I like your thoughts here, and I can personally attest to the effectiveness of this one:
"Buy Gopher gear as gifts... especially for children and new friends from out of state."
I grew up in eastern South Dakota, deep in the heart of Minnesota Vikings country (while out in western South Dakota on the other hand, that's much more the realm of Denver Broncos fans). Now, this was back in the '70s, when the Vikings had some damn good teams year after year after year, and while my Dad and brothers were TOTALLY into them, I just couldn't even be bothered to care. I was a fan of Gophers football, but when it came to pro football and all the Vikings hype and hoopla going on around me, for whatever reason, that just didn't 'take' when it came to me. I was just not at all interested in any of it.
Well, when I was 9 years old, for Christmas my Dad (and I have literally NO idea why, and now that he's passed on, that was, is, and ever shall remain one of the enduring mysteries of my lifetime), under the guise of 'Santa', bought me an absolute SHIT-TON of Dallas Cowboys gear, I mean he went all out. We're talking sheets, blankets, pajamas, sweatshirts, t-shirts, a little Roger Staubach jersey
, and on and on and on. He loaded me UP with Cowboys gear, and from that point forward, I was ALL about the freaking Dallas Cowboys (I know, I know, sorry....NOT sorry!), still am, and always will be
Now, as a diehard Vikings fan, I have absolutely no idea why 'Santa' chose to load me up with nuttin but Dallas Cowboys (of all teams!) gear that fateful Christmas (maybe there was a sale at the mall or something?
), but holy crap did he save my bacon, man. Seriously. From the age of 9 onward, I've been privileged to witness just a ton of great Dallas Cowboys players, teams, and of course the '90s Super Bowl championships.
Long story short, in some kind of random (or miraculous) quirk of fate, my father saved me from the ongoing tragedy of being a Vikings fan, and instead steered me towards a fandom that although we're in the midst of a decades-long drought, has provided a sense of true joy to me for many years now (thank you Dad. I love you, and miss you.), and all because he bought me that gear when I was still an impressionable child.
That really 'took', thank God.