DeShawn's New Tattoo
A few weeks back, after Vince Young appeared shirtless on 60 Minutes, it became a popular pastime to declare the quarterback's back tattoo--which reads "V. YOUNG"--"The Worst Tattoo EVER." Then bloggers took this and ran with it, declaring Stephen Jackson's ink honoring prayer and guns and/or a Kiwi's presumptuous celebration of New Zealand's 2011 Rugby World Cup triumph the worst tattoos ever.
But let's go back to the original Vince Young art, and state, for the record, that this is officially a trend. Witness DeShawn Stevenson's offseason addition.
"It's not finished yet," he told me this afternoon. "I'm doing my whole back as a jersey....It's gonna be real nice."
Yes, that means that in the near future--possibly before the season--the script "Stevenson" will be joined by a large number '2.' Also, possibly by heaven's pearly gates, although that wouldn't really fit with the uniform motif. Anyhow, I told DeShawn about Vince Young's similar back stylings.
"For real?" he said. "See, that's the new hot thing."
I told him Internet types were skeptical.
"I think it's hot," he disagreed.
(Interruption: Illustrious blogs such as With Leather, The Big Lead and Deadspin have all made posts about a message concerning Lindsay Lohan that appeared on Stevenson's MySpace page today.
"It's not me," he said of the message. "I mean, it's my page, but it's not me saying that." So who wrote that? "I don't know," he said. "We've got to find out. I've got like six [MySpace] pages. You know I'm famous now.")
Point being, I figured I should see whether the back tattoos were spreading around the Wizards locker room as fast as Internet rumors about video game cheating. So, Wizards teammates, are you getting your name tattooed across the top of your backs?
"Nah, I know my last name," Brendan Haywood said.
"I ain't gonna do all that," Dominic McGuire said. "I don't like needles."
"Everybody's got his different opinion and different decision, right?" Oleksiy Pecherov said. "I think it's ok for him. He think it's good, he made his decision....I'm not ready yet for tattoo. I'm, like, from overseas and I'm not sure about this, so I'm cool like I am right now."
Plus, you know how much Cyrillic script costs writ large across the back? Anyhow, teammates seemed ok with the art--"they spelled it right," Caron Butler pointed out; "he's already got endorsements so he's good," McGuire added.
Tatooing his name took the better part of a day--"You know me, I cry through tattoos, I stopped like six or seven times," Stevenson said--and he thinks the number 2 will require two days. Stevenson said he was actually inspired by Gilbert Arenas, who had considerable work done on his back on the offseason. So I asked Gilbert to assess DeShawn's new addition.
"I'm not talking about DeShawn, Deshawn has an attitude right now," Gilbert said, but finally he relented and attempted to explain why one would want one's name on one's back.
"That's the name you represent," he told me. "When you're done in the NBA it's still your uniform: this is who you are, this is your time and your place...At the end of the day, when you get tattoos, [they're ok] as long as they mean something. That's why I don't do my arms and stuff, because it's not for people to see. This is what I feel, that has to do with myself."
Or as Haywood put it, "If it works for him, it works for me. I don't really care, it's not my body."
By Dan Steinberg |
October 18, 2007; 4:41 PM ET
| Category:
Wizards
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Posted by: Super Mang | October 18, 2007 05:08 PM
"I've got like six Myspace pages ... you know I'm famous now."
Instant classic.
Posted by: DeShawn's Head | October 18, 2007 05:20 PM
Sounds like Lohan could use the money herself.
I've seen several fighters with their names tattooed across their backs. Of course, there is at least a chance they might actually forget their name if it wasn't tattooed somewhere obvious. If not now then in 20 years.
Posted by: prophet | October 18, 2007 05:29 PM
What's with the hippie font?
Posted by: Mike in SD | October 18, 2007 05:55 PM
What if he gets traded somewhere and can't get #2?
Posted by: Brian | October 18, 2007 05:58 PM
I saw the picture of the big 3 in the aol preview (http://sports.aol.com/nba/story/_a/wizards-need-to-conjure-up-a-big-season/20071016131909990002)and noticed the same thing about Jamison's new ink. I always wondered about what was on Jamisons right arm to begin with (seen here: http://www.nba.com/gallery/pg_antawn_jamison_5.html )
Posted by: To super meng | October 18, 2007 07:58 PM
Antawn had to take off today and I wasn't able to ask him about the new tattoo, but I plan to soon.....
