Category: Sports (Page 21 of 51)

A chat with Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman, the NFL’s first deaf offensive player

January 11, 2014 / Paul Eide

One of the most famous episodes of the legendary sitcom “Seinfeld” was called “The Lip Reader.” In it, George borrows Jerry’s deaf girlfriend at a party to spy from across the room and lip-read his former girlfriend’s interactions with a presumed prospective beau. As with any typical Costanza situation, the plan ended in failure. But for Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman and partner Duracell, the 2013 NFL season has been anything but.

Duracell hopes to inspire people, especially children, to trust the power within to achieve their dreams. And Coleman is a living example. Check out this fantastic video from Duracell detailing his road to the NFL:

Coleman, who is legally deaf and has mastered the art of lip reading, entered the preseason as an undrafted running back a year removed from UCLA and was just hoping to be included on the Seahawks’ 53-man roster. After contributing on special teams and offensively (including a 6-yard TD catch) in the preseason, the Seahawks kept Coleman and converted him to fullback.

Coleman is the first deaf athlete to play offense in the NFL, which inspired Duracell to feature and promote his story of success.

“Duracell saw that I had an inspiring story to tell and they want to inspire people, especially children, to achieve the dreams they have like I did,” Coleman said. “That’s how we linked up based on the similarities.”

The 6-foot, 233-pound former Bruin scored his first career regular season touchdown on Monday Night Football in a 34-7 thrashing of the New Orleans Saints.

Interviews, Lifestyle, Sports

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Nike celebrates the Tiempo Premier in style

January 8, 2014 / Jason Zingale

On July 17, 1994, two teams took to the pitch in Pasadena, California to play for football’s biggest prize. While all 22 players shared the same dream of winning, ten wore the same boot – Nike’s first for football – the Tiempo Premier. Its black and white color palette was classically football, but the athletes who wore them were anything but. These athletes would go on to represent a new guard, imbuing football with youth, speed, excitement, brilliance and forever changing the face of the game. They showed unparalleled confidence in choosing an upstart company, and over the next 20 years, this rebellious attitude would shape some of the best players football has ever seen. But one fact always rings true: it all began with the Tiempo.

As far as introductions go, they don’t get much better than Nike’s tribute to the debut of its popular Tiempo line, and in celebration of the shoe’s 20th anniversary, the company has released two new styles that are sure to please longtime fans and further revolutionize the sport as we know it.

First up is the Nike Tiempo ’94, a throwback to the original Tiempo Premier that draws inspiration from its iconic design, including a black stitched leather upper, contrasting white swoosh and suede overlays. Additionally, there’s a splash of orange on the lower instep that extends to the Phylon midsole fitted within the premium gum cup sole for lightweight cushioning, as well as exposed flex grooves designed to maximize comfort and natural motion. The coolest thing about the Tiempo ’94, however, is that it can either be worn with the retro oversized tongue attached or removed for a different (and admittedly more modern) look. Though the shoe may seem a lot bulkier than its closest competition, the Tiempo ’94 is comparable to the adidas Samba in quality and comfort, only without that annoying squeaking problem and with twice the flair.

For those looking to really leave an impression on the pitch, the new Tiempo Legend V is one of the flashiest boots around, combining a two-tone look with metallic flourishes throughout, perhaps most noticeably on the mirror-like tongue. But for as stylish as the Legend V may be, it’s the improved design features that warrant the most attention, geared towards providing players with the lightest touch and performing in all conditions. Through enhanced fit and innovative materials, the Tiempo Legend V not only brings the upper (and therefore the ball) closer to the foot, resulting in some of the best control you’ll ever experience, but also offers a solution to the age-old problem of water absorption. Nike’s All Conditions Control (ACC) technology has been applied to the ultra-soft kangaroo leather uppers to block moisture and allow for a consistent touch regardless of weather, while the second layer of hydrophobic mesh ensures that the boot dries quickly and absorbs less water than previous leather boots. That may not sound as groundbreaking as creating a more lightweight shoe or one with added protection, but most soccer players know all too well the effect that the elements can have on their game, so it’s nice to see that Nike has finally addressed this issue.

