Buying gifts for the guy in your life is hard. Which is why we usually go for socks. (They're practical, damnit.) But if you're more ambitious than we are, we sourced some gift ideas that’ll hit it out of the, ahem, ballpark for the guys in your life that can't turn off ESPN. So whether you want to say ‘I’m so excited your team is in the Super Bowl’, or ‘HBD, all-star’ we’ve got the perfect items that’ll score a 10/10. Bookmark these now, come back to 'em later. Home run.
A tool to help him hang up all his jerseys…
This genius lil’ guy has adjustable pivot joints that make displaying a beloved jersey easy-peasy. The gadget’s great because you won’t have to fold up a jersey and put it behind glass to show it off. It lets you keep the full shape and silhouette of the jersey intact. Plus, it can be hung with a single push nail that’s included — no heavy drilling or major struggles required. Phew. ($29.99, Amazon)
An indoor putting mat that will keep your giftee's golf game solid…
Whether their upcoming golf trip was canceled or they’re trying not to get rusty this winter, this putting green will satisfy their need. Fitted with an automatic ball return and two different-sized practice holes, it’s a perfect way to provide hours of stress relief and entertainment to the stuck-at-home golfer. ($169.99, Amazon)
A memoir by the founder of Nike…
If your guy loves to read, then you have to add “Shoe Dog” to his collection. In it, Phil Knight offers up a behind-the-scenes look at how he built the swoosh from the ground up. Your guy will get a firsthand look at the early days of the company (when failure was very much on the table) and see how Knight turned his shoe co. into a billion-dollar brand. Just do it. ($14.99+, Amazon)
Baseball stadium-themed glasses for the hardcore MLB lover…
Because an ice-cold drink and watching their fave players go together like peanuts and Cracker Jacks. Choose his team and get ready for a round of ‘ooohs’ when he opens the box. The glasses will feature his team’s stadium map in the team’s two home colors. The bottom of the glasses showcase the team’s logo. Play ball. ($38/set of 2, Uncommon Goods)
A custom football book for the history buff…
With this, they’ll get to retrace the history of their favorite team based on reprinted articles from The New York Times. Pages and pages of archival coverage will be bound, and your giftee’s name will get embossed on the cover for an added personal touch. ($80+, Uncommon Goods)
A football jersey for his fur baby…
Because they’re always right there by his side when he’s watching his games. Plus, pets are the real MVPs if we’re being honest. These jerseys feature official team colors and come in durable mesh and satin fabric. Sounds pawfect to us. ($22.40+, Chewy)
A ceramic sports mug for the kiddo who can’t stop playing ball…
*Announcer voice* ‘They shoot, they scooooooore.’ This mug with a hoop makes mealtime so much more fun. Your kiddo can shoot hoops with their cereal or unwanted veggies to make eating those greens a little bit more fun. Shot clock starts now. ($25, Uncommon Goods)
A tool that’ll help level up his golf game…
This caddie automatically tracks all his shots and will give him a digital replay of his rounds. The range finder adjusts in real time for wind, temperature, humidity, altitude, and more to help make his game better. And it has AI-powered GPS technology that’ll be invaluable to him on the green once he starts using it. Swing, swing. ($189.99, Amazon)
A set of four coasters featuring football’s greatest plays…
Hut, hut, hiiiike — all the way to these slate cuties. Each coaster is etched with an iconic football play from the NFL team of his choosing. Touchdown for real. ($40, Uncommon Goods)
A personalized sports-jersey LED sign…
Use it as a paperweight, hallway light, or a sentimental piece for their desk. Choose their favorite sport (basketball, hockey, football, baseball, or soccer), add in their number and name, and voilá, the perfect gift is born. It’s great to give to parents who want to show off their kiddo’s jerseys or anyone who’s just really sad about Tom Brady retiring and wants to remember TB12 forever. ($16.99+, IlluminatedEdge via Etsy)
Personalized tennis balls…
Because in tennis, love is real (IYKYK). You’ll get three official regulation-sized balls that he can play with. Or if he’s a more sentimental type, he can save them as a collector’s item and keep them displayed with the rest of his sports memorabilia. Match point. ($26.35, Zazzle)
A personalized golf-ball collector…
Function meets sentimental art piece, coming right up. As your guy has big wins on the course, he can add the balls from his best rounds onto this wooden board. Choose your size, wood finish, whether you want wall fittings on it or not, and add a customization element so you can engrave his name or personal message onto it. All he needs now is a new tee time and some luck on his side. ($28.18+, Thatsnicethatuk via Etsy)
A customizable basketball-arena photo map…
If he's got a thing for the NBA (read: forces you to go to games in every city you visit) then he needs this. You’ll get to fill up this personalized, handmade mat board with photos as he visits each arena around the country. It’s a fun piece of commemorative decor that will look great in any space and remind him of all the good times (and great games) he’s experienced in each city. ($89+, ThunderBunnyLabs via Etsy)
A college football–themed water bottle…
Because the only thing he loves more than you is repping his fave college football team. These 32-oz. vacuum-insulated stainless steel bottles will actually keep his go-to bev cold for hours. Plus, the straw lid is leakproof so he won’t have to worry about spills. Cheers. ($34.99, Amazon)
A baseball patent-art print…
For his office or home. You can choose from a framed, art, or canvas print and also pick the size and colors. If you opt for a framed version, the wooden frames come finished with a high-grade crystal clear cover that’s ship-safe. Talk about a strikeout. ($4.67+, WunderkammerStudio via Etsy)
A golf-club cleaner so he’s always ready for his next shot…
It can remove built-up dirt and grass, and houses a scrub pad, a towel, brass-groove cleaners, a spray bottle, and more. It’s also pretty compact so he can carry it in his bag while he’s out for the day. Shiny ‘n’ clean clubs, coming right up. ($29.95, Amazon)
A MasterClass subscription so they can learn from some of the greatest in sports…
Give this gift and you’ll be the GOAT in their eyes. A MasterClass annual membership offers thorough video lessons and valuable tips from icons across sports fields. Think: Stephen Curry on basketball, Serena Williams on tennis, Tony Hawk on skateboarding, and so much more. They’ve got classes on just about anything your guy can imagine — and a ton in the sports and gaming category. Learning just got even cooler. ($180 per year, MasterClass)
And the perfect card…
Yeah, sex and presys are great…but have you ever given someone a truly relatable card that’ll make them smile? Write your heart out and they can look back in a few years and laugh about it. Happiness guaranteed. ($5.95, SpadeStationery via Etsy)
If you buy anything from this article, theSkimm may get something in return. Oh, and if something’s out of stock, oops, it was there (and all prices were accurate) when we published. Thanks.
Live Smarter
Sign up for the Daily Skimm email newsletter. Delivered to your inbox every morning and prepares you for your day in minutes.