Big Grill 2.0 Archives | Sports Unlimited Blog

2013 Sports Unlimited Football Equipment Draft – Top 10 Picks

Welcome to the 2013 Sports Unlimited Football Equipment Draft. With all of our minds on the upcoming NFL Draft, we decided to present our own style of draft that features the best of the best football equipment that you can find at SportsUnlimited.com because we want to equip you with what you need to make 2013 the most memorable season of your life.

We have randomly generated a draft order for some of our expert compatriots at SU and I will be documenting the draft so that you can stay informed with the top-of-the-line, most advanced products in the industry. Here are the top ten picks!

1. Schutt Titanium Big Grill 2.0 Super Pro XL Football Facemask

With the luck of the draw, the coveted first overall pick in our draft goes to Andre from the Customer Service department. With every product still on the board, Andre selects the Schutt Titanium Big Grill 2.0 Football Facemask. Lighter and stronger than steel, this facemask brings the performance of a No.1 pick. Peak performance with the most intimidating and wicked design on the market make the Titanium Big Grill 2.0 one fearsome mask only available at Sports Unlimited.

2. Schutt AiR Maxx Flex Adult Football Shoulder Pads – QB / WR

With so many incredible products remaining, Jason felt the pressure when he was on the clock and let it get down to 00:01 before deciding that the Schutt AiR Maxx Flex Adult Football Shoulder Pads – QB / WR were worthy of the 2nd pick. I have to agree with him because the Quarterback to Wide Receiver connection can put six points on the board on any given play. Ultimate protection with strategically placed TPU and superb range of motion give these pads the best draft rating in the biz. Drafting performance and protection for some of the most important positions on the field is always an excellent choice.

3. Cutters X40 C-Tack Revolution Adult Football Receiver Gloves

In an early shock, Steve from our Web Team is going deep with the Cutters X40 C-Tack Revolution Adult Football Receiver Gloves. Equipped with a self-restoring C-Tack grip and available in an array of colors, these gloves make plays. Steve knows that fumbles and drops can cost dearly on the gridiron and he wasn’t afraid to snag an elite pair of ‘hands’ this high in the draft. Great pick!

4. Schutt Vengeance DCT Adult Football Helmet

The fourth pick belongs to our wise leader and President, Don who makes the most popular pick of the draft with the Schutt Vengeance DCT Adult and Youth Helmets. Don goes with the numbers here because he knows this popular helmet lives up to the hype and “has been our number one selling helmet this year”! The TPU in the DCT is the same material used in United States Armed Forces fighter pilot and paratrooper helmets. Combined with a re-imagined shell design, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see this go first overall!

5. Riddell 360 Adult Football Helmet

Having had head and jaw injuries in the past, I knew from the start that I needed to draft a great helmet. With Don having taken the Schutt Vengeance DCT off the board, my decision became a lot easier because my internal argument was between the former and the Riddell 360 Adult Football Helmet. With Concussion Reduction Technology, Flex Face Guard, and Riddell’s Hexagonal Liner System, I may have just picked up the best helmet in the world.

6. Oakley Football Eyeshield

Web Team is here with another pick, and Steph, with an understanding of how important vision is on the field, dashes to our imaginary podium to select the Oakley Football Eyeshield. Steph trusts the Plutonite construction and HDO (High Definition Optics) technology from Oakley because wherever you are on the field, your decision-making relies on vision. The value here is playing smart and Steph’s team is going to be built on great vision and smart decisions.

7. Schutt Vengeance DCT Hybrid+ Youth Football Helmet

At the seventh pick, Doug, the feared Web Team Manager, picks up the product at the top of his draft board, the Schutt Vengeance DCT Hybrid+ Youth Football Helmet. “I like the combination of all the latest protection technologies and the value you get versus the Youth Vengeance DCT.” The innovative combination of Dual Compression TPU and traditional vinyl nitrile padding makes this youth helmet high in protection and low in price. This could be the steal of the draft!

8. New Balance 993 Mid Mens Lacrosse / Football Cleats

Michele, one of our Customer Service Supervisors, has the football knowledge and competitive spirit to know that winning on the gridiron takes great footwork and her strategy is speed, speed, speed. She’s getting some traction with the New Balance 993 Mid Mens Lacrosse / Football Cleats. These cleats were designed to have the versatility, durability, and lightness to make a player dangerous. Speed with stability can go a long way.

9. Wilson TDS Leather High School Football

We have back to back Customer Service Supervisor picks and this one belongs to Jamie. One of the friendliest people around, he cares about our products and our customers, which is why he is going with the Wilson TDS Leather High School Football. Without a ball, you can’t play and this beauty is approved by NFHS for high school play. Practice your skills with the ball or play some catch out back because a tight spiral just looks better with an official ball. You can see and feel the quality with 899 full-grain leather.

