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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 John Fontana

Boston Red Sox Logo Fathead Wall Graphic

I am in Boston today. The city of winners. That’s a fact and you can check the record – even with grief from last night’s Red Sox loss to the Rays pervading every establishment public and private in New England. In the past six years, this city has celebrated six championships in three pro sports (football, baseball and basketball).  Would you take that for your city AND last night’s loss?

The Patriots, woe they are to perform this season (and set to face the Broncos on Monday Night Football), were Super Bowl champions in 2002, 2004 and 2005.

The Red Sox, who just missed the Series for the third time in five years with Sunday’s loss, were champions in 2004 and 2007.

And the Celtics are the current defending NBA champions having beaten the Lakers for the title in June. Let’s not even mention the 16 other NBA crowns they’ve pocketed in the modern era.

That’s a lot of champagne, ticker tape and trips to Disneyland anyway you cut it.  So an ALCS loss to the Rays merits perspective.

Sure, the magic didn’t work for the Red Sox this time. But the Red Sox fate is but a mere chunk of silver in the city’s pot of gold.

It’s been worse here. Much worse. Flash back to 1986. If you’re not a Red Sox fan that date is meaningless to you. Mention that year and any true Sox fan can fill in the rest. October 25. World Series. Game 6. 3-2 series lead. Sox pitcher Bob Stanley. New York Mets hitter Mookie Wilson. Boston first baseman Bill Buckner. Vin Scully’s now haunting words “a little roller up along first…behind the bag…It gets through Buckner.”

In the 2003 HBO documentary, “Curse of the Bambino,” one Boston fan described the loss as the “darkest day in Boston since Jack Kennedy was shot.”  Clearly, it’s been painful before.

But now look at them. In their worn blue caps with the famous red “B.” Their Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen jerseys. Their Big Papi chants and Papelbon dance.

Even after a heartbreaking loss, it must feel fine to be a sports fan in Boston.

By Apryl DeLancey

You know how sports fans sometimes have crazy logic for why we root for certain teams that aren’t from our hometown? Not everyone does this, but a vast majority of sports fans use creative sports logic to justify who they root for. For example, here are “my teams” that I root for and why I chose them:

Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Sparks, Los Angeles Galaxy, Los Angeles Kings: These are all the teams from my hometown. I was born and raised in Los Angeles so this makes sense, yeah? Not very hard to imagine why I’m interested in them. Now for the more “creative” followings:

I’ll follow what I call the “lesser” teams to root for SoCal against all other teams if one of my aforementioned teams are not playing, especially in a playoff position. For example, you’ll see me cheer on the Anaheim Angels, Los Angeles Clippers, Chivas USA, and the Anaheim Ducks. This is ONLY if they are not playing my real L.A. teams or even certain Florida teams in playoff situations but this is not set in stone.

USC and UCLA: Yes, it is blasphemy, but they are both in my hometown and I have many good friends that attended one or the other.

USF: I went to college at the University of Tampa and we did not have a football team. (Well, they did up until 1974 when John Matuszak graduated.) Instead, we were granted admission to USF Bulls games for free. This program has only been around for a short time and they manage to be ranked high in the BCS lately so it’s great to cheer them on. Go Bulls!

University of Miami: I was accepted to college here but decided to be in Tampa instead. I absolutely love the city of Miami and visit when I can. Of course, they cannot be playing one of the teams that were mentioned earlier in any NCAA games. This rooting system for college teams goes for all sports - not just football.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning: Again, I went to college in Tampa and had an absolute blast going to all of these games that I could. By default, I might also root for the Orlando Magic since I was able to catch some of their pre-season games in Tampa. On that note the Carolina Panthers can disappear from existence without any tears from me.

Oakland Raiders: The only team to bring a Super Bowl ring to my hometown of Los Angeles. Al Davis is making this a real challenge nowadays.

San Diego Chargers: They are very close and the city loves them!

San Francisco 49ers: Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Bill Walsh - need I say more?

Manchester United: The Glazers own them. They also own the Bucs. Get it?

When there is any conference final or championship game, I will root for the West Coast or Florida team depending on the circumstances. There is an entire silly grid in my head of the order.

Golf: Phil Mickelson gets my vote since he is a left-handed SoCal native like yours truly. Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa are cheered for because they are class acts. Of course, California native Tiger Woods is a favorite as well.

Bottom line – I love sports. Chill out and let’s watch a game! Was this a totally lame post? Maybe…give me a break…I can’t be full of wit and charm every day.

What is your odd sports logic for a team you follow?

By Drew Bufalini

Don’t let the title deceive you. This story isn’t about Lance Armstrong…but about the good his courage and passion has inspired in so many people, including a Detroit teacher named Sean Shearon.

This summer, Sean walked eighteen marathons in eighteen days in an effort to raise $10 million for cancer research.  More than mere mileage, this was a highly personal journey for Sean.  When he was nine, his mother developed cancer. Three years later, he too was diagnosed. While Sean survived, his mom did not.

