Old Guys Rule Founders Don and Robi Craig recently trekked to Northern Europe to visit new retailers in Sweden and the UK. Along the way, they were treated like royalty. Perhaps that’s because people in countries like these -- whose histories span millennia -- respect the wisdom of the ages like no others. And isn’t that what Old Guys Rule is all about – to celebrate one’s accomplishments and wear them as a “Badge of Honor”?

Don and Robi traveled the countryside, seaside towns and quaint villages, visiting with store owners and customers alike. They were overwhelmed by the friendly hospitality, signing posters and shirts and posing for photos with people in the stores and on the street. Humble as they are, the attention was affirming. Don and Robi created Old Guys Rule to honor those men who turned their life experiences into an opportunity to share their wisdom with new generations. To see their concept being accepted by so many cultures outside of the US was certainly a crowning achievement.

We’ll be posting more photos from their journey to Northern Europe soon. Stay tuned and enjoy the sites of Sweden and the UK. Don and Robi sure did.

This weekend marks the 31st US Senior Open, where more than 150 men over 50 are competing to win cash, prizes and the title of Champion. The 2010 winner, Bernhard Langer, won nearly $500,000. Wish we could join in...

However, we know most of us will never play in this tournament and can forget that big payday, but we really enjoy watching. It inspires us to go out and hit a few balls. It reinforces that we are still competitive as we age. We can still practice and work at being better at our favorite sports, whether it's golf or something else. We're sure that Bernhard didn't win because he was sitting on the couch...so we're not doing that either.

It's summer, get out and enjoy it. Hit the course and then some balls, or hit the road and do what you love to do. (We shared what we love to do Old Guys Rule - Favorite Things To Do In the Summer.) You know what we think - Old Guys Rule...which means we get out there and we get it done. We LIVE our lives instead of watching it pass us by. How are you livin'? We'd love to know.

As the shirt says, "It don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing." We wish all of the Old Guys in the US Senior Open the best this weekend. And should this be your first time reading our posts, when we say, "Old Guys" it is bestowing an honor for a life well spent.

Some great quotes about growing older…otherwise known as becoming an Old Guy. The Old Guys Rule t-shirts, hats, etc. are to be worn as a badge of honor. They are designed to recognize the accomplishments of a life well spent. Being aged to perfection means something different to each one of us, but we thought the quotes below sum it up nicely. Of course, we had to add the Old Guys twist…the first five are serious and the last five are funny.

Seriously, we feel:

Father Time is not always a hard parent, and, though he tarries for none of his children, often lays his hand lightly upon those who have used him well; making them old men and women inexorably enough, but leaving their hearts and spirits young and in full vigor.  With such people the grey head is but the impression of the old fellow's hand in giving them his blessing, and every wrinkle but a notch in the quiet calendar of a well-spent life.  — Charles Dickens

Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.  — Oliver Wendell Holmes


Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. 
— Eleanor Roosevelt

There's no point in being unhappy about growing older. Just think of the millions who have been denied the privilege. 
— Cary Grant

A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams. 
— John Barrymore


But these made us laugh:

Youth is a wonderful thing.  What a crime to waste it on children.  — George Bernard Shaw

Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle.  — Bob Hope

There is no pleasure worth forgoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward. — John Mortimer


Once you’re over the hill, you begin to pick up speed.  — Charles M. Schulz


The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions. — Oliver Wendell Holmes

Here’s to bein’ the Old Guys who are picking up speed, relishing in their checkered pasts, and bein’ loud and proud about it.

There’s a lot that we love about summer…so we thought we’d share some of our favorite things to do. Here are our top 10 (in no particular order – as Old Guys, we reserve the right to change our minds and our list whenever we want because we Rule and we can.)

Take a cruise (no we don’t mean a boat, see photo)
Hit the beach – with or without a surfboard
BBQ – where do you think the inspiration from the Grill Master shirt came from?
Catch a movie the Old Guys way…at a Drive-In…takes us back in time
Go to a baseball game – major league, minor league or little league
Play a round of golf with our buddies
Camp – nothing better than hangin’ out with your friends around a fire with a cold one
Car Shows – there’s one just about every weekend in the summer
Take the boat out on the lake, maybe do a little fishing
Road Trip – preferably on two wheels going down the coast...if you haven’t ever, you should give it a try

Did we miss anything? Is there something that you think we have to try? We’re usually up for it…know why? Because Old Guys Rule.

A bit of history from one Old Guy to another - John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail after signing of the Declaration of Independence. He commented about how he thought the 4th of July would be celebrated, “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival... It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” Maybe he’s the one who set the tone for how we continue to celebrate our independence.

This 4th of July weekend Americans will be celebrating in a variety of ways. Some will celebrate over a grill surrounded by friends and family, while others will enjoy catching some rays and some waves at the beach. Parades, baseball games, picnics and fireworks will be the norm.

For us, we may try to do everything above and then some, but we will remember no matter what we’re doing that we are grateful for our independence and to those who have sacrificed and served. It was 235 years ago that we declared our independence as a nation. However that fight for freedom began long before our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence and continues today. We hope to never take our freedom for granted. We won’t forget that it has come at a price.

We wish you and yours an incredible 4th of July however you choose to spend it. We hope it is fun and befitting of the Old Guys Rule state of mind.

If you/your family has served or sacrificed for our country, we sincerely thank you.

…and this Old Guy can definitely back it up!

January 17th, we will celebrate the birthday of an incredible Old Guy. His name is synonymous with the most famous fights that have ever been fought…the Thrilla in Manilla, The Rumble in the Jungle, and The Fight of the Century. Muhammad Ali retired from his famed boxing career nearly 30 years ago.

