It looks like we found the perfect gag gift for Mike Morgan's Christmas Jubilee. And no, it's not this album or animal feed for a petting a zoo.
Over the weekend, Marisa alerted me to an Etsy mom who is selling a Gary England Drinking Game gift set online. It's basically a laminated list of the game's rule complete with a set of red plastic "Friday Night in the Big Town" cups.
Here's an image and description:
If you love Gary England and Oklahoma, our Official Gary England Drinking Game Cups and Rules are for you. This limited edition set comes with 10 16oz reuseable stadium cups that are printed with Friday Night in the Big Town on one side and The Gary England Drinking Game on the other. Tied up with a Friday Night in the Big Town ribbon, these cups come with laminated Gary England Drinking Game Rules. LIMITED EDITION.
Wow, that lady needs to hire a professional copywriter, or at least trade out some Gary England Drinking Games for one. She writes a product description about as well as Gary England uses a gigantic iPad. How can you not toss in one severe weather reference in that blurb? For a game that's perfect to play on a dark, stormy, maxi-wedge grinder type of night in Pottawatomie county, that's kind of weak.
On the website and Twitter account, the owner of Paper Concierge goes out of her way to mention the product is officially licensed by Gary England. Is she saying there's something wrong with selling unlicensed Gary England merchandise or something?
Our Gary England products are officialy[sic] licensed by Gary England exclusively for us. We sure love Oklahoma here at Paper Concierge and are proud to offer our Gary England products to those who love him as much as we do.
That's neat that she got Gary England's permission to sell the Gary England Drinking Game, but there's one minor problem. Gary England didn't write the Gary England Drinking Game. Contrary to popular belief, we didn't write it either (although we did publish the Winter Weather Rules as a tribute / piece of fan fiction). The game was actually written by a former OU student named Ryan McGhee. We know this because we're The Lost Ogle and have to know these things, and because Ryan emailed us this a few years ago:
Subject: Gary England Drinking Game
Of all the people ever to rip off the Gary England Drinking Game, you’re the first to give me credit.
Thank you and keep up the outstanding work.
Ryan McGhee
Unless they got his permission, Paper Concierge is also ripping off the creative talents of Mr. McGhee for profit. If they're not careful, they may be receiving the same type of letter the Oklahoman sent us after we released our Young Jenni Carlson T-Shirt Coffee Mugs.
Anyway, I'll reach out to Paper Concierge later today to see if they got Ryan's permission. Why later today? I want to buy a couple of these games before they're probably pulled from the "shelves." Plus, I really want Lord England's autograph:
When you purchase a set, you are automatically entered into a drawing to receive an additional set autographed by Gary England himself especially for you.
Who wouldn't want that in their shelter, basement or the center hallway on the lower level of your house. That will protect you better than any pillow, blanket or bicycle helmet.
