CENTER FIELD :: An Examination of the Playoff Beard

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An Examination of the Playoff Beard

The noble playoff beard- bringer of luck, annoyer of wives, confounder of barbers. Originated by the rough men of the NHL, its reach has spread across all arenas of sport- to the NFL, the NBA and, yes, MLB. The tenants are simple: stop shaving the moment the playoffs begin, and don't shave again until your run in the playoffs are over. But not all playoff beards are created equal- they're like (hairy) snowflakes, every one is different. Let's take a look at some Sox specimens.

The Classic
Full and thick- this type has the distinct possibility of reaching mountain man levels by November.

The Fuzz
Specialty of the younger gentleman, this type sometimes doesn't cover the entire beard region.

The Canadian Special
Since the hockey boys invented it, it's only fitting that a Canadian has a special twist on the concept.

The Topiary
Even those who already have interesting facial hair choices can extend or modify their arrangements to commemorate the playoffs.

The Negative
Addition by subtraction- this type of playoff beard isn't a beard so much as it is shaving away what used to be there.

The Deceptor
Don't be fooled, this isn't really a playoff beard at all- but just someone who hasn't had time to shave.

Comments (9)

[ Soxx Girl ] says:
on October 10, 2007 10:11 AM

Still a fan of The Classic. However, Josh's Negative is looking mighty fine too.

[ Chris ] says:
on October 10, 2007 1:04 PM

Varitek's beard looks the stearnest to me. I guess it's the sign of a true captain.

[ Texas Gal ] says:
on October 10, 2007 1:20 PM

I think Dustin aimed for the Varitek look, but just couldn't quite get there.

[ Evan ] says:
on October 10, 2007 2:58 PM

Very nice. I documented my playoff beard each day last year for the St. Louis Cardinals. This year, since they didn't make the playoffs, I shifted my facial hair focus to stopping the hated Cubs from winning. I'm 2 for 2!

[ Liza ] says:
on October 10, 2007 3:34 PM

Personally, I think Josh looked better before the Negative. The Fuzz suits li'l Dusty P just fine, though.

[ Liza ] says:
on October 10, 2007 8:46 PM

Oh, and someone's lookin' good with a bit of scruffy fuzz. Or, at least, lookin' older than 16.

[ sittingstill ] says:
on October 11, 2007 2:00 PM

I was about twenty feet away with the giant lens when I took that picture of young Mr. Buchholz.--you can pretty much count individual hairs in the full-size version. I did wonder how long it would take him to get legitimately scruffy.

[ Texas Gal ] says:
on October 11, 2007 2:33 PM

Excellent photo, ss. I'm guessing it takes Clay a good week or two just to work up a peach fuzz, much less a full-on scruff.

And Evan- that is a noble quest indeed. It's too bad you are a Cardinals fan, and therefore I am obligated to dislike you.

[ Liza ] says:
on October 11, 2007 3:42 PM

Awww. He's so adorable, just like a kid. And by the way, SS, all of your photos are great! (/random)

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