Well wouldn't it be a surprise to see yet another American basketballer in some strife once more! Really the more I see these guys play, the more I dislike everything about them - they all seem to have the same character and to be honest, I find most of their games absolute shit. My wife has commented that they all look like thugs (well most anyway). Are there any players there of a black American background who don't have a tattoo? And I am not being racist here, but they set a role model to me that I do not like one little bit.

Why the hell do tattoo's always get linked with violent thugs.

It's the person, not the tatt.

Squid that was a pretty damn offensive post, anytime someone has to say "I'm not being racist here" you can be pretty sure some ignorant statement has just come out of their mouth.

So because Ron Artest gets arrested for domestic violence does that make every guy in the league with black skin and a couple of tattoos criminals? It's sad to see people within this state have such a simple minded thought process and also that you clearly haven't meet people with an appearance different to yours. Try to not judge a book by its cover.

Plus it's the old Charles Barkley argument; they are paid to be basketball players, not role models. If you get your moral compass from a group of professional athletes putting a ball thru a hoop your parents must have really been slack with you.

DC, with this quote, "It's sad to see people within this state have such a simple minded thought process" - you have just done what you accuse squid of doing, generalising.

Who have I generalised? Squid wrote that he thinks all black American basketball players seem to have the same personality, that he can't seem to name a black American basketball player without a tattoo and that Ron Artest being arrested for domestic violence makes all black American NBA players poor role models. That is a rather simple thought process that is narrow minded.

Ah I see what you are getting at Nutwork. As #122793 kindly pointed out, you read my post incorrectly, but I must admit it wasn't worded as well as it should have.

For all I know Squid could be from outside the country, (sounds like he's living Apartheid style anyways) but it just distresses me that people involved in the basketball community could think like he does.

heres one:

Why did Ron Artest file charges against a woman? Because she was resisting Artest!

OK guys, sorry to raise this matter. I will go back listening to all my rap music, that is great stuff! And such nice words too.
I want to make it very clear that there have been some tremendous role models playing NBA in the past, but they all seem to go back a while - perhaps things have changed both within the game and socially, but I do think I have a right to say that I do like what I see now within the NBA - I no longer find it interesting - for a start the games seem to last an eternity with all the time outs. Whilst we at the 36ers had a shocking year, give me the NBL any time for interest and passion.

And I meant do not like in the NBA - away on business interstate at present and need to get back home to the best state there is!

Are you down in Tasmania Squid trying to help your mate Nashy with his jumpshot?

No in Queensland, I thought that was nearly as far away as I could get from him!

Nobody can help Nash's jumpshot now.

Squid,

Of course you have the right to say whatever you like, and there is nothing wrong with saying you don't find the NBA interesting anymore but there is something prejudice about labelling all the players as criminals due to a little bit of ink and black skin.

While I don't believe in role models in sport, what have guys like Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson, Shaq, Tracy McGrady, Antawn Jamison, Tim Duncan and Gilbert Arenas that is so bad that makes them poor role models? I know if I had a child I wouldn't mind them looking to these guys as examples of how to act and here I am only listing star players of African American origin in line with your original complaint.

I find this all a little bit over the top, surely you're just bored and wanted to stir up some discussion on here.

Well one of those guys is still playing, and Squid was stereotyping African American players.

If you want to go on, how about guys like Dikembe Mutombo who is building hospitals in his native country, Luol Deng who is trying to improve conditions in Sudan.

So #123147 and squid, what is there to hate about these players? What have these guys done that makes them so criminal?

And how does having tattoos make someone a bad role model?

It's the whole stereotype thing - We have in in Australia, if you have tattoos and ride a harley you're a bikie.

It's ridiculous - Tattoos are simply art - if you actually took the time to find out what some of the tattoos mean to the players, you wouldn't think they were such bad role models.

Artest maybe isn't the best role model but it isn't because he has tattoos and is black. Far from it in fact.

DC, not saying it does. Just saying all these guys were great role models and none of them had tattos.

Those guys DC are just perpetuating the problems by supporting their countries population growth. They are not role models.

Help out the hospitals in Beverly Hills or Manhatten. Help these kinds of ppl.

123147, what the people in Dikembe or Luol's home country aren't worth helping? What kind of attitude is that?

What makes the people of Beverly Hills or Manhattan any more worthy of help than the people of Africa?

Hear hear Bizzy, i'm with you..
Why help people get facelifts, liposuction etc.
Much better off helping out people in poverty, that are diseased or not schooled etc.

Hang on, hang on....Mark Nash has a jump shot? When is he going to show everyone?

There is a good show on the Disovery Travel Channel on Fox called Miami Ink. Its basically aboiut 4 guys running a tattoo shop in Miami and gives an insight into the tattos people get and the reasons they get them. Its quite an eye opener when you hear some of the stories that lead to a person getting a tattoo and does a lot to break down the stereotypes associated wit people with tattoos.

Well worth a watch

To give you an idea.

I am a 38yo IT professional who is the parent of 2 young children.

I have 3 tattoos. All of them have direct reference to the love I feel for my family and they make me feel good about making those statements.

My right shoulder has my son's name (James) under the chinese symbol for "Pride".

My left shoulder has my daughter's name (Kate) under the chinese symbol for "Joy".

My forearm has six chinese symbols on it which respresent my wife's name (Lisa) and the symbols for "Soulmate".

I got my first tattoo when I was 32.

There's a sign in the tattoo parlour that I had them done....

"The difference between people who have tattoos and people who don't, is that people who have them don't judge those that don't"

I do get defensive when anyone says "so and so is a bad influence or trouble or a bad role model because he has a drinking problem , drugs issues, beats up his girlfriend and has tattoo's" Judge a person on their behaviours.