Monday was moving day for the folks at Fanatics. We went from a 160,000 square footage building to 550,000. And to celebrate our new gorgeous space complete with a break room, outdoor Atrium, thirteen conference rooms, and a self-checkout marketplace stocked with our favorite snacks, sandwiches, and drinks we had a party. More than 200 employees gathered around to hear appreciation acknowledgments and the future outlook of our new brand Fanatics. Jacksonville native, Tim Tebow surprised us with a visit and even spoke on “having passion for whatever life career we choose”.

The fun continued with randomly selected employees winning gift baskets stuffed with jerseys, throw blankets, collectible items, shoes, polos, hoodies and more for ten of our most popular teams. But it was the great dessert that made it One Sweet Day.

The schedule for the 2011 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals have been set and the action begins tonight! Number 1 seed Washington Capitals will take on the NY Rangers, Tampa Bay will battle against Pittsburgh, while the Red Wings reaches for a ‘W’ over the Coyotes. Also on the ice is reigning champs Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vancouver, and Nashville against Anahiem. So who do you think will go all the way? Cheer on your favorite in official NHL apparel and merchandise from Fanatics!

And don’t forget…the 2011 NBA Playoffs tips off this Saturday with Miami Heat playing Philadelphia 76ers. Order today for $4.99 3-day delivery on any size order.

New creations never cease to amaze me. Become the coolest dude at the party with this Matix MannySac II that holds six of your canned preferences all around your waist! No thief will be able to steal your cans of liquid goodness. You can also use the Mannysac as a bargaining tool for favors! And just think, you’ll never have to get up for another brew. Its rockin’ neon screen prints will be sure to catch everyone’s attention and the interior zip pocket is perfect for a bottle opener or cell phone. Pair with the Gusto Party Signs boardshorts below for an epic combination.

Beginning March 18, 2011, Designs by Fanatics is launching a new design contest! If you want your artwork featured across multiple retail sites and you’re eager to highlight your design skills, enter a Rasta design for a chance to win! Grand Prize Winner will receive a $500 VISA Gift Card plus 10% commission off every shirt sold on Surf Fanatics, Skate Fanatics, Fighting Fanatics and Motocross Fanatics. All additional Finalists will win a $100 VISA Gift Card and their design also featured across all of our Action Sports sites listed above. So what are you waiting for? Enter your design now and win big!

Have you ever been talking to a co-worker or maybe you know a friend that has like 10 different ‘favorite’ teams? Most fanatics are die-hard for one team from each league. I can understand liking two teams at most; it’s possible you lived in Buffalo but now live in Jacksonville so you are a Bills and Jaguars fan. But anything more than two is nuts. What do you do if two of your favorite teams play against each other? Who do you root for?

Thankfully that’s a situation I never have to deal with. Can you imagine someone showing up to a game decked out in the following team gear?

Someone might get beat up if they wore the above outfit.

How many favorite teams do you have? Post a comment and let me know.

As fanatics we commit to our favorite teams no matter what. Win or lose we always stand by our team’s side. Sometimes though, when your team is going through a rough season it can be hard to show your face at a game. Whenever you’re embarrassed to be a fan there is a simple solution. The brown bag!

I love seeing fans in stadiums or on TV with brown bags over their heads. You always see the two eye holes cut out and a spot for the mouth. I don’t like to laugh in other fans misery (well maybe sometimes I do), but I just can’t help it when I see someone walking around with a jersey and a brown bag on their head.

There are a couple of teams in the NFL right now that I wouldn’t be surprised if their fans were showing up with bags. The Redskins, Browns, Rams, Chiefs and Titans come to mind. It has to be hard to continue to root for your team when they have only 1 win or worse.

Have you ever worn a brown bag on your head to a game? Tell me your story.

The title of this blog is “We Are Fanatics,” but really nowhere on it do we define what/who a “Fanatic” is. A fanatic is someone who lives, breathes, and dies their favorite team. It’s someone who follows their team’s every move; someone who paints their face with team colors and knows every fight song. A fanatic will throw stats in your face and recall plays from games that happened before they were born.

A “Fanatic” can further be defined by the pictures below.

A Fanatic paints his body for a basketball game

A Fanatic drives a decked out car

A Fanatic dresses up their dog in team gear

A Fanatic doesn’t go to the game in jeans and a t-shirt

Are you a fanatic? Submit pictures to the We Are Fanatics photo contest for a chance to win $100!