A playoff beard is a superstitious practice of male athletes not shaving their beards during the playoffs. The playoff beard was introduced by ice hockey players who participated in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and is now a tradition in many sports leagues. Many professional sports team fans also grew playoff beards. Players stop shaving when their teams enter the playoffs and do not shave until the team is eliminated or win the Stanley Cup. Tradition began in 1980 by New Yorkers; and according to Islander Mike Bossy, possibly started by team-mate Butch Goring. This tradition is also practiced by almost all North American hockey leagues, including high school leagues and NCAA hockey teams, as well as minor league affiliates. According to some observers, one can prune his beard after a loss in an attempt to change the team's fortune; Jim Dowd and Roberto Luongo are such practitioners.
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Video Playoff beard
History
It is not known whether the origin of the practice is purely superstitious. Hall of Famer Denis Potvin said that the islanders of the 1980s would "play four games in five nights in the first half and that is something that sort of happened." The 1980 Islanders included two Swedish players (Stefan Persson and Anders Kallur), so it may be that the habit of tennis champion BjÃÆ'¶rn Borg to not shave his beard during Wimbledon, which he had done for several years at the time, was an influence at the start of practice in hockey. Some players say that beards are a reminder of team unity and a way to get players to think about the playoffs from the moment they look into the mirror in the morning. The Red Wings 2009 uses the slogan "The Bearded Back" for the final series of their 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. They played the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Final Stanley Cup that year (won by Pittsburgh) where most of the players from both teams (and Penguins owner, Mario Lemieux) grew beard.
In 2009, the Beard-a-thon campaign was launched to encourage fans to grow their own playoff gambling for charity. In the first four years, more than 22,000 NHL fans participated in "Beard-a-thon" and raised over two million dollars for charity.
In June 2015, Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Sports (who is the US rights holder of the league), told the Chicago Tribune that he has been lobbying the NHL to prevent the practice, arguing that it hinders the ability for viewers to recognize players.
Maps Playoff beard
Other sports
The playoff beard has grown into Major League Baseball (MLB), the Canadian Football League (CFL), the National Football League (NFL) and, to a lesser extent, the National Basketball Association (NBA). This practice generally resembles ice hockey, where players do not shave until they win the championship or are eliminated.
American soccer
National Football League (NFL) players who have grown playoff bears include Seattle Seahawks quarterback (QB) Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger and defensive end (DE) Brett Keisel, New England Patriots wide receiver (WR) Julian Edelman and former Denver Broncos QB Jake Plummer. In fact, after Roethlisberger and his beard led the Steelers to a Super Bowl XL victory, he was shaved by David Letterman during a Late Show appearance with David Letterman.Baseball
- The Boston Red Sox features many players who grew their beards during the team's 2013 season. "The growing beard movement begins in spring training with Mike Napoli and Jonny Gomes, and as the Red Sox continues to win - despite all the conflicting predictions - most teams go up into the beard." At the start of the World Series against Cardinal St. Louis, just a jug of Koji Uehara without facial hair. However, in the past, he had a beard. Fans all join the team in solidarity as luck to win the World Series 2013. On October 23, 2013, the Business Insider posts photos of Red Sox players with and without their lucky charms. Superstitious superstitions for teams come during the season and post-season: when a player scores very important, at the end of the game, a tug will be given to the beard of this player.
Basket
- The Cleveland Cavaliers Zydrunas Ilgauskas center wore a playoff beard in 2006, but did not bring it back for the 2007 playoffs, citing the couple's rejection.
- In the beards variant of the playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks stopped shaving during the 2012-13 regular season until the team reached a 0,500 winnings percentage (reached mid-April).
Soccer
- In 1993, veteran Sheffield United striker Alan Cork, unshaven during a four-month club FA Cup match, where they finally reached the semi-finals. In Major League Soccer (MLS), players on the Houston Dynamo list kept "lucky beards" during the 2006 and 2007 Playoff Cups. They renewed traditions during the MLS Cup 2011 run.
- LA Galaxy grew the playoff beard during a run to the 2005 MLS Cup and again during the 2010 MLS Cup of Playoffs.
Tennis
- Beginning in the late 1970s, five-time Wimbledon BjÃÆ'¶rn Borg champion was used to let his beard grow before certain tournaments. Referring to the habit, Sports Illustrated published an article about Borg shortly before the 1981 Wimbledon tournament titled, "Beard has started."
Motorsport
- An October 2014 skit shows the personnel of Team Penske growing "Chase beard", including female staff.
fan beard
Fans often cultivate beards as a sign of support while their favorite teams are in the playoffs.
- In 2006, the NPR Weekend America show featured segments of St Louis Cardinals fans who grew their beards during the playoffs. Some Cardinals players grow beards as well.
Outside of sports
- Male students at several universities in the United States, Canada, Sweden and New Zealand also started sporting academic variations on the playoff beard - not shaving between the periods when the regular classes ended and their final exams./li>
- in 1960, partly to keep away from team mates who did not contribute to Aad van Wijngaarden (known for taking credit for other people's work), scientists Edsger W. Dijkstra and Jaap Zonneveld agreed not to shave until they completed Electrologica ALGOL 60 compiler.
Other playoff hair
- During the playoffs of 2010, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks chose to dress his hair into a "playoff mullet" in addition to growing a playoff beard. He did it because of his struggle to grow a beard the year before. He has continued this throughout his career including the Chicago Blackhawks' 2013 and 2015 Championships
- In the 2008 NHL Playoffs some Calgary Fire, including Craig Conroy, David Moss, Dustin Boyd and Jarome Iginla, got a "faux-hawk" haircut.
References
External links
- Photo gallery of NHL playoff beards at SI.com
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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