Puppettime: LeBron vs Kobe

My buddy Luke Armour and a few of his FH Cleveland counterparts know the Lebron “chalk” routine well. There’s even a rumor that a certain someone is quick to bust it out at the office cafeteria from time to time. Although, I’ve yet to see the promised video of this re-enactment, this Nike commercial fills the void (somewhat). Oh and it just happens to be one of the most viewed ads online at the moment.

Original Chalk:

AJ Price Breaks Jerel McNeal…

Sorry, but this is too good not to share. AJ Price, Uconn, brings the ball up the court, defended by Marquette’s phenom Jerel McNeal. Through the legs, stutter, step back — McNeal crumbles — Price watches him fall, them pops a beautiful shot in his face. Nothing but net. Seriously, a beautiful beautiful moment.

Go Huskies!

MizFitOnline: Gives Big, You Can Help

The last few posts have been a bit tongue-in-cheek regarding my Yanks with their limitless wallets and ability to throw cold cash around like it’s nothing.

We might be in a recession, but thankfully, a good portion of us are still living a fairly comfortable life. Yup, we might tighten wallets a bit, curb spending, but I encourage you (if you can spare it) to continue to give to those who aren’t as fortunate. Giving comes in many forms, it could be monetary, it could be volunteering, it could be mentoring, heck it could be as simple as leaving a comment on someone’s blog <– really, keep reading and you’ll see why.

As a result, I wanted to let you know about Carla Birnberg aka MizFit herself’s fundraiser via her site MizFitOnline. For every comment she receives on her blog post, she will donate at least 10 cents per comment to SafePlace, a local shelter where she resides that helps victims of domestic violence.

So, this is an easy way to help support a good cause even if the recession has you down and you can’t write a check. Please stop by MizFitOnline and leave her a note.

Hey, Steinbrenner’s – should you read this – Carla is looking for a coroporate sponsor – maybe you can throw some cash her way?

Yankees: Recession Proof…

I’ve glossed on about my love for the Bronx Bombers in the past, so obviously I’m a bit biased when it comes to today’s news that Yanks have offered CC Sabathia a seven year deal for $161 million. However, I feel it’s only right to put aside the obvious upside to my hometown team signing a workhorse like Sabathia and look at the insanity of the deal.

This comes just days after the National Bureau of Economic Research announced that the U.S. is “officially in a recession.” Not sure about you, but these last few weeks have been plagued with panicked emails and frantic phone calls to friends at various jobs to find out if they’re currently employed. Last Thursday, Viacom laid off 850 people, cutting staff by 9%, today Yahoo downsized cutting 1500, and this is just the beginning. Those of us lucky enough to still be employed (thank you!!) are being asked to do more with less . Oh and you know that raise you were desperately in need of?  – yeah you probably aren’t getting it, not even in the next six months.

But here were are – talking baseball. Yanks throw a $161 million dollar contract, the highest ever given to any pitcher in the MLB., and we’re doing our best not to get fired as the holidays approach. Amazing! The best is, who’s going to pay for that contract? The fans of course. New stadium, new multi-million dollar man (most likely men as we still have more cash to burn!) and here were are, consumers deciding between whether we can afford milk, gas, heat and all those other necessities in life. Not sure about you, but a luxury like seeing Sabathia pitch on opening day doesn’t really fall in the realm of necessities as of late – nor will it come April.

Perhaps I’m being a bit melodramatic. As my co-worker said, it’s National Melodramatic Day (it’s not really!!), so maybe it fits. So to all my media industry friends who are quivering with fear of unemployment, take solace in knowing the Yanks are hiring. Apparently, they’re only recession proof company around.

Realized I’ve set myself up for some “evil empire” comments here – but given the state of our country – I think they’re valid right now.

Reebok Webinar: Sara Haley

It’s a rainy day here in NYC and I’m a bit under the weather. What better way to spend a rainy, cold afternoon than inside getting fitness tips?

Yesterday I was informed of a webinar sponsored by Reebok where their global fitness instructor, Sara Haley, would talk about Reebok’s new Women’s fitness initiative as well as field questions from webinar listeners.

So what exactly is Reebok’s “women’s initiative?” Apparently, Reebok spent some time researching women to find out what makes them tick from a fitness perspective. They found that women view fitness or going to the gym as a “chore.” Well, of course that’s what they found – with such little time in our personal lives, it’s no question that many women (and probably men!) feel that way. The cool thing is Reebok is actually introducing “fun” ways to keep women motivated and actually enjoy their workouts.

Sounds crazy, I know. But take it from me — someone who actually LOVED running that there’s no greater feeling than a post workout high, that is, if you’re getting the most of your workout. So, Reebok partnered with top instructors, like Sara Haley, to bring a fresh/fun approach to working out.

Sara’s specialty is “bounce trampoline workout” or as what she referred to during the webinar as “rebounder.” It utilizes a trampoline, but from a different approach. According to Sara, traditional trampolining (is that a word?) focuses on “pushing up,” whereas the rebounder workout focuses on “pushing down.” She says rebounding is virtually injury free and a great low impact workout for people with a stable core as this regiment was created for rehabbing athletes.

Sounds pretty cool to me! Might need to check it out as an alternative workout since my herniated disk injury has prevented me from running. I’ll have to look up Ms. Haley as she is NYC based for a class.

You can read more about Sara Haley as well as the entire Global Fitness Team at www.reebok.com/women.

 

(Full disclosure – Reebok is a client of Fleishman Hillard, my current employer, but I do not work on the account).

Captain, My Captain…

I’m a New York Yankees fan. I have been before Derek Jeter was ever part of the team and will be long after he’s retired. However, I’d be lying if I said that the bulk of my Yankees memories didn’t involved Derek Jeter. Yup, I’ve heard all the arguments “he’s overrated,” “he’s the worst fielding shortstop,” “you just think he’s cute” and so on. I’ve given the defenses “it’s the intangibles,” “he’s consistent,” “damn, right he’s cute, but he can ball.”

