Sunday Spotlight: Larry Fitzgerald

Having gone through another tough week in Los Angeles between the move, school, internships and life in general, it feels great to be back on the blog and into a rhythm again here in the new spot. With homework in the back of my mind and the thought of starting my Master's Thesis this week, the preliminary research is well underway and I am excited about adding further value to my graduate studies through the completion of such a project. But as with every Sunday it is my goal to spotlight, or at least draw attention to the most influential and noteworthy athletes of our generation through a continued piece simply titled the Sunday Spotlight. This weeks article comes with much delight as I have chosen to draw attention to the career and tireless efforts of Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald. The son of Larry Fitzgerald, Sr., a sportswriter for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, and Carol Fitzgerald, his now deceased mother (God Bless her life), Larry grew up in a caring home supported by a love of sports and underlying passion for the game of football. Serving as a ball boy for the Minnesota Vikings during the Randy Moss/Chris Carter days, Fitzgerald was exposed to an area of football not many youngsters get the opportunity or privilege of experiencing. Having attended high school in Minneapolis, Fitzgerald quickly enrolled in a number of private schools and military academies as a means of garnering his love of the game with an unrivaled education in preparation for his collegiate career. Having originally committed to Gustavus Adolphus College, Fitzgerald enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh, quickly becoming one of the most sough after receivers in the country. After his sophomore season for the Panthers, Larry was on every body's radar having boasted a 2003 campaign that left many defensive backs and their coordinators searching for answers in a rather strong and competitive Big East Conference. Fitzgerald was recognized as the best receiver in college football during that same season having been selected to the First-team all-America team while also winning the Bilentnikoff Award (Nations Best WR), Paul Warfield Trophy (Nation Top Collegiate Wide Receiver) and Walter Camp Award (American football Player of the Year). With the accolades to boot and a Heisman Trophy candidacy that saw him place second, behind Oklahoma Quarterback Jason White, Fitzgerald was set to embark on a very promising NFL career. Fitzgerald left the University of Pittsburgh after a tremendous sophomore year in which he caught 92 passes for 1,672 yards and 22 TDs. He was drafted third overall in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, whose then coach, Dennis Green, knew Fitzgerald from his time as a Vikings ball boy. Having set the NCAA record with at least one touchdown catch in 18 straight games, the Cardinals had secured a true play maker who had a knack for finding the endzone. While his career has hit new and exciting heights including Four (4) Pro Bowl Selections, Two (2) First Team all-Pro Selections, the 2008 NFC Championship, and 2009 Pro Bowl MVP, and the Madden 10 over, Larry's work and contribution to fans and followers off the field is what really draws me in. Larry is a true professional in every sense of the word, having taken a great approach to self service and a dedication to his fans through his endless use of social media outlets like Twitter. Having committed myself to service this Saturday at Cantara Elementary School in Reseda, CA through the City Year LA Service Program, I had a great time offering my time, energy and effort to support those who need it most. This experience, supplemented through the work of my college friend Nick Heister in the one year service program was without a doubt a welcome alternative to the planned trip to Disneyland yesterday morning. While this may not have much to do in relation to Fitzgerald as a player on the field, Id like to draw comparisons to this experience and the talented wide receiver in terms of his ability to offer advice, self service and a free spirited approach to life as the overriding angle of this article. With an active Twitter account that offers an endless array of inspirational quotes, spirited conversation between fans and his now trademark Faith. Focus. Finish. (FFF) catch phrase, Larry is without a doubt one of the most sought after personalities on the web. Having gone through the process of further legitimizing his brand through his followers, Larry tried earlier this week to get his newest endeavor, #TeamFitzgerald, to trend on Twitter as a means of drawing support for and bringing awareness to his long time supporters. Fitzgerald is also constantly posting comments to his fans in relation to his travels, weekly preparation and is often cited after games reflecting on Sundays on the field action and is always willing to answer questions from fans in relation to the days events. This morning Fitzgerald simply stated, "Good morning everyone. Nothing better feeling than gameday! I'm focused on having a big day today! Sunday Funday! Faith Focus Finish." It's this sort of charismatic approach to life, along with his desire to add value to those who follow that entices me to tune in everyday to hear about his work. Having adopted his FFF trademark in my own life, I decided to tweak it to meet my needs through the words Faith. Family. Focus. For me these three words represent what is important in my life. Having respected the life and trials of Fitzgerald, noting his overarching support for Breast Cancer Awareness in reaction to his mothers untimely passing from Breast Cancer, I too share in his journey as my grandmother was diagnosed with and survived her battle with Breast Cancer a few years ago. Fitzgerald has also spent time with the service men and women of the armed forces through the USO program. With my brother currently serving in the U.S. Air Force, I am a huge advocate for any and all athletes that choose to support the lives of our troops overseas. In my life, Faith is the overriding factor and without it nothing is possible, Family is my sole purpose for life and continued work, and Focus represents a dedication to my studies, work and the relationships I carry with me everyday of my life. I feel that these three principles are interconnected and cannot exist independently, but are a direct result of the three working in harmony everyday in order to see the day through to the very end. With new shirts on board for fans to purchase at his website www.larryfitzgerald11.com, I am looking at purchasing one of his FFF tops as a means of continuing to support Team Fitzgerald and Larry's off the field efforts. While not everyone may feel that they are not built for service, my response to that would be how many times have you given yourself to others and how did that experience make you feel? Having committed my time this weekend to provide the kindergartners at Cantara Elementary with a number line, letter squares and hopscotch lines, I feel that I have had a positive impact on the lives of the future leaders of America. While I may never meet those children, much like I may not ever meet Larry Fitzgerald, it is the recognition of such work and its ability to empower and improve the lives of those you touch that ultimately outweighs everything we do. In my eyes, its never been about what I can do for myself, but how I can put myself in a position to help benefit the livelihood of others in an attempt to bring about an awareness of or support those in need. Whether that entails family, friends, members of my community or those I have never met, the idea of providing those around you with an inviting personality and unrelenting desire to help will carry you far in life and is the sole reason why I will continue to dedicate my time to service both now and into the future. *For a look at a video supporting the NFL's Crucial Catch featuring Larry Fitzgerald simply click on the title of this article

