AIR JORDAN IS NOW A MOVIE

Air Jordan is now a movie.  Specifically, it is called Air:  Courting a Legend.  The movie stars Ben Affleck as Nike's wired CEO Phil Knight.   Matt Damon plays the influencial Sonny Vaccaro who was instrumental in convincing the Jordan family to sign with Nike.  Speaking of Jordan's family, Viola Davis steals the show as Deloris Jordan!  Strong performances by Jason Bateman and Chris Tucker anchor the storyline of everything that happened behind the scenes at Nike during the mid 1980's.

When Michael Jordan entered the NBA in 1984, he was a highly touted rookie.  But he wasn't yet the iconic figure he would become. That all changed when he signed with Nike to create the Air Jordan brand of sneakers. The groundbreaking deal changed the way companies market athletes forever.

At the time, Nike, a relatively new company, tried to break into the basketball market and signed deals with several notable players, including Moses Malone and Bernard King. However, they continued to search for their breakout star.

Enter Michael Jordan. The young rookie made waves in college basketball, leading the University of North Carolina to an NCAA championship in 1982. Nike saw his potential and offered him a deal that would pay him $500,000 a year for five years.  That was an unprecedented amount for an athlete in those days. Jordan hesitated at first, as he had already been courted by other companies, but ultimately decided to sign with Nike.

The Air Jordan line of sneakers was born, and it would go on to become one of the most iconic and successful brands in the history of sports marketing. The shoes were instantly popular, thanks in part to their unique design and Jordan's on-court success. He won Rookie of the Year in his first season and went on to win five MVP awards and six NBA championships, all while wearing the Air Jordans.

The success of the Air Jordans helped to establish Nike as a dominant force in the basketball shoe market and paved the way for other athletes to sign lucrative endorsement deals. It also helped to cement Jordan's status as a cultural icon, transcending the sport of basketball and becoming a symbol of coolness and success.

In conclusion, Michael Jordan's decision to sign with Nike was a game-changer for both the company and the world of sports marketing. The Air Jordan brand remains as popular today as it was in the 1980s, a testament to the enduring legacy of one of the greatest athletes of all time.

-Craig Shemon

ESPN Southwest Florida

The world’s top-ranked golfer proved exactly why he just vaulted into that position, as Scottie Scheffler was atop the 86th Masters Leaderboard at Augusta National Golf Club.

Scheffler topped Rory McIlroy by three strokes to take home the record $2.7 million prize to go along with the iconic Green Jacket. He made it interesting with a scary double-bogey on the last, when his nerves finally got the better of him.

Here’s the complete 2022 Masters leaderboard, with score to par, round 1, round 2, round 3, round 4 and final total score:

-5 68 74 68 73 283

-4 73 70 74 67 284

-3 71 72 75 67 285

-3 70 73 72 70 285

-1 76 67 72 72 287

-1 67 74 71 75 287

E 72 75 71 70 288

E 72 69 73 74 288

1 69 73 75 72 289

1 69 74 73 73 289

2 71 71 79 69 290

2 73 75 72 70 290

2 71 73 76 70 290

2 71 75 73 71 290

2 72 74 73 71 290

2 72 74 73 71 290

2 72 69 77 72 290

2 75 72 70 73 290

2 70 76 71 73 290

3 71 71 80 69 291

3 73 73 76 69 291

3 72 74 74 71 291

3 74 70 75 72 291

4 74 72 77 69 292

4 74 74 74 70 292

4 72 76 71 73 292

5 73 74 76 70 293

5 74 72 76 71 293

5 72 76 72 73 293

5 77 69 73 74 293

5 73 75 71 74 293

6 69 74 77 74 294

6 71 75 74 74 294

6 74 73 73 74 294

6 71 74 73 76 294

7 70 75 79 71 295

7 73 73 78 71 295

7 73 74 75 73 295

7 76 70 73 76 295

8 74 73 79 70 296

9 73 71 77 76 297

9 75 70 75 77 297

12 75 73 79 73 300

13 71 74 78 78 301

14 74 74 80 74 302

14 74 73 77 78 302

15 73 75 77 78 303

15 71 75 77 80 303

17 72 74 79 80 305