Is the Super Bowl-related hangover really that bad, or is hair actually one of the week’s dominating sports stories in the Bay Area?
Well, it’s not just anyone’s locks, it’s Tim freakin’ Lincecum’s. So it’s not just big, it’s practically stop-the-presses worthy (or whatever people publish with these days).
Lincecum, San Francisco’s favorite “freak,” the two-time world champion and two-time Cy Young winner, showed signs of humanity last season. In spite of the Giants’ World Series-winning year, Lincecum labored to a 10-15 record and a bloated 5.18 earned run average, both career worsts.
So what needed to change for Lincecum? Naturally, his trademark long hair. And so it went. The San Francisco Chronicledubbed his new image a “Joseph Gordon Levitt/Harry Potter look.”
For him, it’s a reflection of his re-dedication to his personal fitness and work ethic. Lincecum, for what it’s worth, is also entering the final year of his contract with the Giants, so he has a few (million) rea$ons to put his best foot and hairdo forward this year.
He told the Chronicle’s Ann Killion:
“Last year was tough to swallow. When you’re used to things going well and all of a sudden they’re not going well, you start questioning yourself and start doubting yourself. You start feeding off negatives and that turns into a spiral.
“I usually take six months between each haircut because I’m lazy. It’s nice to have something to upkeep. To take care of yourself.”
Lincecum’s hair, of course, suddenly became relevant again with pitchers and set to report to Spring Training on Tuesday in the first official step of the Giants’ quest to defend their World Series title.
Giants baseball: It’s one hell of a way to wash away that aforementioned Super Bowl hangover.
Speaking of eccentric Giants pitchers...Sergio Romo, whose two biggest Giants-related claims to fame last season were recording the final out of the World Series and being the winner of the my-kids-are-cuter-than-yours Instagram feed, put pen to paper on a new two-year deal worth $9 million that could escalate to $10.2 million if certain incentives are hit.
Romo was dominant while filling in for the injured Brian Wilson in the closer’s role, recording 14 saves and finished the season with a miniscule 1.79 ERA.
Wilson missed the majority of last season after having Tommy John surgery, became somewhat expendable with Romo’s emergence. Still, the Giants are considering bringing back the bearded Bay Area favorite as he is still hashing out his future while recovering from injury.
More on image, errr, sports...Once the pain of the crushing Super Bowl defeat subsided for Colin Kaepernick, the tattoo’d phenom quarterback embraced a familiar pain with some additional ink.
AOL’s David Whitley, who famously and ill-advisedly compared the 49ers signal-caller to San Quentin inmates as a result of his body art, is shaking his head somewhere. Between his new tattoos and the fact that pictures emerged of Kaepernick partying, like, forever ago, his image must be set to take a massive hit...
Oh, right, this is San Francisco, a city that has embraced guys like Lincecum, Wilson and Pat Burrell to cult-like status for their quirks and everyman-like imperfections.
Kap, you’re going to be just fine.
My haircuts are nothing to tweet home about: @seanswaby