Sports Med: Technique, Fundementals lost art in the NFL

In light of the barrage of NFL fines, talk of subsequent suspensions, player/personnel decisions and injuries the NFL has decided to take a hard stance on the nature and delivery of hits in the league. While the controversy continues to draw hard lines between fans, coaches, players and analysts across the country its the medical community that should undoubtedly have the final say when educating others on the effects of helmet to helmet injuries. To say that the NFL represents a whole new brand of football is an understatement, as the last 10 years have seen a dramatic increase in the incident and severity of injury due to blatant and miscalculated hits. To the point that the ones delivering the blow are at just as much risk as those receiving the shot. To find a wide receiver willing to go over the middle this day in age, with pure hitters like Ray Lewis, Patrick Willis and Troy Polamalu lurking in the intermediate and deep secondary, it no longer an issue of how many times, but how much money is it going to take to convince a twenty something year old that its a good idea. With a trend away from the foundational techniques and fundamentals from the NFL and college game, the number of concussions and injuries have sky rocketed. The so called originators, for example Roy Williams, and their reincarnated generation of NFL rookies like Taylor Mays, will be forced to learn a new breed of football having had that no arms, projectile approach to tackling acting as their staple during their collegiate and professional careers. The movement to the old way of doing things: form up, head square, shoot the hips, wrap up and follow through feet churning is without a doubt what the NFL is asking its players to adopt. A concept taught from the earliest days of Pop Warner as a means of protection children from the dangers of head, neck and shoulder injuries, form tackling is almost a lost art outside the box in most NFL games. With the size, speed and skill of NFL running backs improving yearly with players like AD: All-Day Adrian Peterson, Marion Barber and rookie Ryan Mathews, Defensive Backs in particular have found going for the knees a great alternative to getting trampled by on coming tailbacks. The emphasis on lower leg and knee contact is the sole reason why the incident and number of ACL/MCL injuries have sky rocketed amongst the leagues top runners (i.e. Reggie Bush, Ryan Grant). Lets face it, you no longer win a Fantasy Football season by drafting the best ball carriers or wide receivers, because we all know that the odds of them making to week 6 or 7 in one piece is a joke. Its now better to go two or in some cases three deep with the boys in the backfield because they will drop like flies throughout the brutal 16 game schedule. With an increased emphasis on stacked backfields and personnel, the principle behind trading, waiving and putting players on injured reserve has become more of a weekly occurrence than at any other time that I can recall in my nearly 20 years of watching football. Sure guys get banged up, its a violent game made for the biggest, baddest, most physical specimen on the planet, but ones physiology and anatomical features like tendons, ligaments and muscles can only put up with so much wear and tear before they break, tear, shear or just plain give out. With NFL career lengths dropping significantly, its easy to see why their is such an emphasis on players expectations and wanting to get paid before they take a snap. Let them make their money before their bodies are so worthless or have taken so much abuse that they aren't worth it to anybody else, in which case you get cut or have to look to early retirement as a means of not killing yourself after taking hundreds, or in most cases thousands of life threatening hits. How else are you supposed to afford treatment, medical bills, prescriptions and therapy if you had to retire early because of injury during a less than stellar career where you were underpaid, spent you money poorly, and didn't finish college because everyone and their mom was telling you to leave school and go pro. Its this back to basics approach that should teach players, if anything, about the importance of finishing school and obtaining their degree before making the jump. In that case (situation), you at least have a viable career waiting for you and can support yourself outside of your first pro contract, because we all know that money tends to dry up real quick for rookies (i.e. Dez Bryant's $54,000 team dinner tab). Players like Florida State Safety Myron Rolle represent the pinnacle of the so called student-athlete and he will forever benefit from his experiences both within football, and more importantly the classroom. Having been drafted late and then released due to scouts, GMs and owners understanding that he may not be fully committed to the game of football, I for one was glad to see him go and use his mind to further the life of himself and those around him. The mind is a precious resource, a tool used to calculate equations, figure out complex formulas, and coordinate your daily functions, not something you wrap in a thin layer of plastic and metal only to be throw around a field with reckless abandonment in the pursuit of landing that one awe inspiring shot. Regardless if the guy was talking trash, busy burning you on every play or simply looked at you the wrong way, this increased emphasis on helmet to helmet contact will be responsible for the death of an NFL player in the future, period. I for one do not want to be watching a game on Sunday and see that happen. What a terrible thing to see and what a waste of a perfectly good life that would be. In light of the paralysis of Rutgers DT Eric LeGrand last week, another perfectly healthy players life was FOREVER changed due to the nature of a game that has gone too far. While this is not the first time this has happened, nor will it be the last, take it as a wake up call to the dangers of playing the great game of football in todays environment. In my eyes the NFL's release of a video detailing illegal hits, which included last weekends helmet to helmet hit on the Eagles WR DeSean Jackson should serve as a means of ending this stream of violent play. While I encourage players, including my own to play aggressive and with a chip on their shoulder, there is a fine line between aggressive, reckless and/or violent. Today on Twitter Reggie Bush said it best when he states that, "Worst case scenario you get hit up top = concussion. Worst case scenario you get hit down low = knee surgery or possible end of career." With players not knowing what to expect week in and week out on both sides of the ball, players, coaches and the league must adopt a protocol of legal, back to basic tackling fundamentals before changes are going to be made in the NFL regardless of player fines, improvements in equipment and treatment initiatives restricting players returning to the field. Ultimately it is in the medical communities hands to educate others on the long term and life altering affects of these hits, only then will younger players fully understand the impact and consequences of their thoughtless actions on the field of play. *For footage of the DeSean Jackson hit, simply click on the title of this article

