Welcome to this week’s Six Pack! Each week, I’ll share a mix of thoughts (some sports-related, some not) and I’d love for you to jump in with your reactions, ideas, or recommendations in the comments. Here’s what’s on my mind this week.
1. Still Sweet On Halloween
Despite getting scared easily and hating horror movies and gore of any kind, I have always loved Halloween. I’m sure being allowed to eat way more candy than usual had something to do with that, but I also loved carving pumpkins, wearing costumes, and just the whole energy around that night.
Even as an adult, I still love Halloween, just for slightly different reasons. One of the biggest themes, of course, is still the candy. These days I really enjoy being the one handing it out and seeing all the kids, especially the little ones, get so excited when you drop a Snickers, Reese’s, or Milky Way into their bag. And a few years ago, we started handing out the full-size bars, so our house has definitely become one of the popular stops on the block.
I do hope that everyone these days is sticking to candy. As a kid, the worst thing ever was opening your bag and finding fruit, trail mix, or a random nickel. I assume houses have moved on from that, but if not, please stick to the basics people.
Unless, of course, you’re handing out stuff for the adults too. A few years back, I was walking Cooper around and there was a guy sitting on his porch with candy on one side for the kids and a cooler of cold beers for the parents. Um… thank you very much, sir, don’t mind if I do.
I’ve also noticed over the last ten or fifteen years that a lot of neighborhoods have adopted a tradition where families gather in one driveway with a fire pit and hand out candy together. It’s a great time, and we’ve done it too, but I just don’t remember that ever being a thing when I was little. Maybe I’m wrong and it’s been around longer than I think. Chime in if this happened in the 70s or 80s!
And finally, a confession: I love costume parties. I have friends who complain about them and some who refuse to even go if they have to dress up. My wife thankfully loves them too, so every year we talk through ideas and she goes all in with coordinating the outfits. This year we were particularly excited because our club had an eighties-themed party planned, and there are so many great options for that, but unfortunately it got canceled due to low registrations.
Speaking of costumes, three of my all-time favorites are in this week’s cover photo. The first goes back to the late 90s with my best friend and his girlfriend (now wife) when we went as the Blair Witch Project trio the year that movie was big. The other two were with Jamie, one about six years ago and one just last year. Both meant I got to have hair again, if only for a night, so they definitely make the top of my list.
What about you, Sandman Nation? What are some of your favorite things or memories about Halloween?
2. Ranking The Eight Open Power 4 Head Coaching Jobs
We are two thirds of the way through the college season, and the pink slips have already started to fly. Counting Sunday’s breaking news from Baton Rouge, there are currently eight open Power 4 head coaching jobs. Here is my quick ranking of the attractiveness of each open position and why.
1) LSU
The gold standard of this year’s carousel. The three head coaches before Kelly all won national titles here. A one-school state with elite in-state talent and easy reach into Texas. Top-tier NIL backing, loaded facilities, and a fanbase that lives for Saturday nights in Death Valley. The AD is aggressive, the money is real, and the path to championships is proven. This is the job everyone should want in this cycle.
2) Penn State
Big Ten power with elite resources, strong NIL support, and a national brand. The fanbase is massive, the facilities are modern, and the AD is all in on football success. The challenge is geography and pressure, because you are expected to win big every single year in a place where recruiting winters are long.
3) Florida
This could easily be written as 2B; Blue blood market in a talent rich state with top tier facilities and a growing NIL pool. The Gators sit in a recruiting paradise but face weekly wars in the SEC. Win here and you can win a national title, but the leash is short and patience is not a Gainesville strength.
4) Arkansas
SEC membership gives it instant credibility and access, and the NIL structure is quietly one of the better ones in the league. The fanbase is loyal and the AD stable, but it is not a natural recruiting hotbed and every win is earned. Developing three stars will be the difference here. This is a program built on toughness, not glitz, which makes finding the right fit more important than the biggest name.
5) UCLA
The location and talent pool in Southern California are unmatched, and being in the Big Ten is a huge draw. The problem is engagement, as fans are lukewarm and NIL money trails far behind rivals. You are also constantly living in the shadow of the bigger and flashier USC brand. Get the right coach and I think you can win here, but it takes real energy and patience to make LA care again.
6) Oklahoma State
The Cowboys have the right conference path and the right proximity to Texas recruiting. The fanbase is steady and the facilities are quietly solid, but NIL strength has dipped since the T. Boone Pickens glory years. With stronger NIL backing and a real push from leadership, Oklahoma State could easily become a dark horse top 15 job in a Big 12 that is wide open.
7) Virginia Tech
The Hokies still have tradition, Lane Stadium is still very cool, and the ACC is winnable with the right coach. But the NIL game is behind and the football budget trails the top half of the league. It can be rebuilt, especially in a weaker ACC, but this is no longer the easy destination it once was.
8) Stanford
A unique job where the academic bar shapes everything. The facilities are fine and leadership is bright, but recruiting is a constant uphill climb and NIL freedom is limited by policy. Success here takes creativity and patience, and very few coaches will have both.
3. An October Movie Gem
One of my favorite and more underrated movies is The Crow, which feels fitting to talk about this time of year since it is set the night before Halloween, known as “Devil’s Night,” in Detroit back in the 90s. I lived just outside of Detroit for a few years as a kid, and “Devil’s Night” was a real thing. You definitely did not want to go downtown or anywhere sketchy that night. Fires, vandalism, sirens, and plenty of chaos. By all accounts, it has been cleaned up drastically since, but back then it was a strange, almost eerie night even for a suburban kid, and the movie captured that dark vibe perfectly.
