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player ready...Like so many guys who put shaving on the shelf when they`re off fishing or taking a hike, Bryant Gumbel stashed his shaving gear when he went to Africa recently to do some preliminary work for a series that airs in November on NBC`s ”Today” show.
Lo and behold, on his first day back, there was a beard-a first on-air beard for Gumbel. A nice, neat beard that lasted-well, exactly one week.
What made him take it off? Company policy? Nope. Viewer reaction? Nope.
Just a simple matter of a full cast on his right hand that will stay put for four to six weeks. He can shave with his left hand, he says, but using his left hand to trim and maintain a neat beard is another thing. Easier just to do away with it, according to Gumbel.
What did viewers think? ”Some thought he looked terrific. Some offered to send him a razor. There were all kinds of reactions,” says Lynn Applebaum, the program`s press manager. ”But there`d be reaction, too, if Katie (Couric) changed the color of her hair. People are really obsessed with hairstyles.”
So, we couldn`t help but wonder … Katie with flaming red hair? Joan Esposito a blond?
Frankly, we enjoyed visualizing more beards (with a little help from our computers and modern technology) … on a few other familiar TV faces.