Tattoos and College Basketball

[drcharl]

Just watching WVU and Oklahoma State on ESPN. Normally I can dismiss tattoos and concentrate on the game but several of the Oklahoma State players have complex arm tattoos that look like a bad case of railroad car or bridge graffiti. One player has interspersed red tattoos so it looks upon first sight that he has suffered an arm injury and is bleeding. Is it pretty much up to the school and especially the coach as to what can be displayed as far as tattoos are concerned? Seems to draw more attention to the individual player and away from the team. Not sure I have ever seen our players displaying a tattoo. Do we recruit from the untattooed and have an understanding that they will remain that way while at Duke?

[freshmanjs]

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[FerryFor50]

Dahntay Jones had tattoos while at Duke.

So did Corey Maggette. And Will Avery. And Carlos Boozer.

And Cherokee Parks was Chris Anderson before he was Chris Anderson.

http://www.turbodaddy.net/badschotz/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/parks0203_pose.jpg

[drcharl]

So are there any limits such as good taste or the amount allowed? The examples above are very mild and subdued compared to what I am seeing with the Oklahoma State players which really get your attention. I can't see Duke going with this if several of the players decided to go out and become so decorated.

[SupaDave]

Although not visible - even J.J. had tattoos...

[Indoor66]

Although not visible - even J.J. had tattoos...

Yeah, big 3 on his chest.

[mgtr]

Yeah, big 3 on his chest.

Showed up best in the Texas game!;)

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

So are there any limits such as good taste or the amount allowed? The examples above are very mild and subdued compared to what I am seeing with the Oklahoma State players which really get your attention. I can't see Duke going with this if several of the players decided to go out and become so decorated.

It seems to me that this is an example of why others often consider Duke and its fans as being somewhat arrogant. "Our guys don't have tattoos; but if they do, they're more tasteful than the tattoos on players from other schools."

For many years, some Duke players have had tattoos; some very visible, some not so much. Sometimes those tattoos may be considered objectionable, unattractive or even obnoxious by some. But being critical of any player's tattoos is hardly different from saying that some player is physically unattractive or ugly. What's next ... being critical of haircuts or facial hair?

Isn't it preferable to judge players by their game performance and sportsmanship? Why judge them by their physical appearance or tattoos (or lack thereof)?

[drcharl]

It seems to me that this is an example of why others often consider Duke and its fans as being somewhat arrogant. "Our guys don't have tattoos; but if they do, they're more tasteful than the tattoos on players from other schools."

For many years, some Duke players have had tattoos; some very visible, some not so much. Sometimes those tattoos may be considered objectionable, unattractive or even obnoxious by some. But being critical of any player's tattoos is hardly different from saying that some player is physically unattractive or ugly. What's next ... being critical of haircuts or facial hair?

Isn't it preferable to judge players by their game performance and sportsmanship? Why judge them by their physical appearance or tattoos (or lack thereof)?

I guess my reaction is to modifications done within the players control to draw attention to themselves in a team sport for other reasons than their playing ability and sportsmanship.

[ScreechTDX1847]

I guess my reaction is to modifications done within the players control to draw attention to themselves in a team sport for other reasons than their playing ability and sportsmanship.

It's become a part of the athletic culture from college and beyond in basketball and football. I recall an interview with Shane where he said K never told players not to get them but he knew that "coach wouldn't like it" or something similar.

It doesn't make a difference to me.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

It seems to me that this is an example of why others often consider Duke and its fans as being somewhat arrogant. "Our guys don't have tattoos; but if they do, they're more tasteful than the tattoos on players from other schools."

For many years, some Duke players have had tattoos; some very visible, some not so much. Sometimes those tattoos may be considered objectionable, unattractive or even obnoxious by some. But being critical of any player's tattoos is hardly different from saying that some player is physically unattractive or ugly. What's next ... being critical of haircuts or facial hair?

Isn't it preferable to judge players by their game performance and sportsmanship? Why judge them by their physical appearance or tattoos (or lack thereof)?

