The Gallery Of Beards

We love a good beard here at Owl Towers. A good beard says so much about the wearer - not least that their chin is prone to freezing and needs extra protection from the elements. Several top sportsmen (not to mention prominent religious figures) seem to agree.

With as much fanfare as we can possibly muster, we're delighted to present the first four entrants into The Sporting Owl's Gallery Of Beards. Why four? Well, we felt it was only appropriate to start with a barber's shop quartet of prominent pogonotrophs. Anyway, we're sure you'll agree that they (and their lustrous locks) richly deserve this highly prized accolade. 

South African cricketer Hashim Amla

Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel

San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson

We very much hope that the Gallery Of Beards will one day stand alongside the Halls of Fame that form such an important part of American sporting culture. How anyone could continue to take sport seriously in the absence of an academy of excellence in facial topiary is beyond us.

We need your help to prune and cultivate the Gallery Of Beards. Have YOU seen an incredible sporting beard that deserves a wider audience? Are there any other athletes who have truly earned a place in the pantheon of hirsute wonder? Tell us Facebook or Twitter, or email us your nominations!