College Football Bowl Picks Part 3

With over a week off from writing, I completely forgot that I needed to submit my picks for this weeks bowls. Unfortunately the games that were played last night, won't be getting any picks. It's less than an hour from the first bowl game today, so these picks are barely getting in. Last week I was 6-2, which puts me at 11-2 for the bowl games, and 112-37 on the year.

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas: Texas A&M vs. Northwestern > Texas A&M
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Utah > Utah
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt > Vanderbilt
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Illinois vs. UCLA > UCLA
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Virginia vs. Auburn > Virginia
Ticket City Bowl: Houston vs. Penn State > Penn State
Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs. Georgia > Georgia
Capital One Bowl: Nebraska vs. South Carolina > Nebraska
Taxslayer.Com Gator Bowl: Ohio State vs. Florida > Florida
Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio: Wisconsin vs. Oregon > Wisconsin
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Stanford vs. Oklahoma State > Oklahoma State
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Michigan vs. Virginia Tech > Michigan
Discover Orange Bowl: West Virginia vs. Clemson > Clemson

Song of the Day

Today's song is Away in a Manger by Casting Crowns.

College Football Bowl Picks Part 2

Well, so far five bowl games have been played. And, so far, I have watched exactly 0 plays in all five games combined. Since I'll be driving in the car all day tomorrow, I won't be around to submit my picks for the upcoming week of games, so they're coming at you today. Last week I was 5-0 with my picks. This bumps me up to 106-35 for the year. Here are the picks for this week:

MAACO Bowl: Arizona State vs. Boise State > Boise State (picked last Friday)
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Nevada vs. Southern Miss > Southern Miss
Independence Bowl: Missouri vs. North Carolina > North Carolina
Little Ceasers Bowl: Western Michigan vs. Purdue > Purdue
Belk Bowl: NC State vs. Louisville > Louisville
Military Bowl: Toledo vs. Air Force > Air Force
Holiday Bowl: Cal vs. Texas > Texas
Champs Sports Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Florida State > Florida State
Alamo Bowl: Washington vs. Baylor > Baylor

Song of the Day

Today's song is Christmas Eve/Sarajevo by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Gotta Have It: Skier Controlled Tow Boat

Anyone out there who has ever water skied, or wakeboarded, is going to want this. I've been wakeboarding once, but I can still relate to this product. When I got up on the board, the driver of the boat simply pulled me in a straight line. I don't want to complain, or sound cocky, since I am a complete novice, but it did get a little, well, boring. I just wanted the driver to turn or something; add a little challenge.

With this Skier Controlled Tow Boat, from Hammacher Schlemmer, you no longer have to worry about the driver taking you where you want to go. This boat is controlled from a remote of the handle of the tow rope by the skier, and can reach speeds of up to 40 MPH. This is sure to bring countless hours of fun on the lake next summer. The cost of the Skier Controlled Tow Boat: $17,000. However, shipping is 4-6 weeks, so I think it's a little late to order it for Christmas. You can purchase the Skier Controlled Tow Boat here.

Dressing for the Occaison

From The Art of Manliness.

Song of the Day

Today's song is O Holy Night by Mariah Carey.

Be Bold

“We live in an age of great events and little men, and if we are not to become the slaves of our own systems or sink oppressed among the mechanism we ourselves created, it will only be by the bold efforts of originality, by repeated experiment, and by… sustained and unflinching thought.”
- Winston Churchill

Preppy

The Jeep Wave

I just found out this existed a couple of days, although I always thought there should be something between Jeep owners; I know I always love seeing other Jeepers on the road. Since I drive a Grand Cherokee and not a Wrangler, I think I'm technically excluded, but I may start doing it and see if I get any responses. However, being from Massachusetts, I'm not counting on too many friendly drivers. Here's the best description of the Jeep Wave that I found on Urban Dictionary.

		The Rules of the WAVE Warning Owning, registering, insuring, or driving a Jeep implies knowledge of and intent to abide by the following rules. Failure to obey the rules may result in your being ignored by other Jeep owners as you sit along the side of the road next to your stalled vehicle in a blizzard surrounded by Saturns, Yugos, and Hyundais. Definition: The Jeep Wave An honor bestowed upon those drivers with the superior intelligence, taste, class, and discomfort tolerance (exception to 97 and newer Jeep owners) to own the ultimate vehicle - the Jeep. Generally consists of either a raised hand waving or 4 fingers extended upward from the steering wheel, but may be modified to suit circumstances and locally accepted etiquette. Examples of commonly accepted modifications: Top off: One handed wave above windshield or outside body tub. Top off during blizzard: Shiver and nod, hands may remain frozen to steering wheel. Southern/rural locations: No wave, just a nod. General Rules: 1. All Jeepers are responsible for upholding the tradition of the Wave. It seems that generally the Jeep wave is only practiced by Jeep owners driving the following Jeep vehicles; CJ, YJ, TJ, JK. 2. All Jeepers are required to return the Wave even if it's a Grand Cherokee or Compass. 3. Do not EVER wave to Hummers, even if you know the person. Guy 1 is driving his Jeep and sees another Jeep so he gives the Jeep Wave. Guy 2 waves back.

