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While Christmas is a great time to spend with family and friends, talking and laughing all the way to Grandmother's house, not everyone has been blessed with family members who are fellow Red Raiders. Whether you were the black sheep who turned down the Cornell scholly to enjoy the West Texas winds, or were born at UMC and have fallen in with in-laws from San Marcos who have decided they're close enough to UT and aTm to root for them both equally, you can always use a little help with branding this family as Red Raiders.
Disclaimer: These may all not be gifts. Some may need to be acquired in preparation for the holidays.
1a. A Fight Song Bottle Opener - If you are having anyone over for Christmas, you want to make sure that they are reminded every ten minutes how great that song is. Throw it in someone's stocking (really anybody's stocking is fine, even your own. I mean, it's from Santa, right?), insist that everyone bring bottled beers and away we go. By the end of the day everyone will be so ingrained with the song that every time they dare think of Santa Claus he'll be high-fiving Kliff and passing out shades. They'll have dreams of Ralphie doing everything he can to get a Red Raider BB gun under his tree. http://www.rallyhouse.com/shop/texas-tech-red-raiders-2123785
1b. If you're gonna be pouring, might as well pour in to a Texas Tech pint glass and make everyone else display it, too. I've been in too many bars that pass around pints with horns on them in this country with no alternative. Time for a little payback. http://www.rallyhouse.com/shop/texas-tech-red-raiders-texas-tech-red-raiders-printed-logo-pint-glass-1016133
2. If anyone in your family has a toddler, I'm sure you're already aware how impressionable they can be. It's vital that they develop the proper appreciation and love for Texas Tech early. You may be on defense, looking to make sure your own little tike has nothing but Tech gear to wear. Since you get to dress them, stock that closet up. However, you may be on offense, and you can't just tell a parent how to dress their own child. You have to make sure that the gift then is something that the child will be thinking about. Giving your nephew a football with a big Double-T may just make your aggie brother-in-law quiver when little Billy wants to go toss the ball around. You can find something for them that they'll love, just make it enough Tech that they begin to slowly, subtly become aware that they themselves, are Red Raiders too. Who knows, maybe the kid grows up to be a 5-Star wide-out, and we'll have you to thank for solidifying their commitment at such a young age.
3. Lastly, maybe the split in your household is with a sibling, and each of you has been trying to desperately win the fandom of your parents. Well it’s time for a little home décor to do the trick. These wind spinners are mesmerizing. REPEAT: MESMERIZING. Give this to your mother as a supplement gift or something and hang it up right after she opens it. Anywhere will do. If you want to put it right on the mantle, go for it, although if indoors, be sure to bring a fan to get that sucker going. Everyone will then either be watching the wind toy that they’ll forget all about The Christmas Story marathon on TBS (8/7 CST starting Dec 24 and going 24 hours, btw. Don’t miss it). http://www.rallyhouse.com/shop/texas-tech-red-raiders-texas-tech-red-raiders-10-geo-spinner-1412095