14 Signs You’re a Football Player at Heart

1. Sundays you’re on a couch.

football-tv
via digitaltrends.com

You are a rock. A rock on a couch.

 

2. You’re used to being called by your last name.

 

 

Tim Riggins Jersey
via siamtradingpost.com

 First names are for suckers.

3. You run plays in your head.

Football Playbook
via donerightmarketingmedia.com

X’s and O’s gentlemen. X’s and O’s.

4. You measure distances in yardage.

Football Gridiron Yard Lines
via corbisimages.com

Yeah, this hallway looks like a good 25 yards. Let’s test the arm.

5. You take the Under Armour, “We Must Protect This House” ads very seriously.

We Must Protect This House
via youtube and Under Armour

I WILL, I WILL. Under Armour HWHAGHHGGH

6. You’re a big fan of Minka Kelly… Oh Lyla.

Lyla Garrity Minka Kelly
via buddytv.com

Hi, Lyla.

7. You’ve won 100 Super Bowls in your backyard.

Backyard Football Catch
via shaungroves.com

And then you spike the ball and it either goes over the fence or hits you back in your face.

8. You do spin moves around the house.

Alabama Eddie Lacy Spin Move
via youtube

Perfectly executed spin-move past the dining room chair.

9. You stiff arm your friends.

stiff arm football
via extrapolater.wordpress.com

Sit down.

10. Madden will never get old.

Mike Vick Madden
via youtube

Mike Vick need never throw the ball.

11. Thanksgiving is your favorite holiday.

Tom Brady Thanksgiving
via boston.com

Food. Football. Sleep.

12. Crimson, Scarlet, and Cardinal are more than just shades of red.

College-Colors

It’s a beautiful thing.

13. The country is divided into territories.

nfl-fan-map
via cippinonsports.com

Always wear your gear into rival territories.

14. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.

Kyle Chandler Friday Night Lights
via chigacotribune.com

 

 

By Isaac Clark

Isaac is a writer at SportsUnlimited.com

Fantasy football diary: Tonight things get real

Who will Steve pick?
Steve’s decision to take Jamaal Charles or Ray Rice is the Manning vs. Leaf debate of the 2013 Sports Unlimited Fantasy Football Draft

Haircuts are often meant for big occasions.

Senior portraits, weddings, family pictures, holidays and things like that.

I got a haircut last night, our Sports Unlimited fantasy football draft is today. That’s not a coincidence; tonight’s draft is a very big occasion.

Some of us have been studying for weeks, mock drafting our hearts out. Others spent yesterday afternoon printing out cheat sheets in 1-point font. Pretty much the only strategy that has been consistent among league members has been hounding Steve to reveal who he’s going to pick at #4.

It’s a really hard decision for Steve between Ray Rice and Jamaal Charles and one that he’s lost plenty of sleep over. We had an important meeting about it where our company president Don stressed the importance of full disclosure among employees. Steve responded by taking two days off just to hide in his basement and avoid the pressure.

There are other key decisions and high drama that will undoubtedly ensue.

It starts at pick #2 where Doug has made multiple pie charts to convince us he won’t draft Arian Foster. But we all know he’s lying. The biggest question is how high he’ll draft Ben Tate.

I sit at 10 where I’m hoping to have someone else to pick other than Trent Richardson and Alfred Morris. Although I shouldn’t complain about two guys that combined for over 3000 total yards and 24 touchdowns last year – as rookies. I definitely won’t be choosing Steven Jackson, that much is true.

The babysitters are arranged, the pizza order is in and the countdown clock keeps ticking. The action figures to be fast and furious tonight and for those interested, you can follow us on Twitter and try to influence our picks.

And by all means, please feel free to harass Steve. He’s the defending champion and we don’t want him getting cocky.

By Lou Rusnock
Lou is a writer at Sports Unlimited.

We’re on Google+, Come and Visit!