Money Talks: How J.P. Morgan Explains the Sports Universe

Last night at 7 o' clock, having fought off a terrible stint of the stomach flu and missed my opportunity to participate in the FIFA 11 Takeover Tour on Sunday in Downtown LA, I decided to head down to Orange County to pay my roommate Tim a visit and catch up before final preparations to move out of our place this morning. Having spent time catching up, reflecting on our weekends and discussing sports business, Tim and I decided to take in a movie on NetFlix and expand our understanding of business by learning about the life and times of J. Pierpont Morgan. Having never fully taken time to or understood the overall impact of his acclaimed life and fortune, I found striking similarities between the vaunted J.P. Morgan and many of the professional athletes and sports business practices we see today. Born into a wealthy family in Hartford, Connecticut, J.P. Morgan had an upbringing that destined him to become something big. Having attended private school, studied at University in Germany and taken a keen interest in mathematics at an early age, the future financial and banking guru had the makings of a fine businessman as the heir to his fathers fortune in London. Having moved to the United States to act as an agent to his father business in New York, Pierpont quickly amassed an empire that left him with few followers and many critics. Morgan's ascent to power was accompanied by dynamic financial battles. He wrested control of the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad, led the syndicate that broke the government-financing privileges of Jay Cooke, and soon became deeply involved in developing and financing a railroad empire by reorganization and consolidation in all parts of the United States. In doing so Morgan helped the railroads reorganize and achieve greater efficiencies as he fought against the speculators interested in speculative profits, and built a vision of an integrated transportation system. Morgan's process of taking over troubled businesses to reorganize them was known as "Morganization". Morgan reorganized business structures and management in order to return them to profitability and his reputation as a banker and financier also helped bring interest from investors to the businesses he took over. Flashforward to 2010 and we'll see that the work a J.P. Morgan and his ability to generate interest, consolidate and add value to fading or stagnant business structures are not all that different than the actions of today's professional athletes. With the best in the industry amassing unforeseen fortunes, international affair and lucrative business contracts outside the field of play, today's leading sports professionals including Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning and Michael Jordan are cashing in on a manufactured and intelligently conceived brand that works extremely well in conjunction with their image, marketability, on field/court ability and their attainment of success at the highest level. While many feel that their career earnings, in particular those coming from endorsement deals, corporate sponsorships, exclusive partnerships and public appearances are astronomically high. Their ability to transcend the business of sport and extend the limits and opportunities of future competitors is no different than those afforded to businessmen, bankers and financiers looking to J.P. Morgan for inspiration and a feasible timeline to attaining unimaginable growth. As with Morgan, professional athletes are often found to have carved their niche in sports long before their peers and similar others could comprehend the notion of trying to attain that level of athletic talent. Having an understanding and conceptual belief that one is going to reach the pinnacle of sports while in their youth is a mind set that few even conceive before they hit their teens or twenties. As with Morgan and his striving to achieve academic success through the opportunities bestowed to him by his father and family, athletes today are now reaping the benefit of wishful thinking, family lineage and unparalleled athletic opportunities through youth camps and AAU programs that are not easily affordable and are nationally competitive. Yet with all the opportunities afforded to these athletes, in particular today's youth having seen the advantages of participating in and training with such programs, today's athletes now have a clear understanding of how to best accomplish their goals of athletic and financial success with their God given talents and unbelievable ability to literally put the ball on the money. Yet while attaining such a level of prestige comes with its advantages, so to do the critics, naysayers, doubters or my personal favorite, the haters. Even J.P. Morgan, the man responsible for merging the U.S. railroads, steel companies and federal treasury could not please everybody. While conservatives in the Progressive Era hailed Morgan for his civic responsibility, his strengthening of the national economy, and his devotion to the arts and religion, the left wing felt threatened by his enormous economic power. Enemies of banking attacked Morgan for the terms of his loan of gold to the federal government in the 1895 crisis, for his financial resolution of the Panic of 1907, and for bringing on the financial ills of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. With an estate worth $68.3 million ($1.39 billion in today's dollars based on CPI, or $25.2 billion based on relative share of GDP), an art collection estimated at roughly $50 million, and his own private yacht collection which included his pride and joy the Corsair, Morgan set the standard of wealth and was truly the original boat sailing tycoon long before Jay-Z and his Big Pimpin video hit the airwaves some one hundred years later. Yet while at the time his lavish $75,000 a year salary seemed like an untold amount of wealth, today's average employ would be completely content with making such an incredible amount of money in today's market. With athletes making in access of $100 million dollars in contracts, sign bonuses and incentives, its easy to see that their side projects and collaborative efforts only serve as a means of adding to the pile. The thing that makes them all one in the same though is their appreciation for the finer things in life, their ability to give themselves of service and their underlying passion for preserving and sharing their journey with others. Just as Morgan opened the J.P. Morgan Library and Art Museum to showcase his collection, Nike amassed the Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan Building's at its Headquarters in Beaverton, OR as a way of sharing in the collective career and history of its finest professional athletes. Having sought business ventures and transformed the landscape of investment banking J.P. Morgan had a way of getting things done, plain and simple. In my conversation with Tim last night I asked him what the overriding factor in business was in terms of getting a job and working your way up the corporate ladder. Was it age, knowledge, networking, work experience or relationships? He simply stated that it was trust. The ability of someone else, be it your superior or similar others, to give you the responsibility to execute a task knowing that have what it takes to get the job done, no questions asked and under budget, that's it. With such a heavy investment paid to these athletes during the course of their careers, sponsors, team owners and fans carry with them this same idea of trust. Their ability to trust in their one's ability to win championships, to perform night in and night out, to reach out to the community and invest their fortunes in causes like non-profits, charities and small business expansion through cross collaborations and marketing campaigns are still the way of the world and were a staple in J. Pierpont Morgans life. So while I sit here this morning with a better understanding of early nineteenth century business and a profound respect for the personal/professional empire that was J. Pierpont Morgan, I have come away with a further understand of what it takes to make wise investments and the importance of trust in everything that I do. J.P. Morgan was not successful because of his capital, but rather his ability to convince others that he had to time, energy, effort and resources to get the job done, on time, and in a more efficient manner than anyone else could. People trusted him and his practices, much like today's leagues, general mangers and owners trust that his players will produce and play at the highest level of sport possible in the ultimate pursuit of winning championships as reaching unparalleled marketability and success. Yet while there will always be critics, bloggers, the media and countless others in your inner circle that will wear you down and serve as a disheartening influence in your life, your ability to overcome adversity and surround yourself with those that will champion your game will ultimately lead you to personal satisfaction and success. I like to sum up my life, my daily approach to becoming the best at my craft and for helping those around me achieve their goals into one simple phrase. "Better Today in Preparation for Tomorrow," for it is the only way for one to put their best foot forward, without taking two steps back. *For an exclusive look at the new NBA 2K11 Video: featuring Michael Jordan simply click on the title of this article

Rounding Third: Six years of college has left me to think, "What am I going to do with my life?"

