Meaning Behind the Moustache

We see it all the time in sports: the moustache. But what does it mean? In different sports, it may have different meanings and associations. If you see it in baseball, you may be thinking of a crafty veteran pitcher from years past who was able to find a way to get guys out. In fact he may have originally been a starter, but used his craftiness to become a proficient closer. Examples include Dennis Eckersley and Rollie Fingers.

Some of them may have had some overpowering stuff, but these guys usually had some facial hair or beard to go with the stache. They had an intimidating style in a blue collar sort of way. Bruce Sutter and Jeff Reardon come to mind....

 

And if you saw the Fu Manchu thing, the guy certainly had a mean streak in him. He wanted to throw high and tight before eventually striking you out. Goose Gossage all the way.

And while we are on baseball, let's not forget some of the position players as well (Bill Buckner and Keith Hernandez below).

The moustache carries over in other sports and certainly has some kind of meaning, particularly with football coaches. At the college level, there seem to be very few coaches who have moustaches, beards, or any facial hair for that matter. The explanation may lie behind the association with the stache: creepiness. With these coaches knocking on the doorstep to recruit high school boys, no mother wants to let a middle-aged man with a creepy moustache come take her son away to play football in another state. A clean shaved face on a college football coach represents integrity and sincerity. 

However, in the NFL, the moustache is fashioned by coaches on a regular basis. It probably was made famous by Ditka, but lives on with other coaches from the modern era, such as Andy Reid and Mike Holmgren. These coaches look like they are going for the look of a walrus. Moustaches in the NFL seem to represent knowledge, wizardry, or expertise. Jeff Fisher's sun glasses with the stache represents a cool and calm demeanor on the sidelines. 

 

So next time you see a moustache while you're watching the game, remember: not only does it look good, but it probably means something about the person.