game! The historic match was the last to be played in the old Yankee Stadium and lasted a whopping four hours and fifty minutes. The American League eventually pulled it out with a 4-3 victory.

Fathead favorites in the All-Star Game included Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones, David Ortiz, Grady Sizemore, Ichiro Suzuki, and Manny Ramirez. The temperature at the start of the game was a summertime 82 degrees and, for a while there, it looked like the Fathead crew was ready to heat things up even more. Sizemore managed a single and then stole second base (he was also in that exciting Home Run Derby).

The first four innings of the game were scoreless and the National League drew first blood with one run in the 5th and another in the 6th. The AL put up two runs in the 7th and each side scored one in the 9th. The game remained deadlocked until the 14th inning, when the AL was able to close out the contest. Overall, it was a contest that brought out the best in pitching and kept fans interested…if they liked long baseball games!

There was much chatter during the week about the relevance of the All-Star game. On one hand, the winner of the game gets home field advantage in the World Series for their division. Some don’t think this is very meaningful, especially since players run the risk of an injury in a game that does not directly affect their team outcome. Is the game worth it? Many enjoy the break but others find it to be a waste of time. What do you think? Is the All-Star Game really necessary?

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.

By Patrick Tucker

In life there are perfectly made moments and driving back to Chicago from my families home down in Southern Illinois was one of them. It was Monday night, 7/21, stormy, windy and fantastic for picking up Major League Baseball on the radio. I was driving up Interstate 57 between Effingham and Champaign when in between lightening strikes and knob adjustments I could go from hearing San Diego comeback in Cincinnati to Cleveland handle Anaheim to the Cubs getting shutout by Randy Johnson; and the one I could hear the best and wanted to hear the most: Milwaukee Brewers in St. Louis taking on the mighty Cardinal.

Stormy skies over the flat open fields of Illinois makes for tough driving and good listening. And when 5 Albert Pujols struck out with the winning runner at second, I swear the biggest bolt of lightening hit at that moment. I managed to slow down and fight my way back onto the road as the (new) Brew Crew came up and delivered. For me, it was a forgone conclusion the Brewers would lose when Pujols came up, but Torres shut him down and Hall, Weeks, Kendall and Hardy did the rest in the 10th. And the Brewers went on the victory.

The ironic twist in this story is that, earlier in the day, I asked my nephew what Fathead he wants and he said, “Albert Pujols.” Well, he actually said “Weird Al” (Yankovic) first. After I set him straight, he changed his tune to Pujols.

My nephew wants a Pujols Fathead. I’m pushing across a stormy road and the reception is loud and clear: Brewers Win! Now that’s good blog material! What do you think?

By Drew Bufalini

Today, on Fathead.com, registered and unregistered voters alike can cast their ballot early (not often) for Barack Obama or John McCain. Not only can people vote with a mouse click, they can vote with their credit cards by purchasing life-size wall graphics of both candidates!

Just like their real-life counterparts, the Candidate Fathead wall graphics are colorful and glossy on the front with their back sides covered at all times. The advantage of a Candidate Fathead is that you can take it down, move it or stick it somewhere else whenever you please. We’ll be stuck with the winning Presidential candidate for at least four years - no matter how much we wish he’d fade away. Fatheads, incidentally, never fade, tear or flip flop.

Seeing both American icons on the wall in our office, I realized that these two men battling for the helm of our nation are both heroes. You see, to become a Fathead and have your face on thousands of walls across the country, you must be considered “Fathead-worthy.” No amount of Boy Scout merit badges can earn you this honor. You can’t buy your way into Fathead-dom – lobbying firms have tried and been summarily rejected. You must actually be a hero. Of course, there are different kinds of heroes: sports heroes like Brett Favre and Derek Jeter; super heroes like the Dark Knight and Super Man; secret heroes like Homer Simpson (who, I think, is the secret hero of every man). On this Mt. Olympus of American pride, the Presidential candidates have certainly earned their place. Alas, the vote on Fathead.com is only between the Presidential candidates. (You can’t write-in Homer. Sorry.)

The folks at Fathead and their voters will soon know which candidate will take up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this January. Which means I can turn off CNN and return my attention to what really matters: the beginning of NFL training camp.

By Drew Bufalini

Asking your parents for something you want – and getting it – is an art no matter how much the object of your desire costs. Unless your folks are loaded and don’t mind throwing money around, simply asking for a Fathead without strategizing the best way to do it is the quick route to a real big “NO.” If you really want a Fathead, here are a few thoughts to help you turn on the charm and come out of the conversation a REAL.BIG. winner.

Before you ask for anything, make sure nothing can come back to haunt you. If your folks asked you to clean your room a week ago and it still looks like a category 5 hurricane just churned through, you’ll get a one way ticket back to your room for a thorough cleaning. Room clean? Garbage curbed? Dog walked? Lawn trim and driveway swept? Think of everything your Mom and Dad are always hounding you to do – and do them! That way, when you ask for a Fathead, they can’t turn you down for not listening. Plus, performing your chores without being asked a million times buys a lot of good will you can use for just about anything.

Next, make sure the timing is right. Asking while Mom and Dad are in the middle of paying bills or watching Law & Order:SVU probably won’t get you the answer you want. Instead, ask right after you’ve been praised for something positive. Good grades on your report card, completing all your chores, scoring a goal during your soccer game – when you’ve done Mom and Dad proud, that’s the time to ask for your Fathead.

Be prepared to counter every objection. Mom worried about damage to the wall? Fathead wall graphics are safe for walls! They go up and come down easily without ever causing damage. Planning a move? That’s okay! Fatheads can easily be moved from one wall to the next without losing adhesion. If either of your parents claim that a Fathead might fade in the sun or tear - tell them to think again. Made of high-grade vinyl, Fatheads don’t tear or fade.

The big objection most ‘rents will make about purchasing a Fathead is the price. The best way to counter is by appealing to their rational side. Fatheads are MUCH less expensive than most sports memorabilia and twice as exciting. They last for years – when you’re ready to go to college, you can roll it up and take it with you! Not to mention the fact that $99 isn’t a high price to pay for the awed reactions of your friends – and your parents!

If all else fails, you may have to suck it up and get a paper route. But don’t worry, Fathead isn’t going anywhere. Join Fathead Nation and you’ll stay on the cutting edge of all things Fathead via email updates. Or, get yourself a pack of Tradeables! They’re the latest hot product from Fathead. The first edition features over 150 fan-favorite NFL players and team helmets. With all the same cool features as the life-size Fathead, Tradeables are 5″ x 7″ and sold in packs of five. Check ‘em out on Tradeables.com.
Good luck!