Plain as the skin on many an athlete's arm exists proof that there
are, indeed, different strokes for different folks.
They come from a small, pointed "gun" that may not kill, but does scar for
life.
As well as being painful and permanent, they can be cool and colourful.
Expensive and expressive.
Ugly and unidentifiable.
Yes, generally, their beauty is in the eye of their beholder. Or be-wearer,
if you will.
In the world of sports, they have become the signs of the times.
Stickers. Markings. Tats.
"Once you get one," says the Toronto Maple Leafs Wade Belak, "you're
addicted."
He should know. He has "seven or eight."
Brendan Witt, Joe Corvo, Sheldon Souray, Andrew Ference .... they are just
a few of the heavily stained players in today's NHL. From Long Island to
Ottawa to Montreal to Calgary, they have proven they have some definite
Hollywood in them.
The entertainment industry, you see, is covered with stars who have at
least partially covered their body.
Rapper 50 Cent is widely recognized as the most decorated of all.
Rockers Dave Navarro and Tommy Lee most recently entered living rooms
across the continent regularly displaying their body art collection while
trying to sign a singer for their band.
But tats can also be found on some of the world's most gorgeous female
bodies.
On Tommy's ex-wife, Pamela Anderson. On Christina Aguilera. And Angelina
Jolie. And Beyonce. And Janet Jackson. And Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Jessica
Biel, Yasmine Bleeth, Carmen Electra, Lucy Liu, Alyssa Milano .... what?
Oh, sorry.
It's easy to get distracted by tattoos, which is a thought that might have
crossed Anna Kournikova's mind the first time she flashed the small of her
back. Not a very good tennis player? We didn't notice, and her sexy sticker is
just one of the reasons why.
No longer do tattoos signify exclusive membership to a dark or seedy
subculture.
No longer are they strictly regarded as defiant acts of rebellion.
No longer are they worn only by bad asses and bikers. This we know, despite
what Tank Johnson thinks.
"I'm young, black and have tattoos," the Chicago Bears lineman said during
Super Bowl week when asked about the serious firearm charges that would be
waiting for him when he returned home.
"So it's easy to stereotype me and put me in a category."
Of course, that he was touched by a tattoo gun is not much of an excuse for
a Tank carrying all that ammo, either.
Earlier this year, Sports Illustrated called body art the sports world's
most flaunted form of self expression.
"Ten years ago, only boxers and wrestlers had visible tattoos," the mag
reported. "Today they are everywhere, in every sport."
Filthy rich soccer star David Beckham has nine tattoos. He started by
having the name of his first son -- Brooklyn -- scrawled across his lower
back.
"Victoria"
He also has "Victoria," the real name of his wife and former Spice Girl
Posh, tattooed on his left forearm in Hindi. Under it is the Latin phrase "Ut
Amem Et Foveam" which translates "so that I love and cherish."
Ray Lewis, the outstanding Baltimore Raven middle linebacker, has the
tattoo of a panther on his right arm because he loves cats. "I study them,"
said Lewis.
"They are cunning, quick, crafty, intelligent and focused."
Asked if he plans to get more, Lewis replied: "No, my mother won't let me."
As basketball players perform in the least amount of clothing, their
tattoos are constantly on display.
Flamboyant bad boy Dennis Rodman gave new meaning to the phrase "In The
Paint."
He is smeared in the stuff, from tattoos of Harley Davidson, a picture of
his daughter, a shark, a cross and many others.
Allen Iverson, the NBA's 2001 MVP, displays 16 tattoos that describe his
attitude in life -- Only The Strong Survive -- as well as others that are
devoted to his family and friends.
New frontiers were recently explored by Dakkan Abbe, the president of New
York City-based Fifty Rubies Marketing.
While watching an NBA game on TV, Abbe figured out a way for sponsors to
get national exposure without paying for commercial time: Temporary tattoos.
Before considering all the details, he spoke to Detroit Pistons
forward/centre Rasheed Wallace about wearing the logo of a candy company
during a game.
Wallace declined the deal after the New York media found out about the
offer.
The league, it was later learned, would view such an arrangement as a
violation of its collective bargaining agreement with the players.
Abbe disagreed.
"The NBA is defining tattoos as part of the players' uniforms, but a
player's skin is not part of his uniform," he said, adding that it was a
personal rights issue.
"I find it offensive that the league would not allow something on someone's
skin."
Especially for the different folks who like their different strokes.