With two great styles to choose from, the question on most people’s minds will undoubtedly be: if you had to pick just one, which shoe would you pick? But the answer isn’t that cut-and-dry, because you can’t really compare the two. The Nike Tiempo ’94 is more of a casual street shoe, and although it’s not something you’ll necessarily want to wear to play soccer on a consistent basis, it’s good for the odd pickup game. The Nike Tiempo Legend V, on the other hand, is one of the best performance cleats on the market, and for those looking to upgrade, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better designed soccer boot than this. Of course, you could always just buy both.

The Nike Tiempo ’94 (in a low and mid version) and Nike Tiempo Legend V are now available for purchase on Nike.com and other retailers. For more information, follow Nike Soccer on Facebook and Twitter.

Gear, Sports, Stuff to Buy

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Bullz-Eye interviews NBA legend Rick Barry on his career, Ektio shoes and what’s wrong with the NBA

January 6, 2014 / Paul Eide

We recently had the chance to talk with NBA legend Rick Barry, and it was fantastic! After the interview, I went out and shot 1,000 free throws and made 999 of ’em!

Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987, Barry won an ABA title in 1969, an NBA title in 1975, was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1966, and was named the All-Star Game MVP in 1967. He’s the only player to ever lead the NCAA, ABA and NBA in scoring for an individual season. Check out the ridiculous numbers he put up.

Your performance in the 1966-67 All-Star Game is one of the greatest single game performances ever. You dropped 38 points and led your West squad to a victory over an Eastern Conference team that featured Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell and was coached by Red Auerbach. And you did it when you were just 22 years old. What are your memories of that game?

It was a remarkable game. You look back and see how many players who played in that game were named to the 50 Greatest NBA Players team. In addition to who you mentioned, they had Jerry Lucas and Hal Greer as well. We had Nate Thurmond, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West; it was a remarkable array of talent. I got the MVP, but in all honesty, I’ve always thought the NBA All-Star Game should have a Most Outstanding Player (MOP) and a Most Valuable Player (MVP). In this case, I would’ve won MOP for a great offensive output, but the MVP was Nate Thurmond and how he helped negate that incredible front line of the Eastern All-Stars.

The other thing that is amazing is it may be the only NBA All-Star Game ever where a coach got thrown out! Red Auerbach actually got thrown out of the game! That would never happen now because competition has changed. When I go to the All-Star Game now, fans go to be entertained; it’s entertainment. There’s not super competition. As a purest, and someone who loves the game, I’m always hoping it’s going to be close in the fourth quarter because then they play really serious and pride will come out and they want to win. Otherwise, the stuff that they’re doing now isn’t true competition. For us, the winning team got a $2,000 dollar bonus; two grand to me was almost one-seventh of my salary! That’s a lot of money in those days. Now, it’s irrelevant. So our games were incredibly competitive.

What happened to the true sharpshooters; guys like you and Chris Mullin?

I think Chris was more of a shooter than I was. I was more of a scorer; I found ways to score. I got better as a shooter as my game progressed. There’s still some amazing shooters out there. Like Ray Allen. Guys like that are shooting 40% from beyond the arc and that’s an amazing shot; it truly is. The NBA three-point shot is from a long way out. What you’re not seeing today is guys playing and utilizing the mid-range game like we used to. Now, it’s either inside post-up dunk or three point shot. I think they’re missing the boat in that regard. It’s fun to watch a team do that, which is why I like to watch San Antonio. Gregg Popovich does such a great job coaching his team to play the way I always thought the game should be played. Tough defense, move the ball around, set screens, force the defense to make decisions.

How did all of your sons who played professional basketball become such great shooters? And did you ever think that one of your kids would have a Slam Dunk Champion trophy in their possession?

