College Merchandise Gifts For Babies

My wife and I recently received two University of Wisconsin onesies for our daughter, Lucy, from a cousin that we rarely get the chance to see. I'm fairly certain it was a Christmas gift, although it's possible it was a Baptism gift, but either way it was a very nice gesture. I'm not sure if the gift was a subtle jab because my wife and I went to the University of Illinois and the two schools are Big Ten rivals, or if her and her husband just live or work around the university and thought the Badger (Bucky) was cute, if a little angry. I do know that they live in Wisconsin, but none of the details surrounding it. I've certainly never talked about Big Ten sports with them, or even exchanged a playful jibe about the two schools. The saving grace is that Bucky Badger, at least in this non-threatening context, is cute when he's angry, and his sailor-style ribbed red turtleneck looks really hilarious and awesome on Lucy's tiny chest. I certainly hold no ill will towards Wisconsin, even if I ever did in college. I still actively root for Illinois teams, but I don't hold the same disgust for their opponents as I do in pro sports. For example, there are moments where I wish the entire Minnesota Vikings coaching staff was hit by a bus. The college merchandise baby gift does strike me as a bit odd, though - I can understand it if there is a shared college experience with you and the parents, or if you have close ties with the school and the gift shop is tantalizingly convenient for you. The pointed rivalry gift seems like a wasted gesture, however, since the odds of the baby ever putting it on before she grows out of it are slim to none. In this case, though, the onesies are pretty great, especially the starry sky number pictured above, and I still don't really believe this was a rivalry joke. Confusion aside, a good gift.

BaeRating: A-