If "fantasy football" for you means a stadium where healthy foods are more abundant than foam fingers, check out this year's ranking of the top five most vegetarian-friendly stadiums in the NFL.

1. Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles)
   Defending last year's title, Lincoln Financial claims top honors again with a "dream team" of tasty, healthy vegetarian options for Eagles fans. Their taste buds get some Philadelphia freedom from boring burgers and dogs, with faux-steak and "chicken-steak" sandwiches, a brand-new seitan brisket, veggie dogs, black-bean and garden burgers, and vegetable wraps. In premium dining areas, fans can also choose a grilled vegetable hoagie, fresh roasted vegetables, hummus with pita chips, fruit, or a vegetable platter. 
2. O.co Coliseum (Oakland Raiders)
   With the Raiders showing signs this season of turning things around, it's the perfect time for fans to turn around their health by enjoying low-fat, protein-packed, delicious vegetarian meals. The team already has one "super bowl" this year: the delicious veggie burrito bowl. The stadium also offers the classic veggie burrito, veggie dog, and veggie burger in concessions and a chipotle black-bean burger, grilled portobello sandwich, grilled vegetables, hummus, crudités, and fruit in premium areas.
3. Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers)
   Packers fans might be inspired to do the Aaron Rodgers championship belt touchdown dance after sinking their teeth into a mouthwatering, meat-free bratwurst or veggie burger. They can also stay lean and green with such choices as the grilled vegetable pasta salad, peanutty dan dan noodles, spicy orange chili glass noodles, vegetables with hummus, quinoa, warm black-eyed pea salad, baked potato, and the classic PB&J.  
4. Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots)
   Gillette Stadium has more delicious vegetarian options than the Pats have weapons on offense. This is the stadium's first time on our list, but we're betting that with foods like these, it won't be the last. Choices include a veggie burger and veggie dog, hummus with vegetables, and fruit cups, and in premium areas, a vegetable gyro and a fresh fruit plate.
5. Georgia Dome (Atlanta Falcons)
   Between sampling the delicious vegetarian options and watching Tony Gonzalez climb the all-time receptions list, Georgia Dome is the place to be for animal-friendly football fans. Birds of a feather are flocking to the concessions stands for veggie burgers, veggie dogs, PB&J, vegetables with hummus, salads, and fruit cups. In premium areas, fans can order grilled vegetable pasta salad, peanutty dan dan noodles, spicy orange chili glass noodles, quinoa, warm black-eyed pea salad, or an Eden Organic berry mix.

Scoring honorable mentions are the San Diego Chargers' Qualcomm Stadium, the Seattle Seahawks' CenturyLink Field, the San Francisco 49ers' Candlestick Park, and the Detroit Lions' Ford Field.

Football fans don't have to leave their health to a last-minute Hail Mary. They can start and finish strong with foods that don't cause unnecessary roughness to their bodies or to animals and that taste so good that fans won't care if they get fined for excessive celebration.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

PETA's newest campaign strategy against McCruelty appears to be working. We have been making unscheduled appearances at the speaking engagements of McDonald's executives in order to hold them accountable for their archaic and cruel chicken slaughter methods. When we recently interrupted McDonald's director of U.S. communications at the Online Marketing Summit in San Diego, she said on camera that she'd be willing to discuss our concerns in a sit-down meeting.

We are asking McDonald's to institute a less-cruel slaughter method for chickens raised for the restaurant called "controlled-atmosphere killing" (CAK), which is already in use by their European suppliers. Currently, chickens raised for McDonald's in the U.S. and Canada are dumped out of their transport crates and hung upside down in metal shackles. They watch other chickens have their throats cut while they wait for their turn before being scalded to death in defeathering tanks.

We hope that McDonald's will follow through and agree to talk with PETA about instituting CAK. In the meantime, please take a moment to tell McDonald's that you support less cruel methods of chicken slaughter, and sport your McCruelty gear with pride.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

On Super Bowl Sunday, a wave of 50 protestors crashed onto SeaWorld San Diego's main entrance shouting, "Shame on you—free Shamu!" Then four "orcas" made their way into the intersection Beatles-style and lay "beached" for half an hour until they were dragged away by police and arrested.

Orca Road

All we are saying is give whales a chance.

Baby, I can't drive my car to SeaWorld with these whales in the road.

Captive orcas could use a little help from their friends. Tell SeaWorld that whales don't belong in jail.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Due in part to plummeting ticket sales, SeaWorld is reportedly laying off hundreds of staffers. That news prompted PETA and local activists to hold demonstrations over the weekend in front of SeaWorld parks in Orlando and San Diego in order to call on the corporation to retire the orcas who are languishing in the theme parks' cramped and barren tanks.

You'd think that after an orca killed a trainer earlier this year, SeaWorld would recognize the need to change course. The theme park can reinvent itself and retain jobs by retiring the orcas to protected coastal sanctuaries.

Please tell SeaWorld to "lay off" the orcas—and that you won't be buying a ticket until it does.

Written by Jennifer O'Connor

thespoof / CC

Y'all know how we feel about killing animals for "trauma training" by now, right? (Hint: It sucks—to put it mildly.)

Well, after learning that live pigs are reportedly being shot and stabbed in a California avocado grove owned by police officer David Bishop—all as part of trauma training exercises conducted by Washington-based Deployment Medicine International (DMI)—we were outraged. Not only is it unnecessary to mutilate and kill pigs—or any other animals—for trauma training, but to do so in an avocado grove may be illegal.

That's because Bishop's land isn't zoned for trauma or medical training exercises under the County of San Diego's zoning ordinances. Since San Diego County allows the director of its Department of Planning and Land Use to penalize zoning violators, we've fired off a letter to the current director, Eric Gibson, asking him to investigate Bishop and DMI for illegal activity.

Stabbing and shooting pigs to train medical personnel how to treat human injuries is positively medieval. With all the non-animal methods that are readily available, there are better models of human anatomy and physiology than pigs. Don't animals—and trauma victims—deserve better?

Written by Jeff Mackey