In honor of the creepy holiday in which we teach children to pander from door to door, dressing as silly ghouls, goblins and witches for candy, we figured a nice creepy list would be fitting. Here are a few ideas which are scary to even ponder…

1. Placing Tony LaRussa in charge of any post-, pre- or during- game celebration party drinks. Needless to say, the same rule would apply for some of us in passing out candy to Halloween trick-or-treaters — “one for you, three for me…”
2. Allowing Isiah Thomas to run a feminist meeting of minds. Needless to say, many will be offended; not to mention how low we can assume the success rate would be when the word “trade” is involved, even if we are only talking about ideas.
3. Asking Rudy Guliani to lead a championship cheer. Sure, politicians and rockstars do this all the time: walk up to a podium, get the crowd hyped, and just as they’re about to say how much they love the city… they realize they have no clue where they are. And when the answer comes out, it’s sure to disappoint. (i.e. In New York, speaking praise of Boston… In Israel speaking praises of the Palestinians… In New England speaking praises of not running scores up… etc.)
4. Nominating Bill Belichick for any Sportsmanship/Ethics Committee. His wisdom of NFL traditions and rules will be valuable to the committees, sure, as will his in-depth “insider” information on how other leagues world-wide work, but his blatant disregard for every implemented rule and lack of mercy will surely harm the entire group.
5. Scott Boras teaming up with Microsoft as chief executive. Imagine how much basic keyboards would cost. You think Bill Gates knows how to take hold of the PC market? Imagine that market leverage with Boras’ amazing ability to milk every penny out of willing, desperate money holding consumers.
6. Lance Armstrong, Dorm Advisor. Lance, 36, was spotted messing around with one of the Olsen sisters, Ashley, 21. Hey, we all remember “you got it, dude!” There’s just something too creepy about the thought of…
7. David Stern, President of the United States. Remember when laws were passed that allowed harassing kids who wore their pants baggy? If you think Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and George W. Bush were tough on any policy dissent, Stern would give them all a run for their money. Stern would be the most likely contender to break Bush’s record of “most countries pissed off in one term.” Think: Bonds chasing Aaron.
8. Tom Brady, OBGYN. Sorry, folks but you know what I mean… I’m too censored to continue. But he… gets his. (Ditto, Tony Romo)
9. Dan Snyder as Secretary of Treasury. Give this man the power over the country’s financial matters and we’d spare no expense at becoming the greatest country in the history of America. Also, we’d most likely search high and low for other countries’ most over-paid, underachievers — no matter their age.
10. Bud Selig, Tennis Line Judge. Can a tennis match end up in a tie? If players blatantly step on or over the line while serving, will he notice or look away?

I think March Madness is the best event in sports hands down.

I was born in Orlando, Florida. The Magic have been my team ever since I can remember.

I grew up drawing baseball stadiums on the living room floor while games played on TV. Even now I’ll sketch an original design every now and then.

I wonder why the organ is the soundtrack to baseball games.

There are two things in life I don’t understand. One is why DC residents still have taxation without full representation. The other is why college football still uses the BCS system to determine who plays for the title.

The two all-time greatest vocalists in popular music are Frank Sinatra and Sam Cooke.

I think if Facebook added an instant messanging system, AIM would be dead by the end of the week. Jobs would be lost. Lives changed.

I agree with the comedian who said the White House should be a homeless shelter.

I think the illegal immigation debate is 80% about racism.

I saw Shaq play his rookie year.

I shook Dwight Howard’s hand.

I think SEC football is the real deal.

My worst moment as a sports fan came my freshman year of college watching Drew Nicholas of the Maryland Terrapins nail a buzzer-beating three to eliminate my underdog UNC Wilmington Seahawks from the NCAA Tourney. I can still barely stand to watch the replay.

My best moment came three years later when I rushed the floor after our conference tournament.

I think in sports and relationships there will always be cheating.

I do not like the phrase “shoot me an e-mail.�

I am wary to vote straight down the ticket for candidates I know nothing about.

