NBC Sports Chairman Asks NHL To Ban Playoff Beards
CHICAGO – The playoff beard. One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs’ greatest traditions, as players go from baby-faced athletes to burly mountain men the deeper their teams advance in the postseason.
(Or, in some cases, go from baby-faced athletes to … baby-faced athletes with terrible patchy beards.)
The players love them. The fans love them. But someone has to be the Scrooge of Scruff, and that man is Mark Lazarus, the chairman of NBC Sports. According to Ed Sherman of the Chicago Tribune, Lazarus actually lobbied the NHL to end the tradition of playoff beards because, in his opinion, they hinder the development of new stars in the League during the playoffs. It’s not the logo on the front. It’s not the name on the back. It’s the whiskers around their collar.
“The players won’t like this, but I wish they all would stop growing beards in the postseason,” Lazarus said. “Let’s get their faces out there. Let’s talk about how young and attractive they are. What model citizens they are. (Hockey players) truly are one of a kind among professional athletes.
“I know it’s a tradition and superstition, but I think (the beards do) hurt recognition. They have a great opportunity with more endorsements. Or simply more recognition with fans saying, ‘That guy looks like the kid next door,’ which many of these guys do. I think that would be a nice thing.”
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Obviously this will never happen. The playoff beards aren’t going anywhere, but I sort of see his point. If you’re trying to market a league and grow a sport you want your athletes images everywhere, putting their best foot forward and that probably is without a crazy beard on their face. I know a lot of people think NHL is a far better product than the NBA but the reality of it is the NBA Finals DESTROY the Stanley Cup in terms of ratings. Absolute bloodbath. So I get where Lazarus is coming from here it just will never ever happen. 1) Because athletes will always be superstitious and do what they want and 2) Because it’s actually a cool part of the game that I think all hockey fans love come playoff time. Everyone looking like a mountain man
While some guys, not naming names, can’t grow anything and end up looking like 12 year olds just hitting puberty, again not to name names.
It’s just a cool part of the sport that I don’t think anyone wants to see go away. Watching the beards grow as the rounds go by is something wholly unique to hockey. So yes I understand what the Chairman of NBC Sports is saying, I just truly hope it will never actually happen.