The REAL. BIG. Blog

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!

By Ignacio Salazar

Houston Player of the Year: Andre Johnson

This year the choice was easy. Andre Johnson of the Texans was, without a doubt, one of the best players in the NFL this year. Not to mention the best among all the athletes currently playing for Houston pro teams.

Johnson led all NFL receivers with 115 receptions and 1,575 yards and he was voted to his third Pro Bowl, his second as a starter. He had eight games with 100 or more receiving yards and he is the only player in NFL history have 10 or more catches in seven games in a season.

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.

By Apryl DeLancey

All year I’ve been picking the Oakland Raiders to upset someone…until this week!  They finally came through and beat the Denver Broncos.  I had a feeling it would be someone in their division, but I somehow missed this one.  Argh.  I just knew it!  They not only beat the Broncos…they beat them by three touchdowns!  Why did I miss this one!  It figures.

At least I am not a Detroit Lions fan.  I really feel for you folks!  Don’t get me wrong, I was definitely rooting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  It was nice to see Cadillac Williams back in action, however limited.  I just find it sad to be 0-11.  I find it especially sad to score 17 points and then stop completely as if they thought the game was over.  Oops.  Okay, they did score another field goal, but still…they had the game…they just needed to finish it!

I really thought the San Diego Chargers would pull out the “W” over the Indianapolis Colts.  NOT!  What the heck has happened to the Chargers?  And LaDainian Tomlinson…what the heck?  I am so sad to see him playing so badly.  Where is that monster stud player that cluttered the airwaves with endorsements and highlight reels?  What happened to his “better”?

Oh my gosh – and what was that final score of the New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers game?  Saints 51 and Packers 29?  Geez!  If you’re the betting type I’ll venture to guess the over/under wasn’t close to that.  Deuce McAllister got his 54th touchdown as a member of the Saints in the slaughter.  Good for you, Deuce.

I really only picked a few right this week – I had the Washington Redskins over the Seattle Seahawks.  That wasn’t too hard to get right.  As I mentioned, I picked the Bucs over the Lions.  That first part of the game really had me worried. I did pick the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, and New York Jets as well.  I just happened to go a little crazy on the upset picks.  I really didn’t have faith that the Tony Romo and Terrell Owens combo would get back in sync.  I was wrong.  I thought it would be a fun time to pick the San Francisco 49ers to win that one.  My bad.

It doesn’t really matter.  The fun thing about picking games is the wild ones.  I don’t bet any money on these picks and I’m not one of those that absolutely has to be right or I’ll have feelings of inadequacy and depression.  Nah, football should be fun.  I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season brings.  I know I’ll be making more wild picks!

Go underdogs!  That means you Oakland Raiders!

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post do not represent those of Fathead, LLC.    Although, on a personal note from a lifelong Lion’s fan…I must admit the big “0” in the W category is getting rather depressing!

By Ignacio Salazar

Houston Texans Logo Fathead Wall Graphic

Matt Schaub? Big Bad Bust! Sage Rosenfels? Well, he has seven turnovers in seven quarters of play this year to go along with that Texas-sized meltdown against the Colts in week four. Sprinkle some sage on that Texan fan.

This great city has been without a legit quarterback since 1993 when Warren Moon led the Houston Oilers to 12-4 with an AFC Central title before he was traded off to the Minnesota Vikings.

What’s the deal? Why can’t Houston get a GM in here who knows how to find a quarterback? Look around the NFL. There are quarterbacks around this league that came out of nowhere and yet Houston can’t catch a break.

Dallas has Tony Romo, a two-time Pro Bowler who went undrafted. Atlanta and Baltimore have two rookie’s starting, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco and both teams are 6-3 and in the playoff hunt. Arizona has a former grocery sacker, 37-year old Kurt Warner who has his team in first place. Chicago and Minnesota have Kyle Orton and Gus Frerotte, both known as backups but both have their teams tied for first place and Houston looks clueless at the position.

The Texans need a makeover from head-to-toe and it needs to start at the quarterback position. The Texans need someone that can lead this team, get them fired up and someone who can lead a comeback or put a game away when needed. Until that happens, here’s to dreaming of Warren Moon wrecking havoc on NFL defenses.

