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Last-minute sports-themed costume ideas for Halloween

Gardner Minshew will be a popular costume this year. (Getty Images)
Gardner Minshew will be a popular costume this year. (Getty Images)

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If you’re anything like me, the Halloween season has snuck up on you and you’re likely scrambling for costume ideas. It wouldn’t be the first time, and it probably won’t be the last. But here we are, just a couple of forgetful sports fans who unfortunately RSVP’d “Yes” to that Halloween party invitation months ago.

Sure, you could always just bail on the party. Again, likely wouldn’t be the first time, but you just remembered that you haven’t been out in a while. And besides, you’ve just spent the last several weeks trashing Andrew Luck so you probably don’t want to pull the chute and bail on your friends at the last second. That’s just bad form.

So, as you limp into Halloween with limited enthusiasm and even less inspiration, you turn to the one thing that you know well. Sports costumes don’t always make for the most creative getups, but they can come in handy in a pinch. With a couple of quick purchases, you may be able to put together the perfect costume without breaking the bank.

Gardner Minshew

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 06: Gardner Minshew #15 of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half of their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Glorious. Just glorious. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

Let’s face it, there are a million reasons to dress as Gardner Minshew this year for Halloween. In fact, a million people are already dressed like Minshew, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room on the bandwagon.

For obvious reasons, Minshew’s aesthetic appeal has taken a life of its own after the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback assumed the starting role earlier this season. The dude is “Dazed and Confused” meets NFL football, and it’s glorious!

The great thing about this particular costume idea is that you can pull it off quite easily. Some are going hard core, like these Washington State University football fans who went all out on vintage Minsh. But all you really need to pull this off is the moustache — and the accompanying soul patch, of course — a sweet flow, and the classic Minshew head band to make that flow look even sweeter. All of which can be found on Amazon, and you won’t have to break the bank.

SHOP IT:

Fake mustache kit ($13.99)

Minshew wig ($19.83 CAD)

Sports sweatband ($10.99 CAD)

Gardner Minshew jersey ($99.99 USD)

If you really want to complete the look you could always spring for the Gardner Minchew jersey, which can be found on Amazon for just CDN $35.99. And since he seems to be a big Aviators guy off the field, a cheap pair of sunglasses could make this look a little more authentic. But there are many ways to do the Minshew, and people seem to be digging it.

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 13: Jacksonville Jaguars fans dressed like Gardner Minshew enter the stadium before the start of a game against the New Orleans Saints at TIAA Bank Field on October 13, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
The Minshew is becoming quite the popular look. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

John Daly

NICHOLASVILLE, KENTUCKY - JULY 18: John Daly of the United States plays a shot on the fifth hole during the first round of the Barbasol Championship on July 18, 2019 in Nicholasville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Give yourself a second to really appreciate the fine details of this man's style. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

There may not be a sports-themed Halloween costume that’s more appropriate for the party than that of the man known for crushing drives off of beer cans.

Sure, John Daly has two major wins under his belt, but there’s a reason why we’ve come to affectionately know him as “Wild Thing.” The man practically invented party golf, and it would truly be a crime to settle on a sports-themed Halloween costume without considering “Long John.”

Daly’s flamboyant style is one of the many things that make him such a colourful character. In Canada he’s widely known as the Don Cherry of golf — this probably isn’t really a thing, but it should be, right?

Anyway, Daly’s style is an instantly identifiable look that will surely put that dude at the party wearing that 1940s baseball uniform to shame, and it’s not too difficult to put together.

The first thing you’re going to need is a wacky pair of pants. Anything crazy and colourful will do but if you need to pick something up, Amazon has a few inexpensive options. The next thing you may need is a mullet wig, because vintage Daly is still the best Daly.

By and large, this is basically all that you’re going to need. But if you really want to go all out, you could top the look off with a few accessories, like a golf glove, or a cheap pair of golf sun glasses. And since you’re going to the party, you may as well just bring a six-pack of tallboys with you to really complete the costume.

If you’re a golf fan and you happen to be looking for a last-minute Halloween idea, you can’t do any better than Daly.

SHOP IT:

Neon green zebra-print pants ($25.99 CAD)

American flag pants ($16.17 CAD)

Mullet wig ($16.83 CAD)

Golf shirt ($11.99 CAD)

Blind NFL referee

Image via Amazon.
Image via Amazon.

