Matt Cassel

I hope that made you laugh (and didn’t offend too many).  It has been a rough week and I think we all need a laughter break from life’s stresses and the nonstop memorials!  Thanks SNL and Justin Timberlake.  So what in the world does the clip above have to do with Matt Cassel?  Let’s face it, Matt Cassel is pretty boring (and that clip isn’t).  A year ago he was a virtual “nobody”.  He stood in for Tom Brady last season during the Patriots time of need and actually did a pretty good job.  The Patriots would have held on to him (especially since Brady’s recovery has yet to be tested), but Cassel was putting too much pressure on their salary cap and had to go.  He was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs during the offseason. 

We all face salary caps of our own and we call them our budgets.  The clip above highlights one option for a pretty inexpensive gift (though I don’t recommend it unless the recipient is ALREADY your woman AND has a GREAT sense of humor).  The key to giving with little to no expense is dramatically increasing the gift’s thought and creativity.  As mentioned in the Vick post, “cheap and thoughtless” is a dangerous combination.  If you already have a talent this will be easy.  You can paint a picture, compose a song, take some photographs, or write a story.  Less skilled ideas include issuing favor coupons or donating your time to a charity in their name.  Another winner is writing a sincere letter about their value in your life.  At the end of the day, the success of these ideas will often hinge on presentation.  You will need to take the time to provide the look and feel you would give to a more expensive gift.  This means boxing and wrapping these gifts (including the letter).  Inside the box, there should be actual certificates for your favor coupons or to commemorate the time you donated.  These ideas are a lot more work than their pricey counterparts, but they are likely to be the gifts your loved ones remember the most.  This is especially true when gifting your mother.  I don’t recommend trying this every year for every occasion, but it is actually a nice refreshing gesture (even when you have the money to buy something else).  If your woman doesn’t agree, get a new woman.  You’re the quarterback; I’m just here to protect you.