Trick or treat. Smell my feet. Gimme something good to…read.

In the spirit of Halloween, SB Nation – an immensely popular website pertaining to sports news and statistics – took it upon itself to treat its readers to 10 exclusive sports horror stories. Each story is a work of fiction, written by members of the site’s staff. The stories are filled with frights, gore, bone-chilling consequences, and other typical themes associated with the spooky season. They were published in October 2018.

SB Nation provides coverage for a multitude of sports. In similar fashion, a variety of sports were also incorporated into the plots of the site’s 10 thrillers. Baseball. Basketball. Football. Hockey. Mountain biking. Soccer. Take your pick.

Now that the season of spooks is upon us once more, I have decided to put the spotlight on six of SB Nation’s sports-related thrillers. These six stories are the ones I deem to be the best of the bunch; the ones most deserving to read. Am I right about my selections? I think so.

Personally, I wouldn’t even bother with the other four; take my word for it. Once upon a time, I gave them all a chance. However, after reading all 10, I feel there are half a dozen that separate themselves from the rest. They are exceptional. I am doing you a favor by telling you which ones you should read. Thank me later.

Essentially, the following should be perceived as a top-five list, with the sixth story inserted in there as an honorable-mention. That’s the way I decided to go about displaying these handpicked horror stories. So yes, I did, in fact, attempt to arrange them in a particular order, with No. 1 being the absolute best, in my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed all six, though. I think you’ll also enjoy them.

Photo Credit: tiger_in_houston | Flickr

Ever gone camping and sat around a campfire at nighttime? Ever been told scary tales while sitting around that campfire? Did those tales include blood-curdling screams or nightmarish fiends? How about wicked spells or evil deeds? Haunted abandoned structures or unsolved disappearances? Things that go bump in the night?

Remember how those tales made you feel? Anxious to put the campfire out. Frightened. Yearning daylight. Struggling with all your might to resist the unpleasant thought creeping into your brain: the thought that some parts of the story may be based on actual truth. Horrifying, right?

Photo Credit: Stephanie Watson | Flickr

Well, now’s your chance to indulge in the spooktacular from the comfort of home. So, sip on some hot chocolate, curl up, and scroll through a few of the most disturbing works of fiction the Internet has to offer. You can even sit by a fireplace, if you have one.

No. 6 is a cold one, LITERALLY! No. 5 is a fast-paced killer, LITERALLY! No. 4 gives me the creeps every time. No. 3 is terrifyingly excellent. No. 2 is terrifyingly excellent. No. 1 is a grisly gem.

You don’t even have to care much about sports to appreciate this list. That’s one of the best parts about it. These stories are dauntingly good – period.

#6 The Victory Lap *Honorable Mention*

Plot Summary: A Game 7 playoff-series loss cost the Rebels their season; being a sore loser about the whole thing costs one player his life.

Story Link: Click here.

#5 The Great Blaireau

Plot Summary: Cristophe Blaireau is a beloved star athlete. Why? Because he’s a freakin’ world-renowned mountain-biking champion, that’s why. They don’t call him “The Great One” for nothing. On the flip side, Blaireau has, indeed, begun showing signs of slowing down and fading out of his prime. Still, even at this stage of his career, challenging him to a race is a BIG mistake! Racers, beware!

Story Link: Click here.

#4 The Call of Phthulhu

Plot Summary: A severed finger. A possible crime. A police investigation. A furry green suspect. This twisted tale puts a diabolical spin on a beloved Major League Baseball mascot. Sooooo creepy!

Story Link: Click here.

#3 The Reapers’ Playbook

Plot Summary: After a half decade of losing seasons (with each subsequent season being worse than the previous one), the head coach of a struggling football team is in dire need of a win. Just one win…and everything would begin to turn around for the better. In desperation, the coach resorts to using a sketchy, old playbook that plagues his team with deadly consequences. Sure, the wins DO start to pile up finally…but at what cost?

Story Link: Click here.

#2 Let’s Play Catch

Plot Summary: Looking to make a quick buck? Up for a game of catch? Derek thinks he is, until things take a turn for the worse. I mean, honestly, who in their right mind goes online and accepts sketch invitations like that anyway? My man should have seen it coming.

Story Link: Click here.

#1 The Biggest Fan

Plot Summary: Question. Would you ever let anyone or anything come between you and a significant other? Especially if the love is real? For those of you who said “hell no,” you might seriously reconsider after reading this thriller. That’s all I’m gonna say about it.

Story Link: Click here.

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