Hello,

I know how incredibly disappointed you’ve been that there have been fewer posts on here recently, but don’t worry, we’ve been upgrading! Soon we will be back in the normal rotation and get the gears grinding and everyone will be so happy! So, so, so very happy!

This is a short post to let all you gorgeous people know that we have a Google+ profile that rocks and kicks all kinds of butt. You can find that jawn at Sports Unlimited! Google+

Thanks for the support and happy football season!

-Isaac

By Isaac ClarkIsaac is a Google+er King at SportsUnlimited.com

True confessions of a fantasy football junkie: What I’ve learned from 50 mock drafts

Hi I’m Lou and I’m a fantasy football addict.

When teams opened training camp in late July, I was already a 173-page magazine and eight mock drafts deep into a personal gauntlet of training for the greatest four months of the year. I’m talking, of course, about the fantasy football season.

We play fantasy football for many reasons. To bond with friends, to talk a little trash, to prove we know more than everyone else and even just to distract us from the work week. (NOTE TO EMPLOYER: I mean at night, after work hours.) Most of all we play to win. Whether its for a huge cash prize or a gaudy championship alligator head, the thrill of a league title can make or break the other eight months of the year.

For the last month, I’ve embarked on a quest that’s been driven by an embarrassingly bad championship game loss last year. My goal was to get to 50 mock drafts before my first draft in late August. It became a nightly journey through ESPN, FantasyFootballCalculator, NFL.com and Yahoo which quickly became an addiction – more release than resource. Many of these mocks took place with fellow league members Tug and Brian (names changed to protect the innocent), meaning we’ve either tipped our hands or been involved in a massive, time-consuming hoax.

It’s been a taxing month, but all my hard work has led to some absolutes. And when you can go into your fantasy draft party knowing some things for certain, it makes the most inexact science of the year that much more easy.

There’s probably not enough time left for you to do 50 mock drafts of your own, so in celebration of the launch of our Fantasy Football Name Generator, here are some tips from an expert addict on how to handle your own draft.

1. The only thing I like less than Steven Jackson this season is the people who mock draft (and probably will really draft) Steven Jackson.

#saynotogaskins
Steven Jackson looks mad, but he’s happy to be in Atlanta. Don’t be so happy to compare him to Michael Turner.

Over 92% of all mock drafts I’ve been in have someone with major love for S-Jax. We’ll call this person Gaskins. It’s pretty easy to spot a Gaskins. He will draft Steven Jackson between picks 12 and 15 and quote Michael Turner’s stats from last season. He will never tell you anything about Steven Jackson’s stats and you can laugh at him later when you draft Jacquizz Rodgers. #saynotogaskins

2. Keep calm and draft on.

There will inevitably come a point in your draft where the running back crop drops into a deep abyss of guys you don’t know and guys you know very well and promised yourself you would never draft again (I’m talking to you DeMarco Murray and Darren McFadden). Do some digging on the guys you don’t know, because those other guys… well, you already know. And you promised.

3. There are some really, really, really good wide receivers.

Draft one or two, it’s a safe bet. There’s always one point in the season where you look at the team with two or three really good receivers and you’re staring at a guy that was good for you on your 2008 third place squad and the second receiver on the Jaguars. Don’t let that happen to you. Remember that the NFL is, after all, a passing league.

#saynotogaskins
According to Tug, Drew Brees won’t disappoint owners like last year when he only threw for 5177 yards and 43 TDs.

4. Drew Brees will have a bounce back year.
Tug called this in the early part of fantasy training camp and I couldn’t agree more. After obliterating the record books in 2011, Brees fell off in a major way, throwing for 299 less yards and three less touchdowns in 2012. There is no way he will slip to those lowly numbers again.

5. If you have the tenth pick, you probably have at least an extra mid-round draft pick.

The later you are in your draft order, the more gambles you should take. Why? Because if you pay attention, you’re getting another starter off the waiver wire in a week or two. There’s always a breakout guy that no one’s talking about. (SEE “Morris, Alfred” and “Cruz, Victor”) Who will be that guy this year? If anyone knew, he wouldn’t be on the waiver wire Week 1.

