OT: Carmelo Anthony

[davidnark]

True, though they are professionals in the same manner as movie stars, and other celebrities. The rules just don't apply anymore. If their "employer" actually mandates these things, then it matters, kind of. But even in the event that they still break the "real" rules in place, they will probably only be subject to an marginal fine (relatively so, anyways). Everyone here works in the "real world". We have to do the monkey dance or hit the bricks. Hollywood, the music "industry", and professional sports are NOT the "real world". MAYBE they were 50 years ago, but they certainly aren't now. And, if I may try my hand at hip hop aphorisms... WHEN DOOZ BE BALLIN', DOOZ BE SHOT CALLIN'. Like it or not, that's the way it goes.

Hey, I am not suggesting a rule or regulation against tats, but that doesn't mean I can't dislike them and--rightly or wrongfully--shouldn't develop opinions of players and teams in part based upon how the players present themselves to the public, including how they present their skin art. I also believe a large segment of the poplution still shares my perception.

[jimbofive]

Hey, I am not suggesting a rule or regulation against tats, but that doesn't mean I can't dislike them and--rightly or wrongfully--shouldn't develop opinions of players and teams in part based upon how the players present themselves to the public, including how they present their skin art. I also believe a large segment of the poplution still shares my perception.

Duly noted. I don't particularly care for tattoos either. I think if someone really cares enough about a tattoo, they should be willing to lose their job for it, i.e. "This is my mother, and she passed a few years ago... I got a tattoo of her on my arm, and if you can't respect that, then this isn't going to work out."

This would deflate most arguments for "barbed wire", i.e. "Dude, this barbed wire looks really rad, and it symbolizes my internal toughness because my uncle that I hung out with a few times got shot in his head shop and I had to raise myself without my uncle even though I have both parents and live in the suburbs."

For every cool person with a cool tattoo who would rather people didn't even notice it, I see 5 uncool people with an uncool tattoo, who think that they're God's gift and that butterfly or yin yang on their butt is His R-Ball®.

[Pistol]

For every cool person with a cool tattoo who would rather people didn't even notice it, I see 5 uncool people with an uncool tattoo, who think that they're God's gift and that butterfly or yin yang on their butt is His R-Ball®.

I think you're being generous with the 5:1 ratio. Probably more like 10:1. Please refer to the tattoo of the SIUC grad/virgin below:

This site is also fun:

http://www.badtattoos.com/

[jimbofive]

I think you're being generous with the 5:1 ratio. Probably more like 10:1. Please refer to the tattoo of the SIUC grad/virgin below:

This site is also fun:

http://www.badtattoos.com/

I was going to say 10:1, but didn't want to come off as harsh. Good God.

[Box and Won]

Please refer to the tattoo of the SIUC grad/virgin below:

I don't know, that tat might actually get a man laid in the Dale of Carbon.

[jimbofive]

Looks like two raccoons crawled up his sides to eat the food left on his upper lip. It also looks like they decided to eat an inverse mohawk's worth of hair off the back of his head instead.

[kevinfootes]

20 years from now? they look ridiculous now.

Funny how I don't remember anyone on here doing much complaining about Larry "Good Times Arm/Bad Times Arm" Hughes or Justin Tatum and their ink.

[billiken_roy]

Funny how I don't remember anyone on here doing much complaining about Larry "Good Times Arm/Bad Times Arm" Hughes or Justin Tatum and their ink.

i have always expressed extreme disappointment in hughes' tattoo's. they are ridiculous.

[Majerus Magic]

Funny how I don't remember anyone on here doing much complaining about Larry "Good Times Arm/Bad Times Arm" Hughes or Justin Tatum and their ink.

LARRY HUGHES looks like a moron

[kevinfootes]

LARRY HUGHES looks like a moron

Where were you when he was playing?

[kevinfootes]

i have always expressed extreme disappointment in hughes' tattoo's. they are ridiculous.

It hasn't stopped you from being his number one fan. It also hasn't stopped Hughes from being a multi-millionaire. I'm not a fan of the look either, but I don't waste my time complaining about tattoos, long shorts, dunks, etc. that all of the SLU blue-haired fans whine about all of the time.

