2013 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for the every fan

Thanksgiving snuck up on you, didn’t it? Black Friday has come and gone and you have nothing for that sports fan in your life.

You probably figured you’d have a whole month to get your holiday shopping done after you digested the turkey, cranberry and stuffing. Think again.

As of Sunday, there are only 24 shopping days until Christmas. Oh, and Hanukah started on Thanksgiving, so you’re already behind the menorah on that one.

Take a deep breath. As usual, the Daily News has you covered with gift ideas for the sports fan in your life. And the best part is you don’t have to leave your couch to buy any of these items.

Minimalist Baseball Stadiums
You’ve seen his work on Deadspin, now you can see it filling the dead space on your walls. Graphic artist S. Preston’s minimalist baseball stadiums take the most iconic corner of each of the 30 MLB ballparks and presents them in a slick way that’s sure to be a conversation-starter. “The best thing I’ve heard about them is from wives who have emailed me and said, ‘I won’t let my husband put anything in the house that’s baseball-related because they’re ugly, but I’ll let him put this up,’” S. Preston said. Every park is available for purchase on his website in various sizes. If you’re more old school, he says he’s working on Ebbets Field and other yards from yesteryear with the hopes of having them ready by Opening Day. He’s spending his winter working on some NHL and NBA projects. Can’t wait to see them.

PRICE: $ 25 for an 8×11 print, $ 45 for 13×9 and $ 175 for 24×30

SPECIAL OFFER: Daily News readers can use the promo code NYDN2013 at checkout and get 15% off on purchases through Christmas.

Eat like a champion with this Stanley Cup popcorn popper.

amazon.com

Eat like a champion with this Stanley Cup popcorn popper.

www.sprestondesigns.com

Stanley Cup popcorn popper
Having butterfingers is completely understandable when hoisting this Cup. Puckheads can plug-and-pop on game nights with this 17-inch, plastic and aluminum replica of Lord Stanley’s Cup. The top half of this trophy comes off to reveal a hot air popper that, the manufacturer claims, can make popcorn as quickly as your kitchen microwave. Then just pour the popcorn into the bowl and eat while watching a flick like Devils goalie Martin Brodeur after winning the Cup in 2003. White-glove handlers not included.

www.amazon.com

PRICE: $ 85 (Amazon.com)

Soccer t-shirts
So you’re just getting into soccer and you want to show the cool kids that you’re cool, too, and know a little bit about footy. We’ve got just what you need. Who Are Ya Designs makes witty and irreverent tees for clubs in the English Premier League, MLS, national sides and clubs in La Liga and Serie A. And the company’s founders know they don’t know it all about the beautiful game, so they’re always open to suggestions for their next shirt. So if you’ve got a brilliant idea, fill out the form on their website and, who knows, you might see another supporter wearing it at your local pub.

PRICE: $ 9.99 to $ 19.95

SPECIAL OFFER: Use the order code NYDAILYSOCCERFAN at checkout before Monday, Dec. 6, to receive 20% off your entire offer.

It all got started with the Throwball t-shirt (above, r.), and now Who Are Ya Designs makes irreverent shirts for just about every team in the Premier League, along with MLS clubs, international sides and squads in La Liga and Serie A.

Photos courtesy of Who Are Ya Designs

It all got started with the Throwball t-shirt (above, r.), and now Who Are Ya Designs makes irreverent shirts for just about every team in the Premier League, along with MLS clubs, international sides and squads in La Liga and Serie A.

www.whoareyadesigns.com

Charles Woodson’s wine
For the football fan with the discerning palate, Charles Woodson – yes, the All-Pro cornerback – offers TwentyFour Wines. Woodson said he first became interested in the wine culture in 1998, when the Raiders held their training camp in Napa Valley. As a rookie, he traveled up Route 29 and was taken in by the wine and food pairings at the restaurants and was bitten by the wine bug. By 2001 Woodson made his first barrel of TwentyFour with Rick Ruiz and Gustavo A. Gonzalez. They offer cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc and will donate $ 10 for every bottle sold to the CS Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voightlander Women’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich., where Woodson won the Heisman Trophy for the Wolverines.

PRICE: $ 20 to $ 250

www.twentyfourwines.com

Alex and Ani Yankees bangles
Before you start circling items for yourself on this list, don’t forget the lady sports fan in your life. Trendy jeweler Alex and Ani has silver and gold bangles that she’s sure to love, including pendants for all 32 NFL teams — there are two options for the Giants, Jets, Patriots and Eagles — and most baseball teams (there are five different Yankee options to choose from). But wait, it gets better. The fashionistas at the Rhode Island-based company will even match a few pieces for you so the bangle isn’t lonely on your wife or girlfriend’s wrist. You’re welcome.

PRICE: $ 32 to $ 38

www.alexandani.com

The sports-loving lady in your life is sure to love these NFL pendant bangles from Alex & Ani. The jewelry maker's wares have been seen on the wrists of stars from Beyonce to Sandra Bullock to Taylor Swift.

Photos courtesy of Alex & Ani

The sports-loving lady in your life is sure to love these NFL pendant bangles from Alex & Ani. The jewelry maker’s wares have been seen on the wrists of stars from Beyonce to Sandra Bullock to Taylor Swift.