6. You don’t HAVE to draft anyone.

We’ve all been down this road before. A guy you don’t like is the top ranked player on a board you didn’t rank yourself. You have an open slot at that position that you’re itching to fill. The clock is ticking. You really don’t like him. But you really need that position. You’re friends are making fun of you. It’s starting to get personal. You don’t want it to be your pick anymore. Screw it, you think, I’m taking this guy and going to cry in the bathroom.  A month later, you’re 0-4 and that old, washed up RB you picked has been supplanted by a rookie and sunk your season. I knew this was going to happen, you say, I just had to pick him there. No, you didn’t, the draft board is more than one player deep. Take the guys you like. You have to cheer for them anyway.

7. Who you don’t mock draft is probably more important than who you do pick.

This piece of advice came from my best friend Mark, who turned me on to the mock draft game. If you really like some guys, don’t draft them. That way you can look and see where they’re likely to go. You don’t get to use your mock draft team anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. This would not be a good strategy to take with you into your actual draft.

8. T.Y. Hilton is not the #2 receiver on the Colts. And his real name is Eugene.

#saynotogaskins
T.Y. Hilton may be a good grab, but he’s not even the #2 receiver on the Colts’ depth chart.

A true story, despite what almost all the fantasy rankings will tell you. Every fantasy football expert is insisting Hilton is a better bet than the Colts’ real #2, Darrius Heyward-Bey. I’m not here to argue with them, but I’m also not going to argue with the Colts coaches. The lesson here: do your own pre-rankings. After the top few guys, no one really knows how things are going to turn out. It’s YOUR team, so trust YOUR gut. Didn’t all those experts tell us not to draft Adrian Peterson last year? That turned out well.

9. CLIF bars count as dinner.

When you really get sucked down the deep hole of mock draft addiction, sometimes you don’t have enough time for extravagant meals. Don’t forget to keep some quick meal replacements on hand.

10. If I just drafted guys to spite people, my team wouldn’t be very good but I would be able to spite a lot of people.

Don’t forget that there’s a difference between mock drafts and real drafts. One is to go to battle on a weekly basis and bask in the glory of a conquering warrior sitting on his couch watching the Red Zone. The other is to make fun of Gaskins.

By Lou Rusnock
Lou is four steps through the recovery program and a writer at Sports Unlimited.

We’re On Twitter With Giveaways!

WE ON TWITTER!!! @sportsunlimited – It’s a thing now. You can win tons of gift certificates and also be awesome by following us!

Hello Friends,

Just a quick note to follow us @sportsunlimited on Twitter!

We give away gift certificates every week just for following and retweeting.

Twitter Giveaway

Seriously, who doesn’t want free moneys for buyin’ stuff?

By Isaac Clark

Isaac is blowin’ up Twitter at SportsUnlimited.com

Happy Father’s Day

This Sunday, we will recognize one of the biggest supporters in our lives: our fathers. As a family owned company, we at Sports Unlimited value the relationships we have with our families and on this day especially, we are grateful for everything our fathers have done for us.

Family Photo for Father's DayThe smallest things can make all the difference, so why not make this Father’s Day a memorable one? Whether it’s a simple “I love you, dad” or a hand-written card, it will forever be cherished in his heart. Try to think back to your favorite memory you shared with your dad. Maybe it was your first fishing trip, or when he was the coach of your sports team, or more importantly, when he walked you down the aisle on one of the most remarkable days of your life. Whatever it may be, remind him of how special that memory is to you. Spending the time to acknowledge the impact he has made on your life is better than any gift that money could buy.