Do I think he’s the only reason the Yanks went on a tear since the mid-90’s and won four championship and 10 division titles? No, but he’s been a damn big part. He’s been the glue that bound the teams together over the years. Jeter’s that one face fans got used to seeing season after season. We chanted his name each game whether it was a Sunday matinee or whether we were looking for a miracle on a chilly night in NYC as the clock struck midnight. He’s known how to navigate the onslaught of NY media, answered the questions that should be answered, but never said more than what was needed. He’s been a class act – a champion in every sense of the word – and now as Yankee Stadium closes its doors it’s fitting that his name been etched in the record books where it rightly belongs. Last night he passed Lou Gehrig and now holds the record for most all-time hits at Yankee Stadium – no small feat.

Thank you, Derek for always putting the Yankees before your personal gain. Hey, Arod — take notes.

EA Sports Answers Youtube User…

Working in social media, it’s always exciting to see when major companies really GET the online space. It’s still pretty rare to see. We see some success stories here and there, but still most think they get it, when they actually don’t. While others are too scared to even think about coming out of their comfort zone to take a risk. However, EA Sports is one of the companies leading the charge and are definitely tapped into their audience.

Recently, a Youtube user took a video screen caputer of a “glitch” in the Tiger Woods game from EA Sports showing how the ball could be played by walking over water and swinging as if the pond were dry land. Pretty crazy, right?

The folks at EA Sports got wind of the video and decided to have some fun with it. They produced a video with Tiger walking on water and recreating the shot from the game. Part of my job is monitoring social media sites, blogs, and of course using Google Alerts to keep track of all press (especially negative press). However, many clients aren’t willing (read: ballsy) enough to actually take a potentially negative story and turn it into a positive. EA Sports have done just that!

A situation that could’ve blown up and spread through the internet has now been dismantled and is actually being talked about as a savvy marketing move instead. Not only did EA prevent a potential media disaster, they showed that they are intune with their target audience and are actively paying attention. Blogs and social networks are all a buzz about what they’re now dubbing Tiger’s “Jesus Walk.”  Great job, EA! Now if only other companies would follow your lead. Yup, it’s a risky move, but risks can have rewards.

Why I Run…

When I tell people I’m a runner, they always ask me “why?” It’s funny because I had a similar reaction until I really immersed myself in the sport.

See, my dad is a runner. He’s been running as far back as I can remember. To this day, random people will come up to me and tell me how they saw my dad running here or there. The locations always vary, but typically they’d spot him in neighboring town anywhere from 10-20 miles from where we live. They were always impressed, sometimes shocked that someone could run that long. Being an athlete, his jaunts didn’t so much shock me, but I never understood why he ran so much until recently.

I’ve always been an athlete, but more oriented towards “team” sports. Many memories growing up involved some basketball court or a baseball diamond or a soccer pitch, even well into college. My sophmore year of college I finally gave up the dream of being the “first female…” and concentrated on my studies. I did stay active, hit the gym and played intrumurals whenever I could.

After graduation I was in a rut. I wasn’t content just going to the gym to zone out on an ellipitcal, I needed something more. I missed the adreneline that came with sports, that post game/workout high. Most of all, I missed the competiveness, not necessarily against an opponent, but moreso, against myself.

I decided to give running a chance. I headed indoors and ran on our old tredmill in the basement. Each night I’d work on distance, logging miles in my ”runner’s journal.” For me it wasn’t about speed, it was about pushing myself to the brink of exahustion. To me there was no greater feeling then the post run high, but I needed more.

So, I decided to test my endurance by pounding the pavement with my dad. He’s slowed a few steps since his last two knee surgeries, but still can run for miles once he gets going.  I discovered a lot about myself by running with my dad on our “long runs” on Saturdays and Sundays. Most of the time we didn’t talk while running, just kept our strides, occasionally he’d give me breathing techniques or footwork tips. While out one day I asked him “why he runs?” He told me it was to clear his mind. Running was the only time that no one could interfere. In all his wisdom, he told me that running provides a different outlet for everyone — and you have to find your own.

It took me a while, but I found it. Running is a great stress relief for me as it allows me to work out the day’s problem while sweating. To me, there’s nothing quite like a post run high — that feeling of accomplishment when you hit that extra mile mark or scale that hill that looked like a mountain when your legs are wobbling and fatigued. You find out a lot about your character when you’re out there alone and it’s your mind vs. your body. Or, as another fellow runner said, “I never felt worse after a run than I did before it.”

 

 

 

Nike+ Sportband…

Rarely do I promote products on this blog, but I can’t help it today as I’m overly excited about the new Nike+ Sportband option. This is Nike’s newest addition to the Nike+ system, which is a line of products geared to help runners track progress by calculating distance, time, and calories burned. Previously, Nike+ system had to be used with an iPod nano, which I happen to have, but it frustrated me that it was the only option.

Looks like Nike finally realized there’s a bigger market out there who would willingly use their product if it wasn’t tied down to an iPod. That’s where the SportBand comes into play. I believe it still works with the same Nike+ sensor, which I currently own, and it transmits your run data to the band (as opposed to your iPod. The Sportband also has a USB connection, so you can plug it right into your computer after a run and upload your information to keep track of your progress.

I know there’s been online chatter when Nike+ first debuted about inaccuracies with run distances, but I have to say, I find the product to be quite accurate (I’ve driven my daily runs and came up with close/exact distances). Kudos to Nike for making a solid product. Can’t wait to get my hands on a Nike+ Sportband.

Nike marketing/PR team, if you’re reading — hook me up!