Sports Ink

In today's society, tattoos are everywhere. Tattoo parlors' are in major cities but also in the suburbs. Originally tattoos were geared towards sailors and drunken debauchery in port cities. The oldest tattoo parlor is still in operation along the Nyhavn canal in Copenhagen, Denmark. Nyhavn, known more for the colorful, narrow block of buildings, was one of the original ports for the Vikings into Copenhagen. Copenhagen sits on an important trading route connecting Norway and Sweden and Continental Europe. The tattoo parlor also succeeded because of the Danes drinking reputation. Many bars line Nyhavn and after a night of drinking, a tattoo sounds like a good idea. Also, sailors travelling the world, wanted to have a reminder of the various ports that they visited. Before cameras, a tattoo was the only visual picture to remember the cities. Tattoos are also a work of art and provided an outlet for local artists to practice their work. However, the needles were not sanitized and diseases quickly spread. This led to laws prohibiting tattoo parlors, thus, beginning the "taboo" phase. As society progressed and in a way, has become more liberal, tattoos are popular among college students, parents and grandparents. Tattoos are a way to express your beliefs, a special person, quotes, memories or a sports team. A basic Google search for "sports tattoos" leads me to thousands of pictures from a simple logo to a whole scene.

In August, right before I left Boston, I decided to get a Red Sox "B" tattoo. Walking out of the parlor, I thought to myself, "did I just jinx the Sox for this season?". Are fans who have a team/logo tattoo crazy? Is it a way of showing your pride and dedication to your team? Even though the "B" is one of the more popular tattoos in Boston, I decided that it was my perfect tattoo because it describes me. I am a loyal fan and never count the Sox out until they are mathematically eliminated. Baseball is my life and with my "B," I always have a part of Boston with me wherever I go.

I have seen both women and men with sports tattoos. A simple logo describes fandom with no formal introduction. For example, blue stars represent the Dallas Cowboys, depending on the color of the "B" it can stand for the Bruins or Sox, a red "P" for the Phillies, a Flyers logo, an intertwined "NY" for the Yankees, a picture of the World Series with the year and a the skyline or all 4 logos. A person buys a hat or a bumper sticker with a logo and wears it with pride, so why not get a tattoo with the same logo? A hat starts many conversations, or in some cases, debates, and tattoos work the same way.

Tattoos can also be used in bets. One Boston sports radio host has a Yankee tattoo because he lost a bet.  Would I accept that bet? Probably not, but that's what makes sports awesome.

Sports ink is popular today and I am proud to say that I will forever have my team on my foot. I have bumper stickers and hats too, but I won't regret my "B" decision.

Baseball in society

It's been a while since I last posted.... the Cardinals won the World Series; the Red Sox severed ties with both Terry Francona and Theo Epstein; the Phillies lost to the Cardinals in the NLCS; I was ashamed, embarrassed and angry at the Red Sox for the alleged beer, chicken and video games in the clubhouse during their historic collapse to the point where I hibernated because I couldn't emotionally deal with it; and  I cried when the Phillies lost. There I sat in my room, crying after Ryan Howard collapsed on the first base line and thus, ending the Phillies season, and my 2011 baseball season. I still watched the World Series but it just wasn't the same. The World Series was entertaining and hard fought between the Cardinals and the Rangers and went to 7 games. But still, my teams were out, one with drama, no manager and no GM and the other with Ryan Howard injuring his Achillies tendon and a little bit more stability in the clubhouse. There I sat, thinking about how much my life has changed over the past 6 months. It feels like yesterday I was booking my flights to Clearwater and sitting at spring training enjoying the Florida sun with the thousands of other fans who wanted to witness the pitching rotation (4 aces and the return of Cliff Lee), greet old friends (Ryne Sandberg), scout the first round draft pick (Jesse Biddle) and feel the electricity of a new beginning. The expectations were so high for both teams and were preseason favorites to meet in the World Series. The Red Sox entered the season with a big free agency signing (Carl Crawford) and traded prospects for Adrian Gonzalez. These two new big bats were supposed to carry the offense with Ortiz, Pedroia and Youkilis. However, no matter how strong your lineup is, if you don't have the pitching, then, honestly, the Red Sox could have led the majors in every statistic, but the pitchers keep you in the game. This is where the Sox showed weaknesses. First Dice-K needs Tommy John surgery, then Wake is forced into the rotation along with Andrew Miller and Kyle Weiland. Buccholz goes down with a back injury, Lackey and Rich Hill both need Tommy John surgery and Beckett and Lester aren't proving to be the aces that they need to be. Along with a lineup that only "clicked" from June-August, the September collapse was inevitable. Along with the fact that the Sox, with a 9 game lead in the Wild Card at the end of August, thought that they could coast into the playoffs,  didn't really show up in September, and just like that and a crazy final day of the season, their season is over. Summer went by and I moved and I've adjusted to "post baseball season" now that hockey is in full swing. I try and follow the Arizona Fall League and go to the Bulls stadium every once in a while to get my baseball fix. I still read the news and trying to distract myself so that Truck Day will be here before I know it! 

So now that I've let all of my baseball season anger out, I am ready to move on, so hello 2012 season... I'm ready for new beginnings and new changes!! Below is the start of a new idea, just rolling it into this same post...

Last night after listening to the end of the Flyers game, I had some extra time before the Pats-Jets game started. As a child, I loved the show "Boy Meets World." It's just a classic show and I haven't watched it in years, so I decided to watch an episode. I found the Pilot episode from 1994!! In the beginning of the episode, Cory is listening to the Phillies game on the radio using one headphone, while in class. Mr. Feeney catches him listening to the game and Cory tries to cover up his actions. Mr. Feeney is reciting the play by play to the whole class. The writers used real players, such as John Kruk and John Smoltz. I wonder if the writers referred to a specific Phillies-Braves game because the game is at the end of the season when the Phillies are in the playoff race. Also, this game could have been from the 1993 season, since the '94 season was strike shortened. At home, there is a scene where his brother, Eric, and Cory are talking about the next game because they have tickets. They always go to the games together, but Eric is going with a new girlfriend. Cory starts pacing around the room explaining that if the Phillies win, then they will be in the playoffs and it's an important game. At this moment, I had a flashback to my own childhood because, similar to Cory, I would explain the importance of a game, even if no one was listening to me. I love going to games and I am disappointed if I have the opportunity and I can't take advantage of it. 

Baseball is ingrained in our culture. Even in the least suspecting instances, I find myself finding baseball references. In the Pilot episode of "Boy Meets World," Eric and Cory share a special baseball bond with each other and it provides a chance for them to spend time together. I share this special bond with my own family and my friends. All these years later, I found a connection to one of my favorite childhood shows and even without a clock, baseball tells time. 

Quote: "Family is everything. It is even more important than baseball." - Luis Tiant