In a perfect world, yes. But the reality is people do judge others based on appearance. It's why most large companies have dress code policies including no or very limited display of tattoos and body art. If a team or institution decide they don't like the image tattoos project, I have no problem with that. It's worked pretty well for the Yankees all these years.

[Billy Dat]

It's become a part of the athletic culture from college and beyond in basketball and football. I recall an interview with Shane where he said K never told players not to get them but he knew that "coach wouldn't like it" or something similar.

It doesn't make a difference to me.

I remember in Feinstein's "A March to Madness", which covered the 1996-97 season, Greg Newton was one of K's great whipping boys and in one recorded anecdote, Newton got upset/kicked out of practice and K was quoted as derisively saying, "He'll probably go and get another tattoo!" 16 years later, ink is such a part of the mainstream that K would be way out of step to take a strong stand against it, and he's an inherently practical man. I remember first noticing Jason Williams' many visible tattoos and thinking that K must have let that battle go.

[Tripping William]

Even BYU (!) has gotten past this (see, e.g., Araujo, Rafael).

[drcharl]

3209

[NashvilleDevil]

3209

Way to point out the extreme

[Billy Dat]

Anyone that bounds like the Birdman in his prime, or the Rod-man for that matter, can play on my squad.

[chaosmage]

I teach for a living, spent 8 years in NC and 4 more now in Cali. The attitude across the country is different. When I got my tattoos, I was told to just make sure I wasn't trying to show them off. When I got to the West Coast, we had an English teacher who had multiple tattoos, mostly of literary and mythological characters. She didn't even try to hide them, and it wasn't a problem. Also, there seems to be a different set of standards for classified (assistants, secretarial staff) versus certificated personnel (teachers and admins). Several of the front desk workers at the schools I worked with had small body art on their chest, visible when wearing a tasteful, but lower cut shirt. No one seemed to care.

It's about what you do and how you carry yourself, in my opinion. If you speak well, perform well, and treat people with respect, most could care less about what you have tattooed on your body. When people speak like they haven't passed middle school English, let alone spent time at the collegiate level, that's when it becomes different in my mind.

My 2p.

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

3209

If Coach K wants a guy who looks like this to play for Duke, I'd welcome him to the team!

[gep]

I remember in Feinstein's "A March to Madness", which covered the 1996-97 season, Greg Newton was one of K's great whipping boys and in one recorded anecdote, Newton got upset/kicked out of practice and K was quoted as derisively saying, "He'll probably go and get another tattoo!" 16 years later, ink is such a part of the mainstream that K would be way out of step to take a strong stand against it, and he's an inherently practical man. I remember first noticing Jason Williams' many visible tattoos and thinking that K must have let that battle go.

What I recall is that Jason asked Coach K if it was OK to get a tattoo... and something like Coach K said to think about it, since it will be with him forever (well, at least back then). Also, something else about Coach K saying that he's gotta change with the times.:cool:

[airowe]

So are there any limits such as good taste or the amount allowed? The examples above are very mild and subdued compared to what I am seeing with the Oklahoma State players which really get your attention. I can't see Duke going with this if several of the players decided to go out and become so decorated.

Good taste is not a universal standard. What may seem to be in poor taste to you would not be to others.

For instance, passing judgement on others is in poor taste to me.

[throatybeard]

We're actually even having this conversation in 2013? Seriously?

Look, I'm 36. I'm not young, and I'm not 80. Here's the deal. Tats have really changed since I was very young. They've become totally mainstream.

They weren't twenty years ago. When I was a kid...I don't mean this to be a reflection of sexism from me, I'm just reporting the culture, when I was a kid, like 1990, if a woman had body art, everybody kind of assumed she was sexually available. To, um, more than one dude. The phrase "tramp stamp" has sexual semantics. Tats were a big deal back then at least on women.

