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That would be mind-boggling

Tue, 09 Dec 2014 01:32:12 +0100

Several years ago, a television crew visited the sprawling Gronkowski home just outside Buffalo.

It was a feature about the family's three brothers -- Rob, Chris and Dan -- who were all playing for NFL teams at the time.

"Like to think someday we can get four," said father Gordie, pointing to his fourth son, Glenn, who was foraging in the refrigerator. "He's a good little athlete."

He was only a skinny senior at Williamsville North High School, but Glenn already had accumulated more athletic trophies than any of his brothers. Today, he's a 6-foot-3, 234-pound sophomore fullback at Kansas State. You might have seen his highlight catch, a 62-yard touchdown that helped sink Oklahoma.

If Glenn eventually makes an NFL roster, that would be an impressive feat, but the Matthews family would still have the Gronkowskis beat. Seven Matthewses spanning across three generations already have played in the nfl shop. And there are two more -- Mike, a center at Texas A&M, and 14-year-old brother Luke -- who could well join them.

"Nine guys from one family -- that would be mind-boggling," said Joe Horrigan, the Pro Football Hall of Fame's vice president of communications. "People don't generally know this, but we have a rich history of brothers and fathers playing in this league."

Believe it or not, there are no fewer than 14 sets of brothers currently playing in the nfl shirts. Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots' gifted tight end, isn't among them; his brothers are out of the league.

Which some call the signature disease of football

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 01:52:48 +0100

The NFL on Wednesday urged a judge to approve an estimated $1 billion settlement of concussion lawsuits despite concerns raised by former players or survivors who feel left out.

The 65-year fund would resolve thousands of lawsuits that accuse the nfl shirts of long hiding what it knew about concussions and brain injuries to keep players on the field.

The NFL now expects 6,000 of nearly 20,000 retired players -- or 28 percent -- to suffer from Alzheimer's disease or at least moderate dementia someday. Their average payout would be about $190,000. The awards reach several million dollars for Lou Gehrig's disease or Parkinson's disease.

"The NFL ... should have done the right thing years ago, and it can do the right thing now," said Eleanor Perfetto of Annapolis, Maryland, who objects to the steep cuts in awards given to men diagnosed later in life.

Her husband, Ralph Wenzel, had both Alzheimer's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, when he died in 2010. He was 69 and had been ill for more than a decade.

Some critics feel the fund lets the NFL chicago bears jerseys off lightly, given its $10 billion in annual revenues. Others complain that there are no awards for depression, mood swings, dizziness and other problems they link to football concussions.

A chief concern is that the plan leaves out future payments for CTE, which some call the signature disease of football. The estates of players who died and were diagnosed with CTE from 2006 to 2014 can seek up to $4 million, but future deaths are excluded to avoid "incentivizing" suicide. The brain decay cannot currently be diagnosed in the living.
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The idea for Timberland Tires was born three years ago

Wed, 19 Nov 2014 03:12:06 +0100

Singapore-based tyre distributor Omni United and United States casual outdoor shoe and clothing maker Timberland Boots have launched a new line of tyres whose life cycle is nearly a closed loop - a first in the industry.

Branded ‘Timberland Tires’, these tyres for cars, trucks and vans will be made in the United States from domestic and imported materials, and will be sold from April next year. A closed loop is any system in which waste - used tyres in this case - is used again in making another product.

At the end of their lifespan, after 50,000 to 80,000 miles (or about 80,000 to 130,000 kilometres), retailers will set aside the branded tyres to be recycled into crumb rubber, which has a granular, crumb-like form, by US-based Liberty Recycling.

The crumb rubber will then be processed into sheet rubber and used in shoe outsoles by Timberland manufacturers. The first batch of tyres should be ready for recycling in late 2017, the firms estimate.

The two companies announced their collaboration at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show, a major automotive specialty-products trade show, in Las Vegas earlier this month.

“Given the strength of the Timberland Shoes brand, and our target consumer’s appreciation for sustainability, we see a huge opportunity to change the way people choose their tyres,” said G.S. Sareen, president and chief executive of 11-year-old Singapore firm Omni, whose tyres are distributed in more than 80 countries around the world.

