Thank you Nike

Dear Mr. Parker,
I just put my shoes on by myself  because I can. I am still in shock that one week ago I received shoes from your amazing company, Nike. Your talented team of designers has thoughtfully created a shoe that for the first time in my life, I can put on myself. I have had them for a short amount of time, but I when I put them on every morning, they give the greatest sense of independence and accomplishment I have ever felt in my life.

With all of my gratitude and appreciation,

Matthew Walzer

Nike update

Hi all,
It's been about a month and a half since we made something amazing happen. By using the hash tag #NikeLetter and retweeting the Nice Kicks video , my letter to Nike CEO Mark Parker went completely viral.  I've received so much support from around the sneaker community, family, friends, and most importantly people with disabilities that are also unable to tie their shoes. Nike has been an absolute pleasure to work with, keeping me updated every step of the way. Specifically, they are taking an existing shoe that I've had success wearing and redesigning the upper so it can be closed with Velcro and not laces. They just recently got the first "sample" if you will, back from the factory and decided that the design needed a little more refining before I receive them. Hopefully they will be on my feet in no time! In other #NikeLetter news, the sneaker store Finish Line (who has been a big #NikeLetter supporter since the beginning) corporately reached out to me a few weeks back, and said they wanted to give me a pair of Nike basketball shoes they thought would work for me. I was and am still extremely flattered by their generous gift. This has been an exciting, and whirlwinding month and a half with more exciting things in store. The support I've gotten from classmates, teachers, friends, family and others that have supported the movement via Twitter has been amazing. Thank you.

Remember this: without #TeamNikeLetter there would probably be no #NikeLetter

Sincerely,
Matthew Walzer

Thank you Nike, Mark Parker, and Nice Kicks

Dear Mr. Parker,

     There comes a time in someone’s life when something bothers you so much, but when that something is so big, you are forced to wake up every morning and hope for a miracle. For the past 16 years of my life, that something has been not being able to tie my shoes. This summer, I realized that I couldn't wait for a miracle any longer. I knew I had to take action. I reached out to you and your great company in search of a solution. I knew what I was doing was, in football terms “a Hail Mary," and to be quite honest I had very low expectations. I was expecting a very polite letter back in recognition of my request.

     I never imagined that just 48 hours after the letter went viral thanks to the help of Nice Kicks, I would receive a call from one of your employees, Mr. John Poyner of Jordan Brand.When John told me that he also has cerebral palsy, and that he couldn't have been more proud of what I was trying to do, I was honored. John seems like a great asset to your company, and an even better person. When John uttered the words "so here's the next step" I got the chills. I had heard of Tobie Hatfield only 24 hours prior to the phone call, when I read about the spikes he created for Olympian Oscar Pistorius. I could have never imagined that he would be working with me on a shoe that I can put on myself. The past two and a half weeks have been filled with amazement and joy for my family and me. The reality hasn't set in yet, that in a matter of weeks, I won't have to worry about tying my shoes,and for the first time ever I will be able to be fully independent. There are not enough thank yous in the world to express my undying gratitude towards you and Nike as an entire company. I will never forget what you and your company are doing for me.

Warmest Regards,

Matthew Walzer

The Motivation Behind The Letter

First of all, I'd like to thank every single one of you for taking the time to read my letter to Nike! Without your support, I'd be nowhere and have no chance of being heard. A special thanks goes out to Matt Halfhill, the CEO of Nicekicks.com, for helping me spread my #NikeLetter campaign. The goal behind this 48 hour frenzy remains plain and simple, get in contact with Nike to design a shoe that can be as accessible and easy to wear to a handicap person, as a Lebron signature would be to King James himself. People might be supporting #NikeLetter because it represents a great cause, or other people with disabilities can relate, but only a select few know how it feels to get dressed in the morning, but end up waiting for a friend or family member to tie your shoes. Over the past few years, I've been able to stay home alone with my two younger brothers, but my parents always make sure that they put my shoes on before they leave in case of emergency. There are  times when this is socially embarrassing, this summer was a major turning point; while on vacation, I made a lot of friends while at the pool, when we were ready to leave my friends had to tie my shoes, while this is a very nice gesture, at 16 years old I find this extremely embarrassing. This is just one of the many obstacles that myself and many others with cp face everyday. There have been many things I have overcome, improved upon and some I've learned to accept. But in 2012 tying your shoes should not be optional.