2012 Inside Lacrosse All-Name Team

Started in 2008, Inside Lacrosse magazine posts a First, Second, and Third All-Name team. The list is similar to an All-America list, but the criteria for being on the list is that you have to have a unique, individual name, that brings back stereotype images of lacrosse's prep school roots. Some of the highlights of this year's All-Name team are Brewster Knowlton, Krey Keller, Blaise Fullen, Westy Hopkins, and Caldwell Rohrbach. Caldwell is also the first ever four year member of the All-Name team. Some other favorites from past All-Name teams are Ridge Flick, Beaver Barone, Ashton Hotchkiss, Brody Savoie, Remington Steele, Keaton O'Hara, and Seabrooke Carter.

Check out the full 2012 All-Name Team here.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee.

College Football Bowl Picks Part 1

Tomorrow starts off the 2011 Bowl Season. Most of the games this week might be considered "Toilet Bowl" games, but hopefully they will at least be entertaining games. For these first few games, a lot of them are teams that I haven't seen play this year, and the picking may reflect that.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Temple vs. Wyoming > Temple
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio vs. Utah State > Ohio
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: San Diego State vs. LA-Lafayette > LA-Lafayette
Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl: Florida Int'l vs. Marshall > Marshall
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: TCU vs. LA Tech > TCU
MAACO Bowl: Arizona State vs. Boise State > Boise State

Song of the Day

Today's song is God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman by Annie Lennox.

NHL Realignment

Earlier (this is kind of old news), the NHL Board of Governors voted to approved a realignment plan for the league, which will take effect for the 2012-2013 season. Instead of the current two conference, six division format it currently has, the league will change to a four conference set-up. The conferences haven't been named yet--don't worry, it won't be Conference A, B, C, and D. Here are my suggestions for the conference names: A would be the Pacific Conference; B would be the Central Conference; C would be the Northeast Conferece; and D would be the Atlantic Conference. Essentially, the Western Conference is now Conferences A and B, and the Eastern Conference is now Conferences C and D, with the exception of Winnipeg moving to Conference B.

The main purpose of this change is for travel. Teams like Columbus and Detroit in the Western Conference, are in the Eastern Time Zone, but frequently have to travel to the Pacific Time Zone (3 hours behind) to play games. I can sympathize with that. Being a Chicago fan (Central Time Zone), but living in the Eastern Time Zone, I hate when they play on the West Coast, as games start at 10 pm, or 10:30 pm Eastern Time.

The top four teams from each conference will qualify for the Stanley Cup play-offs. The four winners of each conference will meet in the third round of the play-offs, with the winners meeting in the fourth round to play for the Stanley Cup.

My favorite part of this realignment is the new scheduling. Each team in the league will play every team in the league at least twice every season; once at home, and once on the road. This is something that I thought should've been happening a long time ago. Living in Boston, I'm disappointed that I have not had more opportunities to see my Blackhawks play in person.

I think the worst part of the realignment is that Conferences C and D have one less team than Conferences A and B. This will really come into play during play-off time; three teams will be left out of the play-offs in Conferences C and D, while four teams will be left out from Conferences A and B.  I'm really hoping that expansion to a 32 team NHL is in the near future.

I even have suggestions for what cities should get the two expansion teams. It's not really a secret that I really want to see a team come back to Connecticut. Conference D will get the Hartford Whalers. They still have throngs of fans, their merchandise still flies off the shelves, and I believe the team would do well back in the old city. Rivalries would quickly be renewed with the Rangers, Islanders, and Bruins, and the league would benefit from having another team in hockey-rich New England. The city does desperately need to build a new arena before expansion to Hartford can be considered.