I can make you a mix cd full of bands you’ve never heard of better than anyone else you know.

I think the only time I can be ruthless is during a game of Monopoly.

My favorite ice cream is Ben and Jerry’s Cinnamon Buns.

I think gift cards are the perfect companion to a gift, but don’t suffice as a gift by themselves.

I think when a singer is making a political statement I can take them seriously if I’m bobbing my head or banging it, but not when I’m shaking my butt. This might change.

I think baseball has an excellent playoff schedule.

I’m not backing out yet on my prediction that Greg Oden will be a better pick than Kevin Durant.

I think Acie Law will turn out better than Mike Conley, Jr.

It’s hard to explain why, but Milwaukee is my favorite baseball team.

I’m objective when it comes to watching football. If I was forced to root for just one team I would go with the Carolina Panthers.

Pro cheerleader outfits are ridiculous now.

I’m good at Scrabble.

My favorite album is Illinois by Sufjan Stevens.

Overall, my mind is rite.

• Breaking down the baseball steroid testing and its lack of surprise. (NYTimes)
• Kobe gets booed early in the game… then cheers came as he had 45 points (18 in the 4th quarter) in a 93-95 loss to the Rockets. (LATimes)
• Grady Little “stepped down” as manager of the Dodgers yesterday. If you believe that one, I’ve got a story to tell about an old lady who lives in a shoe. Also, Joe Torre is reportedly set to accept a 5-year, $14.5 million contract to take over the job in L.A. (LATimes)
• Curt Shilling blogs about potential teams he’s considering in his free agency. (38pitches)
• Carmelo Anthony sets a 60-win goal for his healthy (for now) Denver Nuggets. (Yardbarker)
• The Spurs received their championship rings to start off the season and then proceeded to beat the Trailblazers, 106-97. (MySanAntonio.com)
• David Stern talked a little smack about how the Knicks handled the sexual harassment situation in an interview with ESPN. (NYTimes)
• Jacksonville is set to sign former Falcons DT Grady Jackson, pending a physical. (NFL.com)

This happened a few days ago but I feel the need to chime in briefly, considering we haven’t had a full follow-up to the Genarlow Wilson story since roundabout June. The racial implications of Wilson’s case cried foul and made many of us doubt the balance of justice in our country. Add in that the case involved two young people (under 18) committing a consensual sexual act.

This points out two things: (1) The country is in denial that younger people are getting sexually active earlier than ever before, and (2) Racial implications are as alive as ever… but this case proves that with a loud enough voice, some wrongs can be righted.

The Wilson story first caught my eye back when I was perusing through the sites of a few folks — Bomani Jones, Sports On My Mind and TheStartingFive — and took special note of the story of a kid who used to shut down Calvin Johnson (he formerly of Georgia Tech, currently with the Detroit Lions) headed to jail with a charge usually brought down on child predators. Wright Thompson has written an E-Ticket piece every step along the way for ESPN and surely this helped the national campaign to free Wilson. Here’s his latest E-ticket piece on Wilson’s new-found freedom.

I’m glad 4/7 of the Georgia Supreme Court got it right. This story got much more play because of Wilson’s run-ins on the field with Johnson and his football talent. Mind you, had he not been a football talent this wouldn’t have gotten the same mainstream media (MSM) play, namely from ESPN and the New York Times. So as much as we like to lash out at the media giants we have to give them some credit here when it is due. This isn’t to discredit or downplay the activities arranged by the Free Wilson campaign. But as we know the louder the voice, the larger the impact.

Few random resources:

• Wilson v. State of Georgia Wikipedia page
• Even Mark Cuban briefly blogged about the Wilson story and gave more links.

Yesterday was a day for both praise and shame for the city of Boston –

THE PRAISE: BOSTON WINS WORLD SERIES — AGAIN!

The Red Sox outscored Colorado 29-10 in a four-game sweep to complete their second World Series Championship sweep in four years. As the headline reads to the right, the Red Sox are “THE BEST!”

