Final Four Friday: Halloween Costumes for the Minnesota Game

Michigan State will be the first Halloween visitor at Minnesota's new TCF Bank Stadium, and if you're going to go you might want to dress the part. But what Halloween costume to wear? That's where we come in, and that's this week's Final Four Friday.

Eric Decker - Minnesota is generally an hospitable destination for visitors, but this outfit might be pushing your luck. The Golden Gophers' best player, wide receiver Eric Decker, is out of the game with a foot injury. Make the costume with a pair of crutches, and exaggerated plaster cast on your left foot. Problem is, you'd have to wear Gophers colors to pull off the outfit, and it is a bit subtle unless you've got a Decker jersey, and that makes it a very expensive costume indeed.

King Leonidas - It's a typical one for Spartan fans since the movie 300 came out, but King Leonidas is always a popular getup. Roman sandals, a Spartan-style helmet, short shorts, leg and arm shields are mandatory for this one. Most costumes come with a red cape, you'll want a dark green one instead. Be careful because some folks consider a shield a weapon - and every stadium security guard will take issue with a spear.

Mark Dantonio - This is probably the easiest costume on the list. Start with a green MSU sports polo or hoodie and khaki pants. Complete the ensemble by finding an old set of aviator headphones with a mouthpiece (check your local thrift or pawn shop) and removing one of the earpieces.

You'll want to make sure to have a constant scowl on your face, or people won't quite get it. For extra oomph, find a gaudy ring to double as his 2002 Ohio State national championship ring.

Lou Anna Simon - This is one of the best ladies costumes, and very very easy to do. The key is to find a green suit, and again I'd check the thrift stores for that. Put a black turteneck under it and a simple piece of chain jewelery, preferably with an MSU charm on it. Glasses are optional.

The nice thing about the Simon costume is that it's a ladies costume that doesn't have the word "sexy" in front of it. Typically, good costumes are either sexy or funny/creative, with the trend for women going toward sexy at all costs. There's nothing wrong with that, per se, but it's nice to have alternatives like this one. However, if you decide to make a sexy President Simon costume, be that on your own conscience.

And the winner is... King Leonidas.

Anyone willing to stand in Minnesota weather in late October wearing little but a Speedo in the name of MSU should get a medal - and a psychological evaluation.