Notes: Since Moon left the quarterback reigns in Houston, no Houston quarterback, Oilers or Texans, has led his team a record over .500.

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this post are not necessarily those of Fathead, LLC.  Of course, we do agree that Warren Moon was a fine quarterback!

By Apryl DeLancey

Can you believe that the Tennessee Titans are 8-0?  I was fortunate to pick up their amazing defense in my Fantasy Football draft at the start of the season.  I say fortunate since it was my very last pick and sort of an afterthought.  Bwahaha!  At any rate, let me just write that again – the Tennessee Titans are 8-0.  I find that remarkable since the team is buried deep in NCAA Football territory.  Most of the sports fans in the area are die-hard Tennessee Volunteers fans that aren’t big followers of pro football.  I’m guessing that’s changing.

Besides, the Titans are living up to their name while the New England Patriots continue to bewilder some and amuse others.   The Pats loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9 puts their record at 5-3.  One bewildering fact is that they’ve managed to play an entire game earlier this season completely penalty-free.  Fans are also holding on to the hope that former USC Trojan Matt Cassel can continue to perform in Tom Brady’s absence.  So far he’s done a great job of stepping up.

Lastly, what the heck happened to the Dallas Cowboys?  First, Tony Romo suffers a minor injury that keeps him from playing.  Then, Terrell Owens can’t seem to buy a catch.  (In fact, I had to bench him from my Fantasy team this week.)  The Cowboys were lucky to make it past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8, but were utterly embarrassed in Week 9 by the New York Giants.  Brad Johnson threw many interceptions, but one of the Cowboys’ touchdowns came from an Eli Manning interception that was run back.  Luckily, the ‘boys have a bye week ahead of them and can pause to regroup.  Everyone predicted they would have a really great year…

Not surprisingly, the Atlanta Falcons went on the road and completely demolished the Oakland Raiders. I really would like to see the Raiders get it together…soon.

It has been a wild NFL season so far and I can’t wait to see how it all turns out!

Houston Texans Team Logo: Fathead Wall Graphic

By Ignacio Salazar
The Texans dropped a big one this weekend…quite possibly the biggest in the team’s history. Because of a viral infection sidelining Matt Shaub, Sage Rosenfels made an emergency start.  Since Shaub’s performance has been mediocre at best this season, Rosenfels had what could have been his golden opportunity to take over at the quarterback position.

For the first 55 minutes, Rosenfels was amazing, but then his wheels came off…costing the winless Texans yet another shot at posting a number in their win column.

With a 27-10 lead and less than five minutes left to play, the Indianapolis Colts (2-2), lead by Peyton Manning scored 21 points in 2:10.

Ultimately, their loss came down to three blunders by Rosenfels.

Indianapolis Colts Team Logo: Fathead Wall Graphic

Rosenfels Blunder 1: He refused to slide and opted to go airborne over the defense, causing him to fumble when he was hit. Linebacker Gary Brackett snagged the loose ball and trucked 68-yards for the touchdown to make it 27-24 with 3:38 remaining on the clock.

Rosenfels Blunder 2: With a three point lead and the game winding down, all the Texans had to do was kill the clock.  But on a pass play, Rosenfels rolled out to his left and Robert Mathis knocked the ball out of his hand.  The Colts recovered with prime field position and took over on the Texans’ 19-yard line with 2:44 left.

Manning and the Colts offense would take the lead with under two minutes to play, resulting in Reggie Wayne making a spectacular circus-style five-yard touchdown catch to put his team ahead 31-27.

Rosenfels Blunder 3: The Texans had one final chance to get the win with 1:47 remaining, but Rosenfels threw an interception and the Colts ran out the clock for a come-from-behind win.

Andre Johnson had nine catches for 131 yards and a touchdown. Running back Steve Slaton was solid too with 16 rushes for 93 yards and two touchdowns.

