Attention parents and siblings of WVU football players: Be prepared to receive the following for Christmas.

– A Fossil watch
– Oakley Antix sunglasses

Those are the gifts given out by Konica Minolta and the Gator Bowl to the participants in the New Year’s Day game. Hohum, I say, and shame on Konica Minolta. No camera? Laser printer? Ink cartridge?

Bowl swag is a secret pleasure of those who coach, play and, yes, cover the game. We media get a different version of the reward, usually one item pulled from the list, but I still use two gifts regularly: A tri-fold garment bag from the previous Gator Bowl and Oakley sunglasses from the Fiesta Bowl. I’m not sure what to think about this year’s options. I have two watches, including one my wife bought in China that has the brand name spelled correctly! I guess I could re-gift that or another pair of Oakleys. Don’t tell my brother-in-law.

Ah, but what could have been this year. Had the Mountaineers not held hands in their locker room after the USF game and simply played out the season into the PapaJohns.com Bowl (Question: Does the “.com” bother you, too?), they would have received an RCA HD mini-camcorder and an Oakley backpack.

Had they just lost to Rutgers and had a few other things break their way and headed to the Car Care Bowl, they would have received their choice of Bose gift packages or an iPod touch as well as speakers and $20 gift card, a Fossil watch, an Ogio duffle bad and a commemorative photo of the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Richard Petty!