Is there a tattooed elephant in the room?

[sydjackson]

At my weekly squash match last night the conversation centred around the footy - finals and Brownlow.
Eight blokes sitting around, all keen sportsmen, and all have "been around" for quite awhile!
Regarding the Brownlow, the memories flooded in about how blond hair was always seen as useful as a vote-getter, also long sleeved jumpers, players who were polite to umpires and handed the ball back, and now the nudenut attraction (Judd, Ablett, Chapman etc.).
Conversation then turned to what might possibly work the other way, perhaps subconciously, and the subject of tattoos was raised.
Now personally I am totally opposed to tattoos and would be horrified if my kids made that choice, but I hadn't thought of it in terms of umpires and voting.
What do you think? Could a negative society attitude towards tattos, either historically or currently, translate into a player being seen in a lesser light? Could that have turned possible 3 vote games into 2? Could it have meant the difference between winning and losing?

 

[AndyLucimitis]

What about running like a duck ?


(Maybe there is a tattooed duck in the room .... or should that be an elephant who runs like a duck in the room ..... ????)

 

[dart]

Could a negative society attitude towards tattos, either historically or currently, translate into a player being seen in a lesser light?

you'd have to canvas the umpires.

Could that have turned possible 3 vote games into 2? Could it have meant the difference between winning and losing?

in answer to your question(s) "maybe"


props for an awesome conspiracy theory

 

[JuddsABlue]

Havent you heard?

Not having a tattoo is the new having a tattoo

 

[estibador]

What if you got a tat of a polite balding blonde chick on your arm? Then the umps wouldn't know which way to vote.

 

[estibador]

What about running like a duck ?

Might be onto something there. Carey never won one either.

There goes Barlow's future prospects I spose.

 

[Furn]

The best way to know for sure would be to get Judd to get full sleeves over the summer.

Then if he still wins the Brownlow clearly while missing 3 games and having an average season, then we will know that tattoos have no effect.

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

I thought this - just cos you have tatts doesn't mean you're a bad person

Unless you're dane swan

Having said that though, there probably loads of people out there who are bad people who don't have tats

 

[Firebat]

The best way to know for sure would be to get Judd to get full sleeves over the summer.

Then if he still wins the Brownlow clearly while missing 3 games and having an average season, then we will know that tattoos have no effect.

Are you implying that Judd's 2010 was an 'average' season?

 

[Pie eyed]

What if you got a tat of a polite balding blonde chick on your arm? Then the umps wouldn't know which way to vote.

Was Sinead O'Connor polite?

Interesting theory, and not necessarily a "conspiracy" but quite possibly a perception thing.

Not important though.....
Swan will win a Charlie eventually, if he continues his form.

 

[Falchoon]

There's been a lot of conjecture on here about Swan not getting a tagger. Do the umpires take the same view?

25 from Pendles with tagger > 30 from Swan sans tagger?

 

[Pie eyed]

There's been a lot of conjecture on here about Swan not getting a tagger. Do the umpires take the same view?

25 from Pendles with tagger > 30 from Swan sans tagger?

To say Swan does not get a tagger is a furphy and while I know you'll probably disagree, not being effectively taggable, is a positive not a negative as far a any Collingwood supporter is concerned.

On the subject though, I don't think umpires would notice.
It's already obvious they only notice the midfielders for the most part and then only weight of possession seems to matter at all.

This is not a knock on Judd and could even be a knock on Swan and all other mids but the evidence is there.

Honestly the only reason I have had even a passing interest in the Brownlow, ever, is when a Pies player was a good chance of winning. Who won last year I remember because they flog "last years" player in the media. Most other supporters would be very similar.
I have no idea who won the year before or the year before that.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Are you implying that Judd's 2010 was an 'average' season?

By his, the media's and the AA panel's perspective, yes.

No awards, not in the best 18 footballers for the year and he evens aid he didn;t think he was a chance.

 

[didak04]

The best way to know for sure would be to get Judd to get full sleeves over the summer.

Then if he still wins the Brownlow clearly while missing 3 games and having an average season, then we will know that tattoos have no effect.

Would have to run it by Twiggers first, Judd's not even allowed to shave without her permission.

 

[Falchoon]

To say Swan does not get a tagger is a furphy and while I know you'll probably disagree,

I neither agree or disagree, just putting it out there.

 

[Pie eyed]

I neither agree or disagree, just putting it out there.

Fair enough.

 

[Pies time is NOW]

One of two ideas will come out of this game

a) Swan is an A grade player.

b) Swan can get 1,000 possessions and it will never hurt you.

After Monday night, Swan's reputation is on the line big time.

Not because he lost the Brownlow to two of the best players of all time, but it gives people the chance to devalue him as just a two bit hack who gets kicks at the back of the pack.

Look at the quality of the two blokes who beat him in the Brownlow on Monday night. Amazing players.

For any number of reasons, this is Swan's biggest game of all time.

The pressure will either see him shine or it will be too much.

Jones is the only one who can slow him down but most teams decide that Pendlebury is worth more tagging because he hurts you more.

If they run Milne on Swan - Swan will get 100 possessions. Milne might get a few too but I am happy with that match up. If Milne goes to Swan, Swan will run down to full forward. Swan is capable there. I am sure Collingwood will rotate a few through Reiwoldt and St Kilda through Swan. As they both have the biggest respective engines.

Baker could yet come in for one right hook "Coup de grace" to Swannie's head.​

If Collingwood win, Dane Swan is 80% chance to win the Norm Smith as payback. So he is great odds at 5-1. He doesn't have to battle the two best players in the league in Judd and Ablett for this medal.

 

[jim boy]

Tattoos didn't do Kevin Murray any harm

 

[MarkT2]

There's been a lot of conjecture on here about Swan not getting a tagger. Do the umpires take the same view?

25 from Pendles with tagger > 30 from Swan sans tagger?

Not according to the players, the coaches, the radio voters, the TV voters and the papers. More than happy for Lyon to follow this theory though.

 

[sydjackson]

Tattoos didn't do Kevin Murray any harm

That is true! He would have been one of the very few with tatts in those days. albeit much more modest that those exhibited today.
An interesting adjunct is that, on the day the medal was presented (in the middle of the MCG, followed by a lap of honour) he wore a long-sleeved jumper purely so that the tatts would not be visible.

 

[simba_]

just because the brownlow didn't go to the one the media were psyching up doesn't mean there's a huge conspiracy behind it..

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

There might be a little more to the theory than people think, because he polled extremely well in 2007, before he got the sleeve.

Since then, despite improving significantly, he hasn't polled as (relatively) well.

 

[choo]

I love watching tattooed players.
It means they're not robbing my house.

 

[up_the_lions]

If anything hurt Swan, I think it's the perception that has floated around for a few years that he doesn't win his own footy, or use it damaging. This might have been true in past years, but it is has been far from true this year. Always seems to come up with a clearance when Collingwood need it and kicks goals. His work rate is actually a big reason for this perception, because he works so hard and finds space so regularly that people assume he's floating off the contest. Considering some of the unrewarded games he had, I would have to assume that umpires were at least slightly influenced by this perception.

 

[up_the_lions]

If anything hurt Swan, I think it's the perception that has floated around for a few years that he doesn't win his own footy, or use it damaging. This might have been true in past years, but it is has been far from true this year. Always seems to come up with a clearance when Collingwood need it and kicks goals. His work rate is actually a big reason for this perception, because he works so hard and finds space so regularly that people assume he's floating off the contest. Considering some of the unrewarded games he had, I would have to assume that umpires were at least slightly influenced by this perception.