I'm rounding third and headed home as the winter holidays are on the horizon and the thought of starting off 2011 in Tempe is becoming all but real. Having been in graduate school for a little over a year, I find myself eight months from graduation and happy about what the future might hold. Having garnered up a lifetime of internship experience in the short time I have been here, I feel satisfied in knowing that I did everything I could to truly experience the sports and entertainment industry to its fullest. Yet while I find myself on the verge of becoming the first Masters Degree holder in my generation, I have found little to cheer about as the job market is still slacking and I am still trying to mold my identity in this fast paced, network heavy industry. Having studied hard in school and invested endless amounts of time, energy and effort into moving from the ranks of human performance and health, to the world of non-profit and corporate business, I have to say that at times I have often felt lost and confused. When I applied to graduate school I was excited about the opportunities that lay ahead in Southern California, in particular Los Angeles, otherwise known as the sports and entertainment capital of the world. Having packed my bags for what may have been the biggest leap of faith I could have ever imagined, I set out in search of my identity poised to attack the industry as ferociously as I had my academics, sports and life. After many sleepless nights wondering what my next move would be, where I was going to take my young and budding career or what I wanted to do with my life, these long winded self conversations became all the more frequent the further I went into my program. As an unpaid intern you learn that hard work, a dedication to your craft and a willingness to add value are all keys to your success. Yet the one glaring aspect that has continued to be a stress in my life is the lack of financial support and security. Having worked nearly five years unpaid during my college career, it remains a daily struggle to maintain balance when you are living off of sub par meals and restricted food options just to make sure you have enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month. My family, friends and faith have been paramount in this journey as I have received unbelievable support from my parents, brother and countless friends back home during my time away. I am not much of a phone person and usually resort to Facebook, Twitter or texting to keep in touch, its just the way I am but I have made an effort to improve my communication skills with those back home. I love them all to death, and while many may assume that I am all work and no play right now...well their right. I look at these two years in California as my make it or break it opportunity and won't stop pushing until I have my degree in hand and a job to show for all the effort I put in. Without the thoughts and prayers from countless others I know I could not do this. Being away from Oregon and here in LA is a whole different world, but one that I am adjusting to over time. As for my faith, God is the light of my world and his love and grace is endless. I pray a lot, but keep my faith to myself as I feel that it is a personal relationship between me and the man upstairs. I am always down to discuss topics and issues if others are interested in learning about the word, but reserve the right to withhold comment if others say things I find a bit offensive or ill timed. I like to say that, "Through God All Things are Possible!" I strongly believe that every opportunity that I have been given down here from being accepted to grad school, hired as an intern at UCI/TWF/AEG, and more importantly the people I have met were all part of his divine plan for my life and for that I am forever grateful. But as I sit here about to get going on another productive day in the AEG offices in LA, I could not help but let my mind wander on the drive up having spent yesterday packing my bags in preparation for my permanent jump to the Los Angeles area. While I was packing, the music playing in the background as I threw used clothes in bags for Goodwill, boxed up books for safe keeping and tossed out useless junk I had accumulated over time in Orange County, I felt dazed and confused. Part of me was thinking, wishing and hoping I was packing my bags to heading back to Portland. That beautiful Pacific Northwest city on the the banks for the Willamette I call home and miss so much. The most difficult thing so far about living here in California has been trying to convince myself that this was in fact home. I have never really felt settled and have often remained guarded when it comes to meeting people outside of work because I lack stability in my personal life outside the walls of the office. The lack of stability in my life, coupled with my struggle to find my identity in the industry has left me with nothing but question marks as I ready myself to start work on my Masters Thesis and try and wrap my head around what I feel is important in my life. After much thought I have found that I am still not in the pursuit of money, fancy clothes, a nice car and the skyline loft overlooking the city. For me, it seems to always come back to my working with children with mental and physical disabilities and the impact that experience had on my life. Having once desired to go to Physical Therapy school, I found that working with these children, on anything from court (throwing, kicking, running), aquatic (swimming, diving,submerging) and communication (social interaction, speech) skills has been the most rewarding and gratifying experience of my life. With a desire to pursue my studies, after a year or two of real world experience via a Doctorate program or second Masters Degree, I feel that I must find a way to further develop my skill set with this population. Oregon State has a phenomenal Movement Studies in Disabilities program at both levels. While the pay isn't great and the job not all that easy, the relationships that I formed during my time in the OSU IMPACT program have come full circle and made me realize that this is where I need to be. While I have relished in the experience of sports business, I in no way consider my time down here to be a waste as the thought of opening my own Adapted Performance Center in the future is the sole reason why I found it important to gain the business skills I have acquired. With the intention of reaching out to a fellow alum at UCLA that works in a similar program for research opportunities, as well as the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, my goal is to continue to help these individuals with disabilities aim high and reach their dreams in the ultimate pursuit of athletic success. Ultimately what it comes down to for me is finding a career that isn't self motivated, but rather a job and a position that inspires me to produce meaningful work everyday. Working your way up the ladder is the way of the world no matter which way you slice it, but working in a field that brings you true satisfaction makes that process so much more irrelevant and unimportant. Whether its working with the USOC, a privately owned human performance center, hospital or university, I will find my way into a position that will allow me to continue to work with these individuals. With a desire to also work with service men and women that have been injured in war related incidents, I set out today I my search to produce a Masters Thesis and find a career. One that will let me identify, work with, and build an identity around self sacrifice, unselfishness and a desire to work everyday for the betterment of others. Without these three principles, life in my eyes is not worth living and the work is not worth doing. While it may take me awhile to finally reach the position of my dreams, its the idea of giving unto others that has lead me to look inside myself to ultimately find out how I should move forward with my life's work.

First off the Tee: Youth movement in motion as Japanese amateur Matsuyama earns Masters bid

