Shaq, in his made for giants elmo wear, hangin’ backstage with Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) and her mother Tish  and then with his soon to be ex-wife Shaunie and their four kids at the Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds concert in Miami on February 4th. 

Someone please tell me why a grown man, let alone a gigantic grown man, would wear an Elmo shirt…and then top it off with an Elmo hat.  Now, I love Elmo just as much as the next guy, but c’mon aren’t you an adult?  I’ll be honest I love my Sesame Street and Gumby t-shirts, but i’m a petite woman and don’t wear matching hats with them, so I can pull it off. Shaq  is ridiculously, even absurdly tall and it looks hilarious for him to be dressed in such a way.  I picture him in a furry wrap carrying a club and saying “Fe Fi Fo Fum”, not in an Elmo shirt.  Now I love Sesame Street myself but cannot imagine myself wearing this getup.  Mind you he is at a Hannah Montana concert, why not wear a Hannah Montana shirt like his kids?  They look cooler than he does. 

To be honest,  Shaquille O’Neal wearing a huge red Elmo T-shirt and hat really creeps me out.  I’m small enough I can squeeze into children’s Halloween costumes, and trust me, I’m not above doing so, but I’m also not a professional athlete.   I mean, seriously, he plays in the NBA for broccoli’s sake!!! What was  he thinking?!? 

I wonder how his team-mates responded to seeing this picture in the tabloids…when he wears this to the bars is his pick-up line “Tickle my Elmo”?  Ewwwwww