Do college and pro male basketball players shave their armpits?

(Note to self: Buy stock in razor and depilation cos.)

I found this blog entry on the subject quite humorous.

Excerpt: “The fact that you never see that sort of thing in the NBA tells me that either A) aliens are harvesting armpit hair from our mightiest athletes as part of some body hair-related conquest of the Earth, or B) professional basketball players are participating in some rather unmanly manscaping activities. And hey, I’m all for it. The last thing I want to see is somebody’s knotted, dripping pit monster on television. But it’s still kind of fruity.”

I’m not sure about the original question since I don’t watch much basketball. I really hope all guys don’t start shaving their heads. I really, really like a guy with medium length hair and a bit of a messy do. It’s really cute and I like to be able to play with it.

Whoa, what’s this about all Americans? I mean, I know people are entitled to their opinions of where they want to shave, but I don’t think it’s a mainstream as you’re thinking. From what I’ve seen, a lot of athletes shave because they believe it will help them streamline, but I can’t believe it makes that much of a difference.

@Foolaholic I’m darned if I see how shaving one’s armpits could have a streamlining effect of any kind.

Hair anywhere under the ears is pointless, messy, and ugly.

Well, taking the POV of a basketball player, I know I wouldn’t want to end up with some dude’s furball of sweat mashed against my face in the heat of a game.

Shave, dammit!

@lefteh: Darwin would say different…

@lefteh Or in the ears.

@KatawaGrey: Good thing he’s dead.
@Marina: Truer words have never been spoken.

A lot of athletes shave certain body parts to make application of and removal of athletic tape much easier and less painful. So I guess I can see if they want to wrap up their shoulder, it might be easier sans armpit hair.

@lefteh .. I gather that you don’t like hair. Why not? Why is it that you think it’s ugly? Not everyone does. For some, armpit hair is kind of sexy. It captures pheromones, as does a beard. Some of the pheromones are not so much fun (fear sweat), but others are kind of like aphrodisiacs.

There is a theory that the roman guards shaved so as to make it easier to be together with other men, and not tempting the women to mix with them.

The idea that pro athletes shave in consideration of their fellow athletese seems unlikely to me. Sweat, and often blood are flying around getting all over each other. Sweat happens. It’s natural. They’re used to it.

I like @TenaciousDenny‘s idea the best. It’s practical, and makes a lot of sense. The idea of taping an armpit with hair, and then removing that tape—I think I’d rather walk on broken glass.

If you want to talk true dedication to your, ahem, sport, drag queens will use duct tape to tape their equipment back and out of sight for a performance. Here’s hoping that they do shave!

@daloon: I just don’t find it attractive. Some armpit hair is okay. That can stay. Anything else, I simply don’t find attractive. I can’t really explain why.

And, having played competitive sports for a while, I can definitely attest to the fact that areas that are often taped are shaved quite often. I’m a baseball catcher, and during double- or triple-headers, I’ll often tape my knees above and below. Hence, that entire area is usually shaved during baseball season.

Boy, this makes me so glad that I fluther! I’d never learn this stuff otherwise. I think I’m asking an off-the-wall question, and real information comes out. Amazing! How would I ever have found out about male shaving of other places besides beards? Thanks, people!

Don’t pro swimmers shave just about all of their body hair off?

Daloon, I was just getting ready to ask a Q about whether humans will evolve into hairless beings! All this shaving must mean something…

Swimmers do the full body shave in order to offer the least resistance to water.

I agree with you about the meaning of hairlessness. As long as we are able to keep things at 75 degrees year around no matter what latitude we are at, the need for hair will disappear.

Although, some people like hair.

Apparently my genes didn’t get the hairless memo. But I’m not complaining. Pale and hairy is the new black.