Now it's nothing. My wife and I don't have tats, but almost everyone younger than us that we know does. Who cares? Arms, necks, tramp stamp area, biceps, I don't give a crap. People do this now. Who cares?

I'll say one more thing that is not very PC even though I'm liberal and I value tolerance, and what a lot of people would ridicule as PC. But this ain't PC. A lot of Black BB players have tats, in dark ink, that you just about can't see on TV, because of their dark skin. Remember when Lebron James had to put these adhesive bandaid things on his arms at St Mary's in 2004? That was way more in your face than his actual tats, which I never noticed! So a lot of Black dudes have tats that you don't even really see on TV.

Again. I can't even believe this is an issue in 2013. 2013. Coach K is mismanaging the bench [/duck]

[throatybeard]

For instance, passing judgement on others is in poor taste to me.

This times 1000.

[johnpope]

Tattoos nowadays often look thuggish, and I would love our school to stay classy and fight against this awful trend in popular culture by discouraging it in its players. This is an educational institution, after all, and Coach K always puts an emphasis on education and transforming our kids mentality; maybe some grew up in bad neighborhoods where they had no good role models or did not know any better. I am appalled to see some of the "student-athletes" at others school looking like gang members or like they just got out of prison. A classy establishment like Duke should not encourage that.

[ScreechTDX1847]

I am appalled to see some of the "student-athletes" at others school looking like gang members or like they just got out of prison.

This is extremely ignorant. Extremely. To even start citing the hundreds of counter-examples of what I believe you mean by "gang members" would be a ridiculous practice so i won't do it but the trajectory that this thread is going is starting to become frustrating and, in my opinion, embarrassing to some of the posters on this thread.

[Duke of Nashville]

Tattoos nowadays often look thuggish, and I would love our school to stay classy and fight against this awful trend in popular culture by discouraging it in its players. This is an educational institution, after all, and Coach K always puts an emphasis on education and transforming our kids mentality; maybe some grew up in bad neighborhoods where they had no good role models or did not know any better. I am appalled to see some of the "student-athletes" at others school looking like gang members or like they just got out of prison. A classy establishment like Duke should not encourage that.

Why don't you look at Nolan Smith's right arm and say that to his face.

[bedeviled]

Looking tonight, I couldn't find systematic empirical data on the changing trend in tattooing amongst adolescents - just scattered numbers from various studies. The exception is one abstract (http://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X%2807%2900405-3/abstract) (full paper can be purchased) that indicated no change in the prevalence of body art among university students in 2001 and 2006 samples. Of course, every study has its flaws, and it's possible that the investigators included pierced ears as body art, which may have overshadowed the numbers of other forms of expression. IDK.

Published studies do, though, continue to show a relationship between tattoos and risk-taking behavior, in general adult, collegiate, and adolescent populations. "Risk-taking behavior" varies across studies, but has included disordered eating behavior, drinking, drug use, gambling, sexual activity, violence, jail time, and suicide.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a study investigating a relationship between behaviors and tattoos in a population of college athletes. A couple studies that looked at general adolescent or college-aged populations are as follows:

Tattooing and High-Risk Behavior in Adolescents (http://www.hawaii.edu/hivandaids/Tattooing_and_High-Risk_Behavior_in_Adolescents.pdf), in Pediatrics (It's from 2002, but since Jay Williams and Boozer have already entered this thread...). It found that, in a population of school-based adolescents (up to age 21), "significant associations were found between tattooing and all of the high-risk behaviors that we examined" which were sex, drinking, smoking, marijuana, fighting, gang activity, truancy, and school failure. These associations remained even after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and peer substance use. The strongest relationships were to sex and gang membership.
Body art, deviance, and American college students (http://courses.ttu.edu/jkoch/Research/Social%20Science%20Journal%20Pub.pdf) (Social Science Journal, 2010) is interesting because it quantified the number of tattoos or piercings in a college-aged population. Data was obtained at two state universities and two private universities....most likely all in Texas, so results may differ from Philly. Co-eds with 4+ tattoos had a statistically greater likelihood of more sex (especially in the category of 9+ partners per year), binge drinking, monthly marijuana use, other illegal drug use, and arrests (over 70% of people with 4+ tattoos had been arrested compared to 8.5% of those without a tattoo). Tattoos or not, cheating on exams was statistically equally likely in each group. These researchers posit that 1) the contemporary tattoo community is not as defined culturally as it used to be, so 2) a sub-culture wanting to define itself has escalted both the quantity of body art AND the degree of social deviancy.

