OT: Playing Sports With Facial Hair

[Choctaw_fan]

This is a subject I know nothing about and none of my close family have a beard.

I am seeing more and more athletes in very hot environments sporting a beard. About half of the Miami baseball team had one. I can remember northern football players wearing them to help stay warm during the season.

Is a beard hot in the Florida sun? Does the facial hair actually protect the face from the sun? Is it just a fashion statement?

Just curious and the board is really slow!

 

[BrowardHandicapper]

I have had a beard and also been clean shaven in both hot and cold environments. I do not feel it kept me any "warmer" in the cold. Perhaps it breaks a cold breeze a tad though. A beard may actually protect your face from a sunburn a little. Overall, I prefer clean shaven in both environments. Just me.

For the most part, I think it is currently trendy. It may be more of a post-season fad...
I believe the Boston Red Sox kind of reinvented it in the 2004 World Series run and several teams (SF Giants comes to mind) followed suit. The trend eventually spread to other sports at different levels.

 

[Pipe Dreams]

beard life bro

 

[Zoe Boy]

Got my beard on deck... Can't do the clean bruh....

 

[anon_00zx5879k0jmw]

i think long hair is worse than a beard whenever it comes to heat...

 

[Choctaw_fan]

I can agree with that! I have long hair but it is in a ponytail or tied up all summer long. I can't stand it on my shoulders in heat. I'm amazed that other women can.

 

[Trelle]

I work in the Artic (Prudhoe Bay, Alaska) as my main office but like right now I'm doin some stuff in West Texas for a few months. -40 in Alaska I'll take a beard all day it does help keep the cold wind off my face, in Texas 100 degrees+ it keeps my face from burning but yea it sometimes does get hot. Overall I try to sport a beard whenever I can.

 

[Silver King]

Had one all through college, a little warmer, but also a tad more cushion under the chinstrap for those DL uppercuts on pass rushes.