His career consisted of 56 Wins (37 knockouts, 19 decisions), 5 Losses (4 decisions, 1 TKO), 0 Draws. He stood toe-to-toe and blow-to-blow with the greatest heavyweight boxers of his era, which is referred to as the Golden Age of Boxing. He was crowned the heavyweight champion of the world three times. He was the source of some great boxing moves like the “rope-a-dope” and the fastest footwork ever seen. His career was incredible…but for Ali, that was just the beginning.

Since his retirement, Ali has proven he wasn’t just a champ in the ring; he continues to be a champion out of the ring. He has made goodwill missions to many war-torn areas in the world, has become the champion of many worthy causes, including: delivering and providing meals to the hungry, delivering food and medical supplies to many nations, regularly visiting soup kitchens and hospitals, contributing to several non-profits, contributing to Parkinsons research, advocating for legislation to protect children and also boxing reform legislation.

Even at 69 years old, Ali is still a heavy hitter. He continues to be a champion for those who need him. He has been affected by Parkinson’s Disease since 1984, but even that hasn’t stopped him. As he once said, “It’s not bragging if you can back it up.” These days he doesn’t have to brag because we are happy to do it for him. We are proud to feature Muhammad Ali on several items.

A portion of the proceeds from the Old Guys Rule apparel featuring Muhammad Ali goes to the Muhammad Ali Center, whose mission is to preserve and share the legacy and ideals of Muhammad Ali, to promote respect, hope, and understanding, and to inspire adults and children everywhere to be as great as they can be.

We look forward to celebrating his 70th Birthday in 2012. Until then, we’d like to share this video from Muhammad Ali Enterprises: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GzY3ThVBsMc

We are raising our glass to the dads of the world. We appreciate you.
There are so many things to thank you for today, the list is so long, there is no way we can cover every item, but we want to share our top 25 reasons we honor you on Father's Day:

1. You're a dad - it takes work and we respect that.
2. Making us learn how to change our oil and our tires.
3. Teaching us how to ride a bike and how to drive.
4. Being tough - even when we didn't like it.
5. Being the rock to lean on.
6. Every band-aid, hug, or pat on the back.
7. Taking us camping, fishing, surfing, and hiking.
8. Manning the grill when the rest of us were enjoying the BBQ.
9. Coaching Little League.
10. Working hard to provide.
11. Patience, even when we didn't deserve it.
12. Being a good example.
13. Instilling fear...sometimes we needed it.
14. No matter how old you are, you're still the same man that raised us.
15. Giving everything you could.
16. Taking care of us.
17. Waiting up at night until we were home safe.
18. Sitting in the bleachers in the heat, the rain, the snow and the cold.
19. Every bedtime story.
20. Memories that can never be topped or replaced.
21. Teaching us the difference between right and wrong.
22. Answering our calls every time there was a break down, break-up, or I'm broke.
23. Teaching us the value of money, time and family.
24. Never giving up on us.
25. Being there when we needed you, even when we said we didn't.

Old Guys Rule because of men like you. Thanks for everything. Happy Father's Day.

A customer recently shared this post from Parade with us. It is an interview with the 3 actors in the TNT drama Men of a Certain Age. We’ve caught the show a couple of times and can definitely relate to the characters in the show, but based on the article we can relate to real men behind those characters even more.

When asked about how he felt about the passing of the years, 48 year old Andre Braugher responded, “Time only flows in one direction, as far as we know. You have to go with it, because these are the only times we've got. These are the good times. No, I do not look as good as I did at 26, but guess what? I'm not 26.“ Who couldn’t appreciate that? We certainly do; we’ve earned every wrinkle, every gray hair and we’re proud of it. We’ve lived and it shows. There is no shame in that. We are “Aged to Perfection” and we like it.

Our favorite part of the interview is the question, “ What’s the best part about this stage in life?” It made us think. For us the best part is when we can do what we love, whether it is spending time with friends or family, riding our bikes down the open road, surfing a wave…What do you think? What’s the best part for you?

http://www.parade.com/celebrity/2011/05/men-of-certain-age.html

Marion Robert Morrison was born May 26, 1907. Although he was born with the name Marion, to us he will always be John Wayne or "The Duke."

John Wayne was a man's man (a ladies man too at times). He was larger than life on the big screen and in person. He was always a straight shooter, and not just the kind from the movies he was famous for, that's what we loved about him. He told it like it was, did what he wanted and made no apologies. He inspired us to hitch up our bootstraps, fight for what we believed, and to get the girl.

So today, we tip our hats in honor of the man, the actor, and the American legend- John Wayne.

Also in honor of The Duke, we have a special on our Facebook page today only. Details at http://www.Facebook.com/OldGuysRuleInternational

May 29th will mark the 100th Anniversary of the Indy 500. The man to drive the pace car for the centennial celebration of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will be A.J. Foyt, Jr. If you aren’t familiar with him, we can share a few details.

Foyt is an incredible racing legend whose relationship with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 goes back more than half a century. Fifty years ago, he won the Indy 500. He will be 76 years old when he leads 33 drivers out onto the famed speedway. Each of those drivers will be dreaming of taking that checkered flag at the end of the day. Very few could hope to achieve what Foyt did at the Indy 500 -- he won four times. Additionally, he is the only driver to have won the Indy 500, the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Foyt’s tireless passion for the sport continued after he retired as a driver, he transitioned into a role as a team owner. He will have more than 55 years of racing experience with him as he rolls onto the track in the Chevy Camaro pace car. It will be a great day of racing in Indianapolis and we are glad that an “old guy” is going to start it. We here at Old Guys Rule will be tipping our hats to A.J. Foyt, Jr. as he leads the drivers around the track.