Last year, Omni’s line of Radar tyres was the industry’s first to be declared carbon-neutral. This was achieved through the purchase of carbon credits from wind and solar energy projects to offset the emissions from their manufacturing and distribution.

The idea for Timberland Tires was born three years ago, when both companies began collaborating on sustainability solutions for their industries, said Sareen.

These steps are based on a clear

Wed, 12 Nov 2014 02:56:28 +0100

The punishments handed out by the nike nfl contradicted the recommendations of the league's own domestic violence expert, who had been brought in by Tagliabue in the early 1990s to help address the issue.

The expert, psychologist Lem Burnham, a former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end who served as the NFL's vice president of player and employee development, told "Outside the Lines" he advised league officials to adopt a zero-tolerance policy banning any player convicted of a domestic violence offense. "I conveyed it to a lot of different people," he said. "No tolerance means they're out -- period. That's the way I felt then, and that's the way I feel now."

Burnham, who is now an associate professor and assistant chairman of behavioral science and psychology at Wilmington University, said the Rice case showed how little has changed.

"I don't know why time stood still," Burnham said.

This year, the NFL waited until late August to overhaul the domestic violence section of its personal conduct policy, just 11 days before the release of a second video that showed Rice striking his future wife in the elevator with his closed fist. Under the revised policy, players will receive a minimum six-game suspension for their first offense and a lifetime ban for their second. In a letter to owners, Goodell, who declined an interview through a spokesman, wrote that, after reviewing the league's personal conduct policy, which covers incidents of domestic violence, he concluded that the league's approach called for sweeping changes in education, evaluation and support, "as well as enhanced discipline."

"These steps are based on a clear, simple principle: domestic violence and sexual assault are wrong," Goodell wrote. "They are illegal. They have no place in the nfl shop and are unacceptable in any way, under any circumstances. That has been and remains our policy."

Yet the new rules only underscore the tepidness of the policy over the previous 17 years. Since the first policy addressing off-the-field crimes was introduced in 1997 -- then called the violent crime policy -- the document has gone through a handful of iterations, with minimal changes. Most notably, it was left to the commissioner's discretion to levy suspensions -- power that Tagliabue and then Goodell exercised in less than half of all domestic violence convictions. From 2000 to 2014, Tagliabue and Goodell suspended players for one game or not at all in 88 percent of cases. Compare that with substance abuse and performance-enhancing drug violations, which resulted in suspensions of four games or more in 82 percent of such cases over the same period.

Watching Goodell announce the new initiative, with an emphasis on education and counseling, was "shocking," Burnham said. "It was shocking because that's reinventing the wheel. We already did that."

The Structure 18 also has a seamless

Wed, 05 Nov 2014 03:14:05 +0100

In recent years, some shoe brands have veered away from traditional medial posts in the midsoles of stability shoes to offset overpronation in favor of modern mechanisms that offer some level of rotational control and support without inhibiting the smoothness of the ride. That’s exactly the takeaway our wear-testers had after running in the new Nike Air Zoom Structure 18.

Instead of a firm foam wedge from the heel to the arch of the medial side of the shoe, Nike Trainers UK has developed a next-generation medial suspension bridge of sorts, a high-density foam support piece (pictured in orange above) that is integrated into the medium-density medial midsole foam. The medial support piece is firm, but it still flexes with the shoe and the other foam that surrounds it.

What does all that mean? The system offers support but doesn’t negatively impact the cushioning, flexibility or ride, allowing the shoe to feel stable but also agile and responsive. You can definitely feel the support at impact and immediately after the foot begins to roll forward, but not so much that it inhibits forward motion or creates a disjointed or “clunky” feeling as the foot rolls forward.

Just as important in the construction of this shoe is the softer low-density foam along the lateral side of the foam. The triple-density chassis is the latest iteration of nike air max 2014 Dynamic Support technology—a system that, in theory, allows a runner to get as much or as little support based on an individual’s specific gait needs. (If you’re a runner with a fairly neutral gait and your foot doesn’t roll inward quite as much, you won’t engage the support mechanism much at all and will thus benefit from the less structured sensation from the lateral side of the shoe. But if you’re a severe overpronator, you’ll sense the supportiveness from the medial much more.)