And to end on something more entertaining that studies:
In published response to the Pediatrics article, a Family Medicine professor referred to a medical link between tattoos and STD risk by saying, "Fashion in tattoos may have changed, but there is still clinical utility in the adage: Where there’s an anchor, there’s a chancre."

[niveklaen]

^ so your saying that people who tattoos get to thave more sex? Wish I had known that back when I was single...

[porkpa]

I guess I am aged beyond the point where tattoos have any positive impact on me. I really would like someone to explain why so many people, especially young people find them so attractive and endearing. I'm not being the slightest bit sarcastic. I really would like to know why in so many cases(not always) people choose a less than meaningful decoration which will be with them forever.

[freshmanjs]

...and we wonder why they say Duke fans are elitist and snobby

[oldnavy]

I spent a little over 20 years in the Navy and I do not have a tattoo (amazing I know).

I have two sons, one 22 and the other 20. Both have tats. The oldest has several. He got his first when he was 18. We made a deal, since essentially it was my money paying for it, that he would not get anything that extended below what a short sleeve shirt would cover. My point was, knowing how some folks feel (usually older folks), and that he would be in the job market soon, I did not want that to be a turn off for a potential employeer.

The younger one wanted and got a tat of Psalm 23 on his right deltoid. Looks good, in fact one of my patrons at the pharmacy is the artist that did it.

I am not against tatto's in general, some are quite cool, but like just about anything you can think of, they can become an obsession and be carried to an extreme. For example. There is a very pretty young lady that is also a patron of my store. She has tats all over including neck and face, and several piercings. To me, it is too much, and I think (to myself) what a shame, but to her and her peer group, it is cool. So, since it is her choice, even though it is not what I would want, I have no business making a judgement, so I supress my natural bias on the matter. In fact, she is very sweet, and I enjoy talking with her. I learned a long time ago, that if you dismiss people because of their appearances, you are doing yourself a great disservice, since some of the most kind and interesting people I have met in my life are never going to be what most of us would call handsome or pretty. And heavens know, I live in a glass house!!

The one thing I do think of is how tats look as you age. I have never seen a "nice looking" tattoo on a person over 60, but at that point I guess you don't care anymore???

[Buckeye Devil]

If people were to look at the historical perspective of what tattoos symbolized, they probably would not darken the door of the local tattoo parlor. Tat's were signs of a bevy of unimpressive stigmas including rebellion and slavery. Granted, we don't look at such things in a post-modern world and tat's have become the norm which IMHO is sad. But if I was an African American, there is no way I would get one seeing how the tat was a mark of a slave dating all the way back to Roman and Greek culture.

[Dev11]

Lance Thomas has an elaborate tattoo that proclaims himself as the "King of New Jersey." Its a stunning display, but one which I always thought was pretty amusing, and I joked about it occasionally while I was in school.

But hey, you know what, Lance is a nice dude who loved going to Duke and playing on the basketball team. So what if he has ridiculous tattoos by my standards? Its certainly not my place to judge him on the origins of that ink. Lighten up, everybody, tattoos are like haircuts or clothing styles, and taste is relative. I know plenty of nice people, Lance included, with visible tattoos, and I know plenty of awful people with no tattoos.

Finally, anybody passing negative judgement on Nolan Smith for having a tribute to his father, who died when Nolan was still in elementary schol, on his arm can go ahead and leave this board.

[SupaDave]

^ so your saying that people who tattoos get to thave more sex? Wish I had known that back when I was single...