When you think of golf the first thing that pops into your head is probably Tiger Woods, followed quickly by veteran tour professionals like Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood, Ernie Els, as well as the great Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer. Or maybe perhaps its your favorite club, from that flawless set of Callaway irons, to your sweet TaylorMade driver that always adds some much needed distance to your above average tee shot. With all of the names, brands and pool of international talent in place, its time to start looking across the Pacific at the three headed monster brewing in Japan. While international talent is nothing new to golf, now more than ever players from overseas are beginning to make their mark. With Lee Westwood set to take over the number one spot in the Official World Golf Rankings from Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell's outlasting the field at the 2010 U.S. Open Championship, to Y.E. Yang's stunning victory over Woods in the 2009 PGA Championship, the level of international talent in golf is far and away the best and deepest it has been arguably in the history of the sport. But with the rise in talent, particularly amongst the Asian players on tour, a new youth movement in golf is set to take the stage here in 2011. With Hideki Matsuyama's 4-under 67 final round at the Asian Amateur Championship this past Sunday, the 18-year-old earned an invitation to the Masters next spring and a place in the final stage of qualifying for the British Open. Playing bogey-free at Kasumigaski Country Club and having broke par in all four rounds, Matsuyama was able to cruise to a five-shot victory over Australian Tarquin MacManus and the rest of the field. With his sites set on Augusta National and all the buzz surrounding his stellar performance, Hideki is set to join a two headed monster already making its mark both on the Japan Tour, and here in the states with the PGA Tour of American. With Yuta Ikeda and Japanese favorite Ryo Ishikawa already making strides at, having competed well in a number of tournaments this year on tour. Matsuyama is setting himself up nicely to follow in the footsteps of Ishikawa, who received a special international invitation from Augusta National Golf Club to play in April's Masters Tournament in 2009. Having turned pro in 2008 at the age of 16, Ishikawa played on the Japan Golf Tour, winning twice and finishing fifth on the tour's money list. In 2009 the now 17-year-old, who is ranked 51st in the Official World Golf Ranking, became the youngest golfer to play in the Masters since Tommy Jacobs did in 1952. As a 15-year-old amateur, Ishikawa won the Japan Golf Tour's Munsingwear Open KSB Cup in 2007, making him the youngest winner on a tour recognized by the world golf ranking. Yet while Ishikawa, who made is debut in 2009 at the Northern Trust Open, has already begun to solidify his place on tour, Yuta Ikeda, 24, has five wins in just two years in the big leagues at home. He's already ranked 61st in the Official World Golf Ranking and has been playing solid golf between the two tours all season. With four wins on the Japan Golf Tour in 2009 including the Japan PGA Championship, Vana H Cup KBC Augusta, Canon Open, Bridgestone Open, look for Ikeda to hit his stride in the states as these young talents learn to adapted to the rigors of travel, larger courses and an increased talent pool which includes the world best golfers. The key for these three in particular will not only be adapting the demands of increased travel, as many European players also play in both the European Tour as well as the PGA Tour in America, but courses in Japan are often not designed to look for feel like the course they see while playing on tour in America. Ikeda, who has made five trips to the United States this year says that the courses and the grasses used are the obvious differences between competition in America and his homeland. But there is another important distinction between the two tours that might also appeal to more of the mental aspect to the game. Ikeda went on to say that that, "To me, though, the biggest difference is the scale of golf in America and Japan. Here in the States, the events, the tournaments are big events. Galleries are big, the level of competition is greater here in the United States. Players are longer here. To win here in the United States is much more difficult to do than in Japan. So my answer, what is the difference, the scale of the two Tours is noticeably different." Whatever the case, be it the weather, demands of travel, lack of resources (golf courses are few and expensive in Japan) or the pressure of playing amongst the best in the world, these three young professionals mark a movement in Japanese golf that had been missing for quite some time. With other more seasoned professionals on tour already, including Katsumasa Miyamoto, Ryuji Imada and Yuko Mitsuka, look for these youngsters to evolve during the course of the 2011 PGA Tour season as experience, age and overall feel for the style of play condescend of American golf slowly begin to come together. With all the buzz surrounding Callaway's expansion into India, the level of talent coming out of Korea, and the Europeans continued march toward the top of the Official World Golf Ranking, I can't wait to see the next evolution in Japanese golf as the up and comers from across the pond make there way over the the PGA Tour of American next season.

Monday Morning Quarterback: Oregon State QB Ryan Katz growing in Riley's system

As I woke up this morning to a heavy fog in Orange County I could not help but be reminded of all those cold, brisk 8 a.m. walks to campus on Monday morning in Corvallis. With game day in the books and solid weekend of studying for anatomy exams, partying and shooting the breeze with friends, my sophomore year at Oregon State was without a doubt something special. Flash forward to my second year of graduate school and while I may not be hitting the books as often as I used to, another tried and true, but far most publicized sophomore, is quietly working his way into the hearts and minds of Beaver Nation and the Pac-10. Ryan Katz, the redshirt sophomore quarterback for the #24 Oregon State Beavers turned in yet another noteworthy performance this weekend in Tucson. The Santa Monica, CA native completed 30 of 42 passes for 393 yards and two touchdowns in Saturdays 29-27 Pac-10 road opener against the #9 Arizona Wildcats. Having lost his first two non conference road games to AP Top 10 opponents TCU and Boise State, the young Katz turned in an outstanding performance that left many of us wondering if the conference may have just gotten a little deeper at the quarterback position. Having played in only a handful of games last year, Katz came into OSU highly touted as the next signal caller to replace veteran Sean Canfield. Having had two years to work under Head Coach Mike Riley, arguably the most underrated coach in the country, as well as 7th round draft pick in Canfield, Katz has displayed an unbelievable amount of poise this season in the face of one of the nations toughest schedules. Having started his first game at Cowboys Stadium against then #6 TCU, one could only imagine the swing of emotions the redshirt sophomore could have been feeling as he left pass after pass sailing over or rocketing past his intended receivers for most of the game. With a week to recover from the disappointing 31-20 loss, Katz and the offense rebounded significantly with a huge 35-28 victory over Louisville at home. Having established the running game against the Cardinals, Jacquizz Rodgers 132 yards on the ground and two touchdowns were a welcome sign for an offense that was uncharacteristically pass heavy in its debut in Texas just a week earlier. Katz was impressive however at 15/26 for 142 yards and two touchdowns, having left briefly in the third quarter after taking a shot to the ribs that left him noticeably shaken on the sidelines. Flash forward to Boise State and the Pac-10 conference opener one week later against ASU. Having turned in a rather average performance once again on the road in Boise against the nations 3rd ranked defense, Katz and the Beavers looked to bonce back at home having come off its ninth straight home opening win just three weeks earlier. With the Pac-10 in a state of limbo and with the notion of Arizona State narrowly pulling off an upset bid the weekend before versus #3 Oregon, Katz again stepped up to the plate and delivered a strong 19/29 for 260 yards and two touchdown performance. Having not thrown an interception in his first four games, Katz had the Beavers sitting at 2-2 and just out of the AP Top 25 heading into last Saturdays contest against the Wildcats. With a win over the Arizona, Katz took a step in the right direction and supplanted himself into the mix among the quarterback elite in the Pac-10. But if there's one the Pac-10 and Beaver Nation know about Mike Riley's team, its that they usually start slow but always hit there stride come conference play. Katz's introduction coming against a schedule rated the toughest in the nation so far having already faced TCU, No. 12 nationally in total defense, Boise State (No. 3), Louisville (No. 52), Arizona State (No. 49) and now having toppled Arizona (No. 4) last weekend. It would be easy for one to assume Katz has seen everything in terms of schematics, coaching and overall defensive talent after last weekend, but the Pac-10 is always a crap shoot and he will have to continue to improve if the Beavers are going to remain in bowl contention this season. From the looks of things the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Beavers as they head to Seattle to take a hungry Washington Husky team that is looking to establish their identity in the conference as well. Having beat USC on the road two weeks ago and with the Dawgs coming off another tough loss the ASU, all eyes with be on Washington Quarterback Jake Locker on Saturday in a game that is sure to generate some buzz airing on ESPN at 7:15PM PT. With another shaky September in the books and this their seventh straight year without a winning record in during the seasons opening month, look for OSU to turn another tough start into a fabulous finish having boasted eight wins or more since 2006. While Riley's pro-style system takes time to learn, Katz has developed quickly having been through three spring practices and being Canfield's backup last season. With an arm that rivals former OSU quarterback and NFL draft pick Derek Anderson, the future looks bright for Katz heading into his first season under center for the Beavers. Sitting at the end of week 6 having gone 85/148 for 1,113 and eight touchdowns with only one interception, and with a quarterback rating of 130.07, look for Katz to improve his completion percentage (57.4%), covert key third downs and continue to spread the ball around in the absence of star wide receiver James Rodgers. Having already played and won in their conference opener without James two weeks ago, look for TE Joe Halahuni, RB Jacquizz Rodgers and WR's Markus Wheaton, Jordan Bishop and veteran Darrell Catchings to all set up in the coming weeks for Katz and the OSU offense. With the Oregon State starting quarterback lineage extending nearly a decade into OSU history, look for Ryan Katz to make his mark in Oregon State lore and keep the Beavers running strong this season.