To be honest, I was hoping one of my boys would be good enough to play division I college basketball, or to even play basketball if they wanted to, to get a scholarship. I have five now, four in the NBA. To have three of them has never been done before and who knows what’s going to happen with my youngest son. At this stage, he’s probably more skilled than the other guys. As far as becoming great shooters, having the confidence to make the shot when you have to is the key. And repetition, repetition, repetition. That’s a matter of putting the time and effort into it. But you also have technique, a pattern that you do. Whatever your routine is, you do it every single time, like with free throws.

Interviews, Lifestyle, Sports

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Weidman vs. Silva – The Rematch

December 27, 2013 / Bullz-Eye Staff

Even sports fans who weren’t big UFC fans knew that the Chris Weidman upset of Anderson Silva earlier this year was a big deal. Now the two of them are set for a rematch this weekend in UFC 168 in a battle that should draw tons of viewers. Weidman (10-0) defends his new title against Silva (33-5) in Las Vegas, and the fight card is stacked with other great fights as well.

But all of the attention will be on these two. Silva is a favorite to win back his title following that stunning upset, but many experts are pointing out that Weidman is a matchup nightmare for Silva with his grappling skills. Others point to the fact that Silva was dropping his hands and acting like a diva in the last fight. Now he will take Weidman seriously. This is the perfect kind of rematch that boxing promoters loved to stage for years, and some have argued that it almost worked out too perfectly for the UFC. Regardless, this bout should be talked about for a long time.

There are tons of stuff to bet on these days, but like in the old days with boxing a big fight is the kind of event everyone likes to get in on. Of course if you’re in Vegas you’ll be playing the table games. In London everybody knows that online poker means 888. When it comes to horse racing everyone likes to bet the Kentucky Derby. While the UFC has grown dramatically in popularity it still hasn’t quite approached the glory days of boxing with fights like Ali – Frazier. But with the Weidman – Silva rematch you start to get the kind of excitement needed to propel a sport to the next level.

It will be interesting to see just how much buzz this fight creates. It could set viewership records, particularly as it’s happening over a holiday weekend. If the fight lives up to the hype, then the UFC will take another step in becoming must-see TV.

Sports

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NFL Playoff picture gets more muddled

December 17, 2013 / Bullz-Eye Staff

Same old Lions. Same old Ravens.

It’s been an unpredictable NFL season as many teams have been through wild ups and downs, but some things seem to remain constant. The Detroit Lions find ways to lose, and the Baltimore Ravens find ways to win. Last night’s Ravens victory over the Lions included a 61-yard field goal by Justin Tucker. We also saw Magatron drop several key passes. So the Lions seemed poised to make the post-season and earlier this season the Ravens were toast, but now things are changing. There’s a ton of football left to be played before fans and sharps try to place a winning bet on Super Bowl 2014, and there will be chaos with the NFL playoff picture with two games left.

This NFL weekend started out on Thursday night with the Denver Broncos getting shocked by San Diego. All of a sudden, the New England Patriots, who got a miracle win the previous week courtesy of the Cleveland Browns and the officials, were now in the driver’s seat. But then reality kicked in as the Gronk-less Patriots couldn’t beat the Dolphins. Yes, that’s the same Dolphins team that everyone thought was dead with the hzing fiasco.

Meanwhile, the Bengals now had a great opportunity to solidify their playoff position and possibly get the second seed, but they were literally beaten up by the Pitsburgh Steelers, another team we all left for dead. The AFC playoff picture is a muddled mess at this point, with a bunch of mediocre teams fight for a spot. Meanwhile, the question remains as to whether Broncos peaked too soon. The Chiefs are upping their game, so they still might have a say in things. Also, all the Joe Flacco bashers might have to watch him in the playoffs again.

On the NFC side, Seattle is king, and the Saints are suddenly struggling. Pathetic teams like the Cowboys still have a chance, and Green Bay might sneak in just in time for a healthy Aaron Rodgers to make another run.

This is just how the NFL likes it, though at some point the unredictable nature of the game and the subpar quality of play might start having an effect on fans. Some love it, others see a sub-par product. But betters will always love it.

Sports, Vices

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