The holiday season comes with many perks, but shopping is not one of them. The thought of giving up Football Sunday to navigate the mall as you compete with little old ladies for the last immersion blender is enough to make even the sanest person curl up into a ball and wait for January to come.
After all, Sunday is your one day to sit spread-eagle on the couch and watch the action as you compulsively check your fantasy team’s progress and scour the waiver wire. Who wants to give that up for the horrors of holiday shopping at the mall? No need to choose. With its four modes, the Lenovo Yoga is flexible enough to be with you at all times, allowing you to stay home and shop online while you watch the game and check in on your fantasy team. In need of gift inspiration? Here are a few ideas that'll keep your friends strapped to their couches all season long.
Fantasy Football Services Subscription
Cost: ~$30 per season, depending on quality of package
Every year, over 30 million people play fantasy football — That's over $1 billion changing hands between players through pools — making the need to get a leg up on the competition that much more important. Fantasy draft kits are available from a variety of sites around the web, but the free versions are pretty much all the same. To get a real advantage, a dedicated owner will splurge on a paid draft kit and yearly subscription of services like draft and trade analysis software, in-depth stats, and player comparisons.
Sites like fantasyguru.com are already taking orders for next season, with gift packages for multiple seasons available as well. A word of advice: Put out a feeler for how the recipient’s season is going so far. If they’re running the table in their league, they may not feel compelled to use additional services and it could be a waste of a gift.
Souped-up Recliner
Cost: $600
Looking for a seriously lavish gift? Start with this throne, on which the proud owner can recline while everyone else is crammed on the couch. In addition to being mega comfortable, it's also built with a massage function and arm-rest cooler that will keep your drinks cold while you spend hours developing Costanza-like atrophy in your legs. And since we all love to monitor our teams and other games throughout the day, your Lenovo Yoga in Tent Mode draped over an arm lets you move from the kitchen back to the recliner, while keeping two hands safely on your wings or nachos.
Team Blankets
Cost: $20-40
If you can’t afford the chair (or would rather spend the money on yourself), you can still upgrade your loved one’s comfort level with a plush blanket decorated with their favorite team’s logo. It's perfect for softening up any scratchy old couch or chair, and after the game you can crawl right under it and slip comfortably into a food coma.
These are also perfect for people to bring to the games to prevent freezing their asses off in single-digit weather (and they’re even big enough to accommodate most Midwestern fans!).
Slingbox
Cost: $180-300
Unfortunately, real life occasionally pulls us away from our living rooms for tedious things like weddings and birthday parties. When that happens, the Slingbox becomes an absolute lifesaver. Once installed, you’ll be able to watch and control your TV from your Lenovo Yoga or any other mobile device. So whether you’re sneaking off to the bathroom or pretending to give a damn about who catches the bouquet, you won’t have to miss the game.
Tailgating Gear
Cost: Varies
As for going to the games, no Saturday or Sunday football experience is complete without a good tailgate, and there’s no shortage of gear out there for the experienced tailgater – tents, folding chairs, coolers, grills, grill utensils, a mobile entertainment system with surround sound so you don't actually have to go into the stadium, etc.
If you’ve been tailgating with your gift recipient before, you should have a good idea of what their tailgate game is lacking. If not, your best bet is to go obscure and useful — like a grill fork with a digital meat thermometer built in. It won’t break the bank ($29), and it’s doubly effective because it can be used when cooking at home as well.
Remote Control Protective Case
Cost: $12.95
Speaking of breaking things, we’ve all been at that point when our team blows a double-digit 4th-quarter lead, leaving us capable of ripping the head off a teddy bear. But we can usually redirect that anger in a less traumatizing way, so what becomes the object of our scorn? The remote. All it does is enhance our lives, yet because it’s already in our hands or right next to us, it’s our first choice to be hurled against the wall in a fit a of rage.
So if your friend isn’t clear-headed enough to throw it at a soft object, or has lousy aim, a protective case for that bad boy is a must.
And there you have it. Christmas shopping done from the comfort of your couch. Just because Lenovo Yoga is flexible doesn't mean you have to be.
Craig Lowell has written for Sports Illustrated, The Fan Hub, The Sports Post, NBA Entertainment, and the North Adams Transcript. Follow him on Twitter @craigrlowell.