Sunday Spotlight: Amy Purdy - Adaptive Action Sports

Having moved to Southern California just over a year ago to start my graduate studies at the University of San Francisco for Sport Management, I have been blessed with the opportunity of working with and participating in a number of amazing sports and entertainment events. From interning at the Tiger Woods Foundation and AEG, to working the 2010 U.S. Open Championship at Pebble Beach, these experiences have all played in key role in my evolution from a once aspiring school teacher and coach, to becoming a true sports business professional. Yet while I take pride in having been given the opportunity to pursue my dreams, achieve my goals and passionately strive to make a difference in the lives of those around me, my experience at the ESPN Summer X Games 15 last year with Adaptive Action Sports has forever remained the pinnacle of my time here in Los Angeles. Having taken an early interest in working in action sports, I decided to hit the Internet in search of internships and volunteer opportunities as a means of gaining experience and adding value to my resume. After applying for numerous internships with a number of well known action sports companies, I quickly found myself scratching my head having not received a single response back for an interview. Knowing full well that the X Games were coming to the Home Depot Center in three weeks, I set out on a simple Google search looking for anybody and everybody interested in an extra hand for the event. I ran across an add for a volunteer for Adaptive Action Sports and applied via email without hesitation. Having been accepted, I showed up at HDC bright and early Saturday morning ready to hit the ground running. Having spent over a year at Oregon State working with mentally and physically disabled children in the OSU IMPACT program, as well as having a deep rooted interest in continuing to work with this population, I found myself extremely excited to see what Adaptive Action Sports was all about. Having been introduced to Co-Founder Amy Purdy a short hour later I quickly found myself in awe with what this organization was doing and felt truly blessed to be able to work with such an amazing group of individuals. Having worked through the entire weekend with them, I was able to soak in all the X-Games excitement, help answer questions and serve as a liaison at their info booth and met a number of their athletes including Moto X rider Jim Wazny. Yet while working the event was great, I took an opportunity to sit down with Amy one on one on Sunday afternoon post event to gain some perspective and learn more about her experiences. Amy's story blew me away and having heard only the tip of the iceberg, I decided to look more into her story and use tonight's post as a means of drawing awareness to and highlighting the incredible journey she's been through, as well as the extraordinary endeavors her and AAS are exploring. Amy was diagnosed with Neisseria meningitis at age 19, after a 24 hour string of events left her in lying in a Las Vegas hospital bed in the fight for her life. After experiencing flu-like symptoms, Amy was rushed to the hospital in a state of septic shock. Having experienced respiratory and organ failure en route, in conjunction with a blood condition known as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), Amy lost circulation in her hands, feet, nose, ears, and kidneys which caused her lungs and adrenal glands to hemorrhage. Once doctors were able to control the bleeding, having removed her ruptured spleen in the process, Amy was left in a coma for three weeks with only a 2 percent chance of survival. Having sustained serve circulation problems, Amy had both of her legs amputated below the knee, forever endangering her life long pursuit of action sports which included snowboarding and skateboarding. After experiencing this string of events Amy continued to strive to compete in the sports she loved, serving as an inspiration to others while continuing to live her life without limits. Having received a grant from the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Amy was able to travel to various snowboard competitions which included the USASA National Snowboard Competition, where she medaled three times. Flash forward to 2005, having moved to San Diego, CA to pursue her interests in acting and modeling, Amy was featured on the cover of a number of magazines while also serving as the face of a new movement is sports in such publications like Muscle and Fitness, Women's Health and Fugue Magazine. Yet while these accomplishments were fantastic for her and opened up a number of door in the support of her cause, the most significant accomplishment to date came through the formation of of her own non-profit organization Adaptive Action Sports. Serving as Co-Founder of AAS, her and partner Daniel Gale founded the non-profit to help adaptive athletes get involved in action sports, art and music. Having lacked the necessary resources to compete in the sports she loved, Amy and Daniel sought a means of allowing similar others to experience the joys of the sports with which they loved. As the #2 adaptive snowboarder in the world, Amy and Daniel have been hard at work trying to draw awareness to their cause. In 2008, the ESPN X Games aired the first set of Adaptive Action Sports included skateboarding, BMX and Motocross. Having been granted air time, medals and notoriety through their partnership with the X Games, AAS was able bring their dreams to fruition and spread the message of adaptive athletics to the masses. With the ultimate goal of making adaptive action sports a staple at the Paralympics, Adaptive Action Sports has set the bar high and has their eyes set on providing those with disabilities with an opportunity to excel at the highest level. This story is very personal to me and having not spoken to Amy for a number of months, has given me the wherewithal to slow things down and reach out once again to Adaptive Action Sports this week. Having entered the Los Angeles market and being so busy with internships, graduate school, side projects, and life in general, I feel like I have lost focus on the population with which I have so much compassion for in an industry I love so much. I wish to continue to working with individuals with disabilities and an organization like AAS gives me hope that I will one day be able to combine my love of sports, physical activity and disabled athletics into a collective medium with which work while helping others reach and attain their own level of success. While the organization is still relatively small and having been based in South Lake Tahoe/Las Vegas, my hope is that they will one day make it out here to Southern California in the future. I look forward to reaching out again and offering my support as I finally feel like I have experienced everything I needed to in the sports industry, only to realize my true calling was right in front of me long before I ever really started. I also look forward to hearing about their experiences this year at the LA Coliseum and X Games 16 and hope that I can one day offer my time, energy and effort once again to helping Amy and Daniel spread the word of Adaptive Action Sports while helping countless others to Live Beyond Limits. *For more information on Adaptive Action Sports and to hear Amy's story, simply click on the title of this article

