Irreplaceable

People always ask me why, but I can never tell them. Why can't I tell them? Because truly, I don't know the answer. But I'm quite familiar with the question: Why do you like NASCAR? followed by the question, "Who's your favorite driver?" My response has always been Jeff Gordon. I could never tell you how, I could never tell you why, all I know is, Jeff is my driver. I started taking an interest in NASCAR around two or three years old, during 1997 or 98. Obviously I was too young to understand the concept of a championship or know what the Daytona 500 was, but there was something damn cool about that rainbow colored #24 car (if there wasn't , I wouldn't have had a banner of it above my red race car bed when I was little). As I got older, I started following the sport more religiously. My first memory of this is when I was six years old. It was 2001, I was at my Grandma's house, flipping through the channels, when the "NASCAR race" happened to be on (turns out it was the Brickyard 400, but to a five year old, it was just a race). Jeff Gordon won that day, on his 30th birthday, and it was the first time that I had seen him win live on tv. I was a fan before this, but that win, for some reason that I can't pinpoint was so cool because it cemented my fandom forever. 

This was among the first of some great memories, such as watching him capture his 3rd Daytona 500 victory in 2005, I remember screaming at the TV during the closing laps, or tying Dale Earnhardt on the all time wins list at Phoenix, and then breaking his record at Talladega (NASCAR irony at its finest). He's even won on my birthday and my prom night. However the two memories that trump all are some of the most recent. since 2003, I have attended the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. in 2012, my 10th year of attendance, I finally got to see my hero win a race in person after one of the most tumultuous weeks of his career. This was nothing new though, he was always the best at proving to people that he's still got "it" after all these years. The one that trumps all though is finally meeting him. Homestead 2013. I was waiting in a certain spot in the garage area where the drivers come through on there golf carts to get to their cars. Out of nowhere comes Jeff on his golf cart, with the person who told me to wait in that spot sitting in the other seat. What occurred next are 30 coolest seconds of my life. Jeff walks over, introduces himself, signs his autograph, and snaps a picture. he then told he has a meeting to get to, I wished him luck on he was on his way. No matter how brief it was, my lifelong goal was complete. I met my Superman. I met my hero, Jeff Gordon.

Last month, Jeff announced that 2015 will be his last full time season and he will retire at seasons end. Tomorrow, he will participate in his 23rd and final Daytona 500. Starting 1st, none the less, while posting the fastest qualifying speed at the historic track in almost 30 years. If that isn't good racing karma, I don't know what is. Tomorrow will be extremely weird, for a lack of a better term. Hell, this whole season will be weird. It hasn't set in yet that this is it. I know it won't. Not until I go to Homestead for maybe the final time in November. The tears will certainly be flowing that day. In other professional sports, players come and go, but your team is always there. In Auto Racing, your driver is everything, and in the case of Jeff, irreplaceable. 92 wins, 4 championships, 3 Daytona 500's, 4 Brickyard 400's.There will never be another Jeff Gordon. Ever. Good luck tomorrow, Jeff. Here's to one last "Drive For Five."

He's Not MJ, He's LJ.

      10 years ago this week, an 18 year old kid from Akron, Ohio named LeBron James was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The hype surrounding James coming out of high school was unprecedented. He was set to be the NBA's next big superstar, and, if he was good enough, perhaps the next Michael Jordan. James had the weight of the world on his shoulders before he even played a minute in an NBA game; and with great expectations comes great scrutiny.

     James was constantly criticized about not aggressively driving to the basket, a lack of a jump shot, not coming through in pressure situations, and perhaps most glaring, turning his free agency decision into a national spectacle; but with age comes maturity. After receiving his second career NBA Finals loss at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, James knew he had to not only improve the physical aspects of his game, but the mental aspect as well. He no longer paid attention to the media's opinion of him. He instead solely focused on one thing: winning a championship.

     His performances the past two postseasons have been nothing short of spectacular. The man has nearly averaged a triple double in back-to-back Finals. His performances in Game 6 and 7 of the Finals showed that James no longer fears pressure, he cherishes it. He wanted the ball in his hands to make the jumper that gave the Heat its second straight title. He even wanted Ray Allen to pass it to him at the top of the key to tie Game 6, but we all know how that turned out.

     James' game continues to evolve, and that's the beauty of it. He's in his prime and he's only getting better. He no longer pays attention to the media. He doesn't dwell on the comparisons to Michael Jordan. He's busy writing his own legacy. He's not MJ, he's LJ.

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.

The end of an era.

   Starting tomorrow, November 11th, 2011, South Florida, will have a new baseball team. Sort of. The Florida Marlins will be renamed the Miami Marlins, to go in conjunction with their new ballpark. The team will also unveil new colors, logos, and uniforms, the picture posted in the link is what is rumored to be unveiled tomorrow night at 9 p.m, but just like Jose Reyes being our starting shortstop next year, nothing is certain. Many fans (including me) cannot stand the leaked logo, so if in fact that image is legit, is should be interesting to see how fans react. Being one of the few die hard fish fans out there, it will be weird not proudly saying the FLORIDA Marlins when people ask me who my favorite baseball team is, but as they say, change is good! Let us not forget though the countless memories (good and bad) in the Florida Marlins era, including two world series titles.