Apparently “Manny being Manny” has a positive affect on winning league championships. Funny how that works out.

Boston’s winning formula has set them up to be successful for years to come. In 2004, they won the World Series with veteran hitting and pitching; this time around, they added talented youth to their arsenal. So right now, just for argument’s sake, we will say it takes roundabout $140 million to buy big bats, solid pitching and a fruitful farm system. (Normally I’d argue to the point of the Rockies making it as far as they did with a $54 million payroll but… they didn’t seem to put up much of a fight to prove they deserved the chance)

Oh yeah — it helps to have a coach like Terry Francona, who now has an 8-0 record in World Series games.

So to BoSox fans, I say the obvious — The “Curse of the Bambino” is no more, so please forgive Bill Buckner, Grady Little, that pinstriped suit your grandpa used to wear on Sundays, your ex-wives and ex-husbands, that un-lucky rabbit’s foot, Scott Boras, Nomar Garciaparra, Satan, George “Dubyah” Bush, and anyone else you used to blame for holding you back.

As a Washingtonian, I can only hope the Lerner Group has been taking notes on the BoSox successes, and try to emulate that winning formula.

So, congratulations to the fans of the MLB champs but if you can improve on one thing — just this one thing and I’ll leave you be… till next spring — please, oh please, get rid of those newbie fans with the fresh green ball caps! I’ll be forever grateful and that should mean a lot to you and yours, of course.

THE SHAME: BILL BELICHICK IS MORE THAN A CHEAT — HE’S A CHUMP

Has someone so privileged ever been so ungrateful before, ever? When a player shows off “excessive celebration,” he is hit with a large fine by the league to humble players into thinking the league isn’t run by cocky, over-talented, under-appreciative players. How goes it for the over-talented, under-appreciative coaches?

What happens when a coach thinks he’s above the league rules and shows off by blatantly cheating after being warned? And then, after receiving a relatively light slap on the wrist for punishment, the coach acts as if a great injustice was done to him and vows to take it out on any and every one possible?

Apparently it turns you into a disrespectful, classless human being. Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s choice to go for two first-down conversions while holding a 30+ lead in a complete and utter blow-out was a despicable bully-move. And after the game he acted offended, asking, “What did you want us to do, kick a field-goal?”

Wow, what a chump. I guess if the game were played against his bitter rival, Eric Mangini, the outrage would be different. But in this case, Belichick took out his frustration and rage on a respectable, Hall of Fame coach in Joe Gibbs.

It is this conceitedness that makes for bad karma.

I don’t normally condone bad deeds as payback — because I don’t blame the players for executing the gameplan their coach called — but in this case the only way the dirtiest, most ungrateful coach in the NFL will learn is to lose something close to him… maybe a certain star player, perhaps. Only then would Belichick finally understand what it means to be humble.

Events like this in life have a way of finding their way back around to the bad-deed-doer. It’s Belichick’s karmic disadvantage. What goes around comes around.

I respect Skins coach Joe Gibbs for lying to the media, saying the Patriots coach die nothing out of the ordinary or disrespectful. But how many more classy, old school coaches are there in this league? With as many pride-filled professional, grown athletes in the NFL, someone is bound to snap. When a coach decides to rub a win in an opponent’s face they shouldn’t act too surprised when they start getting “unfairly� attacked during games.

Sure, fans, teammates, players and coaches realize the NFL players’ obligation to stop the other team. The same rule applies when an over-confident, ungrateful player or coach forgets how to show class and desperately needs a slice of humble pie.