10. Schutt Y Flex All Purpose Youth Football Shoulder Pads

Ryan received the tenth and last pick in the draft, but with the expertise he has as a Buyer and Customer Service Manager, he can draft in any position and come out with a winner. He calls the Schutt Y Flex All Purpose Youth Football Shoulder Pads, “great youth shoulder pads that our customers love for all positions. Value is excellent.” Ryan picks for strength and versatility with these youth shoulder pads that feature Air Flex tech and vapor holes to maintain protection with great comfort. Safety is paramount whether you are developing football skills or playing at an elite level.

There you have it, our inaugural Sports Unlimited Football Equipment Draft is complete. I’d like to thank the participants for lending their expertise. I’ll declare the draft a success due to my personal happiness with my pick and I know you all were rooting for me. This draft could have gone any which way because the top ten draft picks were only a tiny sample of what SportsUnlimited.com has to offer!

Good luck this season folks!

By Isaac Clark
Isaac is a writer at Sports Unlimited.

Can I Get a Custom Facemask Like NFL Players Wear?

Can I get a custom football facemask? Can I customize a big grill 2.0 facemask? Can I get a Big Grill 2.0 for the ION 4D? Customers are more and more set on creating custom football facemasks for their game, but today, people are confused if this is even possible.

Custom football facemasks have been a part of the game for years, but only recently have they taken on a completely new form, changing from mere performance and protection pieces into full on branding mechanisms! Starting last year with players like Justin Tuck and Chris Canty, and now with even more unique facemasks like the sick one worn by Ray Lewis recently, players are seeing the wide benefits of customized and unique facemasks. Custom configurations not only give football players a more aggressive look, and better protection, but they are also starting to identify players, make them stand out, and are getting people talking…like, in this blog for instance.

But with this big move towards facemask customization in the NFL, comes a clamoring for all of these new, unique, and aggressive facemasks from the masses of football players around the world! Not surprisingly, everyone from Pop Warner kids to NCAA College players want to rock their own custom football facemasks, to get the same look they see on their favorite NFL players. That’s why over the passed two years, since appearing on famous players, the original Justin Tuck facemask, and now the new Big Grill 2.0 Ray Lewis facemask have together become the best selling facemasks of all time!

But now people are starting to wonder, how can I get my own custom football facemasks?

The reasons are many. Some players want the new Big Grill 2.0 look, but on a helmet that the retail-produced facemask simply isn’t compatible with. They want a Big Grill 2.0 for the ION 4D, or a Big Grill for a Riddell Revo Speed. Others want completely new football facemasks bar configurations never seen before, to create their own look. Whatever the reason though, the question is always the same; where can I get a custom facemask, and how much would one be?

The answer is short, and unfortunately disappointing. You can’t.

According to football gear production companies, they simply cannot allow end users (i.e., retail customers…people like you and me, who aren’t professional football players like, say, Ray Lewis) to create and use their own faceguards. Many things come into play, but mainly, the issues are logistics, engineering, and overall, safety.

Creating a new facemask configuration for full production and manufacturing can be an expensive and difficult process, one which is too involved to warrant making only one custom facemask for one person. But in addition to the complications and costs arising from the production process, every facemask that helmet manufacturers like Schutt, Riddell, Rawlings, or whoever else creates and releases for sale, must be approved by NOCSAE (the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment), and unfortunately, this doesn’t necessarily apply to NFL players.

NOCSAE approval in and of itself can be a lengthy process, and is done to ensure the facemask is safe for use by adult and youth football players in regular game situations. It would be extremely difficult, and take a huge amount of time for football gear companies to create, manufacture, and have NOCSAE examine and approve a slew of individualized custom football facemasks for retail sale. And without the NOCSAE approval, facemask performance and in turn, player safety could be at risk.

It’s disappointing to hear, I know. But it looks like, for now, we non-NFL pro players are just going to have to settle for football facemasks manufactured and approved for retail sale. Thankfully though, companies like Schutt and Riddell have responded to the call for custom football facemasks, and are creating new and even cooler configurations for mass release all the time, developing styles similar to the Chris Canty, Ray Lewis, and Justin Tuck facemasks for sale!

By Brandon Porter.

Brandon is a product specialist at Sports Unlimited.

Attaching a Big Grill 2.0 Facemask to the Schutt Vengeance Football Helmet

Learn how to properly attach a Big Grill 2.0 facemask to a Schutt Vengeance helmet. Complete video directions include attaching an XL Super Pro and DNA facemask to the helmet. All directions can be applied to the new Big Grill 2.0, as well as any XL Super Pro or DNA style facemask.

In response to many of your questions and requests, we went ahead and shot a video explaining how to properly attach the new Schutt Big Grill 2.0 facemask to the equally new and equally cool Schutt Vengeance helmet! Our video explains how to attach the new XL Super Pro and DNA Big Grill 2.0 facemasks to the Vengeance football helmet, but it’s important to understand that these techniques can be used for any XL Super Pro or DNA style football facemasks!