The Structure 18 also has a seamless, knitted “engineered mesh” upper that, with help from eight Flywire support strings integrated into the lacing system, creates a form-fitting snugness that keeps the foot secure as it moves. This provides an energetic feeling in the toe-off phase, likely due to the a Zoom Air cushioning unit into the forefoot.

Yes, that’s a lot of technology and “stuff” built into a shoe. The acid test for this shoe is that if you close your eyes for a few strides and just run, all you notice is a comfortable, supportive ride and a plush interior. Pretty simple, right?

njmaxtrainers.co.uk

According to the Gregorian calendar

Thu, 30 Oct 2014 02:12:32 +0100

According to the Gregorian calendar, Wednesday is followed by Thursday. That also means Thursday Night Football is again right around the corner, mere hours from filling televisions screens across the world with exciting NFL action.

But unlike the first eight Thursdays of the season, this day before Friday will be different. This Thursday, the Carolina Panthers face the New Orleans Saints in a battle for NFC South supremacy, and it can be seen on only one network -- NFL baltimore ravens Network.

In case you haven't already sat down and tediously navigated your television provider's virtual guide -- or, if you're stuck in 1997 and still use the old-fashioned TV Guide booklet -- Thursday Night Football moves exclusively to NFL Network this week. Live from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., the divisional matchup will be the first of eight Thursday night games broadcast solely on NFL Network.

Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will continue to provide the play-by-play and color commentary, with Tracy Wolfson reporting from the sidelines. The pregame show starts at 6 p.m. ET on NFL Network.

The program was simulcast on both NFL Network and CBS for the first eight weeks of the season, and included exciting finishes between rivals, including a game-saving blocked kick to cap a 27-25 victory for the New England Patriots over the New York Jets, and a high-scoring AFC West game between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers. The Thursday-night slate continues this week with New Orleans vs. Carolina before shifting to an AFC North contest between Cleveland and Cincinnati on Nov.

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The New York Times reported Tuesday

Wed, 15 Oct 2014 07:48:47 +0100

Nike subsidiary Converse is pursuing trade-infringement lawsuits in federal district court in New York against 31 companies, including Walmart, Kmart, Skechers and Fila.

The Massachusetts-based sneaker manufacturer accuses the other companies of trademark infringement on its widely recognizable Chuck Taylor shoe, the New York Times reported Tuesday. Converse is asking for monetary damages and trying to prevent the alleged imitators from being sold, the Times reported.

Nike purchased Converse in 2003 for about $310 million.

Last year, Converse accounted for nearly $1.7 billion in sales, a 16 percent increase over the $1.45 billion the previous year.

By comparison, Under Armour's sales for all products last year were about $2.3 billion. Nike's figures, which include Converse, totaled about $27.8 billion.

By June 2017, Converse's annual sales will have hit $3 billion, Nike chief executive Mark Parker told investment analysts last year.

"By strengthening those elements that make Converse unique, its iconic products and its connection with the music and youth, and then leveraging the operational muscle of nike air max 2013, we've expanded the brand's penetration around the world," Parker told the group.

"And we think there's ample opportunity for growth for Converse ... the Converse apparel business represents a huge opportunity, both given the size of the market and given Converse's unique brand connections with consumers."

Converse has other Oregon ties, though. Even before Nike bought the shoe maker, Portland brand guru Steve Sandstrom helped reshape Converse's image.

Converse had just emerged from bankruptcy in 2001 when the then-owner enlisted Sandstrom, a former Nike Air Max employee, to redesign the Chuck Taylor All-Stars boxes.

Steve Maddocks, a former Converse co-owner, has credited the box design with reigniting consumer interest in the All-Stars. The sneaker was created in 1917 and renamed for Chuck Taylor, a popular basketball player who joined the company as a spokesman in the early 1920s. Converse was founded in 1908.

Converse announced last year that it planned to move its headquarters to the Lovejoy Wharf project in Boston in 2015.

