NIKE

I look at my closet, which is color coded by my girlfriends request. Not that she has me on leash or she has any such overpowering control over me; well, now that i think about it, I do what she says and things in the relationship seem to run smoother. However, thats beside the fact, when looking at my color coded closet trying to find something to wear I realized that most of the shirts, pants, shorts, and all my shoes are made by Nike. Then i began to think, maybe my girlfriend is not the only one controlling my closet. 

So then its official I have the love mark for Nike. Nike is my choice not because there clothes and shoes are the most comfortable or best quality. For instance, Reebok, New Balance, and smaller companies such as Asics also make great products but in my eyes these products less superior because of my infatuation with the brand Nike. 

I have had this "love mark" my whole life. I have been wearing Nike brand for as long as i can remember. My parents joined me in youth basketball when i was seven, you bet i was wearing Nike shoes. When I was younger I used to have a poster in my room of Micheal Jordan, back then he was my hero. Even that poster, I remember had the Nike swoosh on the bottom of it. I just liked the poster because of Micheal Jordan, but little did i know at that age i was being advertised the brand of Nike.  




In noticing that I'm not the only person that i know that wears Nike i took it upon myself to ask a I noticed that my buddy Stan was wearing a pair of Nike shoes. I asked him "Why are did you buy  those shoes". Stan looked at me funny, as its not really a question someone would ask another person and said, "Because they are really comfortable" I responded with the argument that other brands make really comfortable shoes as well. But then he said, "Ya, but their not Nike" Stan as well has this connection with this brand. Stan explained that he started only buying Nike shoes after his experiences with different shoes while running on his high school's cross country team. A sport that requires athletes to wear the best quality shoes possible in order for their body to endure the extreme amount of stress that long-distance running has on the body. He explained to me that all the other brands of running shoes that he bought just didn't compare to the quality and effectiveness of his Nike running shoes.


Nike has had their grasp on the sport product world for quite some time. Since the company was born in 1971 the company has brought its worth to $18.6 billion in the fiscal year of 2008. The company has built a name for itself over the years that keeps consumers like Stan and myself happy and willing to pocket the money to sport the iconic Nike swoosh. 

Carl's Jr. Sexualized The Burger

This is one of Carl's Jr. newest  commercials for their advertisement campaign for the line of Charbroiled Turkey Burgers.Who would think that you could sell burgers through the sex appeal of the most beautiful women? Carl's Jr. did, and it is extremely effective. The newest line of burgers to the menu is similar to almost every other commercial that the fast food chain has produced in the last 6 years to endorse their burgers. In my opinion these commercials are outstanding, and very effective. The second I laid eyes on Adrina Patridge, reality T.V. star from the MTV hit show "The Hills" in a golden bikini chowing down on the Hawaiian burger from Carl's Junior i was very convinced to go buy it. 

The way Carl's Jr. sells these calorie loaded burgers, is by giving the viewer the idea of "If these burgers are good enough for her, and if she can look like that eating these burgers. What is stopping me from eating them?" Carl's Jr. sells through the veil of sex. Using models and the most beautiful women to endorse their food. The food chain persuades in one commercial advertisement to go out get them-self a Carl's Jr. Spicy burger, just because Paris Hilton is washing a car in a bikini and throughout the commercial. Hilton takes a couple bites of the burger and at the end it uses her iconic saying of "thats hot".  This commercial was the start of the seductive advertisements for Carl's Jr. 

Other Sex symbols have also jumped on the campaign trail such as Kim Kardashian, and even Padma Lakshmi. Padma, was surprising to see because she is not well known to the world as a sex symbol as she is the host of "Top Chef" on the Food Network, but even she put on her own sex appeal which was good enough to sell burgers. 

 Carl's Jr. has taken the Fast food world by surprise. When everyone has the idea that people that are out of shape and overweight  are the only ones that eat fast food, Carl's Jr. campaigns otherwise. This idea is absolutely miss-guiding and extremely ironic but it is effective. All of the sex commercials have been targeted towards men, but soon enough women will make the target group as well. Sex can be determined to sell anything, Carl's Jr. proves that it can sell burgers as well.

Legitimate source for MLB information

Last fall, San Fransisco Giants closing pitcher "fear the beard" Brian Wilson who led the MLB with 

47 saves in the 2010 MLB season, threw a 98 mile an hour fastball past Texas Ranger's Nelson Cruz to give the Giants the final win that they needed to forever scratch there legacy in baseball history and win the 2010 World Series. The championship captivated the hearts of Giants fans and proved to all sports fans that the the little guys in professional sports can win championships also. The 2010 World series proves that even the smaller budget franchises that don't have the Billions of dollars such as the New York Yankees, can also bring together players to win a championship. 

The information above could have been found on any major sports network, internet news site, late night TV shows, even your local news station, because an event such as the world series is so huge and news from the series was covered on such a large scale. Once the World Series ended and all the major networks like TBS, Fox sports, and ESPN stop covering baseball because the season is over and they direct there attention towards the in season professional sports such as football and basketball. For the next couple of months baseball in the media is almost impossible to find. To non-baseball fans surprise, just because the post season had ended baseball still goes on. Managers and Owners go into winter meetings, and then players head off to spring training, so where can you get professional baseball information that is accurate and up to date all year around? Its simple, go to a source that only covers the Major League. That source is through MLB.com and the MLB Network.