Life has taught Sean some harsh lessons, but neither his face nor his spirit bear evidence of his agonies.  He transformed what could have been a devastating experience into something life-affirming.  What’s more, for every step he took on his journey across the state of Michigan, he not only raised money and awareness for cancer research - he inspired others to follow in his footsteps.

As I monitored Sean’s progress on his blog (www.thevictorywalk.org), I began to question myself in ways I never had before.  What can I do to inspire others to do good with their lives?  How can I help assuage humanity’s suffering?  What will it take of my passion to plant a seed capable of bearing similar fruit in my fellow man?  If you read Sean’s story, you’ll see what I mean – for the Victory Walk isn’t simply about overcoming cancer.  It’s about the viral nature of passion and our own ability to do good and inspire it in others.

So what does Sean’s Victory Walk have to do with Fathead?  Absolutely everything.  If you’ve ever read our web site or scanned our blog or watched our commercials, you know Fathead is a company built on, by and for “fan passion.”  But what does that mean – really?  For some, it’s the rush of endorphins that comes with success - like Aaron Rodgers first Lambeau Leap (Or any of Bretts’ Leaps, for that matter).  For others, it’s the thrill of a hard-fought victory over an indomitable opponent – like the Red Wings in any of their 11 Stanley Cup Playoffs, for example.  Still others find that passion is belonging to something larger than themselves: being a member of the armed services or first responders; or being member or fan of a legendary team like the Cowboys, Yankees or Lakers; or even spending a moment in the shadow of someone willing to sacrifice so that you may find your own inspiration. That sense of being part of a team, the inertia that drives us beyond what we believe ourselves capable of toward an impossible goal – that is fan passion.

And that’s what Sean Shearon carried with him from the Detroit side of the Ambassador Bridge to Charlevoix to Royal Oak, Michigan. Mile after mile.  Through shin-splints, debilitating cramps and excruciating infection.  In the driving rain and scorching summer sun.  That’s what people saw when they lauded his sacrifice, shook his hand and patted him on the back. But what they took home with them was something bigger: they discovered Sean’s passion was contagious.

The sacrifice of his body and time, he says, was a small price to pay when compared to the gratitude of strangers, support and cash for the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute of Detroit. “We need to do something about cancer as a society. We can’t just keep waiting for other people to do it. We are all in this together.”

All of the money raised from The Victory Walk will be donated to the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in downtown Detroit. “We just couldn’t keep doing what we do without people like Sean,” said Patricia Ellis, spokeswoman for the Karmanos Institute. “He is definitely not sitting back. He is taking it upon himself to raise awareness, and he has done just that.”

To talk to Sean, read his blog or watch his video for Livestrong.com (http://www.youtube.com/video_response_view_all?v=9S9vlgtt264) is to go toe-to-toe with courage and hopefully walk away with enough to both carry yourself forward…and bring someone else with you.

Fathead salutes Sean Shearon and those rare people out there like him with the courage to live their passion.  Visit www.thevictorywalk.com to blog with Sean, learn more about his journey or make a donation.

By Apryl DeLancey

Well, the Dodgers are doing their usual up and down dance as October draws near. It just seems that the same story happens every year – they start out strong, get us all excited, and then leave us feeling robbed. Heck, they dropped something like eight out of nine games recently. I shouldn’t be surprised. This really does happen every year. They sign elderly players as the season progresses to act like they actually want to win a title. Ownership seems to be perfectly happy with as little as a Wild Card berth. Argh! I don’t think it will change any time soon. This city is too big and has too may fans. For every frustrated fan like myself, there are at least 100 more that are happy to buy a ticket. The Dodgers continue to shatter records for attendance every year. I’ve got to move on to another subject before I have an aneurism…

The Galaxy…well, they aren’t so hot either right now. They did a “Dodgers” this year as well. Starting off strong and now they are like 10 points out of first place. They also spent a truckload of money on an aging star…the owners of the Galaxy must be friends with the owner of the Dodgers…

Chivas USA is the sleeper favorite in the MLS around here. No prima donna players (comparatively speaking) and a loyal fan base. You can still get tickets to the games for a reasonable price. Of course, since they don’t have David Beckham they don’t get as much attention. They even play in the same stadium as the Galaxy!

Speaking of getting tickets…getting Lakers tickets is never an easy task. This Los Angeles team has actually had many championships in recent memory. Except for this last year. Is it just me, or did Kobe Bryant seem to try harder in the Olympics? Pau Gasol looked more attentive playing for his native country as well. I’m convinced that the entire team was asleep in the series with Boston.

The NFL football season in Los Angeles means that we got to have the Dallas Cowboys practice in nearby Oxnard for the last time and other long drives to catch any action. We get to either drive close to three hours to catch LaDainian Tomlinson and the San Diego Chargers or head north about six plus hours to take in a San Francisco 49ers or Oakland Raiders game.

Ah, to be a sports fanatic in Los Angeles…I wouldn’t change it for anything…