The second expansion team would go to Conference C. In fitting in with the league's alignment plan based on travel, this team will be somewhere on the East Coast. The city of Quebec has plans to build a new NHL arena, which will really make the city more appealing to the league. Fans from Quebec city even travel in large numbers to games in other cities as an attempt to show the league what a great fan base they would have. They would also bring up a very strong rivalry with the current team in the Province of Quebec: the Montreal Canadiens.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Silent Night by Taylor Swift.

How Do You Sperry?

Video made by marketing students at the University of Wisconsin.

30% Off Sale Items at Vineyard Vines

For the next 3 days, take 30% off all sale items at VineyardVines.com. Use the code "elf."

Song of the Day

Today's song is We Three Kings by Jennifer Avalon.

College Football Bowls

Here is a complete list of all the college football bowl games this year. I'll do picks for the bowls every week. Stay tuned...In the meantime, here is a list of every bowl; that's right, all 35 of them:

12/17: Gilden New Mexico Bowl: Temple vs. Wyoming, 2 pm
12/17: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio vs. Utah State, 5:30 pm
12/17: R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: San Diego State vs. LA Lafayette, 9 pm
12/20: Beef O'Brady's Bowl: Florida International vs. Marshall, 8 pm
12/21: San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: TCU vs. LA Tech, 8 pm
12/22: MAACO Bowl: Arizona State vs. Boise State, 8 pm
12/24: Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Nevada vs. Southern Miss, 8 pm
12/26: AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl: Missouri vs. North Carolina, 5 pm
12/27: Little Caesars Bowl: Western Michigan vs. Purdue, 4:30 pm
12/27: Belk Bowl: Louisville vs. NC State, 8 pm
12/28: Military Bowl: Toledo vs. Air Force, 4:30 pm
12/28: Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl: Cal vs. Texas, 8 pm
12/29: Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State vs. Notre Dame, 5:30 pm
12/29: Valermo Alamo Bowl: Washington vs. Baylor, 9 pm
12/30: Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: BYU vs. Tulsa, 12 pm
12/30: New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers vs. Iowa State, 3:20 pm
12/30: Music City Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest, 6:40 pm
12/30: Insight Bowl: Iowa vs. Oklahoma, 10 pm
12/31: Meineke Car Care Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Northwestern, 12 pm
12/31: Hyundai Sun Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Utah, 2 pm
12/31: Liberty Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt, 3:30 pm
12/31: Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Illinois vs. UCLA, 3:30 pm
12/31: Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Virginia vs. Auburn, 7:30 pm
1/2: TicketCity Bowl: Houston vs. Penn State, 12 pm
1/2: Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs. Georgia, 1 pm
1/2: Capital One Bowl: Nebraska vs. South Carolina, 1 pm
1/2: Gator Bowl: Ohio State vs. Florida, 1 pm
1/2: Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Oregon, 5 pm
1/2: Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Stanford vs. Oklahoma State, 8:30 pm
1/3: Allstate Sugar Bowl: Michigan vs. VA Tech, 8:30 pm
1/4: Discover Orange Bowl: West Virginia vs. Clemson, 8:30 pm
1/6: AT&T Cotton Bowl: Kansas State vs. Arkansas, 8 pm
1/7: BBVA Compass Bowl: SMU vs. Pitt, 1 pm
1/8: GoDaddy.com Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois, 9 pm
1/9: BCS National Championship: Alabama vs. LSU, 8:30 pm

Can Men and Women Be Just Friends?

Video from YouTube. Pretty funny stuff.

Song of the Day

Today's song is What Child is This by Mercy Me.

Be Tolerant of All...Except Christianity

In a culture that gets offended over anything and everything, it seems there is one thing that has come to be seen as offensive to all: Christianity. I do believe in the separation of church and state, but in this country, majority rules, and the majority religion here is Christianity. Not to mention, the country was founded by Christians, and it is a Christian country. I will never understand why it is seen as so offensive to wish someone a, "Merry Christmas," or even have a "Christmas tree." Nope. It has to be "Happy Holidays," and public places have to put up "Holiday trees."I'm not Jewish, but if someone wished me a "Happy Hanukkah" I wouldn't be offended. If you think about it, all it comes down to is a person wishing another person well. So what if they don't use the same terms to wish well--it goes back to the majority rules theme. People will generically wish others a "Merry Christmas" because that is what they are most likely to be celebrating. It seems like no one gets upset if a town wants to place a menorah or Star of David in the common, but everyone is up in arms if they want to display a Nativity scene.

On a similar topic, I also don't understand why prayer is banned in public schools. I understand why public prayer isn't done, but if someone wants to pray by themselves, or a group of students who choose to pray together, why is that such a bad thing? It seems like if it's a group of Christian students praying, they're told not to display their faith publicly, but if a Muslim, Jew, Hindu, et al, were to pray in school, nothing would be said to them for fear of being considered intolerant.

