Fear the 'Stache!

With Sam Bradford still out due to the terrible week one injury, his replacement Landry Jones has received a great deal of attention. This attention has been gained not only for his quality of play, but also because he sports a labia sebucula (Latin for "lip sweater"). When I first saw Landry's face on the ginormous Cowboy's stadium screen I admit I was taken aback at the sight of the mustache. In my opinion a mustache is an awfully difficult look to successfully pull off and I wasn't really feelin' it for Landry. However, since that first game (hereinafter to be referred to as TGTMNBM: the game that must not be mentioned) my respect for Landry has grown. Of course the easiest way to gain my coveted respect as an OU football player is to play really well, which he has done. It also helps that I always think of the lovable Friday Night Lights character Landry Clarke or the great Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry whenever hearing his name (nice name associations for me). And the third reason that I have come to accept - and dare I say love the mustache sported by Landry is because of my love for the blog Pop Candy and my genuine belief that I would be friends with the author Whitney Matheson should we ever be given the opportunity to meet. (I also think I would be friends with Jenna Fischer, is that weird?) Whitney loves mustaches (among other things) and writes about them frequently which in turn makes me want to love mustaches and write about them frequently.

I think Whitney would be happy to learn that the American Mustache Institute (AMI) has recognized Landry for his growth of facial hair. This fabulous article titled The Case for Landry had me grinning from start to finish as they honored his determination to keep growing despite pressure to shave it from critics and teammates. Also exciting for Landry is the support he has received from OU students. Supporters came to the last home game sporting fake mustaches and T-shirts that said, "Fear the Stache" and "Mustache Mafia." Landry's response? "I'm excited about it," Jones said, "I'm going to try and get the stachers organized." Stachers...love it!

My love for the AMI grew immensely when I read another article here scorning Colt McCoy (Or Mule McCoy as they say) for shaving his mustache after the first game of the season. I guess he couldn't handle all the haters. I can't help but think that Landry's self-confidence to go against the grain and not change a changeable physical trait that is socially unacceptable by the mainstream has to translate into confidence in who he is as a football player. I know it might be considered a stretch to use a mustache as a metaphor for confidence on the football field, but if so I'm stretching because I think there really could be a correlation. Either that or it's so distracting that the other team is caught off guard a la 'Single Ladies' Glee Style:



When all is said and done however let's be honest - the mustache is not what makes or breaks the man at OU, his ability to win is what will always be the most important thing for an OU quarterback. Heck, he can grow a Fu Manchu for all I care if he beats Texas (should Sam not be able to play). I can see it now..."Fear the Fu!"


**The AMI article on Landry is so great that I'm copying and pasting it below for those of you who don't have access to the links included in the blog. I'm also putting my favorite parts in bold. Boomer Sooner!

THE CASE FOR LANDRY JONES
Going into this college football season, there were three prohibitive favorites to win the Heisman Trophy, and all were quarterbacks: Florida Gators FOJ (Friend of Jesus) Tim Tebow, the Texas Longhorns' Pony McCoy, and last year's winner, Sam Bradford of Oklahoma.

The stage was set for a solid, season long Heisman race between the three until BYU linebacking Mormon Coleby Clawson, in the first game of the season, drove Bradford into the ground with a crushing hit that injured Bradford's shoulder.

And while all Bradford could do was stand helplessly on the sideline and watch his team ultimately fall to the Slingin' Bigamists, even in defeat, a hero as born.

Enter Landry Jones, Mustached American.

Certainly it wasn't the redshirt freshman's paltry 6 of 12 completions or his 51 yards that earned him hero status. It was, quite simply, his lower nose accoutrement delicately scattered across his upper lip.

As we conveyed yesterday to Jake Trotter of the Oklahoman, unlike Mule McCoy, who shamefully shaved his labia sebucula (Latin for "lip sweater) a few weeks ago -- ruining both his Heisman and national championship hopes -- Jones has proven to be a true descendant of Mustached American stock with the power and grit of Chuck Norris riding atop an silver back gorilla on acid.

He might not be a Heisman candidate, but certainly should garner consideration for the Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year honor.

Indeed, Jones wears his mouth brow with power and wisdom, and as he progresses through the season and capably fills in for Bradford -- who suffers from Bare Upper Lip Disorder (BULD) -- we know that he will not only yet again prove that there is no greater performance enhancer than the mustache, but he will represent people of Mustached American descent with a strong resolve, great athleticism, quick thinking, and of course, good looks.

Carry on.