Lincecum chops his famously flowing hair

Anyone who has ever watched any kind of sporting event with me will confirm it: My fave pro athletes have long flowing locks.

While the rest of the women in the City By The Bay are falling head-over-heels for Tom Selleck mustaches — no, I don’t like ‘staches, get over it — I’m all about surfer waves and bedhead.

Give me an Alex Pettyfer shag or Robert Plant mane any day of the week. That’s just how I roll.

So needless to say, I lost it when I first saw that Tim Lincecum had chopped his hair off.

It was a bit of a bummer to see Barry Zito rocking a shorter coif in ESPN Magazine earlier this month. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still a very handsome fellow. I was just always a fan of him sporting a longer ‘do.

It darn near killed me earlier this week when Shaun White chopped his signature ginger curls off for Locks of Love. Despite reminding myself time-and-again that he was giving to a great cause, I had to stifle back tears as I watched the YouTube video of his trademark red hair falling to the floor.

Ladies and gentlemen, that was nothing compared to the reaction I had upon seeing the photo on SportsNet Central of the Freaky Franchise walking around Seattle sans his long hair.

There had been speculation that the photo floating around the web of a fair-skinned chap with a short, fluffy, side-parted coif was an imposter. But alas, Kevin Kaduk of Yahoo Sports reported earlier today that a hair stylist in Lincecum’s stomping grounds first broke the news back on December 9 that No. 55 had in fact parted ways with his signature strands.

Kaduk then suggested that the haircut was because Lincecum is preparing to woo the Yankees when he becomes a free agent in 2014. At which point I battled not to punch my computer screen. (Timmy in pinstripes?! No. Thank. You.)

Perhaps he cut his hair out of superstition? After a sub-par regular season in the starting rotation (10-15 with a 5.18 ERA) maybe he thinks a new ‘do will help shake things up. Lincecum did begin his tenure with the Giants sporting closely-cropped strands, and went 18-5 with a 2.16 ERA in his first full major league season.

Or perhaps he just got tired of dropping so much scrilla on high-quality conditioner.

Whatever the reason, I already miss those chocolate-y brown locks peeking out from underneath his Giants cap. But I guess I’ll find a way to live with his hair being shorter.

Lincecum just can’t grow out a mustache. Then I might cease being a fan all together.