P.S: Ill blog about the sexy new uniforms tomorrow night ;)

Patriots snag Haynesworth, Ochocinco

 Once again, Bill Belicheck looks like a freakin' genius! In an unexpected series of events today, The New England Patriots trade for two superstars, former Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth, and former Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. Oh yeah, and just one little detail i forgot to mention in the middle of all this, THE. LOCKOUT. IS. OVER. Yep, finito. So what does this mean for the Pats? Well it definetley fills up some big holes on both the offensive and defensive side of the football. The Pats have been without a major defensive end since they traded away Richard Seymour to Oakland back in 2009, Haynseworth could defenitley be the guy to fill that whole. there are some questions as to whether or not he can fit in with the Patriots system, he flourished playing in a 4-3 defense with the Titans but with the Redskins the past few years he's been playing in a 3-4 defensive set and has voiced his displeasure. I don't see too much of a concern though, as the pats like to use multiple defensive fronts, and knowing Bellicheck, he likes to bring out the best in his players and im sure he wont have a problem doing that with Haynesworth. Now on to Ochocinco. The Patriots got both of these guys for late round draft picks over the next two years by the way (classic Bellicheck, low risk, high reward). The other big move of the day was acquiring wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. Ochocinco isn't just another weapon for Tom Brady, he can be used, along with Deion Branch, as a deep threat and someone who can stretch the field. They've needed a legitimate deep threat ever since the Randy Moss fallout last season. This was most exposed in that AFC division game in the playoffs against the Jets last year. If you've been following these two players over the years then you know that they have some character issues which makes this trade questionable to some people. Honestly though I just think of this as another Bill Bellicheck renovation project. Look what what he did with Corey Dillion and Moss, he took from scrub nobodies to superstars who helped lead the Patriots to multiple Super bowls, winning two of them. a lot of people (including me) are making them the favorites to win it all now after these deals, and why not? One thing is for sure though I can't wait for even the preseason to get started, because this is going to be one of the best football seasons league wide we've seen in a long time!

the Marlins sweep Nationals, now just two games under .500

The fish have swept the Nationals in a 3 game series in D.C. Mike Stanton hit a huge homerun and Emilio Bonifacio extended his hitting streak to 25 games. The fish are now just two games under .500

Marlins stay hot, look to take series in Chi-town

The Marlins bats came alive on Saturday as the fish routed the Cubs 13-3. after losing 2-1 Friday afternoon, the Fish's offense put on a clinic led by two Mike Stanton home runs giving him 20 on the season. Logan Morrison also joined the party by adding in a three run shot of his own. Hanley Ramirez had three doubles and two RBI's. The 13 runs scored was the first time all year the Marlins had scored double digit runs in a game. Javier Vazquez turned in perhaps his best start of the season Saturday, going seven innings, giving up just three runs, walking none, and striking out ten Cubs. The ten strikeouts for Vazquez were the most since he was with the Braves in June of 2009 in a start against the Pirates. He struck out twelve that game. The Marlins will look to take three of the four games in the series against the Cubs tomorrow at 2:20 p.m

Back again!, and the Marlins keep winning!!

Hey everyone,
I'm back, sorry for the wait ( had to throw in a Lil Wayne reference), I've been crazy busy! Since my last post the Marlins have gotten extremely hot, they've won six sxtraight and have climbed to just four games under .500. Tonight was a great team win for the fish, as they scored six runs in the eighth against the Cubs after heading into the inning down 2-0, the six runs being the most they've scored all season in an inning, it all started with a Greg Dobbs three run double that put the Marlins up 3-2, followed by a Gaby Sanchez sac-fly, a Hanley Ramirez RBI single, and a Mike Stanton RBI single. The fish will try to make it seven straight against tommorow afternoon at 2 p.m taking on the Cubs again at Wrigley. Who knows, maybe the good luck ghosts of Marlins fans' favorite Cubbies fan/asshole of Chicago for life Steve Bartman are still around...

I'm Back, happy 4th!

Whats up everybody? sorry I haven't posted anything the past couple of days, I've been busy. Hope everyone had a happy 4th of July! OK now I'm gonna do a quick summary of the past three games for the marlins. Saturday: Marlins beat the Rangers 9-5: It seems that ever since Jack has come back, Hanley"s getting back on track (man I'm a good rhymer). From stats as of Sunday from an article on sun-sentinel.com, since June 20th, the day Jack Mckeon took over as interim manager, Hanley Ramirez has been hitting .385 with three home runs and 12 RBI's. Saturday was no exception, as Hanley belted two home runs, including a first inning grand slam as the Marlins hammered the Rangers 9-5. Sunday: Marlins win 6-4: It looked as though for most of the game the Rangers had it in the bag, but the Marlins put together a nice rally in the top of the 8th, scoring 4 runs (all with two outs), capped off with a Logan Morrison RBI double and a Mike Stanton RBI single, but like the rest of the wins for the fish lately, it didn't come easy. going into the bottom of the 9th with a 6-2 lead, closer Leo Nunez gave up 2 runs making it 6-4, but ultimately he would get the save, giving the Marlins there second straight win, and there second straight series win. Sunday: Marlins lose 1-0: Simply put Phillies starter Vance Worly only gave up two hits over seven innings, and the Phillies got the key hit when they needed it ( I was watching fireworks OK, I'm going off of a box score right now:) )

Marlins designate Lopez, recall Petersen

The Marlins have designated infielder Jose Lopez for assignment and have recalled outfielder Bryan Petersen.

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Giving them a helping Hand

The Marlins recalled the young 21 year old lefty Brad Hand to make the start Saturday night against the Texas Rangers, while putting right hander Ryan Webb on the disabled list. Hand previously Made three starts for the fish in the absence of ace Josh Johnson, He's 0-3 with a 3.45 ERA. He has shown some potential though, especially in his Major League debut against the Braves on June 7th. Hand allowed 1 hit, an Alex Gonzalez solo shot over six innings, walking one and striking out six. The Marlins would lose that game 1-0. The Marlins take on the Rangers tonight in Arlington. First pitch, 8:05 p.m