Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Go Red Wings Beard!

Well, as some of you folks know, I've been participating in this somewhat perverse version of a fantasy league, where, instead of some kind of reward for choosing a winning hockey team in the Stanley cup playoffs, winners must continue to grow out their beards. I thought I would choose based on my birthplace, and when the guys told me the team would probably go to the finals I didn't balk, on the grounds that I needed an outside force to keep me from shaving, and this was my chance to see if I could actually grow a decent beard. Now the Detroit Red Wings have made it to the finals, so I'll be continuing for a couple more weeks, but I thought I'd finally get around to sending off some pictures. I did finally trim it this weekend. It wasn't so much looking burly as mangy. Now, after a trimming, I told Paige, "You know, it's starting to grow on me."

"No," she said flatly, "it isn't."

Noah echoed this sentiment at the Obama rally on Sunday. "Daddy, why does your face have to be pokey?"

Now, looking at these pics, I get where they're coming from.

But the Red Wings keep winning, so it will have to go at the end. Now that it won't change the shaving date whether they win or lose (see? More fantasy perversion!) I might as well root for "my" team. So, Go Red Wings!

beard 1 - Share on Ovi

beard 2 - Share on Ovi

beard 3 - Share on Ovi

beard 4 - Share on Ovi

With a hat on, it almost creates the illusion that I have hair on my head! Oh, and as one of my younger colleagues pointed out, this was a necessary way to find out that I am going gray.

Beard and Hat - Share on Ovi

7 comments:

laurenj said...

you look more and more like an oregonian. Are you wearing sandlals?

congrats on the big win last night.

Anonymous said...

It's been too long, I almost didn't recognize you. Beard doesn't look as bad as you think it does, though with the stocking cap i can't help but be reminded of Strongbad. - Bill

Anonymous said...

I've never had the motivation to do a playoff beard, but that is by far the best tradition in the NHL. It's interesting to see it spilling over into other sports now. To people, both in the finals, that you have to give credit to for trying (but looking rather pathetic) are Sidney Crosby and Pavel Datsyuk. Pavel's is actually looking better than it has in the past.

Jed Carosaari said...

Hey- where's Ben?!?

Anonymous said...

Sorry, Big Ben...but the third picture down makes you look EXACTLY like your cousing David F.

Sorry for the body check into the boards on that one...

Mark F

Benjamin Gorman said...

I don't mind looking like Dave, as long as everyone knows I do NOT have a ponytail hidden in that hat. Dave can be forgiven, because that was the 90's, but I'm more bald than he is and would look like an extra in a Kung Fu movie set during the Boxer Rebellion.

Come to think of it, that might be kind of cool! Which would Paige hate more, the beard or a long braid coming out of a tiny patch of hair on the back of my head? I'll check and get back to you.

Anonymous said...

you could braid the beard - a nice compromise. If detroit strings this along further, it may be long enough....