Hirsute heroes: the greatest beards in sport

The Denver Nuggets cult shot-blocking star Chris Andersen has revealed plans to go from Birdman to Beardman. According to the Denver Post, Andersen was recently spotted in Yellowstone National Park sporting a “thickening beard” complimenting his many tattoos.

The Nuggets big man explained he has no intention of shaving until his wedding which takes place in June 2010. By which time, Andersen will most likely resemble a towering version of 1970s kids TV star Catweazel or Mick Fleetwood’s younger brother.

Andersen’s commitment to season-long face fuzz could ultmately place him in sport’s hall of fame for hirsute heroes. Here’s my current top 5 beards in sport.

Bill Walton
Paving the way for the Birdman, NBA legend Bill Walton’s unique ginger “chinstrap” beard and long red hair combination struck fear into the hearts of anybody foolish enough to take the ball to the hoop in the 1970s. Walton own view: “I had the only beard in the Western Hemisphere that made Bob Dylan’s look good”.

Mike Commodore
Ice hockey is a sport where beards are commonplace but no player matches the fantastic furriness of Mike Commodore. Cross Ronald McDonald with a lumberjack and you’ll be close. Commodore’s run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2004 with Calgary and with Carolina two years later gave his beard more than enough exposure to earn a place on my list.

Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart
Augmenting his US marine-style jarhead with a ZZ Top goatee gave Jim Neidhart a unique look. The Anvil, with partner Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart was a two-time WWF tag team champion in his grappling prime. And before you correctly point out that wrestling isn’t a sport, Neidhart makes the list thanks to his pre-wrestling NFL experience with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.

Alan Cork
Footballers tend to be a superstitious lot and former Crazy Gang member Alan Cork was no different. In 1993, Cork was playing for Sheffield United and refused to shave in a bid to keep the Blades’ FA Cup run going. The result? A grey/white beard akin to that of Christopher Lee in Lord of the Rings that added a good ten years to Cork’s appearance. The beard was eventually removed after the Blades were knocked out at the semi-final stage by city rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

Howard Eastman
Howard Eastman’s noble dyed blonde beard was later replicated by French footballer Djibril Cisse but the credit must go to the British middleweight boxer. Eastman’s look was an extension of his somewhat eccentric personality but it couldn’t help him overcome William Joppy and Bernard Hopkins in his two world title challenges.