Perhaps you’ve noticed that scene in The Dark Knight Rises trailer where Pittsburgh Steeler’s great, Hines Ward, runs through a football field as it collapses into itself, dressed as a member of the fictitious Gotham Rogues. The scene from the movie was filmed at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh last summer. In October, McFarlane Toys will release a special edition Hines Ward “Gotham Rogues” figure to commemorate this instance where a real-life athlete plays himself in the comic world of Batman. The figure is clad in the black-and-yellow Rogues garb from the movie, and even sports Ward’s real-life tattoo on his right arm.

If you’ve visited our studio, you’ve seen our collection of McFarlane sports figurines, and we can’t wait to add this one to the mix. Pre-order yours now at BigBadToyStore.com.

Check out a full view of the final sculpt after the jump.

Still frame from The Dark Knight Rises

Introducing the football cap that the Atlanta Falcons will wear on the sidelines for the 2012 season. Today, New Era unveiled their first ever NFL On-Field cap collection. These caps will be worn by NFL players on the sidelines during regular season and posteseason games. The collection is available for purchase at New Era Flagship stores, neweracap.com, NFLShop.com and other retailers beginning July 12.

In April 2012, New Era became the exclusive and official headwear supplier for the National Football League (NFL) for all sideline, locker room, NFL Draft Day and Super Bowl caps as well as having rights for fan headwear worldwide.

“This collection is built for the hot days in September and the frigid evenings in December. For over 90 years, New Era has been providing athletes and fans with high quality products,” says Christopher H. Koch, CEO, New Era. “We’re thrilled to bring our first ever NFL On-Field collection with a unique combination of style, comfort and technology to the NFL sidelines.”

Sport performance is one of the center pillars of the New Era brand. The NFL On-Field Collection is infused with NE TECH properties that will keep both players and fans comfortable well into the off-season. DRYERA™ is specially treated fabric that repeals water whenever inclement weather sneaks up. Additionally, the collection has COOLERA™, a moisture management system that wicks away sweat and disperses it quickly.

The NFL Kickoff game on Wednesday, September 5, when the Super Bowl XLVI-champion New York Giants host the Dallas Cowboys, will mark the first time a 59FIFTY will appear on the sidelines at an NFL game. Throughout the season, knits, headbands and 59FIFTY Dog Ears, will headline the NFL Cold Weather Collection which will debut later into the season. When the temperature drops, this upcoming collection will keep players and fans warm.

Nike is the new official supplier for the NFL. Check out the commercial that will hit the airwaves tonight during the NFL draft!

We’re giving away the New Era Atlanta Falcons 9Fifty 2012 NFL Draft Snapback. To win one, just follow @WeAreTheProcess & @New_Era_Caps on Twitter and then tweet this:

“Win the Atlanta Falcons 2012 NFL Draft Snapback! http://instagr.am/p/J2O4HBG13u/ 1) Follow @New_Era_Caps & @WeAreTheProcess. 2) RT this!”

We’ll select a few winners this afternoon and reach out to you via Twitter for your mailing address. Simple as that! Bonus points are awarded to people that Like the We Are the Process Facebook Page!

This season, the official headwear of the NFL will finally be provided by New Era. As a cap wearer, this is an announcement I’ve been waiting my whole life for. Finally, I’ll be able to rock caps of my favorite football teams and they’ll fit like they’re supposed to!

This new partnership launches with the Draft Collection. Draft Collection speaks to the city and is a symbol of the moment a player and city become one. The famed 59FIFTY (fitted cap, center) will be worn by players on Draft Day. Agents, family and friends will wear 9FIFTY snapbacks (left) and 39THIRTY stretch fit caps (right).

All product is available for purchase at midnight on April 1 at New Era Flagship stores only. The Draft Collection will be available at all participating retailers and Neweracap.com on April 2.

With only one more NFL game to be played under the Reebok contract, the folks at Nike are preparing to make some exciting changes to the way teams look on the field. Get hyped up by Michael Irvin in this Nike Football Epic Transformation video.

Yesterday’s Pro Bowl in Hawaii marked the beginning of the Nike era with some new cleats and these awesome team logo gloves (photos after the jump).

Nike will celebrate the Ducks’ return to the Rose Bowl with the debut of its latest Nike Pro Combat system of dress – the most advanced football uniform system ever assembled. Read more after the jump.

Every 4 years, the University of Oregon changes up their uniform format and this will be the debut of the new standard that other teams will surely emulate to some capacity.