OMG! Hilarious!! My mind hadn't quite got there yet but you hit the nail on the head!


...and we wonder why they say Duke fans are elitist and snobby

Every school has elitist and snobby fans. Welcome to the real world.


If people were to look at the historical perspective of what tattoos symbolized, they probably would not darken the door of the local tattoo parlor. Tat's were signs of a bevy of unimpressive stigmas including rebellion and slavery. Granted, we don't look at such things in a post-modern world and tat's have become the norm which IMHO is sad. But if I was an African American, there is no way I would get one seeing how the tat was a mark of a slave dating all the way back to Roman and Greek culture.

They had "African-American" slaves in ancient Rome and Greece? Seriously? I'm not even gonna get into how tattooing has been around for centuries in Asian and African culture and how it's still used in the tribal markings of even our own Hawaiians. Read a book. Humans have been marking themselves up for eternity and you don't even want to get into the kinda marks that slaves have been forced to deal with.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Every school has elitist and snobby fans. Welcome to the real world.

But not every school has the stigma of being elitest and snobby. A snide comment doesn't do any less to abate the stereotype.
As far as the tats go, I just hope that the ones with the really extreme ones, such as on their necks and faces, make tons of money in the NBA, because it will be harder getting a job in the real world. The old "first impression" adage is old because it is true. I choose to look like a long haired hippie and I get to fight stereotypes everyday (That guy must be a dope smoking burnout.). Lord knows what a guy (or girl) with a tattoo emblazened on his neck gets to deal with.

[NovaScotian]

I guess my reaction is to modifications done within the players control to draw attention to themselves in a team sport for other reasons than their playing ability and sportsmanship.

would you prefer them to be stripped of their individuality? heads-shaved, no facial hair, no names on the uniforms. certainly no smiling. and maybe then we can evaluate their playing ability and sportmanship objectively, referring to them only by their jersey number.

[Jarhead]

The first tattoo I ever noticed was on the arm of a Marine issuing uniforms as I was entering recruit training at Parris Island, SC. It was a Marine Corps emblem, and I thought it was cool. None of the other 50, or so, recruits had tattoos. I can say that because we were all bare a55 naked going through the medical and sanitary inspection, hair sheering, and clothing issue. Didn't see another tattoo until we got to the swimming test. Everybody was in swimming shorts, and the guys in charge were mostly all tattooed, and I was beginning to think that they would soon issue me a tattoo. This was a long time ago, several decades ago.

It wasn't long after my time at Parris Island that I considered getting a tattoo. I was on liberty with some buddies at Camp LeJeune, and I had a snoot full of American lager. I was picking out my tattoo at a tattoo parlor on the boardwalk at Carolina Beach, just south of Wilmington, NC. My platoon Sergeant happened to walk by with his family. He stopped the process before I even got my sleeve rolled up, and gathered us all together and put us on the bus back to LeJeune. He later told us all that we should never get a tattoo when we were drunk. An opportunity did not immediately happen for me, but two friends did get a tattoo, and ended up in the hospital. They both had a very serious infection. That made up my mind. No tattoos for me.

Now when I see a tattoo on a person, I do make a judgment. It cannot be helped, but it happens. It is not always negative, but some are.

[johnpope]

This is extremely ignorant..


Published studies do, though, continue to show a relationship between tattoos and risk-taking behavior, in general adult, collegiate, and adolescent populations. "Risk-taking behavior" varies across studies, but has included disordered eating behavior, drinking, drug use, gambling, sexual activity, violence, jail time, and suicide.

Looks like science back me up at least to some extent, so You shouldn't jump to conclusions and even insults before doing your homework that you actually know what you're talking about...