What source could be better to receive and return information than a source that is actually accredited to Major League baseball itself? Thats right There is none other than MLB.com. Not only is the internet one of the many ways to recieve these baseball updates. The MLB also created its own Network that starting in 2009. MLB Network launched in approximately 50 million homes as the largest network debut in cable history, exceeding any other cable television launch by approximately 20 million.MLB Network is broadly distributed across 43 cable and satellite systems on expanded digital basic cable or the equivalent. MLB Network is available on major systems including Comcast, Cox, DirecTV, Time Warner, Charter, Cablevision and Verizon FiOS. 

Studio 42

The MLB network broadcasts from two different studio locations, Studio 3 and Studio 42. Studio 3 was named after the legend himself Babe Ruth as his number was three, and Studio forty-two which was named in honor of Jakie Robinson. (The first african american player to break the professional baseball color barrier in 1947) The studio is very attractive and absolutely baseball themed. This isn't some lousy desk with a screen behind the reporters studio. Both studios actually give the atmospheric feel that the reporters and show hosts are on a baseball field. The awesome studios adds that special factor thats makes baseball fans instantly more interested.

MLB analysts

Setting the MLB.com and the MLB Network apart is the staff that they pull together: On air personalities consist of Greg Amsinger, Larry Bowa, Eric Byrnes. Sean Casey, Bob Costas, Ahmed Fareed, PeterGammons, Ron Gant, John Hart, Jon Heyman, Jim Kaat, Lisa Kerney, Al Leiter, Hazel Mae, Joe Magrane, Kevin Millar, Dan Plesac, Harold Reynolds, Bill Ripken, Chris Rose, Ken Rosenthal, John Smoltz, Paul Severino, Dave Valle, Matt Vasgersian, Tom Verducci, Mitch Williams, Matt Yallof. To many these people may just seem like a bunch of names, but the list consists of highly credited former MLB baseball players, MLB hall of famers, MLB sports broadcasters, MLB scouts, and baseball writers that have a ballot when it comes to voting for which former players are going to be in the MLB hall of fame. Many of these people also broadcast their own information for the baseball fan as they use twitter as a source to reach out their opinions on what is going on in the MLB. I personally love to follow what Petter Gammons has to say on twitter.

 Fantasy baseball is a huge hobby for any baseball fanatic. Every year my friends any myself create a league and battle it out over the entire baseball season. When it comes to being prepared on what players to put into there fantasy baseball lineup or what player has what injury, you better bet that the first source our fantasy league will go to is a source credited to Major league baseball itself. Having knowledge about the players and teams that go far more in depth than the short MLB ESPN highlights on Sports Center definitely give us an advantage when it comes to competing in fantasy baseball. 

Together MLB.com and the MLB Network took the baseball world by storm and any true fan that is looking for accurate and up to date information now knows where to go when trying to find out simple information such as player stats, what teams are scheduled to draft first in the 2011 draft, what organizations have the advantage going into the 2011 season.When looking for information when it comes to Americas past time of baseballs past, present, and future you know that i will be logged on to MLB.com loading myself with all the information as i please and know that it is accurate.

Steriods in baseball

Steroids in baseball is almost as common as the hats that teams put on. I know, in recent news, the steroid era in the MLB is over. But, the problem seems to still plague the collegiate and high school baseball world. As a baseball player myself it seems that steroids seems to still be making an impact on the game.

Anabolic steroids are the drug that athletes and professional body builders use to get massive muscle gains, and get them fast. Anabolic steroids give the normal athlete and bodybuilder an advantage over the field of competitors. Steroids, in short, stop the body of producing naturally the male sex hormone testosterone, and replace the body with a synthetic stronger dose of testosterone. The bodies cells, with steroids increase the protein synthesis within the cell, which creates a build up of muscular tissue. Making a consumer huge!

In theory, the idea of a baseball player becoming bigger, stronger, and faster with the extra help of if steroids will enhance his performance on the field.

 Berry bonds is one of the most famous steroid cases. Bonds took steroids when he started getting older and had a peaking season of 73 home runs in 2001. Because of bond's steroid use, today if you look at almost any record book. You will find an asterisk next to the records, which he set includes both regular season home run record, and the all time home run record.  

 One must admit, that the major leagues and the armature levels of baseball are two different animals. Major League Baseball has the authority and funding to establish proper and harsh drug policies that its players and managers must abide by. This is whats separates the two. Though the NCAA does do its part in drug testing its athletes, still many cases go under the radar as it is not constituted that it is mandatory that every single athlete has to be drug tested. The same holds true for NJCAA where there is a drug policy, but the testing seems to be only done on suspicion that a player or manager is using the substances. High School policies vary as the drug policies are different district to district, some assostications of high school sports test more and more effectively than others.

So when baseball annalists on ESPN or other sports media say that the steroid era in baseball is over think again. Maybe, at the professional level they have put a stop cheaters playing in pro-ballparks, but in my eyes until the amature levels of baseball crack down on their policies, and are supported with more funding. The armature baseball levels will never be equal do to the performance enhancers on the market.

I will say myself that i have never been involved with steroids personally, but from playing on many different baseball teams from the age of 13, i am aware of how the steroid market impacts armature baseball.  For now until the policies and funding change in armature baseball, i believe that it up us players to support proper lifting schedules, dietary plans, and intensive proactive plans to improve our own baseball skills. Without, the need to take some crazy substance that will help one achieve his goals. Some sort integrity needs to take place in each baseball player to vow to get better naturally and stop the cheating.

Hello everyone!

Alright sweet! Its official! I'm now entering the world of blogging! I'm pretty pumped about this class, I'm just hoping that my baseball does not hold me back from doing more than the minimum work required, but im going to do my very best to not let that happen. Setting up this blog kinda reminds me of back in the day when i used to have a myspace, just because all the designs of different profiles. I'm guessing though, that this is experience will be way better than myspace. Im excited though, this will be fun!!