[billiken_roy]

i am a fan of hughes because he is our only slu nba rep and the worst thing he has ever done in his life off the floor is get tatoos. all in all larry has been a fantastic person so i have nothing to hold against him beyond those ridiculous tatoos so larry remains pretty much the only thing i follow and cheer for in the nba.

[SS601]

I think it's about impossible at this point to try and put any sort of tattoo restriction on athletes. People are getting tattoos in high school without any thought of "I might have a job someday, so this neck tattoo/giant panther on bicep/teardrops on face/word across knuckles/calf sleeve/child's name across body/bible verse/panoramic view of home city across back/tattoo tribute to a dead loved one/tramp stamp/tribal pattern/barbwire tattoo might be a career-limiting move." And that is across all demographic lines, too. I work in a bank where everyone has to be in suits everyday, and when I see people out of work, I'm always surprised at the quantity of skin art. I'm not a tattoo guy, but most people who have them that I've met seem to take them pretty seriously and would not take kindly to criticism or restriction. So in the NBA, and increasingly in other professions, it is probably a lost cause to regulate tattoos in any fashion.

That said, I love the dress code in the NBA. That's something that they can and should police. If you are representing the league and a team, you absolutely should look the part of a professional at all times on the way to and from games and on road trips, and especially if you are on the bench not in uniform. No more looking like Huggy Bear at the end of the bench. This is a great rule.

I agree. Steve Nash could do better!

[Box and Won]

Personally, I would never get a tattoo - I think most of them look ridiculous - but I don't have a huge problem with NBA players getting inked. They might want to limit them to their arms and chest though. Delonte West's NECK tattoo is...interesting. Neck and face tatts look especially bad.

[moytoy12]

Big surprise, Melo quit on his teammates in game 3.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008...tory?id=3371683

I wish they could trade him.

[slufanskip]

i am a fan of hughes because he is our only slu nba rep and the worst thing he has ever done in his life off the floor is get tatoos. all in all larry has been a fantastic person so i have nothing to hold against him beyond those ridiculous tatoos so larry remains pretty much the only thing i follow and cheer for in the nba.

Now if we could only get Larry (I can't shoot, and I'm rich, so I don't care) Hughes to try and improve his game ... We'd have a Bill in the NBA to cheer for.

[Willie Nelson]

it's funny how melo gets a dui and all you slu pricks talk about how you hate him, and he's a horrible player, the majority of you shmucks don't watch the nba so let's just not talk about something we don't know shall we? bench melo? better without him? are we talking about Carmelo or Kenyon Martin? Melo along with not snitching, has shot his highest career fg% and 3% (taking better shots), out rebounded every other nba season he's had, and not once snitched.

[Willie Nelson]

He is the worst that the NBA can offer. It's all about him and it's all about offense. No concept of team, no concept of giving max effort, and plays without thinking. He really is about the worst basketball role model for young players to watch. Hell, even iverson (who is definitely not without flaws) gives much more effort. Unfortunately, the Nuggets won't and can't trade Carmelo.

The worst the nba has to offer is Pat Riley (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3372092), talk about quitting on a team, i bet he's even got a cream tatoo above the crack in his ass.

[brianstl]

it's funny how melo gets a dui and all you slu pricks talk about how you hate him, and he's a horrible player, the majority of you shmucks don't watch the nba so let's just not talk about something we don't know shall we? bench melo? better without him? are we talking about Carmelo or Kenyon Martin? Melo along with not snitching, has shot his highest career fg% and 3% (taking better shots), out rebounded every other nba season he's had, and not once snitched.

I take it you have not watched this series at all. He has been killing his team on both ends.

Wow, Martin can't guard Kobe. 95% of the power fowards in the League couldn't guard him. Karl is the idiot who has put him on Kobe. The whole team has quit now and Karl will lose his job. This could have been a much better series if Karl would have benched Melo in that first game to get a message through to him and the team.

[moytoy12]

it's funny how melo gets a dui and all you slu pricks talk about how you hate him, and he's a horrible player, the majority of you shmucks don't watch the nba so let's just not talk about something we don't know shall we? bench melo? better without him? are we talking about Carmelo or Kenyon Martin? Melo along with not snitching, has shot his highest career fg% and 3% (taking better shots), out rebounded every other nba season he's had, and not once snitched.