Football Friday: Oregon State vs. 9 Arizona

Week 6 is already here and with it another tough road contest for the Oregon State Beavers as they head down to Tucson for a match up with the 9 Arizona Wildcats. Hot off its first Pac-10 opening game win in seven years, history looks to be repeating itself in Corvallis as the Beavers look to gain an early season foothold in the conference. Having defeated Arizona State last weekend 31-28 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, the Beavers look to end their four game road skid versus AP Top 15 opponents which dates back to last seasons Civil War loss at Autzen Stadium. Yet while the Beavers come in with a wealth of experience in playing AP Top 10 opponents this season, Arizona's Defense, lead by CB Trevin Wade will look to set the tempo early for the Wildcats. The Arizona defense has been the identity of this team so far this season and they will look to put pressure on Oregon State QB Ryan Katz with an array of blitzes and strong secondary play lead by the above mentioned Wade. "We play hard and with our hair on fire," cornerback Trevin Wade said. "We just like to step up to challenges. And step up they have as the Wildcats rank second in the FBS in total defense (230.8 ypg), third in scoring defense (11.0 ppg) and fourth in passing defense (129.5 ypg). Impressive still, Arizona has only given up three touchdowns, all of which came in the teams Week 2 win at home to the then 9 Hawkeyes. But the troubles for Oregon State don't just start with the Wildcat defense. With all the preseason hype surrounding QB Nick Foles, who beat this same Beaver squad on the road last season in his Pac-10 debut, will without a doubt be a key factor after his breakout performance in Corvallis last season saw him throw for 254 yards and 3 Touchdowns. With Arizona in the AP Top 10 for the first time since 1998, look for Foles to take command of the offense and for there to be a heavy dose of RB Nic Grigsby, who has 45 carries for 252 and 5 touchdowns this season. While the Wildcats have won 15 of their last 18 at Arizona Stadium, although one of those defeats was a 19-17 loss to then-No. 21 Oregon State in 2008, look for a new and improved group the hit the field running to try and avenge that loss and build off of last years success in Corvallis last season. On the other side of the ball, the Beavers come in poised to start Pac-10 play 2-0 and set the stage for another mid season run to the top of the conference. Oregon State comes into this game having committed zero turnovers, a stat that was key to the Beavers ability to win close games at home versus Louisville and Arizona State. Being able to win the turnover battle by forcing the issue, committing fewer penalties and the sound play of CB James Dockery in the secondary are all paramount if the Beavers want to stay in this one. The ability for the offense to put up points and the defense to get pressure on Foles, while simply stated, will be key if the Beavers wish to continue their recent string of success against the Wildcats. Coming off a 6 sack performance last weekend from the OSU front seven, things are looking great if the Beavers can continue to get pressure from the likes of DT's Stephen Paea, Brennan Olander and DE Gabe Miller. On the offensive side of the ball I think the game plan is pretty much set in stone with RB Jaquizz Rodgers set to carry the load for the Beavers. Coming off of an impressive game last week against ASU, Quizz ran for a season-best 145 and two touchdowns. With the running game being suspect in the teams two road losses to then-No. 6 TCU 30-21 in the season opener and three weeks later to Boise State, the Beavers should be in good shape having won nine of 11 over the Wildcats and four straight in Tucson since a 27-7 loss in 1997. Oregon State's ability to dictate tempo up front and control the line of scrimmage will also be huge in setting up play action down field to the likes of receiver James Rodgers. With the return of the James to the starting line up after suffering a concussion in the teams 37-24 loss to Boise State on Sept. 25th, look for Coach Mike Riley and Offensive Coordinator Danny Langsdorf to get the ball in his hands early and often to try and add an element of balance to this offense. While the fly sweep and deep passing game has been there for Rodgers so far this season, Katz has had difficulty targeting James down field due to a combination of double teams and tremendous defensive pressure. Yet with James struggling on the receiving end, look for him to force the issue on special teams in lew of his record setting 54 yard punt return for touchdown two weeks ago against Boise State. James Rodgers, the senior flanker broke the school record for career all-purpose yards with his 100-yard game versus the Broncos. Rodgers now has 5,630 all-purpose yards in his three years and counting at OSU, surpassing previous leader Ken Simonton, who had 5,606 all-purpose yards from 1998-2001. With the Oregon State Special Teams carrying the load this season, the offense finally got the ball rolling last weekend in Corvallis. The Beavers, who ranked 113th in the FBS in offense at 270.3 yards per contest before rolling up 416 against the Sun Devils, finally found its rhythm last weekend in the absence of James with players like TE Joe "Tank" Halahuni, Jordan Bishop and slot Markus Wheaton coming up with big plays in the passing game for first year sophomore QB Ryan Katz. Having not thrown an interception this season, Katz will be tested early and often against this Arizona Wildcat secondary. If the Beavers can sure up their offense line play, look for Katz to nickel and dime his way down to field with an array of play action, half back screens and an intermediate passing game that was in full effect for the first time all year. Having throw for 720 yards and six touchdowns (with no interceptions) its Katz completion percentage (51.9%) that really needs to improve if the Beavers are going to sustain drives and convert in second and medium, as well as third and short situations. This weekends game is sure to be a barn burner and I expect a high scoring affair. The Wildcat offense lead by Nick Foles will be geared up and ready to go in front of another sold out crowd in Tucson. My greatest piece of advice to the Beavers is to hydrate, hydrate and hydrate some more as the temperature at game time will look to hover around 88 degrees. In games like this, conditioning is paramount so I expect the Beavers to try and slow things down and control tempo as a means of keeping that high powered Wildcat offense off the field. While it will be close, look for Oregon State to come out of Arizona with a win. Having struggled two weeks ago versus Cal, a 10-9 fourth quarter come from behind win, I feel that the Wildcats will rebound nicely after a bye week and contest the Beavers for 4 quarters but won't have enough to overcome the consistent play of the Beavers. Final Score: Oregon State 30 - #9 Arizona 27.

