Dear Kobe

January 28, 2020 by MJ Cootsona

It was just last week that I was in a conversation about inspiration and you instantly came to mind. It was just a few years ago that I took a solo trip to Staples Center to witness the greatest farewell game basketball has ever seen. It was just a few years before that when I was a kid in the park, alone on the basketball court with the sun on the horizon, dribbling a ball to a mental shot clock and an imaginary crowd, practicing your signature fadeaway. “3..2…1….and the crowd cheers as Bryant sinks the game winner” I would whisper to myself. It wasn’t until years later that I realized just the amount of impact you would have on me.

Not So Fast

November 09, 2019 by MJ Cootsona

It has been a few minutes since I’ve posted the ramblings reflecting the inner workings of my mind, and for various reasons it felt like the right time to put fingers to keys and reignite the muse. There are a lot of things happening in the world right now, but for the sake of sanity and healthy debate let us stick to sports for this one. Durant has now become a United 1K member with how much he’s traveled cross country, the Warriors went from infamy to incompetence, and the Niners are 8-0. Lots to unpack there, but underlying these points and many other headlines circling professional sports right now is the obsession with the future. It has been the media gadfly buzzing around the eyes and ears of sports fans.

What Now?

July 03, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Sports

Something utterly magnificent happened recently, and quite frankly it’s something that has been on my mind ever since its occurrence. That’s right, against all odds I won a raffle for the latest pair of Yeezys. Oh and the Warriors won the whole thing. While they’re both intriguing topics, given the nature of the cover photo and the magnitude of the latter, I should probably explore the Dub’s W.

Greatness Perpetuates Greatness

May 30, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Sports

Watching the NBA playoff series throughout the recent weeks has been an incredible display of both wild fluctuation and unrivaled certainty. If you aren’t the Warriors or (for the most part) the Cavs, you have been 20 points ahead or 20 points behind in any given game without much in between. Especially throughout some of the earlier series, it was wildly up in the air who would win each game. And I must say, that made it wildly entertaining.

Loopin' Up North, Eh?

May 09, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Sports

This past week I had the exciting privilege to experience an element of life very few individuals find themselves in — caddying for a professional golfer. This journey brought me up north to a little town called Comox on Vancouver Island. The sights were special, but the escapade was altogether intriguing and insightful.

Mamba Out

April 13, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Sports

Today marks the 1 year anniversary Kobe Bryant’s last game. What a game it was. In quintessential Kobe fashion, he took an insane amount of shots and tallied up an equally ludicrous 60 points. For presumably the first time in his career, he was getting told not to pass the ball. It was the perfect end to an unbelievable story that started with a young kid who had a dream to play basketball in purple and yellow.

Masters Sunday

April 11, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Sports

The aura that surrounds Masters Sunday is unlike any other sporting event out there. Not necessarily because it trumps excitement level or boasts overwhelming viewership statistics, but because there is something intangibly special about the tournament. Watching these professionals battle it out on the back 9 in the late afternoon golden hour, where every stroke is amplified provides a storybook atmosphere that separates this stage from every other sports play.

162 Reasons to Smile

April 06, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Sports

Sunday was an amazing day for sports. Federer 2.0 served up a heated victory over Nadal in Miami, the Warriors continued their playoff preamble with another swift victory, and most notably the Giants took to the diamond for the first time this season. Seeing Crawford, Belt, Posey, and Bum out there again while listening to the comforting commentary of Kruk and Kuipe was blissful. Until the bottom of the 9th, that is…but we’ll tackle that in a bit.

NCAA March Blandness

March 29, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Sports

It’s the final minutes of the 2nd half, the clock winding down, the ball is in the hands of a trailing team from the midwest while the opposing team from somewhere else in the country is counting their collegiate stars that the nonexistent college basketball defense miraculously materializes itself in this final play. 4…3…2…1…buzzer. Who won? Honestly, who cares?

Shooting Stars or Sitting Stars?

March 22, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Sports

Circling the headlines and conversations of many sports authorities right now is the topic of resting major NBA stars. While this has been cogitated in the past, it has become a serious topic with the recent decisions by both Kerr and subsequently by Tyronn Lue to rest their starters. Both of these instances affected primetime matchups, but were they justified decisions?

Shoe Review Series: Adidas NMD

March 21, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Shoes

As part of an on-going series, I am going to be reviewing sneakers that are either glorious, hideous, or some puzzling spot in between. To kick it off, let’s start with one of the most eclectic shoes Adidas has released in the past couple years: the NMD.

The Dub-less Dubs: What Now?

March 14, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Sports

The Warriors have found themselves in quite an interesting situation with the temporary absence of a superstar. The lanky Durant has been couch-locked with a broken leg, and since then the Warriors have been deadlocked in a losing slump. There are two sides to this recent conundrum, and both are very interesting perspectives.

Limited Edition Inquisition: Part 1

March 05, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Shoes

Being a sneakerhead is a fascinating hobby, profession, obsession, religion…there are quite a few classifications for it. I remember when I was a little kid and there was the proposition of going to the toy store, I would opt for going to the shoe store instead. A new pair of fresh kicks trumped the Power Rangers any day of the week for 5-year-old me. Sure enough, this intrinsic fascination steadily snowballed into a full-blown obsession.

Nike's All-Star Break: An Open Commentary

February 24, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Shoes

The NBA All-Star weekend is a wonderful sports holiday full of positivity, extravagance, and talent. It’s a time for star players to reset with a few days of camaraderie and unbelievable talent exposition. The latter is a laughable concept to ponder: professionals relaxing by doing what would humiliate any normal person in their attempt. Regardless, this year’s All-Star weekend left me underwhelmed.

Durant-ula Spinning a New Web in Norcal

February 23, 2017 by MJ Cootsona in Sports

Amidst a sea of commentary revolving around number 35's most recent move across the country, you may find yourself frustratingly ambivalent about Durant and the Warriors. It's an odd move, and an even more odd thing to criticize once you look at the facts. Let's look at the facts.