The NHL is looking to return to prominence among the major American sports, and they have a few gimmicks up their sleeve to achieve this objective. The best one is obviously Ice Girls, but a close runner-up is the Winter Classic, where two teams face off on New Year's Day in an outdoor venue.

This year's Winter Classic takes place in Wrigley Field, Chicago's hallowed cathedral of baseball. Check out the gallery below to see how the home of the Cubbies has been transformed for today's clash between the hometown Blackhawks and rival Detroit Red Wings.

Weird Sports Stuff

    Personalized NFL Collage This framed pictured of NY Giants stars, including one who shot himself, allows you to put your name on the back of a jersey. It's the type of merch that takes sports fandom to the level of weird stalker fantasy, sort of like photoshopping yourself into current pictures of your ex.

    skymall.com

    Executive Batting Practice Taking office batting practice with this desktop-sized pitching machine will clearly demonstrate to your underlings that: A) You can really turn on a 45 mph heater, and B) You have no qualms about damaging the workplace with a batted ball. Now that's leadership.

    1ofakindstuff.com

    Aqua Golf On hot summer days, kids are always complaining that there's nowhere to go to work on their short game. Fortunately, that waste of space you call a swimming pool can be put to good use by covering it with floating turf.

    vacationgadgets.com

    N Range Indoor Shooting System Enjoy shooting, but hate leaving the couch? Just fire a few rounds into this handy little armoire. Be careful, though. The wife tends to get snippy if you don't clean up your shell casings. (Sadly, this item was discontinued. We can't understand why.)

    nrange.com

    Flair Hair Visor This visor with a "cool" shock of fake hair attached is marketed to golfers. It should come with a disclaimer that if you wear it while playing at the country club, your membership will be immediately revoked.

    skymall.com

    Fathead Wall Graphics If you want to show cult-like devotion to your favorite player, pick up one of these life-size wall stickers for your living room. Also, pick up lots of porn, because any woman who sees your decorative panache will not sleep with you.

    skymall.com

    Tandem Potato Sacks (Set of 10) What's more fun than buddying up to hop in a potato sack race against 18 of your closest friends? Every activity you can possibly think of. Oh, and by the way, a pack of 10 tandem sacks will cost you $130 (the kids' faces reveal that they probably didn't foot the bill).

    onlinesports.com

    Forest Faces These tree decorations are so worthless and unnecessary, the squirrels living in the trees will move out.

    skymall.com

    Basho the Sumo Wrestler Table It's very kind of Basho to bend over and support your magazines and drinks. Let's just hope he also has the common courtesy to keep his Mawashi covering his coin slot.

    designtoscano.com

    The Drinking Buddy Polo Shirt No doubt the polo shirt/beer coozy was some frat guy's senior year epiphany. After six years of stretched-out breast pockets and ice-chafed nipples, he finally had this stroke of genius.

    americantailgater.com