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!

One of the coolest things about working for Fathead is that we get to see new products come together from start to finish.

After an athlete is deemed Fathead-worthy, it can be a very difficult process finding a suitable photograph. The resolution has to be amazing, the pose should reflect the athlete at his/her best, and we always want to include the athlete’s face.  I think our designers do an extraordinary job selecting the best images.

With that in mind, I present to you what I believe are the top 5 Fathead images.  Whether you agree or disagree, feel free to post your comments here.  After the overwhelming response to my last post, I’m predicting a huge reaction.  Please note:  Because we can’t do justice to the images on our blog, I didn’t want to post them here.  You’ll have to click through the links to see each image.

Number 5:  Tim Lincecum

In the heart of his wind-up, his eyes staring you down, this shot of Lincecum is great:  Exactly what the fans in the seats behind home plate see.

Number 4:  Nate Robinson

Taken from the Slam Dunk Contest, this may be our only top-view image.

Number 3:  Jonathan Toews

Right in the middle of a slap shot, and the look on his face shows how much effort he is putting into it.

Number 2:  Joe Mauer

Mask off, chasing down a ball popped foul.  You can see in his eyes exactly where that ball is.

Number 1:  LeBron James

One of our first NBA images, and still one of the best sellers:  King James about to throw it down, captured at the height of intensity in amazing high-def clarity.

Today we released a brand new Jonas Brothers Fathead, starring all three members of the band:  Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas, and Nick Jonas.  I’m not going to lie to you—it looks great.  We’ve got one hanging up on the office wall right now, and I truly understand why girls everywhere love these guys.  They’re a lot cooler than I am. 

I could never pull off these outfits.  First off, my wife has made it very clear that I’m not allowed to wear pants that tight in public.  Beyond that, I think Joe is wearing eight different colors in this shot, including purple pants and white shoes, Nick is sporting a ‘50s greaser jacket, and Kevin has complemented his suit with what looks like a pair of cowboy boots.  These looks would never work on me, but they look cool as heck on the Jonas Brothers.

Hard to believe they never made a Fathead of me.  (Actually, Fathead didn’t exist back then—we had to settle for boring sports posters and flimsy wall decals.  I’m pretty sure, however, that I wouldn’t have been high on the list, even if Fathead had been around.)

So, I’ve accepted that I’ll probably never be as cool as the Jonas Brothers.  That’s okay, because I do get to be part of a very cool company that produces amazing wall graphics of stars like the Jonas Brothers, like Derek Jeter, and like LeBron James.  And, really, what’s cooler than a Fathead?

While the game of basketball is serious business, it is always nice to see the players out there just having fun!

LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Shaquille O’Neal (Phoenix Suns) battle each other for the best pre-game ritual.

You decide, who does it better?

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

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?