From the shoes we wear on our feet to the high definition televisions in our living room, wearable devices, the sports universe is a breeding ground for technology. Writer and Photographer Rick Limpert will examine this each week on The Tech of Sports – With guests which include athletes, inventors and journalists that cover the intersection of sports and technology.
It was great to have the opportunity to spend some time with the legendary Olympic sprinter, Usain Bolt.
Bolt joins Rick on “Tech of Sports” discussing his passion for music and favorite products at the Gibson tent at CES 2018.
He was insightful, representing Philips Bass + new Headphones at the show. In addition to his countless accolades on the track, the last six or so years has introduced the world to not just Usain Bolt the Olympic medalist, but also a regular guy who’s passionate about music and likes to DJ around his races.
An eight-time Olympic gold medalist, Bolt won the 100 m, 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay at three consecutive Olympic Games, although he subsequently forfeited one of the gold medals (as well as the world record set therein) nine years after the fact due to a teammate’s disqualification for doping offences. He gained worldwide popularity for his double sprint victory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in world record times. Bolt is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016); this is a feat referred to as the “triple double” that will be very difficult for anyone to duplicate.
He now turns his attention to music and talks with Rick!
Shaq’s individual accolades include the 1999–2000 MVP award, the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other players are Willis Reed in 1970 and Michael Jordan in 1996 and 1998. He ranks 8th all-time in points scored, 6th in field goals, 14th in rebounds, and 8th in blocks. Largely due to his ability to dunk the basketball, O’Neal also ranks third all-time in field goal percentage (58.2%). O’Neal was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. He was elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017.
TNT commentator Shaquille O’Neal – also known as “Shaq” – announced at CES’ TNT Inside the NBA broadcast that he has been given a new title, joining Carnival Cruise Line as their newly appointed “CFO.”
The announcement was made with a tongue-in-cheek video that features Shaq and Carnival President Christine Duffy but omits one minor detail: CFO stands for “Chief Fun Officer,” personifying the cruise line’s newest brand campaign, “Choose Fun,” which launched earlier this week.
As the newly appointed “CFO,” O’Neal has partnered with the cruise line, lending his fun, larger-than-life personality and playful spirit to inspire America to Choose Fun with Carnival when planning their next vacation, and in their everyday lives.
Shaq’s role will be brought to life via engaging video content, social media and experiential activations, beginning today.
In the first piece of advertising that introduces Shaq as Carnival’s Chief Fun Officer, he takes viewers on a whirlwind 30-second tour of Carnival Vista, showing his playful self as he enjoys the ship’s many attractions and experiences, including SkyRide, Havana pool, Cloud 9 Spa, a burger at Guy Fieri’s Burger Joint and, of course, the basketball court.
“We are very excited to have Shaq as part of the Carnival team! He will serve as a great ambassador ensuring everyone knows all about our one-of-a-kind brand of fun,” said Duffy. “We’re confident that his embodiment of our brand values will inspire America to Choose Fun and discover the authentic, participatory and social atmosphere that Carnival offers.”
“In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to choose fun, especially when everyone is busy with work, family, and life in general,” says O’Neal. “So, I’m honored to be appointed the Chief Fun Officer at Carnival – a company that lives and breathes fun.”
Carnival Cruise Line is the largest brand in the Carnival Corporation portfolio with a fleet of 25 ships designed to deliver fun and memorable vacation experiences at a great value. It is the world’s most popular cruise line carrying five million guests a year and catering to a wide consumer demographic, appealing to families, couples, singles and seniors. Carnival carries more children and military personnel than any other cruise line. In spring 2018, the 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon will debut as the 26th ship in the fleet.
For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit http://carnival.comcarnival.com. Carnival also can be found on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Rick is joined this week, by Jason Simmons of DeadSoxy.
Socks may literally be the most boring article of clothing…but DeadSoxy is changing this opinion one step at a time by reinventing the underrated apparel.
After years of searching for the perfect sock, creator Jason Simmons (a sock and fashion enthusiast from birth) was disappointed with what he found.
“It didn’t matter if I spent $2 dollars or $200, my socks would eventually get holes, lose stretch, or slip off my heal…even when they were no slip! I realized that if I wanted my dream socks, I’d have to make them myself,” says Simmons.
“People think I’m crazy but I engineered these socks to have literally everything you could possibly want.”
WHY ARE THESE SOCKS SO AMAZING?
The Feel: Uber-soft, high-end yarn enables a cool and dry environment for your feet and means no shrinking
The Look: Superior dyes keep socks from fading and the distinct patterns give your outfit an extra dose of style
The Design: Engineered in a U.S. knitting mill to create a unique technical design that no other sock on the market has
The Magic: These technical specifications keep our socks, whether crew or no show, from slipping or falling; so you get a comfortable wear & put-together look ALL day
The Deal: They are THE ONLY company ever to offer a money back guarantee if they slip off your foot.
Rick is joined by former college coach and now top football analyst, Rick Neuheisel. Rick talks to current football analyst Rick Neuheisel about the teams, their strengths and what they need to do be holding the iconic Coaches’ Trophy (aka) crystal ball trophy when the season is over.
Austin Cook is a University of Arkansas graduate and PGA Tour Rookie currently ranked 144th in the World and currently ranked 3rd in the Fed-Ex Cup Standings. A month ago, Cook captured his first career win in his 4th PGA Tour event as member. He emerged victorious with a four-stroke win at the RSM Classic; located at the Seaside Course in Sea Island, Georgia.
Super Heroic is a new children’s technical sneaker label from footwear industry vet, former Jordan Brand Senior Global Design Director, Jason Mayden; Super Heroic. The brand is backed by Playground Ventures, Accel Partners, UP2398 and Magic Johnson, raising $7 Million to launch. The shoe is designed to fit the unique needs of a child’s foot to encourage movement and tactical play. Headlining the brand’s first release is the TMBLR v1 Sneaker – the first ever performance designed shoe for kids, that inspires sneakerheads-turned-parents to get their kids out and play.
