My initial reaction to Whitlock's article is, WOW!
But, what is interesting is that what he writes, I honestly thought earlier in the playoffs when Iverson and Anthony were still playing….I was SO turned off by their tattoos. I think it is ridiculous how they have covered their body in ink.
It does harm their brand, which directly impacts their potential to have a successful financial future.
And, what bothers me even more is that while I watched college basketball during March Madness, I noticed that SO many college students are now all tatted up…..emulating their NBA heroes.
This (professional sports) is a business, when did folks loose sight of that? It is not just a game they are playing. The athletes are responsible to the organization whose jersey they wear at minimum and truly they should be thinking about their potential financial opportunities….endorsements, paid appearances, etc. Bottomline, there are a lot of stackholders they are accountable to.
Now the article by Mr. Whitlock, is what it is….and, he is DEFINITELY going to get slack for his words. But, if folks would first stop and think about it a little bit, what he is pointing out is true….in my professional as well as personal opinion.
In NBA playoffs, less ink means more viewers
by Jason Whitlock
Jason Whitlock brings his edgy and thought-provoking style to FOXSports.com. Columnist for the Kansas City Star, he has won the National Journalism Award for Commentary for "his ability to seamlessly integrate sports and social commentary and to challenge widely held assumptions along the racial divide."Over the next couple of weeks you'll hear lots of theories about why TV ratings are surging for the NBA playoffs.
Of course it helps that large TV markets with storied franchises (Boston and Los Angeles) are still alive and favorites to make the NBA Finals. And, yes, it helps that the league's two most successful franchises over the last five years (San Antonio and Detroit) are competing against the Lakers and the Celtics.
The conference finals are littered with big stars, too. Kobe, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Paul Pierce, Tony Parker, Ray Allen, Manu Ginobili, Rasheed Wallace and all the rest could make up an all-star team that the rest of the league couldn't beat.
Obviously, there are a lot of factors contributing to the ratings numbers that TNT, ESPN and ABC keep bragging about in nearly daily press releases.
The NBA has been experiencing a resurgence ever since the Suns traded for Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol, the Mavericks got hoodwinked into snagging Jason Kidd and the Cavaliers picked up new spare parts for LeBron.
But there's one issue driving improved ratings that likely won't be touched by all the NBA talking heads on TNT and ESPN.
Tattoos. Or rather the lack of tattoos in the conference finals.
Part of the reason more people are watching these playoffs is because the average fan isn't constantly repulsed by the appearance of most of the players on the court. Most of the key players left in the playoffs don't look like recent prison parolees.
The only accurate way to describe Garnett, Pierce, Duncan, Allen, Manu, Parker and even Kobe is "clean cut." Yeah, there are a couple of tattoos in that group — Duncan has something on his back, Kobe still has his post-rape-allegation tat — but the Lakers, Spurs and Celtics have far less ink on average than your typical NBA franchise.
Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony have more tats on their hands than the entire Spurs roster.
I know many of you probably think the number of tattoos doesn't influence viewing habits. You're wrong. Like everything else televised, appearances matter. There's a reason you don't see nude scenes in movies with fat people. Trust me, fat people have sex. It's just no one wants to see it. Not even fat people.
No one wants to watch Delonte West or Larry Hughes play basketball. It's uncomfortable and disconcerting. You don't want your kids to see it. You don't want your kids to think they should decorate their neck, arms, hands, chest and legs in paint. You don't want to waste time explaining to your kids that some millionaire athletes have so little genuine self-confidence that they find it necessary to cover themselves in tattoos as a way to mask their insecurities.
You just want to watch basketball and feel like you're watching people you can relate to a little bit, people you somewhat respect.
We finally have that again on the NBA's biggest stage, and everyone can see it because the league's substance isn't covered in a barrel of tattoo ink.
David Stern has been arguing that the NBA is the best book. Ever since Ron Artest went into the stands, Stern has been slowly changing the cover of his book. The dress code and the age limit have helped. The midseason trades helped. Garnett's donning of a Celtics jersey really helped. Kobe's maturity and ascension to Jordan's throne has probably been the most important development. Kobe is everything the league wants LeBron James to be.
But don't underestimate how much having a visually pleasing product to look at has benefitted the league at conference finals time.
It's a television show. Pleasant smiles, non-threatening people sell products better than menacing, tattooed brutes.
If I was David Stern, I'd commission Nike and/or Under Armor to create a basketball jersey with long sleeves, all the way down to the wrists. I'd make Iverson wear a turtleneck jersey with sleeves. I'd cover the tats.
Do you think Sports Illustrated would let its swimsuit models cover themselves in tattoos? Models are paid to look good. Athletes are no different from models. Everyone accepts that female basketball players — when possible — are pushed to showcase their feminine beauty.
It's unfortunate that too many young athletes are too unenlightened to approach the game like a business. They resist almost all ideas that would put more money in their pockets. They have to be forced to do the little things that would help them make more money.
Growing NBA ratings is what's best for the players in the long term. Adopting a non-prison-ready appearance would help everyone in the league earn more money. But no one will talk about it.
In NBA playoffs, less ink means more viewers : FoxSports.com Water Cooler
Monica, I agree that these players should be mindful of the business implications or repercussions of getting tatoos. I believe that overall, these players do themselves a great disservice by tatting themselves up, in terms of their corporate value.
ReplyDeleteThere is also the other side: the NBA is known for having an urban appeal, so many of these players are being consistent with the target audience.
I actually agree with Whitlock 100% and I would never get a tatoo myself.
It would be interesting to find out what percentage of NFL players have tatoos compared to the NBA. I would guess it's probably a lot lower on a whole because their jerseys cover them up and there is no real incentive to get them.
Very, very interesting article by Whitlock. Although there is a segment of TV sports watchers who would say they could care less how the player looks (tattoos or not) as long as the guy can shoot and make the basket, it is true the the larger segment of fans who buy season tickets, potential sponsors for the team franchise, execs at companies that issue endorsement deals, and others who view the business side of the sports industry would all agree that a player's image (attitude, character, behavior, and dress) is vitally important.
ReplyDeleteIt should be understood by players that tattoos are a component of their "dress" -- it becomes an intergrated part of the clothes that they put (when the tattoos are easily visible) and in this case, it becomes an intergrated of part of the team jersey as they play on the court. *It's interesting to see the increased acceptance of tattoos in the general society because I've always questioned why some women get very big tattoos on their arms or backs, and then precede to wear dresses to black-tie events that showcase the tattoos (which stand out and make the women look inappropriate for a black-tie affair). - Go figure??
Whether it's a player on the court or the businessman or woman, people have to be conscious about where they get their tattoos and what image the tattoos project when they are exposed for others to see, and when to wear clothing that exposes the tattoo. ** QUESTION: How many CEOs of national corporations can you name that have tattoos? I can't name one. - Now, that doesn't mean that he or she doesn't have a tattoo somewhere underneath the suit but they understand that as CEO of the corporation, they are the image of the company. For professional athletes, they are the CEOs of their personal professional careers on AND off the court, and being plastered with tattoos doesn't "sell" always when you are trying to close major deals. -- Finally, I wonder if those people who have numerous tattoos have ever thought what the tats will look like when they reach their senior golden years -- it's not a pretty site when the skin starts to sag (smile)!