Posted by: Dan Steinberg | October 18, 2007 08:03 PM
I heard Wiz PR stuntman D Jenkins was thinking about getting a portrait tattoo of both his sons Andray Blatche and James Lang done on his chest but hes waiting for his Christmas bonus to arrive first
Posted by: you know him well | October 18, 2007 11:10 PM
If only Haywood's jerk presence in the locker room didn't match his presence in the post, the Wizards would be ok.
Posted by: ScottVanPeltStyle | October 19, 2007 09:04 AM
Great blog post. DeShawn Stevenson never has been nor ever will be famous for anything he does on the basketball court, but I guess that's why we hear about off the court crap like this. Funny, funny stuff.
Posted by: allonthefield | October 19, 2007 09:32 AM
The only reason I can figure for these guys to tattoo their names on their backs like that is if they are power bottoms trying to make sure the West Hollywood tops they pick up know exactly who they are a**-banging.
Posted by: rabid wolverine | October 19, 2007 12:31 PM
"What's with the hippie font?"
Ha! Hilarious Mike, you're right, it's like the cover of American Beauty (the Grateful Dead album). But I doubt DeShawn rocks much of the Dead...
Posted by: Casey | October 19, 2007 12:35 PM
looks like a lot of pain to endure.........
Posted by: denzel | October 19, 2007 12:41 PM
This news of DeShawn's uniform tattoo lessens the buyer's remorse I feel for my Speedo tattoo.
Posted by: Sean | October 19, 2007 01:09 PM
The "E's" on his back look like hearts...definitely could have chosen better font.
Posted by: Brian | October 19, 2007 01:55 PM
Deshawn and Gil are both retarded. All that ink is seeking into their brains...
Believe me, Deshawn is not going to stop there.. He'll probably finish his back with more tatt's.
Donell Taylors friend George had Alabama put on his upper back. He's reppin Montgomery hard!
Posted by: | October 19, 2007 02:18 PM
According to Gilbert's record on Halo, he plays 6 to 10 hours straight sometimes. He's on there now playing.
Posted by: | October 19, 2007 02:41 PM
Um, what if he gets traded? And he's not wearing No. 2 anymore? Hmmm.
Posted by: Red Sox Monster | October 19, 2007 03:12 PM
Steinz,
Last year when you documented the wizards tat party's didn't you qoute Jamison saying he was going to get his removed because he thought the concept was stupid?
Posted by: C. Hen | October 19, 2007 03:12 PM
This blog stinks. Horribly.
Posted by: Nose Plugs | October 19, 2007 04:09 PM
people shouldn't criticize tattoos, to do so shows a certain lack of class, and a disrespect for the entire concept of tattoos. namely, they're yours, they're highly personal, and the meaning of them is significant to you and you alone.
for example a friend of mine was telling me about a tattoo he saw, at first he thought it was the most stupid idea for a tattoo ever, it said something like sick ass for life on one arm, and brothers never die on the other...he was skeptical as to the meaning of the tattoo.
sick ass was a nickname for his brother, who had died earlier that year, and brothers never die was something that he'd always said, a solidarity quote between the two of them. don't judge tattoos based on your personal views, because they aren't about you.
Posted by: logan | October 19, 2007 04:53 PM
What worries me: 'Lindsay Lohan' is slang for white powder...
Posted by: | October 19, 2007 05:45 PM
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting, to the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
Cause we are the champions...of the world!
Posted by: Crabcakes and...Rugby? | October 21, 2007 11:21 AM
What a shady tattoo...Eddie Jordan or David Stern should come up with some anti-tattoo policy and DNP the bloke 'til he gets it removed.I hear the laser removal hurts twice as much.
Anyone else used to like Gil alot now think he's a bit of a fool?Cos everyone in the UK is of the same opinion.Start dropping fifty-a-game again and get someone to proof read your blogs Gil.Sort ur life out.
Posted by: John Harake | October 22, 2007 01:02 PM
From what I can tell Jamisons old tattoo reads "Jam Is On". Looks real amateurish, probably got it eons ago and finally covered the cruddy tattoo up with something nicer.
Posted by: laurent | October 22, 2007 09:45 PM
Like Haywood said, it's his body man - let the man do what he wants with his body. Wouldn't be such a big deal if he wasn't a prof athlete I'm sure. Let the man be.
Posted by: Daps | October 30, 2007 03:38 AM
Im Tatted my self, and I think that is something unique. To wear your name anywhere on your body, permanently, shows pribe and character.
Posted by: Michael Lampkin | December 7, 2007 01:46 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Doesn't Antawn Jamison have a new tattoo on his arm? I thought I saw that in one of the media photos on their website. What did Arenas get done?