On Saturday, I did all of my Christmas shopping, and I was shocked (in a good way), walking through JC Penny, hearing the store playing Hark the Herald Angels Sing! Not only was it a Christmas song, but it was a religious Christian song. I ended up staying in the store, browsing a little more, just to listen and sing (very quietly) along with the song. It was a very refreshing change of pace.

College Football Week 15 Review

For the 10th year in a row, Navy beat Army. The final score was 27-21. While it wasn't the most exciting game of football ever--both teams run an option offense and I'm pretty sure there was a total of 7 pass attempts all game--it is always something exciting to watch. I find it more interesting just seeing everything else that goes on during the game. For example, both the President and Vice President were in attendance. And it's always special when the two teams sing their Alma Mater after the game.

The Navy win put me at 1-0 for the weekend. My overall record now stands at 101-35 for the regular season, which is a .743 win percentage.

College Football Week 15 Picks

Well, there's only on game this week, but it's a big one. Not because it has bowl implications, or two teams playing for a conference championship. In fact, the combined record of the two teams is 7-15. The reason this game is such a big one is all about pride. It's the annual Army (3-8) vs. Navy (4-7) game. Neither team is bowl eligible, so for these two prestigious academies, this game is their National Championship. It seems that everyone in the country is on one side or the other for this game; perhaps most often because of a close relative serving in one branch or the other. While the competition may last for 60 minutes, at the end of the day, the men and women from West Point and Annapolis are on the same team. It's impossible to watch this game and not feel a tremendous amount of pride in being an American.

Army vs. Navy > Navy

Song of the Day

Today's song is Go Tell it on the Mountain by Jewel and Toby Keith.

Prep Essentials: Pea Coat

Like many pieces found in the prep closet, the pea coast has its roots in the navy. The classic pea coats are double breasted, have large lapels, and vertical or slash pockets. The buttons, which can be made of medal or wood, are often engraved with anchors. Today, the term 'pea coat' has come to include almost any wool coat, including: single breasted, hooded, and zip up.

The coat was standard issue in the British and Dutch navies in the 18th century, and became a part of the US Navy uniform in the early 19th century. Turning up the collar blocks the wind and elements from the wearer's hairline to the bottom of his rear end. The wool material makes these coats exceptionally warm and durable. Navy blue pea coats are still standard issue in the US Navy today. Check out the Army/Navy game this Saturday, and you will see plenty of these being worn by the Midshipmen.

Featured Brand: Bmore Handsome

Today's featured brand isn't quite a brand, but an online store. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland (hence the Bmore name), the website has everything that a gentleman could ever need. Well, everything to help him look his best, that is.

In the online store, you'll find plenty of shaving and grooming products, ties, cufflinks, needlepoint belts, cologne, home decor, clothing, and accessories--including needlepoint key fobs and flasks. If you find yourself a bit over-whelmed with their wide selection, gift cards are available.

They carry many different brands, including: Quintessential Gentleman, Smathers & Branson, Southern Proper, Vineyard Vines, and many, many more.

Be sure to check out the Bmore Handsome Online Store for all of your gentlemanly needs.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Angels We Have Heard on High by Chris Tomlin.

Free Koozie at Rowdy Gentleman Today

All day today, the folks at Rowdy Gentleman are including a free 'Classic Flag' koozie with any purchase!

December 7, 1941

Peal Harbor. A date which will live in infamy.

American Christmas Display

Check this out. Set to God Bless the U.S.A. Song starts at the :40 mark.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra.

Vineyard Vines NHL Ties

Vineyard Vines is now offering NHL ties. Perhaps the best part of this is that they are selling Hartford Whalers ties, too.

Brothers of the Sun Tour 2012

Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, Summer 2021.

Top 10 Reasons to Wear Southern Proper

According to the back of their new long sleeve tee.

1. They were the first Southern clothing line.
2. You're bound to look your best.
3. Girls will offer to tie your bowtie.
4. You never have to answer "who makes that?" People just know.
5. It looks good with sunglasses.
6. Bowties are a priviledge!
7. No sea creatures here.
8. We love home cookin', the home team, and home towns.
9. It is a guaranteed bourbon getter.
10. They are serious dog lovers!

Song of the Day

Today's song is All I Want for Christas is a Real Good Tan by Kenny Chesney.