If you’ve been following the NFL closely in 2019, you’ve likely found yourself screaming, “what, are you blind!” at the referees at least once. Those poor Lions fans — myself being one of them — fell victim to not one, but two brutal calls in Detroit’s Monday night loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 6. A referee controversy seems to plague the sport every week, and it’s safe to assume that a fair number of fans are getting a little sick of it.

If you’re one of these fans — and you happen to be searching for a costume idea with Halloween just around the corner — the “blind NFL referee” may be just what you’re looking for. This satirical Halloween number is a great way to stick it to the true “stars” of the NFL season, and it’s fairly simple to put together. You just need a few items to round out the look.

SHOP IT:

The “Cam”

Cameron Frye
Cameron Frye

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times this simple costume has bailed me out at the last second on Halloween.

Sure, as a Red Wings fan I’ve always had a few Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov jerseys kicking around, but this is an incredible simple costume to pull off.

Cameron Frye from 1986s “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” famously wore a red Gordie Howe Red Wings jersey throughout much of the cult-classic film. And while no one expects you to shell out for a vintage Gordie jersey just for Halloween, there are a couple of work arounds that can easily pull off this look.

The first option is the Gordie Howe jersey replica t-shirt. It’s not quite the same as a jersey but it’s a much cheaper option. The second option is a blank Red Wings replica jersey, unless you want to splurge for a Gordie throwback — a nice one to add to the collection regardless of the occasion. The t-shirt option is significantly cheaper which makes more sense for a last-minute costume, but if you’re a Red Wings fan or a hockey sweater connoisseur you gotta go with the throwback.

All you need to round out the look is a pair of khakis. — you can find a cheap pair online for just CDN $26.99.

It’s not the most creative option out there, but this costume can be whipped up in a pinch, especially if you’re a hapless Red Wings fan such as myself.

SHOP IT:

Gordie Howe t-shirt ($29.99 CAD)

Red Wings blank jersey ($119.99 CAD)

Gordie Howe throwback jersey ($199.99)

Khaki pants ($26.99)

“Antonio Clown”

FILE - In this Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, file photo, New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown (17) stands on the sidelines during the first half at an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Miami Gardens, Fla. Nike has dropped New England Patriots receiver Antonio Brown, Nike spokesman Josh Benedek told The Associated Press on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. The move comes after a second woman accused Brown of sexual assault.  (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
For any disgruntled fans who are looking to clown Antonio Brown, this is the costume fro you. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

Okay, this one may be a bit of a reach, but let’s say you rolled the dice and drafted Antonio Brown this year in your fantasy football league. You’ve got to be smarting a little bit after he clowned his way out of a golden opportunity with the New England Patriots, right?

Or maybe you’re just a Patriots fan whose a little disgruntled at the way things went down, or you’re an Oakland Raiders fan and you’re upset for the same reason. How about you Pittsburgh Steelers fans out there? Any love out there for AB in Steel Town?

You could, however, just be a regular sports fan who has decided that Antonio Brown is right where he should be: sitting at home without an NFL contract after playing himself in the most embarrassing fashion. It’s a week before Halloween and you still don’t have a costume. And just when the rest of the sports world seems to have forgotten about AB, you see an opportunity to clown the man who so affectively clowned himself.

Shop It:

Antonio Brown t-shirt ($17.09 USD)

Antonio Brown Raiders jersey ($65.99 USD)

Clown costume ($24.33 CAD)

Plant Guy

The man, the myth, the legend.
The man, the myth, the legend.

If you’re a fan of the NBA champion Toronto Raptors, you won’t find an easier costume to cobble together than this. “Plant Guy” became a viral sensation during the Raptors championship celebration when a local TV reporter asked him why he was carrying around a large plant, to which he replied that he was looking for Kawhi Leonard to give it to him as a housewarming gift. Plant Guy ultimately did end up delivering a gift to Kawhi, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to persuade the NBA Finals MVP to run it back.

Anyways, if you’re short on time and have a Raptors jersey hanging in your closet, you’re good to go, if not you should probably just have one anyways.

SHOP IT:

Artificial house plant ($3.55 CAD)

Kyle Lowry jersey ($130 CAD)