[sagegrouse]

The first tattoo I ever noticed was on the arm of a Marine issuing uniforms as I was entering recruit training at Parris Island, SC. It was a Marine Corps emblem, and I thought it was cool. None of the other 50, or so, recruits had tattoos. I can say that because we were all bare a55 naked going through the medical and sanitary inspection, hair sheering, and clothing issue. Didn't see another tattoo until we got to the swimming test. Everybody was in swimming shorts, and the guys in charge were mostly all tattooed, and I was beginning to think that they would soon issue me a tattoo. This was a long time ago, several decades ago.



I have another data point. In the movie, An Officer and a Gentleman, (1982) the marine drill sergeant played by Louis Gossett, Jr. notices that the Richard Gere character, an aviation officer candidate, has a tattoo. Gossett praised it and asked where he got it, and Gere responded by naming a place in Manila, where his father had been stationed as a Navy bosun's mate. Basically, it was what some sailors did on foreign duty.

Point is, in 1982 it was virtually unheard of for people to have tattoos. Now, 30 years later, we notice when ath-a-letes don't have tattoos.

sagegrouse

[Indoor66]

Published studies do, though, continue to show a relationship between tattoos and risk-taking behavior, in general adult, collegiate, and adolescent populations. "Risk-taking behavior" varies across studies, but has included disordered eating behavior, drinking, drug use, gambling, sexual activity, violence, jail time, and suicide.

That study can't be of much value. I've done about all of those things and don't have a tattoo. :cool:

[rthomas]

It would have been useful for everyone to include their age with their post because I'm guessing there is a generation gap going on here. And basically the young-in's don't really care what the square old fogey's think about their tattoos. And their music too.

[freshmanjs]

It would have been useful for everyone to include their age with their post because I'm guessing there is a generation gap going on here. And basically the young-in's don't really care what the square old fogey's think about their tattoos. And their music too.

40 and in the don't care about the players' tattoos camp.

[drcharl]

Watching Lakers and Mavs at halftime of our game. Have seen no player on the floor with anything in the same ball bark of the gaudy displays on a couple of the Oklahoma State players yesterday. Also, don't recall ever seeing gaudy ones in watching an ACC game but may have missed some.

[freshmanjs]

Watching Lakers and Mavs at halftime of our game. Have seen no player on the floor with anything in the same ball bark of the gaudy displays on a couple of the Oklahoma State players yesterday. Also, don't recall ever seeing gaudy ones in watching an ACC game but may have missed some.

not sure i follow your point? is it that nba players don't have "gaudy" tattoos? if that's it, suggest you look around a bit more. there are plenty of them.

3213321432153216

[Dukeface88]

It would have been useful for everyone to include their age with their post because I'm guessing there is a generation gap going on here. And basically the young-in's don't really care what the square old fogey's think about their tattoos. And their music too.

Probably. I'm 24 and don't have any, but many of my friends do - it's just not a big deal. As far as "respectability" goes, I've even seen some pretty impressive tats on other law school students (although they're careful to avoid ink that would be visible while wearing a suit, they'd be pretty obvious in a jersey).

[DU82]

It would have been useful for everyone to include their age with their post because I'm guessing there is a generation gap going on here. And basically the young-in's don't really care what the square old fogey's think about their tattoos. And their music too.

Back in the day, we had to walk five miles, uphill both ways, through the snow, to the tattoo shop.

(No tats, no piercings, no jewelry (other than a simple watch) either. But I recognize I'm part of a different generation, so I'm not judging. I just have no reason to do it.)

[drcharl]

It would have been useful for everyone to include their age with their post because I'm guessing there is a generation gap going on here. And basically the young-in's don't really care what the square old fogey's think about their tattoos. And their music too.

As the OP, I am middle age - neither young nor a square old fogey. And I am not against tattoos. My initial post was about some very gaudy (multicolored) and non hidden displays for players on one college team I observed on Saturday. These were not the best players so I don't buy the argument that you can appear any way you want the better you are. I was also reacting to trying to look a lot different than your teammates with the colored tattoos clashing with your unis. Have an easier time buying more extreme displays in the pro game than the college game.

Do we really think at Duke or at other schools in the ACC (e.g. BC) there isn't some kind of standard of expectation regarding the limits of tattoos applied?

