Gardner Minshew: The Marketable Mustache
Gardner Minshew II, named after no one since there is no existence of a Gardner I, is gaining popularity in the football world. The rookie quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars is known now not for his skills on the field, but as a trailblazing, fashion icon. After Nick Foles was taken out in the season opener with a broken collarbone, they had no choice but to turn to a sixth-round selection rookie to lead the team. Minshew is making a name for himself as a viral sensation for his bushy mustache, obscure pre-game outfits and his uncanny resemblance to Uncle Rico From Napolean Dynamite.
The Uncle Rico look-alike went from being a backup quarterback to T-shirts and beer cans with Minshew’s face on them.
“The Jags are selling Minshew-branded ticket plans, and there is a litany of stories about Minshew’s glorious facial hair and his rakish headband and his tattered jean shorts and his (occasional) preference for stretching while wearing nothing but a jockstrap.”
The fascination that sports fans have for Minshew is unmatched, there are hundreds of fan pages on Instagram with some sort of a “Mustache Minshew” username, his mustache is a meme all over Twitter and he is getting more publicity for his outfit choices rather than his actual plays. He has created a cult-like following inspiring men to grow Minshew mustaches like the Jaguars equipment staff, and even a sponsored Instagram post with Snickers. He is compared to a guy who looks like Florida Man crossed with Peyton Manning, which is a pretty good representation if you ask me.
Despite his questionable choice of pants, his past coaches describe him as having genius tendencies, and some say he may be on track to win rookie of the year. Although, will Minshew’s reign end if Foles regains his strength before the end of the season? There are mixed responses for this inevitable situation say that some say that there is no acceptable reason to bench Minshew after Foles return if he’s playing well, despite the $50 million in guaranteed money the team committed to Foles. Since Minshew took over as QB, he is completing 69.4 percent of his passes and has thrown for 905 yards with seven touchdowns against one interception.
“Those are Pro Bowl numbers. The Jags are 2-1 since he stepped into the starting role and the team’s rejuvenated attitude seems to mirror Minshew’s bravado. Hard to make a change at quarterback when all of that is happening”