clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Defending Brock Osweiler: The Tattoo Doesn't Make The Man

The internet has caught onto Brock Osweiler's unfortunate tattoo snafu. His left arm is marked with the phrase "Live Life To It's Fullest", showcasing an unnecessary apostrophe.

This has given ASU detractors plenty of ammunition to ridicule the institution's academic standards and the intellect of Osweiler himself. Allow me to be the first to say it: enough is enough.

Osweiler can't be happy that there is a grammatical error permanently etched into his flesh. But honestly, how is he going to get it fixed? He's not a professional athlete; last time I checked, he wasn't paid for going to school and playing football on an amateur level. These things cost money.

The NCAA would certainly throw the book at ASU or a booster if they paid for his tattoo fix - didn't Ohio State get into a little trouble this summer over such an incident?

Maybe he could get a discount in Tempe for being our star quarterback? Not so fast.

"As a student-athlete, you're not allowed to use your persona to get discounted services," Ohio State AD Gene Smith said after five of his players were suspended over such benefits in a tattoo parlor.

Lest we forget, tattoo artists are human as well. They can make mistakes and I'm willing to bet that most tattoo artists do not have a traditional college education.

In the end, I'm disappointed that the media and ASU haters have used Brock's tattoos as an opportunity to attack his intelligence. Arizona State is not the pinnacle of higher education, but don't people forget that he's just a 20-year old man?

Osweiler is intelligent, charismatic, and friendly to those who approach him. His leadership skills are visible to anyone with a pulse, and to discount him for an excessive dot on his tattoo is a meager attempt to tear down a person who has worked so hard to get where his today - the quarterback of an undefeated Pac-12 football team.

When Osweiler has a chance, I'm sure he will pay to get the tattoo fixed. Hopefully it's right after his gets his NFL signing bonus. Until then, let his game do the talking.