NBC Sports Chairman Mark Lazarus has petitioned the NHL and it’s players to end the longstanding tradition of the playoff beard.
There are many traditions in the National Hockey League that have stood the test of time and become a normal part of life for hockey fans around the world. The most commonplace tradition is that of the playoff beard, but if NBC Sports Chairman Mark Lazarus has his way this time-honored tradition will be gone forever.
That’s right ladies and gentlemen…the head man in charge over at NBC Sports has decided that the playoff beards we have come to know and love are, as WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon would say, are “bad for business.”
If you are anything like us, this one has left you staring at your screen with a blank expression on your face, your hands held up in the air, and the words “wait…what?” coming out of your mouths. We know what the next question out of your mouth is going to be, “Are you kidding?”
Unfortunately, no…we are not kidding.
This head-scratching news came to us from Ed Sherman of the Chicago Tribune who first published the story. In the article Lazarus is quoted as saying that he know the players weren’t going to like his point of view, but they are losing out on big opportunities by donning their magnificent beards.
"“The players won’t like this, but I wish they all would stop growing beards in the postseason,” Lazarus told the Chicago Tribune. “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.”"
Go ahead and take all of that in…we’ll wait right here.
So…by Lazarus’ standards, we as hockey fans would better recognize players like Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jason Garrison or former Lightning defenseman Radko Gudas if they didn’t have all that facial hair hiding their prominent features?
If you ask me, I’m not sure I’d be able to recognize them without their fierce beards.
On the other side of the spectrum, would we relate a player like Tampa Bay Lightning center Tyler Johnson more to the “kid next door” if he got rid of his post-season scruff? No…because even with the facial hair Johnson looks like a good guy who could live next door to any of us.
Another thing that Lazarus seems to be missing is how much good all of that facial hair does for the communities that call themselves home to a National Hockey League team. It seems as if he may have missed a little thing called the Beard-A-Thon that raises money for all kinds of charitable organizations like the Lightning Foundation, the Moffitt Cancer Center, and more.
We don’t know about you, but we have a pretty good feeling that all the people who receive help from these various organizations are more than happy to watch the player’s facial hair grow wild and proud.
Obviously, we mean no disrespect to Mr. Lazarus. It is quite apparent that he knows how to run his company and that he is more than capable of putting together some world-class sports programming. Just look at the extensive coverage NBC Networks had of the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the ease of access we’ve had to content during the 2014-15 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
At the same time, to simply dismiss a time-honored tradition that has stood the test of time for longer than most hockey fans can even remember is nothing short of ludicrous. I don’t think there is a single real hockey fan on the planet that would tell you that they like a player simply for what they look like and not the way they perform on the ice.
Don’t get me wrong, there is more than a fair share of attractive men lacing up their skates in the National Hockey League, but if they can’t pull their weight on the ice then they won’t be getting any attention from us.
What do you think of the NBC Sports Chairman’s plea to the National Hockey League and its players? Do you think his point of view is slightly insane or do you think he poses a good point that should be looked into further? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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