definitely a franchise that could use some buzz due to the fact that they play second banana to the New York Rangers in the New York Hockey Market and the uncertainty of their Arena situation and the possibility that the team may move to another city. This move is definitely a step in the right direction for the Islanders who stand to garner some younger fans who are tattoo enthusiasts but otherwise would not attend a hockey game if it were not for the presence of a full fledged tattoo parlor in the Nassau Coliseum.
Sports has for a very long time had a secret love affair with the art of Tattooing. Just look at the Denver Nuggets. Numerous high profile athletes in the NBA and NFL proudly sport all kinds of ink. Recently, the number one draft pick in the NFL, Cam Newton was commended by the owner of the Carolina Panthers, Jerry Richardson for not having any Tattoos. This was ultimately seen by most media outlets as a racially charged statement and made many people feel uncomfortable. What right does a franchise owner have to demand his employees not decorate their bodies. These comment by Jerry Richardson were definitely uncalled for and made it seem like he feels that he owns his players. Ultimately, the bodies belong to the players and if they are not braking the law they should be able to express themselves.
Sometimes ink can be motivational and propel players to greater heights. A great example of this is the Tattoo of the Jim O'Brien Trophy (NBA Championship Trophy) that Dallas Maverick's guard Jason Terry got on his neck in the beginning of the 2010-11 NBA season. Had the Mavericks failed to beat the Heat in the Finals, the Tattoo would have looked down right silly. As in any walk of life sometimes do things that are over the top that make you question a person's sanity and unfortunately the world of tattooed athletes has a one glaring example of ink gone awry. Melvin Costa is an up and coming MMA fighter competing for the King of the Cage promotion. He happens to be some sort of neo-nazi and has a swastika tattoo on his chest, which is not a great idea but hey this is America, if he wants to be an ignorant racist that's fine by me but he also happens to have a Tattoo declaring the underwhelming size of his member on his stomach. I am not sure that is the best way to declare his "white pride" and it is definitely offensive to basically everybody. TMI, buddy that is your girlfriend's problem, no need to declare it to the world.
The world of Athletics and the art of Tattooing are definitely on a collision course that could benefit both industries. I have a feeling that the Islanders are starting a trend that will explode in the next decade as tattooing becomes more mainstream and sports gains even more popularity. This is a relationship that will blossom and continue to surprise both casual sports fans and casual tattoo aficionados. This is coming from someone who has a NY Giant's tattoo on his left bicep, so I am already at the forefront of this phenomenon.