The Men's Guide to Buying Gifts for Women

Let's face it, women are really hard to buy for. Ever had the issue of buying a shirt, or other article of clothing for a woman and accidentally guessed the size wrong? Yeah, how long was she convinced that you thought she was fat for? Thankfully, I've never had that issue, but I know plenty of guys who have. The safest route is to just not buy her clothes. If you completely eliminate clothes from the equation, you may be stuck wondering what kind of gifts are left. Since it's still 20 days until Christmas, I'm sure most of the guys reading this haven't started their Christmas shopping yet, so there is still plenty of time. Here are five ideas of gifts that a guy can get for the woman in his life that are not clothes. I'll admit, even I'm not a perfect expert, so if any female readers have better suggestions, please leave them in the comments!

1. Movie Night In
Prepare her a little basket to put under the tree. Start with her favorite movie, and then add popcorn and other movie-going snacks to the basket to create the theater experience at home. The difference is that you'll be able to snuggle up on the couch a little better than you'd be able to at a theater. She'll appreciate that--and so should you.

2. Spa Day
Similar to a woman getting a man tickets to a concert or sporting event, your woman will love a day at the spa. Treat her to a nice pampering, and be sure to tell her how beautiful she looks after she gets back from the spa. She'll be in a great mood after a day at the spa, which will bode very well for you, as well.

3. Fragrance
Chances are, she leaves the fragrances she likes out around her place. Take a mental note of what she has, and what she likes to wear, and go pick her up a bottle of it. Be careful of getting her a new fragrance: she might take it to mean that you think she smells bad!

4. Jewelry
If you're in a serious enough relationship, she will really appreciate a nice bracelet, necklace, or earrings. There's such a wide variety of jewelry out there that it's possible to find something in your price range. If you go to a reputable store, the associates will be pretty good at making some suggestions if you can give them some clues as to the woman's style and taste.

5. Wine
Again, only if the giver and receiver of the gift are over 21! Similar to liquor for the man, women love to drink wine. She will really appreciate a nice bottle of a good wine. If you're like me, you know next to nothing about wine and even less about picking out a good one. You'll have to ask for some suggestions at the store (or use Google), and you'll probably be able to make a decent selection.

College Football Week 14 Review

This weekend all the cards fell into place and Michigan is going to a BCS Bowl! Not only that, but they are playing in a bowl that I'm fairly confident they will win. They will play Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl on January 3 in New Orleans. Some of the Conference winners this week were: LSU (SEC), Oregon (Pac-12), Clemson (ACC), and Wisconsin (Big 10).

This week my record was a prefect 6-0, which improves my overall record to 100-35. Next week is the final week of the regular season, which is the big Army/Navy game. I'm still trying to decide the best way to do bowl game predictions...

Winter Time

College Football Week 14 Picks

The Pac-12 Championship game is tonight, featuring UCLA and Oregon. I don't think anyone (including me) is really expecting this to be a competitive game, though. The ACC, Big 10, and SEC all play their conference championships this week. The Big 12 will crown a conference champion, but they no longer play a championship game. Every game this week is a big one.

UCLA at #9 Oregon > Oregon
#22 Texas at #17 Baylor > Baylor
#14 Georgia vs. #1 LSU > LSU
#10 Oklahoma at #3 Oklahoma State > Oklahoma State
#5 Virginia Tech vs. #20 Clemson > Clemson
#15 Wisconsin at #13 Michigan State > Wisconsin

Song of the Day

Today's song is Let's Go to the Mall by Robin Sparkles. In How I Met Your Mother, Robin Sherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) was a teen pop sensation in Canada with the alias Robin Sparkles. This was her hit single.

Vineyard Vines Lacrosse Recruits Tour

Old is Better Than New

A Preppy Life Christmas Playlist

It's now December. It feels more okay to be getting in the Christmas spirit--despite the fact that the high today is 48. I usually don't start getting into Christmas music until closer to December 20th, but I know a lot of people listen to nothing but Christmas music from Thanksgiving on. Here is a list of a few of my favorite Christmas songs. In most cases, I didn't include an artist--the songs have been remade so many times, just find an artist that you like!

Angels We Have Heard on High

All I Want for Christmas is a Real Good Tan - Kenny Chesney

We Three Kings

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra

Silent Night

Joy to the World

Frosty the Snowman

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer

O Holy Night

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Away in a Manger

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives

The First Noel

Winter Wonderland

Run Rudolph Run - Chuck Berry

 O Come All Ye Faithful

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Mary Did You Know

Bonus Track: The Chanukah Song - Adam Sandler