Permutation enumeration of the symmetric group and the combinatorics of symmetric functions

In a recent paper, Brenti shows that enumerating a conjugacy class of Sn with respect to excedances produces polynomials which are unimodal and symmetric. He then shows that these polynomials arise naturally from the theory of symmetric functions. We give combinatorial proofs of Brentiʹs results; our combinatorial methods lead to numerous extensions, as well as to the definition of new combinatorial objects—border rim hook tabloids.