What to pick, Elmo or Eckstein?

File this one under the growing category of words you thought you would never hear:

I’ll put $200 on the pirate costume and another $50 on the St. Louis Cardinals jersey.

Apparently, there is an offshore, online betting service offering odds on the most popular Halloween costumes this year for little people around the world.

Guess the question of which country Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will adopt from next was just too mundane.

(Yes, there are real odds on that one.)

William Thompson, a professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas told the Desert Sun of Palm Springs: “I think Elmo is going to win. And dressing up like a [St. Louis] Cardinal has to be 3 to 1.�

But apparently scary is harder to come by in the Halloween game. Other news outlets have quoted retailers as saying it takes more to frighten kiddies in these days of video game gore.

Perhaps Jason and Freddy Krueger better step aside for something truly scary and nightmare-causing on the neighborhood block: an Arizona Cardinals or Temple football jersey.

Trivia time

Temple’s football team ended a 20-game losing streak Saturday, beating Bowling Green, 28-14. What was the score of its game against Bowling Green last season?

Ready to wear

Don’t wait for the Edmonton Oilers to show up in Men’s Vogue anytime soon.

The fun-loving team has established a tradition of awarding their best player after each game an ugly leather coat. Maybe Chris Pronger was on to something when he asked to be traded in the off-season.

“There’s no explaining some guys’ tastes in what they wear to and from the rink,� Oilers Coach Craig MacTavish told reporters. “Most members of the media actually know that first-hand.�

And just think if MacTavish had actually seen the inside of a tennis news room. Keep the shorts away from these men.

Trivia answer

Bowling Green beat the Owls, 70-7, in 2005. That was, incredibly, a step back for Temple because Bowling Green beat Temple, 70-16, in 2004.

Little-too-late category

FIFA President Joseph “Sepp� Blatter apologized for the controversial call in favor of Italy late in its game against Australia in the World Cup last summer, which led to a penalty kick.

Many thought a blatant dive drew the penalty.

“The Socceroos were great,� he said on the Australian TV network SBS. “They should have gone to the quarterfinals in place of Italy because they were up to beating Italy.... You go into extra time and you are 11 against 10. But that is presumptuous.

“I think there was too much cheating on the players’ side.�

Don’t expect an apology for Maradona’s hand of God incident against England in 1986 anytime soon.

And finally

Coyotes Coach Wayne Gretzky, on whether he would consider stepping down with his team mired in the midst of a woeful start, told reporters: “I’ll do anything that will help us win.�

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