LYRA MAG.

 The annual fundraiser for the  STEVE NASH FOUNDATION - stars NBA players-including 2 Brooklyn Nets plus their coach (!!!) and professional soccer players from Premier League and MLS...past and present. Guest coaches who did not play (hmm-there are those contracts)---active MLS stars Forward  David Villa-NYCFC and  Midfielder Sacha Kjlestan of the Red Bulls. Sara D, Roosevelt Park LES/NYC Kids from David Villa soccer academy and Steve Nash... Philadelphia 76er Joel Embiid gives a high five perfect weather...score 6-5 Red wins...courtesy of 2 goals by MVP Patrick Vieira TEAM RED: Claudio Reyna (US Mens National Team, Sporting Director - NYCFC), Patrick Vieira (French National Team, Head Coach - NYCFC), Jeff Matteo (Assistant Coach, St. John’s Basketball and retired US Soccer player), Ricardo Villar (ret. FC Dallas), Jeremy Lin (Brooklyn Nets), Sasha Vujacic (NY Knicks), Salomon Kalou (Hertha BSC), Josh...

 LAS VEGAS We were dazzled by this---and apparently the prototype is in use by the Germany Federation team---and they won the World Cup!!! Multi-camera solution-camera (4 units attached to a rig) by Panasonic with real time stitching to create a quadruple wide 64:9 panoramic video of entire field- with raw data dissected by proprietary SAP  HANA software--- btw tracking players-who do not need to wear trackers/sensors besides-sure those activity trackers/sensors are not allowed in pro sports during a game ANYWAY human shape images-highly accurate using body modeling imagery track a player in this case Sami Khedira in Germany vs Italy Game  we were on best behavior and did not ask the PANASONIC/JAPAN executive and colleague to get out of our way so we could get a clean panoramic picture on our iPhone 6+---actually we almost did because we are from NYC-but the German Panasonic rep indicated not too…and we respect that! a coach would use a touchscr...

In Our Inbox… Continuing the storied history of the boot that transformed the industry, Nike launches the new generation of the Mercurial to match the speed of today’s game.   The new boot, unveiled today by Cristiano Ronaldo in Madrid, is born from four years of R&D in the Nike Sport Research Lab.  Driven by insights from the world’s fastest athletes, the Superfly is created to revolutionize speed. First unveiled in 1998, the original Mercurial was a radical and unprecedented piece of design that established Nike as the leader in football boot innovation. With the new Mercurial Superfly, Nike has created not just another cutting-edge boot but a leap forward for on-pitch speed. “With its new design innovations, the 2014 Superfly makes a quantum leap forward in what high performance boots can be – and what they can help players achieve,” said NIKE, Inc. President and CEO Mark Parker at the Madrid unveiling. “Fueled by Nike Flyknit technology...

Nike today unveiled its entire collection of footwear, apparel and equipment innovation for players and fans, inspired by the upcoming summer of football in Brasil. “This summer is the ultimate moment for the beautiful game, and the ultimate moment for Nike to revolutionize product design,” said Mark Parker, President and CEO. “Moments like this summer in Brasil allow us to supercharge our innovation as we look to provide athletes with every advantage on the world’s greatest stage.” ATHLETE JOURNEY – PLAYER COLLECTIONS All home and away kits for the ten federations that will wear Nike in Brasil were showcased at an event in Madrid. The kits combine high-tech innovation to keep players cool, such as laser-cut ventilation, engineered mesh and Nike Dri-FIT technology. They are also environmentally sustainable, with each kit made from fabric that comes from recycled plastic bottles. Visually, each kit features cultural design elements unique to each country. ALEX  Ox...