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.

One of the most prominent features of the University of Oregon’s Matthew Knight Arena is Kilkenny Floor which was designed by Tinker Hatfield, Nike’s VP of Creative Design and named after former Oregon Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny. Called “Deep in the Woods”, the floor’s design gives the impression of being lost in a Pacific Northwest forest, gazing towards the sky. The charge for Hatfield was to design something that echoed the “Tall Firs” nickname of the 1938-39 Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team, winners of the inaugural NCAA basketball championship as well as providing an iconic television presence for the University of Oregon. What do you think of the floor’s design. Do you think it provides the Ducks with a home court advantage?

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.

It’s going down here tomorrow night… Oregon vs. USC. How do y’all like my fake tilt-shift photo?

Seven days ago, if somebody would have said to me, “Joe Paterno will be fired within the week because of a sex scandal,” I would have told them to hop back on their unicorn and beam themselves up. Well, unicorns don’t exist and “Joe Pa” is toast.

Foremost, my heart goes out to the victims and their families. What happened is a complete tragedy and I will try to explain not only why there is a division of opinion within Penn State, but what those opinions truly are (something the media has not grasped). The only way to get a true sense of this is by taking a look at social media. That is where the voices are and that is where you can see a divide between two camps within Penn State. The mainstream media has not reached into social media enough (if at all) to capture the emotion and reasons behind those who want Joe Paterno to coach one more game and those who believe the university made the right decision to fire him. Heck, the biggest story from a social media standpoint is that Ashton Kutcher turned his Twitter account over to a PR agency because he defended Paterno on Twitter.

As many witnessed on ESPN Wednesday evening after Paterno’s firing, there was a riot at Penn State where a news van was flipped over and a few individuals got to express their opinion on national TV, which, for better or worse, gave the public a look inside at what students are feeling. While I’m not a rioter (I’ve had multiple shoulder operations and can’t throw anything more than 10 feet), I do understand their rage, confusion, sorrow, embarrassment, shame and every other emotion that comes with this tragedy. I don’t support violence and destruction of property, but this news van didn’t stand a chance. Let me explain why.

When ESPN interviewed the first student during the riot (this scandal has also left us wondering what a “riot” really is) he was well-informed, knew the details of the case and explained in a concise 15 – second clip why he was angry. He left ESPN broadcaster Stuart Scott noticeably stunned because of his complex answer. He said he was angry not because Joe Pa was ousted, but because the university fired a man over the phone who had done nothing illegal (given the evidence) and given so much to the school, community and charities over the years. He listed other supporting reasons, but that was the take-home point. At that moment, you could see in Stuart Scott’s body language the media beginning to “get” how personal this is to everyone who ever had anything to do with Penn State.

Why? Well, when the head football coach has spent the last 50+ years building the standard of “Success with Honor” that encompasses Penn State and he is fired within days of a sex scandal that blindsided the nation, the identity of being a “Penn State Alumni” that people across Pennsylvania, America and the world spent their tuition dollars and years of their lives earning is vaporized. Poof. Evidence of this reputation lies in this Wall Street Journal article touting Penn State graduates as the most desirable candidates for positions by recruiters because they are “Bright, well-rounded students…with the core competencies we desire.” I’m not patting myself on the back (I can’t even reach that far because of the previously cited shoulder operations), I’m simply demonstrating what this university built for itself.

Contrary to the belief of Jon Stewart, this isn’t about football. This is about defining what the words “The Pennsylvania State University” mean. They used to mean honor, dignity and success. We’ve now lost that and everyone holding a Penn State degree must work to redefine those words.

This is where Penn State faces a major turning point and the barriers are clear with a glance at social media. The Penn State Board of Trustees made a monumental first step by relieving Paterno and Spanier of their duties because of their inability to lead. However, Penn State is facing major backlash from the public for the scandal as well as a divided community of its own over the handling of Joe Paterno. This is the core the media is ignoring. Sure, they’ve shown both Joe Pa supporters and people who think the board made the right decision to fire him. But what they haven’t shown is the divide in the Penn State community that’s being displayed on social media which explains, firsthand, why people feel the way they do. Anyone who has a lot of Penn State friends on Facebook knows what I’m talking about.

Calling all sports fans! Please take a moment to check out this new website, The Sportsfan Journal; written by 2 of my good friends, Ed Maisonet III & Kenny Masenda. I’ve know these 2 cats for a few years now, and I believe their form of journalism is a refreshing take on sports. I find myself reading their articles more than I do from the mainstream sports media on the bigger websites. Take a look for yourself here.

Reggie Ball, one of my favorite GT players in recent memory sent over an autographed picture to the crew (via @RuelVaz). Thanks Reggie!

Today, Nike unveiled the Pro Combat uniforms & cleats that the Oregon Ducks will be wearing during their National Championship game against Auburn on January 10th, 2011. Coach Chip Kelly was consulted by Nike’s designer Todd Van Horne who stated, “We worked with him and designed something that will actually look like blur on the field.”

That highlighter accent on the carbon fiber helmets, jerseys, and the socks will definitely (and hopefully) scald the eyeballs of the Auburn Tigers/War Eagle (can they just decide if they are a bird or a cat?)

As if his portfolio wasn’t extensive enough, Tinker Hatfield pushes the boundaries with the University of Oregon’s new basketball court design. I’m not surprised one bit with his though process and graphic result. There’s no denying the perks of being a student athlete at Oregon.