Nike

Fitness on 25th

So with DeeAnn gone from the Lighthouse, my new office mate is a psychologist who loves to run. Jeff started to pester me about joining a gym non-stop and I was ignoring it until I decided to take this hike through the backcountry. As part of the training, I decided to get a Nike Fuel Band to monitor my movement and get myself motivated. Well that didn’t work out too well. Well actually it worked too well as it showed me missing my goal of 3000 Nike Fuel every day. This is how a Nike Fuel Band works.

Basically it taunts you for being inactive. It’s clever. It’s not rude as to be mean spirited but it sits there and reminds you that you are no where close to your Nike Fuel goal (for me it’s 3000) and I am surprised how much it bothers me.

After several days of not hitting 3000 (or even coming close), I decided to head down to the YWCA and hit the gym at Fitness on 25th. Three of my co-workers also came and for 30 minutes we hit the elliptical or the treadmill and had a pretty good work out. The problem is that it still didn’t get me enough Nike Fuel so tomorrow I am walking to work, walking to the gym, working out, and then walking home… all in the pursuit of the magical Nike Fuel.

I don’t know how long my level of motivation will last the Nike Fuel Band got me to the gym and is making me walk a lot more. I still hate doing it but lazing around on the sofa isn’t doing a lot for me either.

Now back to Fitness on 25th. I decided to join there because I believe in the work that the YWCA does in Saskatoon (and know some of their staff). We have a good relationship with them at The Lighthouse and it’s kind of on my way home from work. It has 4 treadmills, a bunch of ellipticals and stairclimbers for cardio, a bunch of free weights and stationary bikes. I spent some quality time on the elliptical which gave my legs a brutal workout and got my right shoulder moving.

The YWCA gym is older but it was quiet and not very busy when we go at 4:00 p.m. It does offer a free two week trail which I would advise you to check out. I am not thrilled with having to sign up for a year but I understand why they do it.

Greatness in a scary thing

Aug 1st, 2012

by Jordon Cooper.

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Find Your Greatness

Aug 1st, 2012

by Jordon Cooper.

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Welcome to the Kobe System

Dec 31st, 2011

by Jordon Cooper.

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This is the video where Kobe sells out his self respect. Expect an appearance as Triple H’s tag team partner on WWE to come in the next year or two.

MJ to LBJ: Stop making excuses

Nov 27th, 2010

by Jordon Cooper.

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The video is a mashup of previous commercials but it’s well worth seeing. Here is the commercial that was the basis of most of it.

Cleveland Responds to LeBron James

Nov 5th, 2010

by Jordon Cooper.

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While Toronto has been able to get over Vince Carter and eventually Chris Bosh, Cleveland will never forget or forgive LeBron James. He abandoned his hometown, humiliated them on national television, and then profited from his decision. While it may be great for the NBA and Nike, he hurt an entire city and state with his actions. Cleveland will still be booing LeBron James at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The (bad) Decision

Jul 17th, 2010

by Jordon Cooper.

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Adrian Wojnarowski dishes out how the Cleveland Cavaliers lost their childish superstar to the Miami Heat

When the NBA powerbroker and adviser to James, William Wesley – famously known as Worldwide Wes – heard the news, he was duly impressed. After all these months, all this careful planning, Riley had cleared the cap space to give the three stars of free agency contracts starting at about $15 million.

For months, Wesley had believed James’ choice would be the Chicago Bulls, but no one had counted on Riley’s relentlessness in clearing enough cap space to accommodate the three stars. Free agency wouldn’t officially start for another week on July 1, but from then on, Wesley had two words about LeBron and the Heat for the closest of associates: done deal.

Worldwide Wes had understood something about James the Cavaliers refused to believe, and even James’ childhood buddies from Akron were still somewhat unwilling to accept: LeBron James was never re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and now it was a matter of securing him the proper complement of teammates for the greatest free-agent haul in history.

Riley was 65, a five-time NBA champion, a Hall of Famer and he wanted a dynasty to fade into the sunset of his basketball life. He had kept his word, continuing to dump contract upon contract in a high-wire act that left him without a safety net.