But, let’s face it; men love their sports and tools. If you are looking to splurge for this Father’s Day, purchasing a small gift for Dad isn’t the worst thing in the world. Maybe you could even buy him something that relates to your cherished memory or perhaps you could try to find something that will be used during your time spent together that day. It could be a day filled with golfing, barbecuing, hiking, etc. However you wish to express your gratitude to dad, remember that the sincerest gift comes from the heart. As one of our Founding Father’s once said, “happiness depends more on the inward disposition than on outward circumstance.” –Benjamin Franklin

Sports Unlimited wishes all families a Happy Father’s Day that is filled with love and memories.

By Alexa Shumate

Alexa is an Advertising Ninja at Sports Unlimited.

Unlimited Potential Project: Ryan Marquez

The Unlimited Potential Project is going to shine a spotlight on some of our Sports Unlimited athletes around the world to acknowledge their sporting achievements because family involvement, community involvement, and playing sports we love are such important parts of life.

Relatively new to SportsUnlimited.com, I (Isaac) have been striving to provide content on the blog and e-commerce site that is engaging and positive for the sports community in general.  While it does help for SportsUnlimited.com to sell products, the idea is to not just provide the newest, coolest, and best products to the customer, but to provide the right product that will make that customer the happiest.  This has led me to develop a side project that allows me to have a bit of fun and not sell, sell, sell with something I’m calling “The Unlimited Potential Project”.

The Unlimited Potential Project is going to shine a spotlight on some of our Sports Unlimited athletes around the world to acknowledge their sporting achievements because family involvement, community involvement, and playing sports we love are such important parts of life.

I am very happy to announce that for the first ever Unlimited Potential Project post, I will be highlighting a remarkable 10-year-old boy from Carrollton, Texas…

Ryan Marquez

Ryan Marquez - CatcherTeam: Brooklyn

League: North Texas Little League

Favorite Team: Texas Rangers

Favorite Player: Nolan Ryan

Favorite Active Player: Mike Napoli

Hits: Switch (L/R)

Throws: Right

Ryan plays ball for Brooklyn in the North Texas Little League and has had quite the year.  Primarily a catcher, Ryan has also put in some time as a pitcher and third baseman, but his favorite part of baseball is, in no great surprise, hitting!  Using his skills as a switch hitter, which he has honed since he was just five years old, Ryan leads the team in RBIs.  Through natural athleticism, great focus and instruction from his hitting coach, JT Blair, Ryan has had many keys hits this year to help his team to a 12-1 record, which has Brooklyn tied for 1st place in the league.

Ryan Marquez

One example of his prowess as a hitter occurred early in the season with a lot on the line. In a game against arch rival Yankees (12-1), Ryan was up to bat with 2 outs and the game tied.  Providing Brooklyn with some clutch hitting that the team has become accustomed to seeing from Ryan, he drove the ball to the opposite field and went on to win the game by a score of 6-5.  Being able to achieve consistent success for the team in critical situations signifies the drive and the ability of an extraordinary player even at such a young age.

Hitting can often times affect the result, but defensively, the skill of the catcher affects the game every single inning.  The catcher must work with the pitcher, block pitches, block the plate, throw out runners attempting to steal, and keep the defense in control of the inning.  Ryan’s poise behind the plate has come to him not only because he has the innate ability of a catcher, but because he practices hard and trusts his protective gear.  His father, Joe Marquez, and some of the other coaches have worked with him over the past year on getting quickly to his knees and taking short hops and bad pitches off his chest protector.  When we see major leaguers, not so much Mike Napoli anymore, but perhaps someone like Yadier Molina, blocking a bad pitch in the dirt, we take for granted how difficult it is to willfully put our bodies in the way of a pitch to prevent runs.  Ryan, through his desire to help the team in any way he can, does just that, in what he calls, his “Samurai Warrior Gear“.

Ryan_making the tag

With remarkable intuition and secretive hand signals with his first baseman, Isaiah Escalona, Ryan uses ‘snap throws’ to pick off unsuspecting runners who have strayed off base.  If you fall asleep on first, Ryan and Isaiah will get you out before you even realize it happened.