[EDIT: Sadly, our Youtube page went rogue, so we no longer have this video]

The Vengeance is designed to fit specially designed Vengeance facemasks, as well as Schutt DNA and Super Pro XL facemasks. The sizing and attachment specifics can get confusing though., I think it’s important to spell out all of the details and hopefully answer some of your questions:

1. Only XL Super Pro facemasks will fit on a Medium or Large Vengeance football helmet. Unfortunately, no Super Pro facemask will fit on an XL Vengeance.

2. Attaching an XL Super Pro facemask to a Vengeance helmet requires no additional hardware (outside of those included with the facemask) or modification.

3. Regular size DNA facemasks will fit on a Medium or Large Vengeance.

4. An XL DNA is required if you wear an XL Vengeance.

5. To attach a DNA facemask to a Vengeance helmet, you must drill holes in the shell to accept the increased depth of the facemask design.

Big Grill 2.0 Questions

There are also some similar issues surrounding custom football facemasks that I’d like to address, to answer any further questions and dispel some rumors. For one, as of now, there is no big grill facemask for the Revo Speed, or any Riddell helmet for that matter. The Big Grill 2.0, and original Big Grill facemasks are products of Schutt, and are not designed to fit any Riddell football helmet, including the Revo Speed and 360. If Riddell develops a similar custom facemask, we will definitely stock it, and let everyone know immediately!

Secondly, many customers wonder why there is no Big Grill 2.0 for the ION 4D helmet? Although there is an original Big Grill for the ION 4D, the latest version, the Big Grill 2.0, is not compatible with it. For many, this is frustrating, because they’d like to get the look of the Ray Lewis facemask on their ION 4D. Unfortunately, Schutt is not going to produce a Big Grill 2.0 for the ION, because, with the introduction of the new Schutt Vengeance, Schutt is tapering back production of the ION 4D. This is not meant to reflect poorly on the ION 4D as a great, and highly rated helmet. It is simply a business decision of the helmet manufacturer.

By Brandon Porter.Brandon is a product specialist at Sports Unlimited.

New Schutt Big Grill 2.0 Facemask Now Available to the Public

The new Schutt Big Grill 2.0 football facemask is available for immediate sale at Sports Unlimited! The single most intimidating facemask ever created by man, the Big Grill 2.0, made famous by a certain New York Giants defensive back, will transform your game! Available in a wide variety of colors and styles, including the new Aqua Tech specialty color designs.

The wait is over and one of the most insanely aggressive football facemasks ever devised is finally available for sale to the public! That’s right, the infamous Big Grill 2.0 facemask (made famous by a certain New York Giants defensive end) is here and ready for immediate purchase (at Sports Unlimited).

We all remember where we were the first time we saw the original Big Grill on TV. It was unlike anything else out there; 6 horizontal bars and three vertical pegs made it look like a dangerous Darth Vader mask of intense football aggression. Then the guy goes ahead and one up’s himself…starting the 2012 NFL season with a completely new and even more ridiculously intimidating facemask!

The new Big Grill 2.0 revamps the original grid design, creating something completely unheard of. A modified ROPO (Reinforced Oral Protection Only) facemask with a 5 horizontal bar structure, and 12 diagonal bars cutting across the face, literally daring any opponent to just try and get his fingers in there. It’s intense athletic aggression sharpened to a razor’s edge!

Available in a wide variety of colors, Schutt has released the new Big Grill 2.0 in DNA and Super-Pro styles. The Schutt Big Grill 2.0 DNA facemask will fit on your youth or adult Schutt DNA Pro +, and the Big Grill 2.0 Super Pro will fit your youth or adult Schutt AiR XP, AiR Advantage, or XP Hybrid. XL versions of both of these Big Grill 2.0 facemasks are also available for players, to fit your extra large helmets.

For those of you with a brand new Schutt Vengeance, don’t fret; the The Big Grill 2.0 is designed to fit the Vengeance as well! An XL Super Pro Big Grill 2.0 will fit on any Schutt Vengeance helmet easily. But if you’re more interested in the DNA Big Grill 2.0, that will fit as well, with slight modifications. All you’ll need to do is drill holes in the pre-marked spots on the Vengeance shell, and the DNA facemask should fit perfectly.

For an even more intimidating and unique look, check out the exclusive Schutt Big Grill 2.0 DNA Aqua Tech or Super Pro Aqua Tech Facemasks! Designed with permanent specialty coloring effects, Aqua Tech graphics turn your face guard into something sleek, beautiful, and dangerous on the gridiron.

Buy your Big Grill 2.0 today, and protect yourself with the single most impressive and aggressive football facemask on the planet!

By Brandon Porter.

Brandon is a product specialist at Sports Unlimited.