The Year of Air Max?

By Stephen Pierce 

In 2017 and 2018 we have been blessed with a boat load of heat including the Air Max 97s, Air Jordan 1 “Shadow”, different colorways in the Yeezy 350, Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement”, the introduction of the Air Max 270s, and the entire Nike “OFF-WHITE” collaboration. The sneaker game has seen a resurgence in street culture as well as the fashion industry. But the brand that has taken the crown this year is easily Nike and it’s not even close.

                                                 Astrid Andersen's Fall 2018 Runway Show

The re-introduction of the Air Max 97 and 98 has been the turning point for Nike this year. Not only did it fit the vintage and dad shoe craze that is popular right now but they are extremely comfortable, and there is nothing better than being comfortable and fashion forward. And if you didn’t know before this  

                                                         f.johnny.free/ via Instagram

year the Air Max 97 was allegedly inspired by the bullet trains in Japan, but in actuality it was inspired by metallic finishes on mountain bikes. There is no real reason for me saying this, it is just a random fact I wanted to include. But none the less the sneaker is fire and the impact it is having on the culture right now is intriguing and in my opinion showing appreciation to sneakers that have changed the game.

                   

Nike was able to capitalize on the hype of the Air Max 97 and 98 and introduced the Air Max 270 which is the first Air Max that is constructed to be strictly a lifestyle shoe. Some of the colorways that have come out have just been meh but there is a lot of potential with the sneaker.

                                          

                                          

And finally the Vapor Max and “OFF-WHITE” collaboration was the cherry on top. Nike showed how versatile an Air Max sneaker’s can truly be and why they have had the crown this year. I hope more fire releases this year and beyond from the Air Max line and I hope that everybody appreciates the recent releases because eventually they are going back in the vault and it’s going to be a while before we see them again.

Life After College Pt. 1

By Stephen Pierce

After the last sip of Henny is consumed, the last L is rolled, the last cup of Top Ramen is gone, and the jawn from last night has finally left reality is slowly setting in. The reality is that the college life is finally over. No more cramming for an exam, no more rushing to class the next morning after Thirsty Thursday. Real life is slowly settling in and it is going to be scary. The college life is all you have known for the past four to five years and now you are stuck. I am here to tell you that it’s OK to feel the way you are feeling.


Once you have crossed that stage you are entering the most important part of your life, your actual life. There are no more meal swipes or cafeterias to steal from, no more flex dollars(shout out to West Chester University) or local pizza shops that are open until 2:00 in the morning when you have the muchies. You are going to have to learn how to cook and survive on your own. But that again is OK because not only will you get that since of gratification of learning something new, but if you want to invite some girl or guy over you can impress him or her with your new found cooking skills. Trust and believe learning these new things will take you a long way in your personal life.

Personally, after completing exit counseling and seeing how much I owed in student loans it lit a fire under me to pursue what I love and to never quit. The most important thing to do after college if you already don’t know is to pursue what makes you happy. If you don’t know what that is find it and if you are afraid for whatever reason to express it do it, because at the end of the day you have to do what makes you feel whole. There are no more classes to study for or papers to take up most of your time you can now dedicate that energy to what you like, and you never know day if you are dedicated enough to whatever you are passionate about that can become your occupation. This is our time to be who we want to be and to pursue what we want to pursue. This is also the time to try new things that you never thought you could have seen yourself doing before

At this time it is our moment and it will forever be our moment because we have achieved something that our forefathers have died for and have been oppressed for.
At this time we most likely won’t get that dream job right away and that is OK but you have to be able to sustain yourself self. There is nothing worse than asking your mom or pop for some money to go out, it’s embarrassing. I’m not saying work a job that is going to make you feel miserable but something to allow you to do the little things for right now.


It is our time to live our life and to live it to the absolute fullest because you can only live it once and we are currently blessed to do whatever we want with it. If you don’t have kids go ahead and travel and enjoy what God has made. If you do have kids, it may be a little more difficult because you have a family to provide for but nothing is stopping you from putting in that work for your future and your happiness for not just you but your family as well.

We are blessed with an opportunity to graduate from college but now the real fun begins. I know it is scary but that is OK, now is not the time to shy away from the opportunity but to embrace it because now it is YOUR life.