With clutch hitting, smart defense, and all-around athleticism, Ryan is a Little League All-Star in his league and an Athlete of Unlimited Potential for SportsUnlimited.com.  We are proud to highlight Ryan’s year and wish him and Brooklyn the best of luck in the playoffs.

I’d like to extend special thanks to Ryan’s very gracious father, Joe Marquez, for his willingness to participate in the project.

Do you think you or your son/daughter is an Athlete of Unlimited Potential?

Shoot me an email at iclark@sportsunlimited.com with your story and for all of your youth catchers gear and other baseball needs, shop Sports Unlimited!

By Isaac ClarkIsaac is a writer at Sports Unlimited.

Position Tech Football Cleats System: Product Spotlight

The concept is innovative, the technology is remarkable, and the execution is, well… Heisman-worthy. Notch up your game with the Position Tech Football Cleats System. Whether you are using them to benefit your game for a specific position, an area of improvement, or an adjustment in playing style, these custom low-carbon-steel-tip cleats screw into your football shoes to improve traction and game-day performance.

Product Spotlight: Position Tech All-Pro Replacement Football Cleats

Position Tech Football Cleats Replacement System
The concept is innovative, the technology is remarkable, and the execution is, well… Heisman-worthy. Notch up your game with the Position Tech Football Cleats System. Whether you are using them to benefit your game for a specific position, an area of improvement, or an adjustment in playing style, these custom low-carbon-steel-tip cleats screw into your football shoes to improve traction and game-day performance.

Proven to increase traction by 20% over standard cleats, the Position Tech system is a favorite of players, teams and coaches at NFHS and NCAA levels (approved by both NFHS and NCAA). This pack gives advantages in the following areas: Speed, Agility, Power, and Balance. With specific cleat construction for each area, you can customize your configuration to best suit your needs as a player.

The Types:

Speed Cleats:Position Tech Speed

  • Anterior scoop improves vertical explosiveness
  • Lateral slashes bolster side-to-side acceleration

Agility Cleats:Position Tech Agility

  • Lateral scoops supplement swift change of direction
  • Anterior scoops augment cutting

Power Clears:Position Tech Power

  • Lateral wings enhance directional burst
  • Anterior power pocket boost primary move burst

Balance Cleats:Position Tech Balance

  • Posterior channels help with stabilization
  • Lateral grooves improve traction

The pack contains the following: 12 power cleats, 10 speed cleats, 6 agility cleats, 6 balance cleats, cleat wrench, and a guide for configuring every position on the field.

Configure any combination of speed, agility, power, and balance cleats to become like your NFL idol or a new prototypical player! What kind of player do you want to be?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyI-oUsVRJg]

By Isaac Clark

Isaac is a writer at Sports Unlimited.

Sports Unlimited also offers smaller sets of Position Tech cleats designed specifically for…
Power & Balance
Power & Speed
and
Speed and Agility

Neymar To Barcelona, Will Play Alongside Leo Messi

Neymar To FC Barcelona

Next season we’ll be seeing what has now been hyped for quite a few years.  Neymar will be playing in Europe and to the chagrin of Madrid, he will play alongside Lionel Messi at FC Barcelona.  The Brazilian phenom is 21 years old and has the offensive prowess of hmmmm, I don’t know, Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.  He may not yet be in their realm of quality, but he soon will be in their local realm and hopefully will use the opportunity to learn from two of the greatest players alive as a teammate and as a rival.

Lio Messi Ballon D'OrNeymar will leave Santos, his boyhood Brazilian club, for the big stage. This should excite soccer fans around the world; to see this young superstar play on field with the likes of Messi, Iniesta, and Xavi Hernandez.  I have only seen the fun-haired Neymar sparingly in televised Brazil national games, but have watched highlights of the deft-footed and silky smooth forward on YouTube countless times.  He doesn’t have a jersey number yet, but Blaugrana fans have been clamoring for jerseys ever since the news of his signing.  The soccer season just ended in Europe, but Neymar to Barcelona is already prepping the world for an incredible and exciting year.