You think this is because of Melo's dui? LOL. Maybe it's the fact that Melo hasn't matured at all during his time in the league. Or that he doesn't play defense. Maybe it's that he doesn't listen to his coaches or doesn't look to pass the ball. How about the fact that he just admitted to quitting on his team.

I would take 80 cents on the dollar in a melo trade. You can have his offensive stats, they don't mean jack when you look at his game as a whole.

[NextYearBill]

Its obvious to me that the Lakers are just really good. Best player in the world and a great supporting cast. This series was over before it started. Pau Gasol was the biggest theft in American history.

[Pistol]

it's funny how melo gets a dui and all you slu pricks talk about how you hate him, and he's a horrible player, the majority of you shmucks don't watch the nba so let's just not talk about something we don't know shall we? bench melo? better without him? are we talking about Carmelo or Kenyon Martin? Melo along with not snitching, has shot his highest career fg% and 3% (taking better shots), out rebounded every other nba season he's had, and not once snitched.

I pointed out those stats much earlier in the thread, albeit in a much more tactful manner. The point was that he appears to be maturing on paper, but watching the games anyone can see that he takes plays off and doesn't help his team as much as he could and should.

And "not snitching" seems to be doing wonders* for the community Carmelo pretends to care about. Baltimore is thriving*.

*Sarcasm alert

[billiken_roy]

it's funny how melo gets a dui and all you slu pricks talk about how you hate him, and he's a horrible player, the majority of you shmucks don't watch the nba so let's just not talk about something we don't know shall we? bench melo? better without him? are we talking about Carmelo or Kenyon Martin? Melo along with not snitching, has shot his highest career fg% and 3% (taking better shots), out rebounded every other nba season he's had, and not once snitched.

i am excited that carmelo anthony's brother reads billikens.com

[Postcard]

It is not a matter of open or close-mindness, it is a matter of class and professionalism. These players represent their cities, employers, and fans. They are professionals. Most professional organizations do want to see their well-paid employees looking sloppy or unprofessional, whether is it over-the-top tattoos, inappropriate hair styles, shabby clothing, or anything else. Just because these guys are professional athletes doesn't mean basic class and professionalism shouldn't apply to them. If they want to get an inconspicuous tattoo for some personal reasons, each to their own, but that is not what has taken place in the NBA.

Are you really trying to equate an NBA team with a "regular" professional organization? Do you think for a minute these teams care how much ink a player has coming out of college? All they care about is if the guy can ball or not. And if he can keep his nose clean more power to him. And last time I checked having a tattoo wasn't a warning sign for future criminal behavior. Do they let you wear baggy shorts at most "professional organizations?" I can't believe you're trying to make a comparison between the two. Are you the judge on class and professionalism standards now. My brother-in-law works at Boeing. I would think most people think that is a "professional organization." He can wear nearly anything he wants to work. He doesn't have to wear a suit and tie. He can go in jeans and a tee shirt. That's the culture now a days. I thought you were still relatively young but you act like you're awaiting your AARP card.

Are you longing for the Cardinals to go back to the Vern Rapp era?

[Majerus Magic]

Are you really trying to equate an NBA team with a "regular" professional organization? Do you think for a minute these teams care how much ink a player has coming out of college? All they care about is if the guy can ball or not. And if he can keep his nose clean more power to him. And last time I checked having a tattoo wasn't a warning sign for future criminal behavior. Do they let you wear baggy shorts at most "professional organizations?" I can't believe you're trying to make a comparison between the two. Are you the judge on class and professionalism standards now. My brother-in-law works at Boeing. I would think most people think that is a "professional organization." He can wear nearly anything he wants to work. He doesn't have to wear a suit and tie. He can go in jeans and a tee shirt. That's the culture now a days. I thought you were still relatively young but you act like you're awaiting your AARP card.

Are you longing for the Cardinals to go back to the Vern Rapp era?

Actually, I do think they are trying to present a "professional" look, as they have instituted a dress code.