By Ignacio Salazar

Houston Texans Logo Fathead

A 38-17 beat down by the Pittsburgh Steelers wasn’t the way the Texans planned to start the season. The further the clock ticked away from the coin toss, the more the Texans troubles seemed to mount.
On the opening drive, Coach Gary Kubiak elected to go for a fourth and one in Steelers territory. After an official review, the Texans came up short.  The team – and their game – never bounced back.

Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, and his offense had a field day with the Texans defense, who seemed to mimic a scout team defense. Roethlisberger nearly had a perfect day going 13-for-14 with 137 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, the Steelers had their way and then some as Willie Parker rushed 25 times for 138 yards and three touchdowns - more than he had ALL of last year.

The Texan’s offense appeared woeful as well. Matt Schaub,  1-7 on the road as a starter, had two interceptions.  His offense didn’t score until the fourth quarter when the game was well out of reach.
Starting running back Ahman Green had five rushes for 28 yards and rookie Steve Slaton had 13 rushes for 43 yards.  Still, the Texans are desperately seeking relief for their running game.

The only bright spot for the Texans was Mario Williams, who had two sacks and a forced fumble.
Next Sunday, the Texans return home to face the Baltimore Ravens, a big game believe it or not.  An 0-2 start isn’t going to sit pretty with the Houston crowd, especially since every fan is well aware of the team’s opponents for the next three games -  the Titans, Colts and Jaguars.  All playoff teams from last year.

By Anthony Ellison

I recently ordered a life-size Peyton Manning Fathead. This is a big step for me because he is, quite simply, a hero. MY hero. Now he’s my Fathead too. There are other Fathead wall graphics of Peyton out there…but this one is mine. Not only is he the athlete of the century in my book, but also one of the most humble and hard working people in the history of the game. The question that now confronts me is where to hang Peyton to optimize his “decorative dominance” in my apartment?

On The Wall Behind My Computer:

Pros:There is a huge open space in my room and I cannot imagine a better “space filler” (for lack of an appropriately godly term). He would become the focal point of the room (as if Peyton has never been the focal point of a room). His drop back will naturally be against the wall, much like it was when he pulled off the greatest comeback in the history of the NFL playoffs, overcoming a 21-3 first quarter deficit against the Patriots two seasons back.

Cons: As a writer, I’m not sure I can handle those omniscient eyes burning a hole right through my heart while I try to concentrate on my craft, my less worthy subject matter. Peyton will dwarf subject matter that I am piddling around with at any given time. Plus, I fear I will find myself asking for his advice on many of life’s obstacles, like:

“Where does the sun go when it’s dark, Peyton?”

“Hey, Peyton? How can I tell when I’m being used for my body?”

“I’m thinking about changing professions in an unstable economy - is that smart or should I wait until after the election?”

On The Wall Directly Behind My Mirror:

Pros: Every time I am prepping my hair and face to go to work, Peyton will be there to shotgun me into the new day, his “always examine the field and be ready to pull the trigger” stance behind me all the way. You see, he preps himself all year for the moment of truth and when that moment arrives, he doesn’t have to think. He simply reacts and fulfills his prior visualization. Hopefully, there will come a time when I’m nervously prepping my tuxedo to go to an awards ceremony for my next screenplay and he will be there. Behind me in the mirror, he’ll remind me, “You don’t get anywhere without dredging around for hours in the trenches. You earned this!” (I’m sure he has said that at some point.)

Cons: He might inspire in me such a level of confidence that I overshadow my superiors - causing them to feel threatened and lash out at me. The fact of the matter is, I’m just not as humble and true to the spirit of the game as Peyton.

On The Wall In The Hallway Facing The Front Door:

Pros: I will be sharing the inspiration with anyone who walks into my apartment. Visitors will subconsciously take on the “team first” mentality and do whatever it takes to make each other happy. It’s almost as if Peyton will cause everyone to check their bad attitudes at the door. That’s something I always try to remember, but frequently forget. But Peyton…he doesn’t forget. He doesn’t even have to say it. His eyes say it. And if my visitors are not willing to rise up and put their heart on the line, then they’ll just have to turn around and leave. Peyton will weed out my bad friends for me. Perfect.

Cons: Can’t think of one. We have a winner.