Riley believed he could unload those contracts. And mostly, he believed in his own power of persuasion. He is still the biggest presence, biggest voice in the room. Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey, a statistics analyst, met with Chris Bosh at 12:01 a.m. on July 1 armed with an iPad. Morey’s cult followers on the web hailed it as a resounding success, but Riley never believed he was losing Bosh to the MIT gang.

Riley believed in his ability to get into the room with James and sell him on the way the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers sacrificed salary, shots and statistics for the greater good of a dynasty. Most of all, Riley believed he could benefit on the close relationship that James had with Wade, and that there wasn’t a franchise with cap space that could offer such a compelling case to the two-time defending MVP.

The article is a great one and goes a long ways to show how incredibly sheltered and immature that LeBron James and his inner circle are and why his legacy of one the greatest basketball players in history will always be tarnished and redefined as a self-absorbed, manipulated, quitter. Quite the price to pay for a championship ring.

Apology as a commodity

Apr 9th, 2010

by Jordon Cooper.

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I tried to link to the Nike commercial featuring Tiger Woods today but Nike Golf had it taken off of YouTube (while oddly leaving thousands of other Tiger Nike ads online). Let’s just assume you have seen it.

By running a commercial that is essentially what Tiger has said is a private matter, doesn’t he commoditize everything he has been saying about being sorry and remorseful and at the same time totally wipe away the line between Tiger Woods the person and Tiger Woods the Nike spokesperson. I joke a lot about selling out here but this may be the most complete expressions of that I have ever seen.

I like both Nike products and Tiger Woods as a golfer but I was at a loss that both of them would go and do this. I understand Nike’s need to “rebrand” Tiger for their own purposes but it is almost as if this commercial further solidifies him to his past. As one commentator said last night, “Many of us have existential conversations with our deceased parents as we reflect on life but most of us keep those private.”

The Cold Hard Truth

Sep 15th, 2009

by Jordon Cooper.

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Mark and Oliver’s babysitter is just down from Mayfair School. I generally drive home, park the car and walk the three blocks down to pick them up. While at home, I grab a basketball and then Mark and I play one on one at the school on the way home. Today while playing, Mark started to back me down towards the hoop. He made a post move and seemed shocked to see me still standing over two feet for him. At the same time he had this look on his face that said, “This worked for Chris Bosh, why isn’t it working for me.” I struggled with what to do next. Should I have let him score or should I reject that shot the way that Saskatchewan voters reject the Liberal Party. I’ll let you figure out what I did but his favorite player is no longer Chris Bosh but his game is starting to look like Ray Allen’s but from a lot longer distance.

A quick note about this photo. Mark wanted the ball rotated so the Sport Chek logo is facing forward. Somewhere in Beaverton, Oregon, a Nike marketing executive gently weeps.

Mark turns 9

May 18th, 2009

by Jordon.

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Many of you know that Wendy and I have been quite worried about Mark lately. Mostly it revolves around the fact that he isn’t as heavily armed around the house and he should be. Lee solved that tonight as he gave Mark a Vulcan EBF-25 Nerf machine gun for his ninth birthday. Yes, that’s right. My brother gave his nephew a fully automatic Nerf chain gun for his birthday with very clear instructions that he is to gun down Wendy and I in his spare time. This could start a arms race like the world hasn’t seen since the introduction of HMS Dreadnought in 1906.

In continuing with his Nerf themed birthday, Lee gave him a classic Nerf football, a Nike Dominate basketball, and a Nike soccer ball in Barcelona FC colors. We are a kind of Toronto FC kind of family but a big yellow soccer ball is pretty cool.

The basketball is destined for the lake (this way Mark has a basketball option that isn’t pink), the soccer ball and the Nerf football will stay here and relegate some other balls around here for the lake. I don’t think a Nerf football is designed to withstand what Maggi does to a ball she grabs.

In the end, they were gifts typical of an uncle that has no kids of his own which means that I can’t give his kids back obnoxious gifts as retaliation. Well played Lee, well played.

We are giving Mark’s birthday presents to him tomorrow morning which is his actual birthday. Wendy and I gave him a microscope, a Tech Deck (from Ollie), some new ear phones (really why would Apple release such an uncomfortable ear phone with the iPod?), and a game for his Nintendo DS (compliments of Maggi). If he doesn’t like what he gets tomorrow, he can always shoot us.

Happy Birthday Mark! There has been some rough days this year but your mom and I are incredibly proud of you.