Innovation

From the cleats to the base layer, to the gloves and helmet, the Ducks’ uniform represents the pinnacle in game-day innovation for speed. New this year is the development of Nike Chain Maille Mesh technology, the ultimate in breathable uniform design. These innovations coupled with durable, lightweight padding provide athletes with a complete on-field suit of armor. Performance benefits include:

• Eleven different materials in the Nike Pro Combat uniform (jersey and pant), and 16 different materials in the complete system of dress – each to address the specific needs of the athlete in game situations

• Nike Chain Maille Mesh material incorporated into the back and under the arms in the jersey, as well as down the sides of the pant for exceptional ventilation without sacrificing durability. The new Nike Chain Maille Mesh integration also emphasizes improved thermoregulation, including the Nike Pro Combat Deflex padding layer, which is constructed with fabric selected for its ability to help keep the body cool and wick away sweat – making the uniform, and player, lighter and dryer.

• Increased air flow with large open-hole woven construction for more ventilation

• A redesigned base layer that facilitates the uniform’s overall innovation, delivering the ultimate in lightweight protection for maximum speed. The base layer in the pant also features customizable protection that incorporates a thin, incredibly strong carbon fiber plate that can be placed on the thigh padding where needed.

• Strategically placed seams, pads and cooling zones that help minimize distraction and optimize protective coverage. Robust padding, without the bulk, has also been added to offer optimal low-profile impact protection specifically throughout the crucial “hit zone” between the knees and shoulders.

• Nike Pro Combat Deflex padding integrated in the hip and knee areas of the pant for crucial impact protection that stays in place

• A Flywire collar eliminating two layers of fabric for improved breathability, providing a more stable anchor to keep the jersey in place

Design

The uniform wouldn’t be complete without combining these innovations with a nod to the Duck’s rich heritage. Design elements include:

• A completely re-designed number system boasting an iridescent sheen similar to that on a mallard’s feathers. The larger, bolder numbers shift in color as they move.

• An armored wing design resting on new material engineered for maximum strength along the shoulder area

• A new look for the helmet featuring bright wings atop a mirrored appearance using a LiquidMetal black finish never before seen on the field. Though the wings are featured on the side, the iconic Oregon “O” still appears on the helmet located in a unique top-center placement.

Since its introduction, the Nike Destroyer jacket has quickly become a coveted symbol of street smarts, discerning style and gritty individualism. Now, the connection between the Destroyer and classic Americana is even more definitive.

This holiday season, Nike Sportswear introduces five exclusive limited edition Destroyer jackets paying homage to the cities of Detroit, New Orleans, Miami, Philadelphia and Oakland. Along with city-specific imagery and community interaction, the City Destroyers celebrate the football stars that embody the spirit of those archetypical metropolises and their football tradition. The number 51, which is found on many of the different metropolitan-themed jackets, pays homage to the uniform worn by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman when he played collegiate football.

There will only be 8 jackets available per city. Beginning today, both the Nike Sportswear stores in New York (21 Mercer) and Los Angeles (Montalbán) will have 8 of each jacket available.

See them all after the jump.

DETROIT
For this iteration, designers tapped into the city’s gritty cultural history to create unique embroidered graphics. The harsh black-and-white color scheme nods to the punk and hardcore music scene; the fleur-de-lis references the French explorer who founded the city in 1701; the number 3-1-3 is the area code.

MIAMI
For this iteration, designers tapped into the city’s flashy cultural history to create unique embroidered graphics. The orange color scheme references college and pro football teams of the region; the sunglasses and flames surrounding the skull-and-crossbones supply plenty of tropical heat; the anchor on the front alludes to the coastal and nautical geography.

OAKLAND
For this iteration, designers tapped into the city’s cultural history to create unique embroidered graphics. These designs were inspired the Bay Area’s cultural history. The sword highlights Oakland’s location on the silhouette of California; the black-and-white colors are a nod to iconic football teams in the region.

PHILADELPHIA
For this iteration, designers tapped into the city’s Revolutionary history to create unique embroidered graphics. The ink bottle on the front and the “stars and stripes” bandana worn by the skull reference the Declaration of Independence; the Liberty Bell is on the arm.

NEW ORLEANS
For this iteration, designers tapped into the city’s rich cultural history to create unique embroidered graphics. The fleur-de-lis patches reference the French influence on food, language and Creole traditions; NOLA is scripted in on the back in gold lettering in honor of the local pro football team.

