Time is running out. The shopping days are counting down like the final minutes of a deciding playoff game. The outcome is in your hands.
Will you pull out a game-winning gift or choke in the clutch?
Wipe that sweat off your brow and take a breather, Buyer, because the Bleacher Bum is here to help with a few gift ideas for the sports fan in your life that will have you looking like a world champ come Christmas Day.
First off, sports fans are sentimental creatures, and many remember the games they’ve attended by holding on to their precious ticket stubs as if the bits of paper could someday get them into Santa’s toy factory. Enter the Ticket Stub Diary, a keepsake book of plastic sleeves to fit a variety of ticket sizes, plus acid-free pages to write down lasting memories. It beats a shoebox or the junk drawer, and the best part is, they’re available from Uncommon Goods (uncommongoods.com) for just $10.
While seeing the game in person can be a wonderful experience, paying $8 for a beer is, well, not so wonderful. The Sippin’ Seat from KegWorks can turn that frown upside down. Disguised as your normal, everyday seat cushion, the bleacher pad is actually a flask holding up to 36 ounces of whatever beverage you choose (read: three beers or one bottle of wine), with a nozzle for easy pouring. With all the money you’ll save by staying away from the concession stand, it’s a bargain at $30 from kegworks.com. Like Fonzie always said: “Sit on it.”
With those kinds of hassles, you really can’t blame guys (or girls) for preferring to watch their favorite team from the comfort of their own living room. But what good is staying home if you’re not equipped with the right supplies? With the Microbrew Beer Bucket gift basket, your favorite fan can settle in with six different microbrewed beers from around the country. Add hefty portions of gourmet beef jerky, mixed nuts, specialty pretzels, and roasted peanuts (all included), and they’ll never have to leave that carved-out spot on the couch on gameday. The baskets are $70 plus shipping from gourmetgiftbaskets.com.
Speaking of home entertainment, sports-related DVDs are always hot items, and big this year is the recent release of ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 series. The critically acclaimed documentaries chronicle the greatest sports moments from 1979 to 2009, directed by some of Hollywood’s top talent, including Peter Berg, Barry Levinson, and Spike Jonze. The boxed sets are available in most retail stores for around $40 for each volume. Get ’em while they’re hot.
Ultimate Fighting Championship fans will love reliving all of their favorite battles in the cage over the past year with the UFC Ultimate Fight Collection boxed set. The 20-disc set features the best fights from 2010 to 2011, including top fighters like Georges St-Pierre, Brock Lesnar, and Anderson Silva. The set retails for $135, which stings a lot less than a roundhouse kick to the chops.
If your sports fan is more of the outdoor type, and a golfer, he or she might appreciate the Garmin Approach G5. Preloaded with thousands of courses, the waterproof, touchscreen GPS device can measure shot distances with exact yardage to fairways, hazards, and greens. The device’s software records stats like putts per round, fairways hit, and greens in regulation, and doubles as a digital scorecard for up to four players. You can find it for about $300 on Amazon.com and other sporting goods sellers. There’ll be no excuses for coming in over par.
Baseball fans will never miss another game with the MLB Game Time Schedule Watch from the Game Time Watch shop. Each stylish watch is emblazoned with favorite team logos and displays the next game and opponent, playing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” when it’s time for the first pitch. Find them at gametimewatchshop.com for $100.
Also, hardcore baseball historians can get a literal link to the past with Ballpark Cuff Links, available from Tokens & Icons in Berkeley. The authenticated cufflinks are crafted from actual stadium seats from some of America’s most celebrated ballparks, including Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, and the old Ebbets Field. They start at around $180 and are available for order at tokens-icons.com and other online sellers.
Speaking of ballparks, if you’ve ever been impressed by the circles and patterns mowed into the outfield grass at stadiums, The Lawn Stryper from Great States makes it possible to get the look of a groundskeeper’s geometric handiwork right at home. The attachment is designed for use with all kinds of lawn mowers and is available from Amazon for $65.
Shopping for your sports-minded child can be a dilemma. Throwback jerseys are always a good idea, but if your kids are all about the kicks, why not let them create their next pair of sneakers with NikeiD? Using several models as a basis, your child can customize his or her tennis shoes by picking insole style, colors, and material, topping it off with a personalized ID sewn into the shoe to let all the other kids know who’s boss of the playground. The price averages around $150 depending on options. To get started, visit nike.com.
For the more budget-minded, you can’t go wrong with sports-related board games. Lakers fans will cheer for Lakers Monopoly, which features championship banners and famous Laker players in place of the usual Boardwalk and Park Place. Players can choose from six collectible Lakers-themed pewter tokens to get into the mystique. The boards come from USAopoly and can be found at most retailers for about $20.
If you’re feeling like a big spender, why not bring the bar home this year with your very own electronic dart arcade machine? The “tavern-tested” Shelti Eye 2 is the same kind you might vaguely remember from a night of drinking, and features pre-programmed games including Cricket, High Score, and Cut Throat. It will run you $2,500 at Brookstone (brookstone.com), and while darts are included, the beer and pretzels aren’t.
And finally, give your special NASCAR fan the ultimate thrill this holiday season: riding shotgun in a real stock car at the Fontana Auto Club Speedway near Los Angeles. Cloud 9 Living (cloud9living.com) offers ride-along packages with professional instructors, where drivers will hit speeds of more than 150 miles per hour around an actual NASCAR track. Packages start at $149 for four laps or $289 for eight laps.
While you’re at it, you can buy one for yourself and ride side-by-side. If you’re really feeling adventurous, for a few hundred bucks more (and up), you can actually drive the car yourself. Just remember to wear your safety belt and never take a right turn.
But what do I know? I’m just a bum. And that’s my view from the bleachers.
The Bleacher Bum doesn’t care if you’ve been naughty or nice, as long as you bring beer and nachos. He can be contacted at jthomas@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 15-22, 2011.