The quote above seems to suggest that the older you are the less your opinion on this subject matters????

[BlueDevilBrowns]

It would have been useful for everyone to include their age with their post because I'm guessing there is a generation gap going on here. And basically the young-in's don't really care what the square old fogey's think about their tattoos. And their music too.

I'm 34 so I'm not sure if thats old or not anymore. I'm against tattoos personally due to religious reasons. It's not my standards, it's the standards of the God I choose to worship.

Having said that, if someone else chooses to have 1 or 100 tats, it's there choice too and I have no problem with it. But they should understand that others may.

Life is about choices and the consequences of the way we lead our lives.

I will now get back to basketball...

[Kdogg]

Watching Lakers and Mavs at halftime of our game. Have seen no player on the floor with anything in the same ball bark of the gaudy displays on a couple of the Oklahoma State players yesterday. Also, don't recall ever seeing gaudy ones in watching an ACC game but may have missed some.

You didn't see these guys:
3217321832193220

And Jordan Hill isn't even playing.
3221

I'm in my mid 30's and don't even thing about the ink on people let alone basketball players.

[oldnavy]

Hey, I'm 51 and I don't care. I think some of them are ugly, and some are kind of cool.

It is not something I would do now (although I do admit to having thoughts about getting a pair of lips, tatted on my hind end just as a joke!).

I would almost bet that if I were growing up today I would get one. I mean I did just about everything all the other kids were doing when I was a kid, so I have no reason to think I wouldn't.

[magjayran]

The problem with 18 year olds and tattoos is that they often get stupid tattoos. Tattoos that hold special meaning to 18 year olds that they regret when they're 24. I know because I was once an 18 year old that got a stupid tattoo. Of course I don't judge anyone for having them as I'm now 34 and have gotten more tattoos that I think are totally sweet.

Young adults tend to fall into the trap of getting tattoos that mean something important. Kanji or words like "Persevere Forever." Or something Celtic because their Grandfather was half Irish. Bad idea. If I had to do it all over again I would just get things that look cool and I would spend a lot of time selecting the artist that did it.

Those of you worried about the prevalence of tattoos on college players have a couple of choices to make. You can continue to worry about it or you can get over it because it's not changing anytime soon.

It's interesting that Duke made it through the cornrow phase unscathed though.

[throatybeard]

Tattoos nowadays often look thuggish

What does this even mean?

[throatybeard]

Of course, every time tattoos come up, I think of

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker%27s_Back

[Buckeye Devil]

OMG! Hilarious!! My mind hadn't quite got there yet but you hit the nail on the head!



Every school has elitist and snobby fans. Welcome to the real world.



They had "African-American" slaves in ancient Rome and Greece? Seriously? I'm not even gonna get into how tattooing has been around for centuries in Asian and African culture and how it's still used in the tribal markings of even our own Hawaiians. Read a book. Humans have been marking themselves up for eternity and you don't even want to get into the kinda marks that slaves have been forced to deal with.

True, people have had tat's throughout history for a variety of reasons, but you missed the point. Who said slaves in Rome and Greece were African American? Seriously yourself. I have read plenty of books, thanks.

[magjayran]

True, people have had tat's throughout history for a variety of reasons, but you missed the point. Who said slaves in Rome and Greece were African American? Seriously yourself. I have read plenty of books, thanks.

Right. You said that African Americans should not decorate themselves with permanent art because slaves were forced to wear tattoos. You did not say that people of Greek or Italian descent should eschew tattoos for the same reason though.

[SupaDave]

Right. You said that African Americans should not decorate themselves with permanent art because slaves were forced to wear tattoos. You did not say that people of Greek or Italian descent should eschew tattoos for the same reason though.

Exactly. And I shall further your point...


True, people have had tat's throughout history for a variety of reasons, but you missed the point. Who said slaves in Rome and Greece were African American? Seriously yourself. I have read plenty of books, thanks.