Week 6 Pick 'Em - AP Top 25 to be tested this weekend

Another weekend, another opportunity to climb the polls as the AP Top 25 faces tough mid season competition in Week 6. Top 25 play began Thursday night in Manhattan, Kansas and continues to roll on tonight in Stillwater as LA Lafayette takes on 22 Oklahoma State. Here are my picks for all of this weekends action. 1 Alabama (5-0) vs. 19 South Carolina: 3:30PM ET on CBS, Indiana (3-1) vs. 2 Ohio State (5-0) : 12:00PM ET on ESPN/ESPN3, 3 Oregon (5-0) vs. Washington State (1-4): 5:00PM ET PM on OSN, Toledo (3-2) vs. 4 Boise State (4-0): 8:00PM ET on ESPN3, Wyoming (2-3) vs. 5 TCU (5-0): 3:30PM ET, 8 Auburn (5-0) vs. Kentucky (3-2): 7:30PM ET on ESPN2, Oregon State (2-2) vs. 9 Arizona (4-0): 6:00PM ET on Versus, 10 Utah (4-0) vs. Iowa State (3-2): 7:00PM ET, 11 Arkansas (3-1) vs. Texas A&M (3-1): 3:30PM ET on ABC, 12 LSU (5-0) vs. 14 Florida (4-1): 7:30PM ET on ESPN, 23 Florida State (4-1) vs. 13 Miami (FL) (3-1): 8:00 PM ET on ABC, USC (4-1) vs. 16 Stanford (4-1): 8:00PM ET on ABC, 17 Michigan State (5-0) vs. 18 Michigan (5-0): 3:30PM ET on ABC, Minnesota (1-4) vs. 20 Wisconsin (4-1): 12:00PM ET on Big Ten Network, San Jose State (1-4) vs. 21 Nevada (5-0): 10:30PM ET on ESPNU, Colorado (3-1) vs. 24 Missouri (4-0): 7:00PM ET, Colorado State (1-4) vs. 25 Air Force (4-1): 2:00PM ET *For a complete look at this weekends action simply click on the title of this article.

Lace 'Em Up: Nike Unveils New Nike+ iPhone App for Runners

Summer is officially over and now its time to head indoors, dust off those sweat pants and knock out a half gallon of ice cream to mark the beginning of your six month break from the beach, P90X and your flawless summer nutrition plan. Fall marks the start of football season which can only mean three things: tailgating, micro brews and hours of television. With all the great things that come with the game, so does poor nutrition, terrible workout habits and weekends that fly so fast you wonder if you will ever see the gym between the hours of Friday and sometime next week. Having wanted to pursue distance running for quite some time, the idea of training for a marathon seemed like a daunting, yet worthy investment. Having talked with a number of friends back home about their plans for the summer of 2011, the thought of putting together a team and running Hood to Coast back home in Oregon quickly became a reality. While I for one am not the type of person to commit to something and back out, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to put my money ($120) where my mouth was and give it a go. Having named Hood to Coast as one of my three year long goals after watching the ESPN Films 30 for 30 documentary on Terry Fox, it looks like I am gearing up for eight months of long distance training. With a background in Exercise and Sport Science I am confident that I will be able to structure a schedule and maintain my nutritional fortitude as I prepare to embark on this great adventure, but without the proper equipment I feel as though my running progress might be hindered and went searching for a product that would meet my needs. At the recommendation of my friend Andy, an avid outdoors men and college roommate, I decided to take a look at the Nike+ system. Having already purchased two pairs of running shoes that were designed of for the Nike+ "Experience," I figured I would do some research into the system and see if there were any changes that had taken place since its inception a few years ago. Lucky for me I came across the New Nike+ GPS App. With all the rave and attention today geared towards mobile devices and digital sports solutions, I wanted to share with you this new and exciting product that Nike unveiled a month ago(September 7th) via press release at nikebiz.com. The new mobile running application is a revolutionary leap forward in running technology and allows users to seamlessly integrate their running pattern, distance, location and style all into one system, thus eliminating the hassle of google mapping your route or setting your playlist manually to play out your songs during your run. According to nikebiz.com the Nike+ GPS App is a,"New iPhone App for runners that uniquely motivates, maps, tracks and connects users to their 3 million Nike+ member community. The app is engineered to operate seamlessly between GPS and an accelerometer for an accurate, motivating and entertaining runner's tool." Sounds great, but what else can it do? The New Nike+ GPS App also allows runners to digitally map every run while the system simultaneously tracks your pace, distance, time and calories burned. The App also features a 'Stay Motivated' feature that offers instant feedback during and after you workout from athletes like Paula Radcliffe, cyclist Lance Armstrong, and comedian Tracy Morgan. The network has also been integrated with the over 3 million active Nike+ users through a community link at www.nikeplus.com. As the largest running community in the world, those of you that try the new system are encouraged to chime in on your runs and share information with others across the country and around the world. While I can definitely see the ROI as in pertains to my workouts and ability to track my progress, Nike executives are also buzzing about the possibilities this digital application software can afford users moving forward. “We are so excited to introduce the true ‘Runner’s App,’ for iPhone combining the dynamic power and community of Nike+ with the user-friendly functionality of GPS and accelerometry,” said Stefan Olander, VP, Nike Digital Sport. “We will continue to evolve the digital options we provide to runners so that their running experience is always unique and inspired.” While its great to see those associated with the product raving about the potential of the system, as a Droid user, I myself have without a doubt encountered a problem because the Nike+ iPhone App was not developed for my mobile device. While others out there may share in my unfortunate situation, there are other alternatives in the Nike+ arsenal that are sure to fit any runner's needs. But all things aside the Nike+ system is forward thinking and affords users with an array of options as they work their way towards their individual fitness goals. While I do plan on purchasing the Nike+ system for my iPod in the coming weeks, I am looking forward to the new and improved digital technology options that are set to hit the market within the next few years. Products like these are a great way to inform athletes and users of the benefits of prolonged physical activity, and are a great resource for people just getting started, as well as seasoned distance running and tri-athlete veterans. Please feel free to check out www.nikebiz.com for more information on the New Nike+ iPhone App and how it can best serve you and your own personal needs. With an seemingly endless selection of uses including: Run Anywhere (Outdoor, Track or Treadmill), Map Your Runs, Challenge Yourself (Further, Farther, Fastest), Stay Connected (www.nikeplus.com) and Stay Motivated (receive motivation messages) look for the New Nike+ App to put it's best foot forward as running enthusiasts and beginners alike, lace up their Nike's and hit the streets, one mile, one song and one step at a time. *For more information on the New Nike+ iPhone App visit www.nikebiz.com or simply click on the title of this article.