#TeamNikeLetter

Nike Letter

Dear Mr. Parker,
My name is Matthew Walzer. I am a high school student and will be a junior at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
I was born two months premature on October 19, 1995. I weighed only two pounds fourteen ounces, and because my lungs were fully not developed, my brain did not receive enough oxygen. As a result, I have a brain injury that caused me to have Cerebral Palsy. Fortunately, I am only affected physically, as others can be affected mentally, physically or both.
I have overcome many challenges in my life. Although doctors from the country’s top hospitals told my parents that I would never walk; and if I ever talked I would have a major lisp, these diagnoses proved to be false, I walk somewhat independently around my home and use crutches when I'm out or at school. I've also never had a speech problem. In fact, I am planning on attending college. I have attained a 3.9 grade point average (4 being the highest) and I am taking advanced placement classes. I have a strong passion for journalism and write for the sports and news sections of my high school newspaper. This year I personally received an award for writing one of the top high school sports columns in my county.
Out of all the challenges I have overcome in my life, there is one that I am still trying to master, tying my shoes. Cerebral palsy stiffens the muscles in the body. As a result I have flexibility in only one of my hands which makes it impossible for me to tie my shoes. My dream is to go to the college of my choice without having to worry about someone coming to tie my shoes everyday
I've worn Nike basketball shoes all my life. I can only wear this type of shoe because I need ankle support to walk. I am currently wearing the Lunar hyper gamer and LeBron Zoom Soldier 6's. At 16 years old, I am able to completely dress myself, but my parents still have to tie my shoes. As a teenager who is striving to become totally self-sufficient, I find this extremely frustrating, and at times, embarrassing.
I know that Nike makes slip-ons, sandals and other types of shoes. However, I and many other physically challenged people are unable to wear them due to a lack of support. When I think of Nike, I think of one of America’s most innovative and forward thinking companies. Nike is always pushing the limits, making their shoes lighter, faster and stronger by using new materials, new designs and new technologies. This benefits people all around the world. Bill Bowerman said it best, "If you have a body you are an athlete." I believe everyone, no matter what their physical, economic, or social circumstances may be, deserves to call themselves an athlete, and deserves to have a sense of freedom and independence.
If Nike would design and produce basketball and running shoes with moderate support and some kind of closure system that could be used by everyone, Nike could create a shoe line that attracts people that face the same physical challenges I did and still do, yet it could still be possible for anyone to wear them.
I am always searching the web for any type of shoe brand that makes athletic shoes that provide good support, are self-lacing and are made for everyday wear or for playing sports. It is disappointing that no athletic brand has taken the creative initiative to design and produce athletic shoes in this category. I hope that by bringing this to your attention, Nike will consider being the forerunner in producing athletic shoes that will make the difference in the quality of so many lives.

This letter is not a business proposal. I am simply making you aware that there is a need for this type of athletic shoe, a great need.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. No matter what challenges I’ve faced in my life, I’ve always strived to be independent, independence is for everyone.
Best Regards,
Matthew Walzer

What went wrong?

Lets face it, at 45-54 any playoff hopes that the Marlins thought they had heading into their Muhammad Ali glistened opening night at Marlins Park have been thrown out the window. The front office has made this pretty loud and clear, even though there not admitting it, as they've traded Omar Infante, Anibal Sanchez, and Hanley Ramirez over the past week. It's a damn shame, for the first time in franchise history Marlins fans felt they had a team they could not just win the Wild Card, but WIN THE DIVISION. In a season that presented so much promise, more has gone wrong than right.

1. Lack of Runs.
At the time of writing the Marlins are 29th in all of baseball in runs scored with just 261. (The Cardinals lead the majors with 373) A team isn't going to score many runs if their batters don't get on base, the Marlins are 24th in on base percentage; With speedsters such as Reyes and Bonifacio, you'd expect that to be a lot higher. Of course this article just wouldn't be complete without mentioning the lack of success when the team has runners in scoring position. The Fish are hitting .232 with RISP (25th) and are 26th in RBI's with RISP

2. Injuries
Two words : Gincarlo Stanton.

3. Blown Saves
Oh Heath Bell, at least your good at adding some good drama on (what was) a nightly basis, you sure do keep those "The Franchise" episodes fresh.

4. Wrong moves in off season? What if Loria bumped up the money a little and threw in some self portraits for Pujols and/or C.J. Wilson? Buehrle has been somewhat inconsistent, and Reyes has been mediocre. you honestly have to wonder...

5. Inconsistency
Basically the whole 25 man roster (and Hanley)

is it 2013 yet?

Is tonight the night?

Hopefully, tonight around midnight a king will be crowned, questions will be awnsered, and monkeys will be shred off backs. Thunder @ Heat, game 5, 9 p.m on ABC. Need I say more?

Marlins-Red Sox Game 2 Preview

     The Marlins are set to take on the Red Sox in game 2 of the series later tonight. Mark Buerhle (5-6, 3.49 ERA) is on the mound for the Fish, while Clay Bucholz (6-2, 5.77 ERA) takes the ball for Boston. Buerhle looks to turn things around tonight, as he has dropped his last two starts. Buerhle is 6-6 in his career against boston with a 4.49 ERA in 17 starts. You can view the lineups here. The Marlins had a great win last night, beating Boston 4-1. Josh Johnson picked up his 4th win of the season, and threw the ball the best he has all year. The velocity on his fastball touched 95-96 mph, and the slider looked flat out nasty. The Fish will be looking for the same result tonight at 7:10. Though I'm sure by 9 most of us will be watching a certain Heat game (Heat-Thunder; NBA Finals game 1, 9 p.m ABC)

2 big questions for the Heat heading into The Finals

     With a 101-88 win over the Celtics Saturday night the Heat will face their biggest challenge yet in the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City Thunder. This will mark the second straight finals appearance for Miami (we all know what happened last year). Coming in, there are two big questions facing the Heat. The first is not how they will match up against the likes of Kevin Durant or Russel Westbrook, but Serge Ibaka. at 6' 10", and with tremendous shot blocking ability, Ibaka creates a major match up problem for Miami. The logical choice would be to put Chris Bosh on Ibaka, but Bosh lacks some of the muscle and strength needed to guard him. The match up should be fun to watch come Tuesday night. The second question is, how will Lebron play? Without question Lebron is the best player in the game and in these playoffs so far, but if the man has any hopes of winning his first championship against this lethal Thunder team, he will need to play with the intensity he showed in games 5 and 6 against Boston. I expect him to.