Best moustaches in sports
Playoff beards are always big and bushy - and even get a little scary as the Stanley Cup winds down. But hirsute hockey heroes aren't the only sports stars with whiskers worth talking about. Athletes have also sported some amazing moustaches over the years, from fantastic Fu Manchus to hilarious handlebars. Whose upper lip has boasted the best look? Take a twirl through our gallery of the Best Sports Staches, and see for yourself.
Wendel Clark
One of the most beloved players in the recent history of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Wendel Clark was a stubbly sensation from the day the Buds bagged him with the first pick in the 1985 draft. A hard-nosed, heavy-hitting player who earned the nickname 'Captain Crunch' for his physical style, Clark also got some 'stache love from the Leafs when he reached the end of the line. The team honoured their star, and his classic whiskers, by handing out fake Fu Manchu moustaches to fans on the night Clark's jersey was hoisted to the rafters in 2008.
Cito Gaston
He was the calm hand who guided the Toronto Blue Jays to back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, becoming the first African American manager to win a championship. But long before he came north of the border, Cito Gaston was the wearer of a fine moustache, teaming it with a fuller head of hair and some snazzy sideburns during his playing days in the stylish 1970's. An All-Star outfielder before becoming a batting coach, Cito's ever-present 'stache got a home run send off in his Toronto finale.
Travis Snider
When legendary manager Cito Gaston gave up his seat on the Blue Jays bench at the end of the 2010 season, his players gave their skipper's 'stache a special send off. Travis Snider was one of several players who used eye-black to draw moustache's on their faces before the game in a tribute to their departing manager. Snider did Cito one better, swatting a home run and trotting round the bases with a Gaston-esque stripe over his upper lip. Snider briefly wore a wispy looking moustache at the start of the 2011 season, but shaved it off in the midst of a slump.
George Parros
Tough guy George Parros has always been a fan of facial hair; he used to have moustache growing competitions with his brother and even named his fantasy hockey team 'The Moustaches.' With Parros so well known for his wild whiskers, his Anaheim Ducks have started selling fake 'staches at their team store. Parros pruned his upper lip for charity last fall, shaving and then re-growing his moustache as part of Movember festivities.
Rollie Fingers
Pitcher Rollie Fingers grew his famous handlebar moustache to earn a $300 prize from former Oakland owner Charlie Finley. When slugging teammate Reggie Jackson showed up at spring training in 1972 wearing a beard, in violation of team rules, Fingers and fellow players tossed their razors aside as well, thinking the mass protest would force ownership to act. Instead, the flighty Finley came up with a contest, offering a cash prize to the player who could grow the best facial hair by opening day. Fingers won the prize with his waxed handlebar look styled after baseball stars of yesteryear, with a nod to cartoon villain Snidely Whiplash.
Lanny McDonald
Hockey player Lanny McDonald was known for the fiery red whiskers of his bushy walrus moustache that spread like flames across his upper lip. As he captained Calgary's Flames to a successful Stanley Cup run in 1989, McDonald grew out a full playoff beard to accompany his iconic moustache. But once the cup had been hoisted he headed straight for the shaving cream, cutting off everything except that super 'stache.
Clay Zavada
These days, you've got to be a brave man to wear an old-style handlebar moustache. When he broke into the majors in 2009, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Clay Zavada set himself apart from his fellow relievers by sporting the same look Fingers had worn nearly four decades earlier. After winning the American Mustache Institute's Man of the Year award that year, Zavada sat down for an interview and admitted that people sometimes point and laugh at his wondrous whiskers.
Mervyn Hughes
Australian cricket player Mervyn Hughes was so fond of his famous moustache, he insured it for more than $300,000. Thehulking horseshoe was a thick, bushy stripe of hair than spread out wide on either side of his mouth, wrapping under his jaw line. A colourful character who lived large and enjoyed his food and drunk, Hughes was known as Swervin Mervyn for his swinging style as a bowler.
Al Hrabosky
Pitcher Al Hrabosky was known as 'The Mad Hungarian' for the way he stomped around on the mound, turning his back on opposing hitters and angrily slamming the ball into his glove. A bullpen star for the St. Louis Cardinals, Hrabosky added to his menacing appearance by growing a Fu Manchu moustache that was almost as big as the city's famous Gateway Arch. Hrabosky had to lose his wacky whiskers when a new manager took over the Cardinals in 1977 and brought down a ban on facial hair.
Hulk Hogan
All right, brother! Get ready for one of the most hulking sports 'staches of all time! There's never been a wrestler as famous as Hulk Hogan. And all through the years of Hulkamania, Hogan's blonde moustache hung like a horsheshoe atop his mouth. During his days as Hollywood Hulk he wore a dark beard underneath, but still the 'stache shone out. Much like the Hulkster himself, this moustache is immortal.