Maybe it’s time for me to swap out my Barcelona, Ronaldinho jersey for another Brazilian?

By Isaac Clark

Isaac is a writer at Sports Unlimited.

Under Armour HeatGear vs Nike Dri-FIT – The Sports Apparel War

Nike vs Under Armour. Technological sounding names dominate the athletic apparel war between Nike and Under Armour, but what do they mean? Comparing Nike’s Dri-Fit and Under Armour’s HeatGear, we are going to review what these technologies do and which one is better for you!

UAVNIKE

Under Armour HeatGear vs Nike Dri-Fit

Technological sounding names dominate the athletic apparel war between Nike and Under Armour, but what do they mean?  Comparing Nike’s Dri-Fit and Under Armour’s HeatGear, we are going to review what these technologies do and which one is better for you!  Finding the right performance shirt, compression pants, running shorts, and compression socks for the summer can be tough, but when you discover the right ones for you, you may never go back to wearing regular clothes while working out.

Under Armour built its company with a foundation in performance apparel and turned into something much more significant.  In 1996 the founder of Under Armour created the first t-shirt made of moisture-wicking synthetic fabric, effectively inventing the industry of ‘Performance Apparel’.   To this day, the company continues to produce and improve upon their signature HeatGear.

Let’s get into the nitty gritty about these sportswear rivals.

Under Armour HeatGear

Basics:

HeatGear uses super lightweight fabrics to keep you cool and dry in warm and hot conditions whether you’re out for a walk, training hard, or dominating the football field. Its exceptional moisture transport systems wick sweat away from your body, while maintaining ventilation. Sounds like any ‘performance apparel’ I’ve ever heard of, so let’s dive a little deeper to get a greater understanding.

What Does Under Armour HeatGear Provide?

UA-performancedna

Moisture Transport Systems: Hydrophobic fabrics wick the moisture from your body and pull it through the material so that it evaporates quickly, keeping your clothes light and your body cool and dry.

Odor Control – Anti-microbial technology resists the growth and spread of bacterial odors within the fabric. The evaporation of sweat quickly and efficiently combined with the anti-microbial technology reduces odors better than any other system.

UPF – Ultra-Violet Protection Factor – UPF protects you from the sun, plain and simple. Extra protection from UV rays is always a good thing for your skin, body, and overall health and Under Armour has added this screen to their impressive arsenal.

Some Under Armour gear is equipped with additional features.  Check the tags for the following!

Strategic Ventilation +  Armour Stretch

Modular Protection Zones + 360 Degree Reflectivity

Wind Resistance + Armour Grip

Those features are the foundation of HeatGear, but HeatGear is separated into different fabrics to help you differentiate what gear you need for what situation. Here is a run-down of Under Armour’s lineup.

FABRICS:
Under Armour Heat Gear Shirt TechUnder Armour Tech –

This is the classic, super-soft, natural feeling material that mimics cotton, but provides the performance benefits of synthetic material. Traditional UA look and feel and is generally the most affordable option.

Underarmour Heat Gear Shirt Charged CottonCharged Cotton –

It’s cotton, but better. With Charged Cotton, you get the feel, weight, and comfort of cotton with the impressive moisture transport system that wicks 5% faster. This cotton dries 5x faster than standard cotton. Perfect for athletic activities or just relaxing, it’s a soft garment with performance tech built in.

Underarmour Heatgear Shirt CatalystUnder Armour Catalyst –

Surprisingly made entirely of recycled plastic bottles, Catalyst is super soft and smooth. Incredibly light with body temperature regulating tech, the best feature of this fabric is how light and smooth it is.

HeatGear coldblackUnder Armour coldblack –

It shocks me how noticeably coldblack affects the temperature of the garment and in turn, your body. The technology makes dark fabrics act more like light fabrics in the sun, retaining less heat during performance. Oh, and it makes light colors act like nothing at all. Providing the best moisture-wicking tech and all other HeatGear benefits with the temperature regulation technology makes athletes flock to coldblack.