Last week, I experienced Nike’s new SPARQ Sensory Performance innovations in action. I have no doubt in my mind that this new approach to vision training in conjunction with all other aspects of physical training will give an edge to the athletes who utilize these advancements. What’s most interesting is that vision training can be used by athletes of all levels to increase focus, reaction times & anticipation in any sport. I could rattle off a list of athletes off the top of my head that could use vision training immediately: Ahem… Josh Hamilton… Ahem…

SPARQ Sensory Performance is a system of technologies, products and programs designed to assess, analyze and improve an athlete’s visual and sensory performance. It’s another step in Nike’s nearly 40-year legacy of delivering game-changing innovations to help athletes perform at their peak.

“Sensory training is at the cornerstone of how we can build better athletes,” said Paul Winsper, SPARQ Performance Director. “With SSP we’re able to integrate both sensory and physical training together. This performance philosophy has resonated with some of the top athletes, teams and clubs throughout the world.”

Nike SPARQ Sensory Stations

As the first step in improving an athlete’s performance, the SSP “assess” phase uses the Nike SPARQ Sensory Station, an interactive touch screen device, to evaluate athletes on 10 sport-relevant visual and sensory performance skills. The personalized station then translates that raw data into next steps for the athlete, which can guide a training program. The resulting SPARQ Sensory Performance profile compares an athlete’s results to others in their sport, position and skill level to provide a roadmap for improvement.

I underwent these tests and compared my results to all other professional soccer defenders in Nike’s database and I’ll post my results as soon as I get over my embarrassment at my scores. Welp, it seems that countless hours spent pushing pixels isn’t great for my vision or health.

Once the assessment and analysis are complete, Nike SSP provides two key tools designed to help an athlete improve: The Nike SPARQ Sensory Training Station and Nike SPARQ Vapor Strobe Eyewear. Athletes at any skill level can integrate both into their training programs to hone their sensory skills.

Nike SPARQ Vapor Strobe Eyewear

Following visual testing to evaluate different aspects of the athlete’s visual skills, a crucial tool to improve key areas is the Nike SPARQ Vapor Strobe Eyewear. By blocking or disrupting vision using a strobe or flicker effect that can be varied in speed, an athlete can develop quicker reaction times and motor skills. The strobe effect improves reaction time by switching between clear and blocked vision, which trains the brain to anticipate what‘s coming when the eyes are blocked. Features include an adjustable head strap for a secure fit and liquid-crystal lens technology with variable speeds for different levels of training.

“After years of tireless testing, we’ve discovered an innovative way to help increase athletic performance,” said Dr. Alan Reichow, Global Research Director of Nike SPARQ Sensory Performance and Vision. “The SSP ecosystem of testing and products allows our team to serve the athlete with a clear and actionable plan that helps them see sport better.”

The system is already proving effective. Two recent studies* showed that training with the Nike SPARQ Vapor Strobes improved:
1) The ability to pick up subtle motion cues
2) Visual information processing
3) Timing of motion

When looking at the list of athletes that participate in SPARQ Sensory Performance training, I’m not surprised that they’re at the top of their game. Kevin Durant, Larry Fitzgerald, Greg Jennings, Misty May-Treanor, A.J. Pierzynski all get an edge.

“I catch balls for a living. What I do is eye-hand coordination, so any way that I can improve my eye-hand coordination is going to be pivotal throughout my career. The Nike SPARQ Vapor Strobes are a total game changer, a training game changer. You take vision for granted, you take catching the ball for granted but the Vapor Strobes force you to focus on the fundamentals.” -Greg Jennings

Nike SPARQ Sensory Training Stations use software-based training modules to improve multiple sensory performance skills. The stations can be used regularly as an integrated part of training programs for athletes at all levels. Top collegiate and professional programs have purchased the Nike strobe eyewear and stations, with a full global rollout now in action.

The Nike SPARQ Vapor Strobe Eyewear is $300 USD and available Internationally at NikeStore.com. Both the Nike SPARQ Sensory Station and Nike SPARQ Sensory Training Station are available through the Nike SPARQ Sensory Training Help Desk (1-855-870-6778 or NSSTsupport@nike.com).

* Duke University Study: Appelbaum LG, Schroeder JE, Cain MS and Mitroff SR (2011) Improved visual cognition through stroboscopic training. Front. Psychology 2:276. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00276

* Southern Utah University Study: Smith, T.Q. (2011) Sensory Training: Nike Strobe (Master’s thesis). Southern Utah University, Cedar City, UT.

Photo from the Oregon vs. USC tailgate with my homies from the Nike Training media group. Thanks to Morgan, Brian, Brandan, Heidi, Lexie, Cindy, & Mario for setting me up with the experience! I’m having the best time.