The Foxhole: Preppy News for the Week of March 1, 2020
Welcome to the Fox Hole! The Fox Hole is a weekly column loosely focused on events, news, and speculation surrounding preppy fashion, well-heeled lifestyle, and anything else that happens to strike our fancy. The subject matter and amount of content may vary from week to week, but our commitment to pseudo-journalism and irreverent commentary will never waver.
This Week's Theme: Sometimes It IS Easy Being Green.
Mood: Set to Thin Lizzy's "Whiskey in the Jar."
We like to think of March as one of the most inclusive months of the entire year. Everyone's tired of being cold. Everyone's tired of February. Everyone's Irish (at least for a day). And at CCP, it's always a special month as we celebrate our birthday on the Ides of March each year (this makes eight!).
March Madness looms just around the corner, followed by The Masters. We've already heard that unmistakable piano medley at least 10 times since we bid adieu to Leap Month. There's so much to look forward to, between great holidays, great sports, and warmer days, that (with apologies to Kermit the Frog) sometimes it IS easy being green.
Item #1: Tiger is the Culinary GOAT in a Green Jacket.
(Photo: Getty Images via GolfChannel.com)
Beginning with Ben Hogan in 1952, one of golf's greatest traditions takes place on the Tuesday night before The Masters begins. We're referring, of course, to the Champions Dinner. If you aren't familiar, the rules are simple:
- You must be a Masters champion to attend.
- You must wear your green jacket at the table.
- The reigning champion plays hosts
You may have heard that an upstart youngster named Tiger Woods took home the green jacket last year, which means he gets to set the menu. This isn't his first rodeo, as he's played host four times before. In his previous turns in the role (the last of which came in 2006), Tiger has served menus as varied as cheeseburgers, porterhouse steak with sushi, and fajitas. Accordingly, there was a good bit of speculation as to what this year's dinner may feature. But Tiger is an old dog who doesn't need a new trick. Looks like he's going to stick with a crowd favorite:
"Born and raised in Southern California, and with it playing a part of my entire childhood, we'll be having steak and chicken fajitas, plus sushi and sashimi out on the deck. We're still debating milkshakes."
Frankly, that sounds absolutely delicious, and we sincerely hope he goes with the milkshakes, as Tiger is known to tell the tale of Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen enjoying milkshakes at his first Champions Dinner in 1998. Some other notable dinners include:
- Patrick Reed, 2019: Bone-in Cowboy Ribeye
- Sergio Garcia, 2018: Arroz Caldoso de Bogavante (Spanish Lobster Rice)
- Jordan Spieth, 2016: Beef Brisket, Smoked Chicken, Pork Ribs
- Phil Mickelson, 2011: Seafood paella & machango-topped filet mignon
We think Phil takes the cake for creativity and execution. Must be how he keeps his firm physique.
Item #2: Get that Green! Turns Out, there's Money in Horse-Racing.
(Photo: CNN.com)
As reported by CNN.com earlier this week, American thoroughbred Maximum Security took home the Saudi Cup's top prize, winning first place and earning a jaw-dropping $10 million. Let that sink in. For one race. 1800 meters (or nine furlongs, for you equestrian folk). That's quite a payday for a few laps around a track. For comparison's sake, the winner of the Kentucky Derby takes home a meager $3 million. Why even bother?
But Maximum Security's win was more than a financial one. As some of you might remember from your Derby Day haze in 2019, there was a bit of a kerfuffle at the finish line. Citing interference, Kentucky Derby race officials disqualified Maximum Security from his first place finish - the first time in history that a first place finisher has been disqualified for any reason. So to say that Maximum Security was eager to get back on the, ahem, horse...again might be a bit of an understatement. As a reminder, only three year old thoroughbreds are eligible for the Derby, so Maximum Security won't join that particular field.
Item #3: Despite Coronavirus Fears, St. Paddy's Day in Savannah Will Go On!
(Photo: http://savannahgetaways.net/. Not pictured: anyone's inhibitions.)
Will global fear about the Coronavirus epidemic stop would-be revelers from partying away March 17th in shamrocks? Here - hold my (green) beer!
According to WTOC, the annual bacchanalian festival that turns Savannah into the largest party in the nation will go on as planned. When asked if local Savannah businesses had anything to fear from the Coronavirus during this heavy tourism period, Tourism Leadership Council CEO and President Michael Owen stated:
“Fear about it? No. It’s something we take seriously as we would any infection but, you know, this happens to us a couple times a year,” said Owens. He was quick to dispel any rumors about the coronavirus impacting St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah.
We're not sure what exactly he means by "this happens to us a couple times a year." Maybe he's referring to the massive influx of tourists? We hope he's not talking about worldwide academics. In any event, it sounds like he and the Tourism Leadership Council have a solid plan:
“You’ll probably see a little more wipe down than you ever have. That’s a great precaution to take, something we should be doing anyway.”
How will they prevent the spread of infection amongst tens of thousands of inebriated celebrants screaming "Kiss Me. I'm Irish!"? Well, they'll wipe things down a little better. Brilliant!
But to his credit, it really is something they should be doing anyway. As frequent attendees of the festivities ourselves (we're BIG fans of any locales that permit open containers), we can attest that there's certainly plenty of room to improve on the cleanliness front. Maybe this is actually a business opportunity for us. Any of these strike your fancy?
- Side-hug me. I'm Irish!
- Hip-check me. I'm Irish!
- Wave at me from a distance. I'm Irish!
Or maybe we should print some shamrock-emblazoned surgical masks? Now THAT's where we'll find our pot of gold...
Item #4: 350 Million Greenbacks Down the Drain.
(Photo: MR Magazine (MR-Mag.com))
Marking the end of a relatively short era, former business school case study darling Trunk Club will be shuttering its remaining stores and folding entirely into Nordstrom's existing department stores. In the early to mid-2010s, Trunk Club earned fame as one of the first subscription-based, curated fashion box services (think StitchFix, et al.). Seeking a foothold with the millennial market, Nordstrom purchased the never-ever-having-been-even-remotely-profitable Trunk Club for a staggering $350 million. To call the arrangement a bust is a massive understatement.
As reported in MR Magazine, "Nordstrom is set to close all six [Trunk Club] standalone stores and will fold the brand into existing Nordstrom stores." Ouch. That's quite a white flag.
We cheer for everyone in this space, so we hope Trunk Club can get back off the mat and continue the fight, but if not, those 350 million smackaroos probably soften the blow!
Final Thoughts
As we complete today's article, it's currently 65 degrees and sunny, so it's easy to become optimistic about the Spring season. Some of our favorite brand partners have huge announcements coming in the next few months, and we have it on good authority that bow ties are coming back (although, for us, they never left). Things are looking up!