Under Armour Flyweight Women's ShirtHeatGear Flyweight –

Ultra-light and smooth fabric with strategically positioned mesh panels to help regulate heat and allow sweat to evaporate faster. Raglan sleeve design and smooth Flatlock Seams do not restrict range of motion. This is lightweight, lightweight, lightweight.

All of these different fabrics are available in multiple fits: Compression, Fitted, Semi-Fitted, and Loose.

Under Armour Running ShortsHeatGear Sonic –

The newest innovation from Under Armour, Sonic is a compression material that increases muscle power through ultra-tight fit. They call it a “second skin” because it provides the benefits of compression technology without sacrificing comfort so that you can wear it all day.  Shirts, tanks, pants, shorts, they have it all.

Shop Men’s and Women’s HeatGear

This isn’t all about Under Armour. It’s Under Armour vs Nike, so let’s get to Nike!

Nike Dri-FitNike Dri-FIT graphic

Basics:

Dri-Fit uses microfiber, polyester fabric to wick moisture from your body to the outer surface of the fabric so that it can evaporate quickly to keep you cool for a… dry fit. This sounds mighty similar to Under Armour’s signature moisture transport system.

What Does Nike Dri-Fit Provide?

Moisture Wicking – It does that whole ‘wick moisture from your body’ thing. This allows sweat to evaporate to keep you light and dry.

Dri-Fit UV – Provides minimum of 30 SPF to protect you from ultraviolet rays. This is only in certain Dri-Fit products so make sure you look for it on the label or tags!

LINES:
Drifit Shirt For WomenNike Pro Dri-Fit –

Mesh panels and flat seams are featured in the Nike Pro Combat line to fit smoothly to the body for a close and comfortable fit. Different Pro products can be made of different materials so be sure to take closer looks at these.

Nike Drifit Legend ShirtNike Legend Dri-Fit –

Crew neck and inside taping bring comfort through mesh design. Made of 100% recycled polyester and is constructed with flat-seam to reduce chafing.

Nike Drifit Miler ShirtNike Miler Dri-Fit –

Basically the same as the Legend, but with added panels in the side improve mobility. 100% recycled polyester.

Nike Drifit Tailwind SleevelessNike Tailwind Dri-Fit –

This line features a mesh fabric panel and three eyelets in the underarm to provide air flow and reduce chafing. Nike designs this with flat seams to improve range of motion as well. Body is made of Dri-FIT 85% polyester/15% cotton. Side panel constructed of Dri-FIT 86% polyester/14% cotton. Also this line has a cool zip pocket at the waist/back for easily securing valuables when running.

Nike Drifit Knit WomensNike Knit Dri-Fit –

56% polyester and 44% nylon, the knit line is a soft touch Dri-FIT moisture-wicking fabric.   Knit fabric is designed with mesh panels for lightweight ventilation.

The Conclusion:

We can breathe easy, the information dump is over.

The major benefit that these workout clothes provide is their moisture wicking/transportation systems. If you have never tried these products before, it is amazing how different a run, a game, or a workout can feel when wearing clothes that are specifically designed to improve your performance rather than simply not get in the way.

Both brands of performance apparel are great choices for your athletic activities, but there are so many fabrics and so many lines just within the HeatGear and Dri-FIT names. In my years of using these fabrics and diving deeper into their technology and construction, it seems as though any of the Nike products would work for me and feel great, but I can find the proper sportswear specific to my needs through the fabrics and fits that Under Armour provides.

Nike has proven that people love their comfortable, performance fabric, but it seems as though Under Armour, the originator of performance apparel, may have a multitude of additional benefits and defined options.

Making informed decisions is the best way to choose between Nike and Under Armour, but sometimes it takes trying both to truly understand!

What do you think?