In 2011, The Associated Press reported that factory workers in Indonesia making Converse sneakers had been hit or slapped by supervisors.

njmaxtrainers.co.uk

Which is why it’s easy to take it as gospel

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 02:37:29 +0100

The National Football League is again banging the drums about wanting to regain a foothold in Los Angeles, a city that hasn’t been home to an nfl shop franchise since the Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams packed up and left 20 years ago this Christmas. Last week, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio reported, via a “league source,” that the NFL’s “current plan” is to “send one or two teams back to Los Angeles within the next 12 to 24 months.”

In theory, a move to Los Angeles makes sense. It is the nation’s second largest city and thus its second largest media market, and every other major sport has at least one team in LA or the sort-of surrounding areas. That the NFL hasn’t had a team there for two decades now is seemingly odd from a business standpoint. Which is why it’s easy to take it as gospel, as Florio (“The Bills won’t be moving to Los Angeles. But someone will. Fairly soon.”) and plenty of others have.

But this should not be taken as gospel — not yet, anyway — because right now Los Angeles is best understood not as a potential destination for an NFL franchise, but as an exceptionally large bargaining chip to help the NFL get what it wants. Namely, new stadiums in St. Louis, Oakland, and San Diego.

The NFL enjoys throwing new cities into the mix in an effort to get its way. It has tossed around London as a future site for relocation repeatedly, despite the logistical concerns that would pose, and the Raiders have already started courting San Antonio as a way to gain leverage in Oakland (this is, of course, not unique to the NFL). And the nfl shirts played the Los Angeles card to get what it wants before. In April 2012, as talks between the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota state government about new stadium lagged, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell got on a plane and visited state legislators himself. A public funding plan had stalled in a legislative committee, and Goodell urged the legislators to reconsider. The commissioner said afterward that no threats had been made about a move to Los Angeles, but the possibility was there.

“One of us — a legislator — brought the subject up,” Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said at the time. “(The NFL) said they would like to have a team in Los Angeles (and) they would like to have it not be the Vikings.”

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There are many situations where business might not be an enabler

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 03:35:46 +0100

Try to avoid that feeling that it’s an ‘us and them’ world. I do think that the power of design is amplified when it learns how to connect with the business side in a way that actually enables design to be executed at the highest level. Now that doesn’t always happen. There are many situations where business might not be an enabler; it might be a detractor; it might be a hurdle. But the more that design can appreciate the power of combining creativity with the power of scaling a business, it will only empower design in the end. It will only help design achieve even more. It’s convenient here at Nike Trainers UK ecause we’ve always embraced design, so it’s easy for me to say and easy for us to embrace that. At many companies, that may not be the case.

I do think that there is something about balance. There are times when we need to let the design, the creative, the innovative side just power through and [business] gets out of the way. Other times we need to bring that back in. The visual analogy for me is the sound mixer board and it’s always about trying to get that right sound and balance. It’s never-ending. During the course of a song it’s going to change many times over and that’s what I feel like in my roles. I’m a choreographer, trying to achieve that right mix. I actually really love that. I love pushing back here and pushing forward there. For us, it’s very natural.

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Nike’s sales have been hurt this year by a stronger dollar

Fri, 26 Sep 2014 02:01:47 +0100

Nike’s sales have been hurt this year by a stronger dollar, which has dented its overseas sales. There are concerns about the impact of that strength in the current quarter with the dollar gaining against a range of currencies from the euro to the Japanese yen.

Analysts said geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Russia are another wild card that could hurt nike air max 1 business.

On the spending front, investors will be watching to see if there’s any moderation in the growth rate since the end of the World Cup. They will also be keen for an update on Nike’s reported counter-offer to Under Armour’s UA, -1.65% bid for its marquee basketball player Kevin Durant.

Cowen & Co. analyst Faye Landes questioned whether “a decrease in demand spending is feasible.”

Nike’s plans to participate in the introduction of the Apple Watch will be a focus, said Landes. Credit Suisse analyst Christian Buss said he’ll be watching the company’s inventory, which grew at the fastest pace in two years in the quarter ended in May, according to his estimates.

Overseas, investors will pay close to attention to how fast nike air max 90 has turned around China, a key market which has seen sales slow for the past two years.

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