Who’s gonna tell Uncle Si?
When it comes to the New York Yankees, all the talk lately has been about their facial hair policies for their players. Every generation of Yankees players since 1976 have had to abide by the rules associated with the classy, clean-cut culture of the team, therefore many players have cut their hair and shaved after becoming a Yankee.
Just this past Friday, Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner, announced that the no-facial hair policy was lifted, all though it had been in place for almost 50 years.
Gerrit Cole, the current pitcher of the Yankees, generally rocked a beard when he played for the Houston Astros back in the day. Of course, this was before his $324 million nine-year contract that he signed with the Yankees. I mean, you would be crazy to not want to shave for the small price of hundreds of millions of dollars.
When the rule flipped on Friday, he was asked if he would bring back his classic look, he didn’t seem too ecstatic about it, expressing that he was actually surprised about Steinbrenner’s change of heart.
“Being a Yankees fan (growing up) I wanted to emulate everything the Yankees did. So, you know, it was kind of cool. I was able to shave and be part of that legacy.”
But Cole also revealed a rule that was laid out about the new policy that was announced in a closed-door meeting with just the team:
“The only information we were offered, from (Yankees general manager Brian) Cashman, was that we’re not trying to look like Duck Dynasty. No diss against Duck Dynasty. You’re grinding in the woods all the time, you don’t really have another option. But that was the only clarification we got.”
Gerrit Cole told reporters that Brian Cashman didn't have much to say on what the beard parameters would be, just that he didn't want the players looking like Duck Dynasty out there
pic.twitter.com/ZUy1Ivwc4I
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 21, 2025
What a rule: no going full Duck Dynasty. I like that, I think I’m gonna start using the reality TV show as an adjective like their manager apparently did when relaying the ground rules to the team.
It totally makes sense though. When you think back to the show of the Robertson family and their duck call company, Duck Commander, you think of the humor and faith of the iconic bearded Robertson boys and their families.
And believe it or not, this new rule made its way all the way to West Monroe, Louisiana, where we got an Instagram post from Willie Robertson, the main character on the show, giving his two cents on the whole ordeal:
“So let me get this straight… The Yankees waited 50 years to allow beards, but their only rule is: don’t look like us? Hey, I’ve heard that before. Did y’all consult my wife or something?
Now, while I agree not everyone can pull off this look, two things we know about growing up down here are beards and dynasties. If you’re gonna grow ‘em, you gotta go all in.”
The Duck Commander himself agrees that it’s a big commitment to grow a beard like theirs, even making a joke about how his wife probably had something to do with the policy.
So while the Yankees may have created a more “acceptable” version of facial hair, you can’t help but laugh that it made it all the way to Willie, and many fans have their own ideas for the policy too:
“That’s rude, let them grow.”
“Free the beard”
“the Yankees need to let their players have mullets too!!”
“GO ALL IN BROTHER. WISH I COULD SHOW MY FACE. FULL ON BEARD DUCK STYLE BABY”
“Let it grow. Let it grow. Let it grow..”
The post “Not Everyone Can Pull Off This Look” – Willie Robertson Responds To Yankees New “No Duck Dynasty” Facial Hair Policy first appeared on Whiskey Riff.