Much hay was made during the AFC championship game over Broncos QB Jake Plummer and his Taliban-style beard vs. Steelers signal caller Ben Roethlisberger’s more restrained yet robust facial hair. The New York Times even hinted at a rebirth of the beard as a fashion statement. Now, a more interesting battle is shaping up between Roethlisberger’s beard and full head of hair and Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck’s chrome dome. Steelers QB great Terry Bradshaw (shown here polishing Hasselbeck’s pate) must be torn between rooting for his Steelers and rooting for his fellow bald guy. Hasselbeck, who had a fantastic year and playoff run, is bidding to take over the mantle of best bald American athlete outside of Andre Agassi. But that’s tennis, and this is football. USA Today pointedly asks whether America is ready for a bald Super Bowl hero. Perhaps it’s not a good sign that Hasselbeck doesn’t even show up on Wikipedia’s list of famous bald athletes.

—Posted by Brian Morrissey

Photo: David Gonzales/Icon SMI/Newscom