The REAL. BIG. Blog

A little over 20 years ago a true Blockbuster event happened. Herschel Walker was traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the Minnesota Vikings. This deal was certainly groudbreaking… for the Cowboys. For those unfamiliar to what Minnesota gave up for the  All-Pro Running Back, heres the deal:

Minnesota Received:

Herschel Walker, Dallas’s 3rd (’90) round pick, San Diego’s 5th round pick (’90), Dallas’s 10th round pick(’90) and Dallas’s 3rd round pick in the ‘91 draft.

Cowboys Received:

LB Jesse Solomon, LB David Howard, CB Issiac Holt, RB Darrin Nelson (who was traded to San Diego), DE Alex Stewart, Minnesota’s 1st, 2nd, 6th round picks in the 1990 Draft, their 1st and 2nd round picks in the 1991 Draft, their 2nd and 3rd in the 1992 Draft and their 1st round pick in the 1993 Draft.

Yes, draft picks are only draft picks and there are countless big name busts, but to put this into perspective a little bit, with the first round pick in the ‘90 draft, the Cowboys picked Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. In the ‘92 draft, they picked Darren Woodson, NFL Hall-Of-Famer and one of the best safety’s to ever play the game. Those two players alone would have made the deal worth while.

Now why do I bring this up you ask?

There are rumors floating about that the Detroit Tigers are putting Curtis Granderson on the trading block. Granderson is young player in his prime, with gold-glove fielding capabilities and the potential to be a 30-30 man every year. Many teams have reported interest, including the Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs, and the asking price is not cheap.

What will come of Curtis Granderson this offseason?

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!

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?

By Matthew Martz

Who said Christmas doesn’t come early? It does if you ask New York Yankees fans. It looks like the Yankees are doing a lot more to move out of the past and into future besides just moving into their pricey new ballpark in 2009. They will have the 4 highest paid players in baseball with A-Rod, Teixeira, CC Sabathia and Derek Jeter, as they try to win the World Series for the first time since 2000. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez has baseball’s highest deal at $275 million over 10 years, and shortstop Derek Jeter is second at $189 million over 10 years. They have also signed Mark Teixeira for $180 million over eight years, and are spending $161 million for CC Sabathia over a seven-year contract term. The Yankees’ off-season spending spree has now climbed to a staggering $423.5 million.

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

As the country is knee deep in the very interesting NFL season I thought I’d take a moment to talk about baseball:

I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that the Tampa Bay Rays are for real.  Yeah, I know, they choked in the World Series.  But really – they were at the very bottom last season.  I mean the BOTTOM.  That whole worst to first thing was going on.  To even make it to the playoffs was a major feat and the first in their franchise history.  They knocked off the precious Boston Red Sox on the way and totally owned the New York Yankees all season.  In spite of what you may think – the Tampa Bay Rays are a real baseball team now.   They are on the map and deserve fans and recognition!

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was recently named the American League Rookie of the Year.  Ha!  A player from the Tampa Bay Rays!  Seriously!  Talk about validation.  Longoria is only one of the many young stars that keep the franchise afloat.  The lineup is chock full of the young and talented like Matt Garza and Dioner Navarro.  On the other side of the diamond, first baseman Carlos Pena got a Golden Glove nod for himself.  More validation.  Hopefully the team stays mostly intact through this offseason so they can come back strong next year.  The team can only get better.  I’ll bet if they make it back to the World Series they’ll actually put up a big fight and perhaps even win the whole thing.

On the other hand, the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to let the Manny Ramirez clock run.  Let’s see where he ends up.  We all want him to stay here in Los Angeles.  With the Dodgers.  The New York Yankees already have their wallet open if he doesn’t stay.  In other news, the Dodgers decided to let Brad Penny become a free agent.  Who will be next?

Speaking of the National League and the Dodgers, the playoff sweep of the Chicago Cubs didn’t stop catcher Geovany Soto from getting the NL Rookie of the Year nod.  Congratulations to him.

The landscape of the MLB map is undergoing a change.  I like to think it is for the better since teams that are not exclusively from the northeast corner of the country are making headlines.  A similar migration of power happened in the NFL when the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Francisco 49ers lost their stranglehold on NFL titles.  It’s now happening in baseball.  Fans tire of the same teams winning all the time.  At least this one does.  Let’s mix it up!

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.