I have received some sort of college attire for Christmas for as long as I can remember. My mom's family in Alabama sent me some version of a Roll Tide shirt or sweatshirt probably until my mid 20's. Those were always welcomed gifts, but growing up in a predominantly Wildcat family has meant a lot of UK gift swapping over the years. My dad's side of the family resides in and around Louisville. We spent most every Christmas at Grandma's house off of Cane Run Road near Pleasure Ridge Park. Presents were swapped with family nembers whose names were drawn at Thanksgiving(also at Grandma's). There were always conversations about UK basketball at these family gatherings, so there was a good chance that the name I would draw for a Christmas gift was going to be a Wildcat fan. Most years I drew the name of one of my uncles or male cousins, which essentially made Christmas the annual UK shirt exchange. It was good to know that you didn't have to be concerned if you bought the right gift or not. This was also at a time before internet shopping and every town having a Target or Walmart. Run to the mall, find one of the big retail stores, head to the UK clothes and you were done. Sounds simple enough, but the crowds at those stores and the lines at the cashier could make for a long day.
Shopping has changed since those days. There are more stores to choose from, many of which stay open 24 hours. The biggest change has been the ability to shop online from sites like Amazon. No more fighting crowds and waiting in line. Just click a link and wait for your gift to be delivered to your doorstep. It would have been a nice option to have back in the day. Maybe you have a Wildcat family similar to mine. This is how I would do this if we were still doing those gatherings at Grandma's.
Uncle Rob
You probably have an Uncle Rob, or Mike, or whoever. It's the uncle that just needs a tee shirt to wear to watch his Cats on Saturday, but can also wear while mowing the grass or playing pick up hoops on Sunday(not the same weekend though because that would make any shirt a little gamey).
Cousin Tony
Tony is a dude, just like you, that enjoys being comfortable around friends and family. Is there anything short of pajamas more comfortable than a hoodie? We are done here.
Aunt Ada
As a guy, buying UK stuff for other guys in the family was a fairly easy task. What if the name you draw is your aunt that you may see as a little too fancy for a UK shirt or hoodie. There are plenty of options for UK jewelry or accessories, but I know Aunt Ada likes to entertain. What says entertainment like a good old fashioned board game? The answer is NOTHING! When that board game is a UK version of monopoly you can just go ahead and pull the trigger on that gift with no remorse.
There you have it. Hopefully you have plenty of UK fans in your family and you enjoy swapping various UK gifts as I have with my family. If you are the lone UK fan in your family then I can only suggest finding another family, skip Christmas, and then invite them over during the tournament to watch their teams fall by the wayside. I am (partially) kidding, of course. Enjoy the holidays with you family and friends, thanks for reading, and as always…Go Cats!
