When someone's voice cracks. Once this happens, you yell "Playoffs!" in a high falsetto tone. Then you can comment about how puberty hit them like a ton of bricks. If it's really bad you can honk at them like a goose.

A so-called "fan" who only shows up for the fun part of the season to criticize (who is quick to jump off the band wagon at the first sign of defeat), yet can't even SPELL "hockey," "baseball," "basketball," etc. the other ten months of the year.

The hairy result of a superstition turned tradition in the National Hockey League (NHL) by which players of a given team refuse to shave their beards upon making it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In recent years, this tradition has extended from players to fans, making an unkempt beard during playoff season acceptably insofar as one's team of choice is still working toward Lord Stanley's Cup. The beard can only be shaven off under two conditions: (1) The team of choice has won Lord Stanley's Cup and hoist it high as the National Champions; (2) The team of choice has lost the playoffs and must shave themselves to begin preparing for next season.

Injuries that certain basketball players have, sometimes associated with game 5 losses.

A playoff fan is a sports fan who has no interest in a sport or a team during the regular season. But come playoff time, that same fan is transformed into the biggest diehard fan you have ever seen.

A playoff team is the team that you choose to root for in the post season after realizing that your team sucks.

an alternative to the traditional playoff beard reserved for mostly female hockey fans. one such female can still retain hopes of getting laid and still show support for their favorite team.