No - I didn't miss the point. Not only did you infer that all slaves in Rome and Greece were "African" but you managed to link that directly to "African-Americans" and tattoos. In the process totally negating little things like geography and time. In case you're wondering, most of today's "African-Americans" are descended from people from W. Africa b/c we(they) were transported to America during a little something called the "Middle Passage." So no - we aren't too worried about what happened in Rome and Greece b/c EVERY culture in the world has been enslaved, the African-American is just the one freshest in your mind.

[orrnot]

In a parallel universe, it is observed that many males in the Cameron audience tuck their t-shirts into their jeans, and this behavior by the elderly and clueless is regarded with mystified contempt by the hipper classes. I'm 45, tatless, and do what I can to avoid display of my belly hair.

[J.Blink]

Of course, every time tattoos come up, I think of

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker%27s_Back

Great reference (and story)!

[KenTankerous]

I love good tats and laugh mightily at the bads one. Dukies having them garners the same response.

What I want to know is how student/athletes, studying so hard and practicing and conditioning and maintaining some level of social life have the time to earn the thousands of dollars I see displayed. This isn't a laptop that can be folded into a scholarship or an acceptible scholastic expense that can be covered by family. This is a 60" lcd with x-box, wii, and direct TV kind of expense.

Who is paying for this?

[SupaDave]

I love good tats and laugh mightily at the bads one. Dukies having them garners the same response.

What I want to know is how student/athletes, studying so hard and practicing and conditioning and maintaining some level of social life have the time to earn the thousands of dollars I see displayed. This isn't a laptop that can be folded into a scholarship or an acceptible scholastic expense that can be covered by family. This is a 60" lcd with x-box, wii, and direct TV kind of expense.

Who is paying for this?

First, these guys have way more time on their hands than you think. Only the most dedicated are gym rats.

Secondly, the average tattoo is probably only about a $150 BUT I'm glad you asked b/c sometimes it's bigger than just the players.

http://www.lvrj.com/sports/ink-blot-tattoo-scandal-leads-embattled-coach-to-quit-post-122854829.html

[KenTankerous]

The average CRAP tat is a buck fifty. Most Div1 player skinart I am seeing is not bargain basement but in the $599 and up version. That is, for market value. What these nationally televised kids get painted for, well, there in lies the issue.

[SupaDave]

The average CRAP tat is a buck fifty. Most Div1 player skinart I am seeing is not bargain basement but in the $599 and up version. That is, for market value. What these nationally televised kids get painted for, well, there in lies the issue.

Not necessarily true. In Atlanta most of the artists charge $100 to $150 an hour and you can get some pretty interesting stuff in an hour (especially on Ponce de Leon). Most black athletes don't get a lot of color in their tattoos which can push the price up dramatically b/c you first have to do the outline and then the fill-in which can easily push a half an hour tattoo into a 3 hour activity. As a previous poster stated, on darker athletes sometimes they aren't even noticeable but on folks like Boozer they are quite visible and even his are all black. You get into a whole other bag of marbles when you start talking about highly sought after artists. I've got a guy that comes from Japan every summer.

[Buckeye Devil]

Exactly. And I shall further your point...



No - I didn't miss the point. Not only did you infer that all slaves in Rome and Greece were "African" but you managed to link that directly to "African-Americans" and tattoos. In the process totally negating little things like geography and time. In case you're wondering, most of today's "African-Americans" are descended from people from W. Africa b/c we(they) were transported to America during a little something called the "Middle Passage." So no - we aren't too worried about what happened in Rome and Greece b/c EVERY culture in the world has been enslaved, the African-American is just the one freshest in your mind.

If you think that I said all slaves back then were African, go ahead and take that position. But that isn't what I said or meant. I am well read enough to know that blacks have not been the only enslaved people throughout the course of history. Condescension and superiority...and I wonder why people give me dirty looks when I wear my Duke basketball attire.

[-jk]

I think this one has run its course.

-jk