• Brett Favre’s real age won’t be known until we cut him open and count the rings… but for now it doesn’t matter. His 82-yard bomb to Greg Jennings in the first play in overtime decided last night’s MNF game in Denver, 19-13.
• Buster Olney confirmed on Mike & Mike in the Morning that Joe Girardi will officially accept a 3-year, $6 million offer to coach the New York Yankees.
• Grady Little is still the official coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers but the team’s openly been flirting with Joe Girardi and now Joe Torre. My advice to Little: You don’t need Montel Jordan, Ricki Lake (old school!), Jerry Springer or Dr. Phil to tell you the obvious — “leave them, girrr… I mean, dude!”
• Tony Romo has agreed to a 6-year, 67.5 million ($31 mil guaranteed) contract extension with the Cowboys.
• The Tigers traded 2 prospects to Atlanta for Edgar Renteria
• The Redskins’ secondary took a hit this weekend beyond the 52-7 shellacking: Carlos Rogers is out for the season with a knee injury (ACL and MCL) | Wilbon discusses how “meekly” the Skins took their loss.
• Serious hate towards Scott Boras & Alex Rodriguez for their get-paid tactics
• The Kobe Advisory System is at an elevated, “I ain’t talking” level. Hide your superstars… or offer them up!

Welcome to the first annual MindRite Sports GM meeting. I interviewed everyone here at the site… So without further ado here we go…

NBA Champions

IG Houston over Boston
Tim Phoenix over Chicago
JM San Antonio over Boston

Tim: Chicago finally overcomes Detrioit now that they’ve all matured after a near-sweep last year. Young Joakim “I won’t comb my hair and you’ll like it” Noah will provide some off-the-bench hype they needed last year.
Phoenix keeps knocking on the door to the Finals but has yet to over come that Spurs hump. This year, fired up from feeling like last year everyone was out to get them (Horry, Bowen, Stern, refs, Bowen), they finally prove a potent-scoring O can make it to the dance and win; doing so by overcoming those pesky stinkin’ ‘07 Championship Spurs!

Most Valuable Player

IG Kevin Garnett
Tim Dwight Howard
JM Kobe Bryant

IG: 22pts & 13rebs in the West turns into 25 & 15 in the East. Add a top 5 finish in blocked shots, shooting over 50% from the field, and a 50 win season… Kevin Garnett wins his second MVP.

6th Man Award

IG Barbosa
Tim J.R. Smith
JM Marco Bellineli

JM: Let it rain baby!

Most Improved

IG LaMarcus Aldridge
Tim Kenyon Martin
JM Danny Granger

IG: All I’m saying is Aldridge averaged 19points and 11rebounds when Zach Randolph was out of the line-up last season.

Defensive Player of the Year

IG Tyson Chandler
Tim Ben Wallace
JM Emeka Okafor

JM: Emeka Okafor should be in the top three in blocks and rebounds. Hard to get to the basket with this guy around. All Star year.

Rookie of the Year

IG Kevin Durrant
Tim Corey Brewer
JM Mike Conley Jr.

Tim: With Ricky Davis gone, he’ll get even more burn in Minny. He can play the 2 or 3 and was the best of the Florida 2-time-champs. He can score and he plays D. Just Watch.

Coach of the Year

IG Doc Rivers
Tim Mike D’Antoni
JM Stan Van Gundy

Tim: I smell a Patriots win-streak coming…

Best Point Guard

IG Kidd
Tim Nash
JM Kidd

Tim: 2 MVP’s and consideration for the 3rd. His team almost reached the Finals last year and whether you hate him or not (I.G ..) when he kept trying to come back after his nose was bloodied last year against the Spurs, there’s no denying his desire to win. Chris Paul jumped quickly into the top-PG bunch but he’ll need to carry his team to something spectacular before updending Nash’s throne.

Best Shooting Guard

IG Kobe
Tim Kobe
JM Kobe

JM: This is his pinnacle year.

Best Small Forward

IG Lebron
Tim Lebron
JM T-Mac

JM: His experience will give him the edge over LeBron.

Best Power Forward

IG KG
Tim KG
JM Dirk

JM: Just because Kevin Garnett changes teams doesn’t mean Dirk got any worse. Only better.

Best Center

IG Duncan
Tim Howard
JM Duncan

IG: How can you deny the Big Fundamental?

Who Would I Start a Franchise With?

