It really is an age-old question, along the lines of “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” (My bet is the chicken… How else would an egg get laid?) “Trick or treat” is a phrase pondered by millions of costumed children, creepy adults answering the doorbell in full witch or Frankenstein-monster regalia and one confused sports columnist.

Never a huge fan of the dentist’s wet dream that is Halloween, I usually throw together a costume either completely unoriginal or not very planning-intensive — reports are still inconclusive as to whether the “Consecutive Years Trick-or-Treating as an Unusually Short and Pale-skinned Ray Allen” record is under my name or not.

Still, despite my ambivalence, I dutifully hit the streets, collecting a plunder of Milky Way Fun Size bars, Reese’s Pieces and popcorn balls, adding my voice to the seemingly answer-less debate: Trick or treat?

Now, partially collegiate educated and as removed from the annual debate as I will likely ever be, I’ve come to the realization there is no answer to some questions. That said, let’s take a look at what the sports fan in all of us gets when we go trick-or-treating this year.

Trick: Alex Rodriguez’ opting out of his contract

I understand and appreciate the whole free-market thing and the fact that any man (or woman) should make every effort to make a living and make as much money as he (or she) wants. Heck, that “get ahead” mentality is what makes our country great.

What I can’t understand is how anyone should make $30 million a season doing anything.

Sure, Rodriguez is one of the best players ever to lace up a pair of baseball cleats and button up a uniform, but no way should he make the more than the gross national product of some African countries. He is a baseball player, after all.

The trick here is that Boras and Rodriguez will somehow dupe a big market team into dumping a boatload of money on A-Rod and cleaning up on a contract that will be both a) Way too long and b) Probably end up leaving the team in a situation where four years from now they are locked in to his monster deal and don’t have the resources to go after the players they need to win a championship and make the investment truly worth it.

There’s really only one good scenario that could come out of the whole situation. If, by some unbelievable stroke of common sense, A-Rod’s nine-figure demands go unmet, it would send the message to players that the days of writing their own contracts and dollar demands are over.

That would require the seven or so teams with the legitimate means to offer Rodriguez a contract to all think clearly and rationally, which, honestly, isn’t likely to happen.

Treat (of the razor-in-apple variety): Sunday’s Patriots-Colts game

By itself, this game — much like a succulent apple — is wrought with juicy storylines. Two undefeated rivals playing at the highest level any NFL teams have played at in recent times squaring off midway through the season. Brady the winner versus Manning the statistician. Belichick the “cheater” versus Dungy the God-fearing moral stone.

The only thing is that everyone knows it and will continue to be force-fed it for the rest of this week.

If there is a statistic or angle to dissect, you can bet the sporting media will do so twice.

Come Sunday, if the game isn’t an overtime classic that ends in Tom Brady intercepting Peyton Manning and running it back for a 90-yard touchdown as time expires, it could end up a disappointment.

Trick: The BCS

Despite all its flaws and the annual September/early-October call for it to be abolished, the BCS always seems to find a way to work itself out. Save for the split national title between LSU and USC in 2003, every year it seems like the two best teams in the country end up getting paired in the title game.

This year is shaping up to be no different. With a couple well-placed losses in the last few weeks of the season, the BCS could again wind up with two undefeated teams from power conferences battling it out on a January evening for the national championship.

Like any good trick, no one knows exactly how it works, but it still does.

Treat: College basketball season

It might seem hard to believe, but college basketball season is just about here.

The five-month journey of nightly games, upsets, Saturdays with games on from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on multiple channels and some of the most inspiring and heart-felt play in any sport begins this weekend with the first round of exhibition games.

So when those cute pumpkins and goblins come knocking on your door tonight, save the candy and tell them of the treats found in the sports world.

You’re probably too poor to splurge on the sweets, and there are much better treats to be found in the world of sports.

Ben is a junior majoring in journalism and political science. If you saw the Mighty Ducks out this past weekend, that was him triple-dekingdecking as Charlie Conway. Share your Halloween thoughts at [email protected], and don’t forget to let your parents check your candy before eating it.