Shut Up and What

By Stephen Pierce

O LeBron and Kevin you are great players but no one voted for you.  Millions elected Trump to be their coach so keep the political commentary to yourself…Shut Up and Dribble. When we think we have come so far comments like these bring back the harsh reality that no matter the money we make, the accolades we achieve, or the positions we hold, we are still open to being disrespected and treated as second rate citizens by some Americans.

The statement was made by Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham. Laura Ingraham has made controversial remarks before such as her defense of Trump’s Mexican comments saying that Mexicans coming to America bring drugs, crime, and are rapists. But what she has said toward LeBron and Kevin hit home a little more.

LeBron and Kevin are not just black men who make millions doing what they love, a fact she acknowledged by Ingraham in her rant.  They are also humanitarians that give millions to the black community. LeBron’s charitable organization, LeBron James Family Foundation, gives one million dollars every year to kids in his home town of Akron, Ohio. The gift helps elementary schoolers get interested in school; provides adults with college resources; and help students learn computer coding.  His I Promise campaign has donated 41 million dollars making a college education possible for 1,100 Akron students. Kevin Durant started the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation which focuses on the enrichment of low-income at-risk youths through educational, athletic, and social programs.

These two gentlemen have done so much for the community and for the people around them, but in the eyes of some have not earned the right to express how they feel about the Commander and Chief who has yet to make a positive impact on Americans, or citizens of the world.  Ingraham’s comments reflect her arrogant thinking and elitist heart.  Black athletes exist solely for entertainment value and are somehow not full citizens with the ability to comment or participate in government or politics.  But at the same time would she have made these same disparaging comments about President Ronald Regan who was an actor and a sports commentator, or towards John Runyan who was the right tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2000-2008 before becoming a United States Congressman, probably not.

Laura Ingraham’s controversial comments has caused a conversation to happen in the African American community about how some Americans feel about our achievements. We must continue to know that no matter what we do, how much money we make, how much power we gain, or how much we contribute we are still not viewed as equals to some, or in this case credible to make comments about the people in power. In the words of the greatest Hip Hop artist of all time and great business man and the new leader in the Forbes list of wealthiest men in Hip-Hop Jay-Z “Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga, still nigga, still nigga”.  But are you going to shut up, and dribble, or what?

Is Ben Simmons a Future G.O.A.T

 By Stephen Pierce

The title might be a little bit of a reach but for how long. The game last night against the Chicago Bulls was astonishing for a person who didn’t even attempt a 3. In fact he hasn’t even attempted a single  3 all season but yet he has been able to score and completely dominate at will. Couple nights ago his stat line was dominate and very efficient, he scored 32 points while shooting 13-18 from the floor he posted seven rebounds as well as dishing out 11 assists and on the defensive side of the floor he had one steal and one block. And while on the floor he was +15.

This stat line should not be a surprise due to the fact he has been doing this basically all season. He may not post 32 every night but he is always efficient and you know he drops dimes regularly. Comparing him to other rookies is not fair neither him or the other players because he is not only the best rookie it’s not

                                                                                                                      

even a competition. Currently his stat line for the season 16.7 PPG, 7.8 TRB, 7.4 AST, 1.9 STL, 0.9 BLK, and ZERO three point attempts unless you count half court heaves then it is 0.2. He is currently number four in the NBA is assists as well as tied for fifth in the NBA in steals with Russel Westbrook. He currently is number five in overall defensive efficiency in where most rookies other than the guy in Los Angeles who hasn’t played in almost five to 6 weeks are not even in the top 40.

                He is in my opinion a top 15 player and he is only going to shoot up that chart when he finally gets a jumper. The NBA and the world will be put on notice when the playoffs begins. The opposition will do everything in their power to stop him from getting to the paint but that is like trying to stop the president from saying something stupid it’s not possible. Unless he is going up against a player like LeBron and Giannis it is impossible to stop him, he is to quick and explosive for their big man and way to strong and tall for their point guard. It seems as if ever since he put tape around his right wrist he has been dominant and doing whatever he wants against the opposition.

He needs to keep that wrist tapped and everybody needs to look alive because he is coming. And yes, Look Alive is a Drake reference.