IG LeBron James
Tim Dwight Howard
JM Dwight Howard

IG: 27pts, 7rebs, and 6asts a game at 22… nuff said.

Toughest player in the league

IG Stephen Jackson
Tim Ron Artest
JM Jason Kidd

JM: He should not be playing at this level at his age with his history.

First Coach Fired

IG Isaiah Thomas
Tim Isaiah Thomas
JM Mo Cheeks

Tim: He’s on the hot seat from the sexual harassment case. People are calling for his head nationwide. Even though his team is much improved, when Al Sharpton is actively pursuing your termination, your days are seriously numbered.

1st Round Bust

IG Cleveland
Tim Boston
JM Pheonix

IG: Cleveland had a cake walk last year in the Playoffs…

Most Likely To…

IG: Welcome back to head coaching PJ Carlisemo. It seems like just yesterday Latrell Sprewell choked you out. I wonder how Kurt Thomas is going to deal with you constantly screaming at him while the losses continue to pile up… (I’m not saying, but I’m saying)

Tim: FINALLY figure out he’s just the unluckiest/lucky man in the world…….

Grant Hill — He played great last year, but another injury will arise and he’ll fiiiinaaalllly call it quits. Phoenix runs all the time and his legs have to hold up… chances and history are against him. Still, he’ll get paid to go home and “love” Tamia. Nothing wrong with that. Oh yeah, and raise his kids. They just had their 2nd in August.

JM: Most likely to be labeled the greatest dunker of all time if he can stay on a roster and get into the dunk contest: James White. Putting it between his legs from the free throw line is just one of his moves. Go to Youtube. No one can bring the dunk contest back to its glory like this guy.

• The Red Sox win their second World Series in four years. Can’t say we didn’t see it coming. But are the Sox the new evil empire?
• A-Rod says fudge the Yankee! Chicago getcha popcorn ready…
• The New York Giants might call their sloppy victory over the Miami Dolphins in London a success, but would the NFL?
• The Washington Redskins failed to show up yesterday against the New England Patriots. But did the Patriots go too far? Gibbs said he was fine with it, but I didn’t see him shake Bilichick’s hand after the game. More on this game tomorrow.
• The New York Times does a nice, lovey-dovey piece on Steve Nash.
• BCS Standings

• The Boston Red Sox continue to roll earning a 2-0 lead over the Colorado Rockies in the World Series last night. So we ask, was last night Curt Schilling’s last start as a Red Sox? Will Coors Stadium be filled with the Red Sox Nation for Game 3?
• So a a #2 team in the BCS can win a football game. Boston College stuns the Virginia Tech Hockies with a come from behind 14-10 victory. Quarterback Matt Ryan keeps the Eagles undefeated season alive making a strong case for the Heisman.
• Charlie Weiss is the worst coach in the universe!
• Pat Riley trades one malcontent for another. The Miami Heat send Antione Walker a.k.a. employee number 8 too much, Michael Doleac, and Wayne Simien, and a conditional first round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Ricky Davis and Mark Blount. I hate to say this, but Ricky Davis might be exactly what Miami needs. Even though Davis is not the shooter the Heat need to spread the floor and he must have the ball in his hands (taking it out of Wade and O’Neals) to be productive, he is still an upgrade from the Big Shimmy.
• The Washington Redskins upset the New England Patriots ending Billicheat’s dream of an undefeated season!     oops… that’s for Monday’s Munchies…

• If only there were a baseball slaughter rule, this one would’ve been done in the 7th. The Red Sox destroy the Rockies, 13-1 in Game 1 of the World Series. Beckett could not be touched and if I were from Colorado I’d send an anonymous tip that Dustin Pedroia is juicin! Test him now!
• Carmelo Anthony joins the world of blogging.
• As the chaos continues in college football, rooting for OSU and BC to lose this weekend may be the jolt needed to blow up the BCS system.
• Are Redskins owner Dan Snyder and Hollywood crazy man Tom Cruise broken up?
• Old ass jerseys! Who doesn’t love to point those out?