Dressing up for a sporty Halloween
Mascot to personality costume tips
The hottest sports costume for this Halloween salutes a rookie performer who wasn’t on anyone’s radar before the NHL preseason was launched last month.
A 7-foot, goofy-looking, orange furry Flyers mascot named Gritty was introduced Sept. 24 and quickly became the No. 1 sports figure in Philadelphia.
Since falling on his rump on the ice during his NHL debut, he has risen to cult hero. And not just solely in Philadelphia.
Several national outlets, including “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” have featured Gritty.
But nothing speaks to his popularity more than multiple stories and videos online detailing how to make a Gritty Halloween costume.
Gritty tops our list of top 12 possible sports-themed costumes.
Serena Williams: Black spandex catsuit, hair in bun, Nike headband: French Open officials can’t prevent you from wearing one of the most memorable outfits in tennis history. If spandex isn’t your thing, you can still rock Halloween with Serena’s black tutu outfit from the U.S. Open.
Jim Harbaugh: Michigan cap, 1950sstyle glasses and khaki pants: The glasses are key to the costume because Harbaugh says his spectacles are an ode to Woody Hayes, Malcolm X and Michael Douglas from the movie “Falling Down.” The glasses make the costume. If you are partial to Ohio State, you can swap out the Michigan cap for a Buckeyes hat and don a red Ohio State, plus gray slacks, and instantly become Hayes for Halloween. Tiger Woods: Black slacks, TW cap and red Nike golf shirt: Halloween is on Wednesday this year but wear Tiger’s Sunday red because this costume is a winner. It’s classic. It’s topical. He’s baaack. Simone Biles: Red, white and blue leotard, four Olympic gold medals, something with a Nike swoosh logo: This is a timely costume, considering Biles left the hospital and overcame kidney stones to dominate qualifying at the gymnastics world championships last weekend. Biles has also emerged as one of the sport’s most influential voices. When she tweets, people listen.
Peyton Manning: Black buttondown shirt. Black notebook. Tan pants. Don’t go cliché with a Manning Colts or Broncos jersey. Be Manning the comedic actor. You need to persuade a friend to go as Brad Paisley. Don’t say anything all night except to sing the “Nationwide is on your side” jingle and utter, “We are a band. I’m in a band.”
Bill Belichick: Patriots hooded sweatshirt, with sleeves cut off, clipboard: You have to wear the hood up to be authentic with this costume. You must also scowl all night. No smiles. None. James Harden: Classic beard, Rockets jersey: In a sports landscape where beards have become blasé, Harden’s beard stands out. It’s his trademark. He is a great player. He has a great beard. Don’t don this costume unless you are willing to do the beard right. This isn’t an unkempt beard. This beard makes a statement. Fear the beard.
Ed Hochuli: Striped referee shirt, white NFL hat, whistle: The key to pulling off a tribute to an iconic retired NFL referee is to have cannon-sized biceps. What we remember about Ed’s time in the game was his muscles bulging out of his shirt as he signaled a first down. If you don’t have the pipes to impersonate Hochuli, look at stealing some fake muscles from an old Popeye costume.
Alex Morgan: No. 13 Team USA soccer jersey, high ponytail, thin pink headband: This is an easy costume to put together because there are approximately 1 billion different Morgan jerseys available online. She is amazingly popular. But to complete this costume, you need to wear it with the right attitude. Morgan is fearless and relentless. She is
a risk-taker. You don’t amass 3.62 million Twitter followers by playing it safe. Bring a swagger when you wear Morgan’s jersey.
Michael Phelps: Blue swim cap, goggles, headphones, 23 gold medals: If you dare, go with the Speedo. If you don’t, the Phelps swim warm-up is your ticket. If you are looking to be authentic with the playlist on the headphones, The New York Times once reported his pre-race playlist includes tunes from Eminem, Young Jeezy and Eric Church.
Jimmie Johnson: Ally Financial hat, No. 48, well-groomed beard: Don’t embarrass yourself by portraying Johnson in Lowe’s gear. Show your up-to-date knowledge of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Johnson by showing up in Ally Financial gear. With Lowe’s leaving as Johnson’s sponsor after 18 years, it was announced Sunday that Ally Financial has taken over that role.