I’ve always maintained that beardliness is next to Godliness, but this verges on the ridiculous. Oh wait… Wayne Gretzky suggested it? Then it must be newsworthy.
Now, I have a vested interest in beards. Beards are important; they’re an important part of what it takes to be a man in the modern world, sported or unsported. Take it as a testimony to beards that they play a role in every man’s life; it doesn’t matter whether that role is making him hairy or forcing him to shave every day. That being said, it takes guts to wear a full beard in North American culture, and the choice carries with it a certain degree of discrimination.
It’s Mike’s prerogative to wear a beard; it shouldn’t matter whether it’s just for the playoffs or for a lifetime. The media, if they say anything at all, shouldn’t say anything more than, “That is a fine looking man with a fine looking beard. It certainly is refreshing to see a man exercising a man’s prerogative.”
Keep it up Mike.