College football helmet cufflinks
Before rolling up their sleeves for a day of work at the office, businessmen can Roll with the Tide on their shirt cuffs. These sterling silver cufflinks are made from game-used helmets from some of the country’s most storied college football programs. In addition to Alabama cufflinks, they also offer LSU, Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State, Cal, UCLA and Stanford. Each cufflink features the school’s primary color on the front and its name on the underside. You can find them at UncommonGoods.com, where you’ll also find cufflinks made from game-used pucks from Rangers games at Madison Square Garden, golf balls and college basketball courts.

PRICE: $ 180

www.uncommongoods.com

NBA socks
Let’s face it, wearing an NBA jersey is a fashion faux pas. It’s sad, we know, but that replica jersey you bust out on the weekend or at the beach is a bad look. But don’t worry, we have a replacement. The fine folks at Stance have released their second-edition NBA Legends socks collection, so instead of wearing an ill-fitting jersey that accentuates your gut, you can slip on a pair of comfy cotton socks that feature action shots of the stars of the 1980s and ‘90s. New for the holiday season are: Shaq and Penny, Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer, John Starks and Charles Oakley and solo stars Allen Iverson, Dominique Wilkins and Shawn Kemp.

PRICE: $ 16

www.stance.com

Hockey stick coat rack
Where do rec-league hockey sticks go to retire? It could be your hallway. This coat rack is made from reclaimed hockey sticks and pucks and has hooks for three coats. Massachusetts-based artist Michael Bellino hand-crafts these racks in Millbury, Mass., which has us wondering if a certain former Islanders GM has one of these in his home.

Stance's second edition NBA socks collection feature teammates - like John Starks and Charles Oakley of the Knicks (l.) and Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway of the Magic - along with solo superstars like Allen Iverson and Shawn Kemp.

Photos courtesy of Stance

Stance’s second edition NBA socks collection feature teammates – like John Starks and Charles Oakley of the Knicks (l.) and Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway of the Magic – along with solo superstars like Allen Iverson and Shawn Kemp.

PRICE: $ 145

www.uncommongoods.com

Reebok CheckLight
There is a lot of concern about kids playing football these days, and rightfully so with NFL players popping up left and right detailing how crushing hits, and the concussions that came along with them, have damaged their brains. Reebok’s Check Light is a skull cap that kids can wear under their helmets that has sensors that monitor the impact of each hit. It uses a traffic light system — green, yellow, red — to measure the severity of each hit and keeps a log of each sustained hit. The lighted sensor hangs below the back of a helmet, so it’s clear for coaches, and parents, to see. Use your head and protect your kid’s.

PRICE: (Does it really matter?) $ 149.99

http:www.reebok.com

Kahtoola MICROspikes
When the weather outside is frightful, but you still want to go for a jog, these spikes are meant to keep you from falling on your fanny. The stainless steel slip-on spikes are designed to fit over most flat-soled shoes to provide extra traction during the treacherous winter months. Even if you’re not a runner, they’ll keep you steady when shoveling the driveway or even while navigating the city’s slick wintertime sidewalks.

PRICE: $ 64.95

These MICROspikes will keep you from slipping, whether it's during a jog of just a stroll to the mailbox.

Photo Courtesy of Kahtoola

These MICROspikes will keep you from slipping, whether it’s during a jog of just a stroll to the mailbox.

www.kahtoola.com

Stadium swag
Want to bring a part of the stadium home, or leave your mark on the home parks? There are plenty of options for fans looking to furnish and accent their homes, from barstools made of bases (on Uncommongoods.com) to Fenway Park grass seed (Amazon.com), bricks from the original Yankee Stadium (mlb.com) and signage from Giants Stadium and Madison Square Garden (SteinerSports.com). If bringing these artifacts home doesn’t jibe with the Misses, the Mets allow fans to purchase personalized bricks for their Citi Field Fanwalk.

PRICE: $ 19.99 to $ 950

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94Fifty is like an iBall
This one is for the aspiring Steve Nash in your life. Sure, you could get them a regular round ball but this item is great for students of the game. Thanks to a, series of internal gyroscopes and accelerometers, the 94Fifty tracks the velocity, trajectory and rotation of a jump shot, providing hoops nerds with detailed feedback via a handy Bluetooth iPhone app. It’s brilliant for anyone who loves polishing their jumper in the gym. Just don’t expect any feedback during pickup games; the 94Fifty is best used in hoops drills.

PRICE: $ 295

NBA 2K14
If there’s an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 under the tree, then 2K’s groundbreaking hoops game should be there for your favorite sports fan, too. Never has Carmelo Anthony looked this much like Carmelo — and played like him, too. 2K14 introduces a new player emotion system, so if stars like Kobe Bryant don’t get the ball, they visibly pout and slack off on D, too. Just like the real thing. Just keep in mind that you need a steady Internet connection to enjoy all this game’s features.

If you don’t have that, consider Madden NFL 25 and FIFA 2014 instead. But whatever you do, don’t gift anyone with NBA Live, a pale imitation of hoops.

PRICE: $ 59.99

— Ebenezer Samuel 


Lifestyle – NY Daily News

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