April 10, 2008

Long Beach, CA (UWIRE) -- A craze has infected the fans at the Walter Pyramid every time the Long Beach State men's volleyball team steps on the court, and it's not just about its play.

One catchphrase unites the 49er fan base: "Fear the 'Stache." Mustache, that is.

Behind most notably junior libero Dustin Watten and senior middle blocker Fletcher Anderson, who have sported the look most of the season, members of the team have united and let their facial hair grow throughout different parts of the season. Sophomore outside hitter Tommy Pestolesi and others have been spotted with the new look on the court.

The look has since evolved into T-shirts donning the three-word slogan -- an idea Watten said originated when Brandon Johnson, a friend and member of the LBSU men's basketball team, talked to him about his mustache before a game during the first week of February.

"He said, 'Hey, fear the 'stache! Make me a shirt and I'll wear it to every home game,'" Watten recalled. "So, I literally went straight home and cut out a stencil and went at it."

Word spread fast and, soon enough, everyone from the players to members of other athletic teams on campus -- the men's basketball team, women's volleyball team and women's soccer team -- to the school mascot, Prospector Pete, owned a T-shirt.

"At first I didn't understand why all of the guys wore mustache shirts," said freshman Emily Kingsborough, a member of the women's soccer team. "But, after learning the reasoning behind it all, I thought it was a great way to show spirit and support for the team. I mean, it's so creative and unique that it's hard not to want to be a part of it."

After attending a few home games and talking to Watten, members of the women's soccer team joined the bandwagon and wanted to add the fashion trend to their wardrobe.

"He was more than willing to make us shirts for no cost," Kingsborough said. "I was so surprised that we didn't have to pay.

"Obviously, if he were charging people for shirts, Dustin would benefit a great deal. However, to him, it's not about the money. I think the fact that his shirts were bringing people together and creating a larger fan base was payment enough. It has definitely caught on like wildfire and everyone loves it."

The attention to the T-shirts increased when sophomore Daniel Abarca, who's friends with Anderson and Watten and is Prospector Pete for home games, added the T-shirt to his collection.

"I saw them wearing them and wanted to add the 'Fear the 'Stache' to my shirts," Abarca said. "I asked Dustin to hook up a shirt for Prospector Pete. The die-hard fans who know about the 'Fear the 'Stache' love it. Other people don't know what it stands for and want to find out."

While everyone cheering on the 49ers may love it, the mustaches have been the targets of taunts on the road.

"One of the best heckles I've gotten was at USC," said Watten, who looks like a throwback to the 1970s with the mustache and headband he wears every game. "The fans were really close, so when I come out [for the middle blockers] every three rotations I go to the sidelines, and one of the drunken fans asked hypothetically, 'How much do you get for each porn with that mustache?' So I thought that was pretty funny."

Head coach Alan Knipe said he has noticed the T-shirts and that they're "hard to miss," but he's content with not being offered to add one to his closet.

"They have heard a lot of comments about it from all sorts of people," Knipe said, "and I think they like it that way. They are just having some fun."

Added Abarca, "This is just Dustin and Fletcher's style. They do it for the people who are loyal to the team. It's the nature of the team."

(C) 2008 Daily Forty-Niner via UWIRE