A Very Mid-Majority Christmas 2

A whole three of you e-mailed me and asked if I was doing the holiday gift guide again. My first response was, "What holiday gift guide?" It's been five years and a day since I spent half an hour writing up the last one, and if people remember it, they either have been spending time in the archives or have actually been following us that long. (And what about Finals Week? Doing that again?) This, to me, is further proof that there's an inverse proportion between the time spent creating something and its eventual popularity. It's the Lady Gaga rule.

Gear is very important below the Red Line. Caps, shirts and outerwear identify us as mid-people in a short-attention span world, where nobody has time to hear our long explanations about where we went to school. Our colors are our code. And now that Steve & Barry's (the only nationwide chain where you could get MAC or WCC stuff) is out of business, you can't just go down to the mall anymore. In a sad trickle-down effect, you can no longer find our gear at truck stops. It's time to hit the web.

Stony Brook MV Sport Sweatshirt Blanket

Let me tell you, these sweatshirt blankets are the best. They're perfect for summer nights or watching TV or taking to the stadium. I have three or four of them (my Loyola-Ill. one is my go-to blanket), and think they're great. They have them for just about every school, but why not choose the new sexy in the America East conference?

The Seawolves, which reached 16 wins last year after achieving that exact amount over the previous two seasons, are 6-2 and are temporarily a top 100 team (a/k/a a "quality opponent.") They beat Columbia and Lehigh and came within eight points of an RLU against Saint John's, which is in the Big East. But the most exciting part about the run is that they've only allowed 36.4 percent overall shooting and are 19th in the country with a .84 points allowed per opponent possession. If this continues, that really bodes well for their America East hopes. They might end up covering offenses like Vermont's and Boston's like a...

Available for $34.98 at the Stony Brook Bookstore

William & Mary Champion Full Zip Hoodie

Every November or December, the national media needs a small it school that is this year's surprise mid-major program. Ladies and gentlemen, the College of William & Mary is it for 2009-10. You've probably read the articles. The Tribe is 6-2, eked out a win over defending Colonial champions VCU in the league opener for both teams. There is now national hype surrounding this team, because the national media has deemed W&M worthy.

Because I used to live in that world, let me tell you how this consensus was come to. National journalists from all the major outlets compare notes all the time, and say things like "wow did you see the william and mary score" and "yeah their hot shaverball wooo". The difference between their press row chats/cell phone conversations/e-mail loops and your message board discussions is that they can go write articles that will be read by thousands of people. You don't have that outlet.

But you have stats, which tell you that despite the 41 percent shooting from 3, the long bomb is all they've got. The team gives up well over a point per possession, forces only about 10 turnovers per game, and is in the bottom third nationwide in rebounding. If someone wants to try out a 4-1 zone on them, W&M is so screwed.

Keep in mind that the only coaching win I've ever experienced was a forfeit, so what do I know. What about you? Are you ready to put your chips on the Tribe? If you are, I suggest you go all the way. Buy a sweatshirt. Not that cheap sweatshop stuff with the bad stitching, either. Get a premium high-end zippered hoodie, one that has about 20 logos on it, so others can see your Tribe love from every direction. Be "the guy with the William & Mary sweatshirt," and make a purchase that represents accountability. The writers can all cut and run if Shaverball flames out again this winter, but you'll feel guilty for hiding your sweatshirt in the closet. Wear it, and be proud.

Available for $69.98 at the W&M Bookstore

Wofford Pennant

Pennants seem to be more popular in movies than in real life. When I visit people's houses, I never see pennants. But whenever there's a film scene in a teenager's bedroom, there's always a pennant on the wall. In movies, pennants are placed by the production design crew for specific reasons -- like, "No, really, this is Chicago and not a lot in Vancouver... see? There's a Cubs pennant on the wall," or "I know the decision to cast Miley Cyrus in this role probably wasn't ideal from an artistic standpoint, but this Harvard pennant should convince the audience that she can play a Fulbright scholar and future brain surgeon."

The Southern Conference's Terriers have one of the most boring logos in Hoops Nation: it's a W. But we appreciate the low-key approach to marketing. The team is currently 4-6 despite an RLU over Georgia; Wofford opened its league season 0-2, which is deceptive enough to throw off the pundits (total margin of SoCon losses: six points). Their calling card is ball control (10 turnovers a game, eighth in D-I), which we'll take over the 3-pointer any day. Bally and I will be in Spartanburg on Saturday to see them play Navy and MMBOW Chris Harris, and we know that holding this pennant would be a violation of press row etiquette. But you can get one!

This is a 12x30 split flock woolfelt pennant, which means it's the highest quality. It's very expensive, so it had better be.

Available for $24.00 at the Wofford Bookstore

UC Irvine Fitted Baseball Cap

I can also personally vouch for the quality and awesomeness of this hat. The Q-Max fabric is much better than wool, and it doesn't shrink. If you've been reading TMM long enough to remember the first gift guide, you probably know about my krush on the Anteaters, and how the program's pioneering use of the internet was instrumental in inspiring me to do what I'm doing now.

I had a UCI hat a few years ago, but I forgot it under a chair at a restaurant in Philadelphia that went out of business a few days later. I bought a new one this summer, and took it to Peru with me last month. When folks asked me what the hat meant, I explained it to them, and showed them the "Eaters" insignia on the back. Here in North America, anteaters are weird and obscure. But in South America, there are a lot of them. So I didn't really have to put my elbow up to my face to turn my arm into a giant snout, and in retrospect, I really shouldn't have. Now I'm known to some in Lima as "Oso hormiguero," which, come to think of it, would probably look good on the back of a jersey.

Available for $19.95 at the UC Irvine Bookstore

And if you have any money left over, we've just cracked the halfway point of Matching Funds Madness. There's a long version, but the gist of it is that two weeks ago, I said that I'd give up the $4,000 I was planning to take to the Vancouver Olympics if the readers would raise the other $4,000 by Christmas (we're up to $2,200 right now!). If we can do that, fundraising is over, Season 6 is guaranteed, and I won't have to leave the road after the holidays. You can buy stuff or donate. Thanks!

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