Brandon Lee was outstanding in the film, playing a musician who returns from the dead to avenge his own murder and his fiancée’s. It is dark, tragic, and incredibly captivating. Knowing that Lee actually died while filming it in a freak prop gun accident makes watching the movie feel even more haunting.
If you have not seen it and want a good flick to watch around Halloween, I would highly recommend it. It has a unique look, an intriguing story, and a gritty edge that might stick with you even after the credits roll.
4. David, Goliath, and A Baseball Unicorn
I’ve watched a few innings of each of the first two games of this year’s World Series, but with my Reds out of it, I’m certainly not tied to every pitch.
But when I do watch, I’ll be pulling for the Blue Jays. They knocked out the Mariners in the ALCS and are back in the Fall Classic for the first time since 1993. They’re Canadian, they’re underdogs, and I’m guessing everyone outside of Los Angeles is rooting for them.
The Dodgers are definitely the Goliath in this matchup. This is their fifth World Series appearance since 2017 and their 22nd overall. Toronto, on the other hand, is in just its third ever. But it’s worth noting that every time the Blue Jays have made it this far, they’ve won it all (2-0 overall).
But I feel like the biggest story, not just of this World Series but of this entire era of baseball, is Shohei Ohtani and what he’s doing to reshape how we think about the game. Baseball has been played for 156 years, with legends like Ruth, Robinson, and Williams to Schmidt, Bonds, Trout, and plenty more. And yet I’m not sure we’ve ever seen anyone quite like this guy.
He’s already a five-time All-Star, a three-time MVP, and the reigning World Series champ trying to go back-to-back. His career numbers are crazy good: a 39-20 record on the mound with a 3.00 ERA and 670 strikeouts, while also hitting .282 with more than a thousand career hits, 280 home runs, 669 RBI, and 165 stolen bases. And that’s just in eight MLB seasons. That doesn’t even include his phenomenal run in Japan. He’s only 31, so there’s a lot more to come.
I just hope we all realize what we’re watching, as this unique greatness is happening right now, in our lifetime. I’ll still be rooting for the Blue Jays this week, but I’ll be tipping my cap to Ohtani for everything he’s doing for today’s modern game. Well done, sir, and thank you.
5. A Football PowerHouse In Fargo
I’ve written a lot here and talked plenty on our podcast about the impressive stuff going on at Indiana and Vanderbilt, and a few months ago I even gave some love to Ohio State for being the most consistent football power of the past 50 years. But I feel like I’m always talking about FBS or NFL teams, and today I want to give a little love to an FCS powerhouse that I think most sports fans have heard of, but maybe don’t fully realize how dominant they’ve been. I’m talking about the North Dakota State Bison.
They’ve won 18 national titles in their history across smaller divisions, but 10 of those have come since 2011 in FCS. Listen to these numbers. Since 1964, the Bison have had only three losing seasons and an overall record of 588-145-4 (.801) through that 58-year span, one of the best in all of college football. Since 2011, they’ve won 90% of their games. And of all teams established after 1894, only Oklahoma has a higher all-time winning percentage than NDSU.
You want to talk about consistency? It does not get much better than what they put on the field every single year in Fargo. And guess what, this year they are 7-0 and ranked #1 in the FCS poll with all 25 first-place votes. So it is very possible they will add even more hardware to that already crowded trophy case.
In a world where we constantly heap praise on Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio State, rightfully so, I just wanted to shine a light on a smaller program that keeps doing it year after year, and that is pretty cool. Congrats to the Bison and keep it rolling!
6. Rainy Days & Monopoly
Last Sunday was a gray, dreary day in Cincinnati where all I wanted to do was sink into the couch, grab a blanket, and watch football all afternoon. But then our 12-year-old son Cooper emerged from his video game cave, also known as his bedroom, and asked if we wanted to play a board game. Specifically, Monopoly.
I’m not gonna lie, for a few seconds my only thought was, “Nah, I’d rather just watch football.” But he sounded so sincere and hopeful, and I know these moments where he actually wants to hang out with us won’t last forever. So Jamie and I both said yes, and I’m so happy we did.
The game took almost three hours, but it was a perfect afternoon. Lots of laughing, plenty of re-reading the rules, and a big reminder of how much fun it still is to sit around and play board games together as a family. Once Jamie was knocked out, it turned into a back-and-forth battle between me and Coop until we eventually called it a draw because it might have lasted all night.
We technically played Miamiopoly, one of the customized college versions, which is fitting since me, Jamie, Mac, and Brady all went there (and Cooper probably will too). We also have a Biermanopoly we made years ago for the kids one Christmas, and that one’s still a favorite because it’s so personal. But honestly, I’m craving an old-school, vintage Monopoly board. My parents had one from the 50s with all the original tokens, and I would love to play that version again. I asked my mom about it this week, and she said she sold it at a garage sale a few years ago. Grandma June, how could you!?!?!
Either way, it was such a simple, fun day and I’m very grateful for it. Family time, an iconic board game, and a rainy Sunday we’ll all remember. Maybe next time it’ll be another classic, and I’ll get to yell out “Yahtzee!”
Thanks for checking out this week’s Six Pack, Sandman Nation! I’d love to hear your thoughts: what resonated with you, what you disagree with, or your own takes on these topics. Drop your comments and let’s keep the conversation going.
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