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It’s the most wonderful time off the year, indeed.

One of our favorite analogies is comparing Clemson football recruiting to Christmas shopping.

If you’re like my family, most years there’s a push to get as many gift items bought and stored away as early as possible, months in advance. Because the years we don’t, there are invariably delays that delay shipment until after the big day, or the items we wanted but waited for to go on sale went out of stock.

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In theory, all the anxieties and burdens are removed.

But as the holidays approach, the sales sparkle on our screens, and we observe others exercising their consumer power … well, what’s it hurt to buy a little something else. And then another thing.