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Tim, United Kingdom
Hypothesis 2: Australia were shit
Hypothesis 3: There’s a small uptake of ink into the lymphatic system also which will affect some change in
sensitivity of the immune system, especially when a little stressed about being beaten.
Holly, United States
The article was interesting but it caused me to consider alopecia patients who often have their eyebrows tattooed
on in order to avoid the hassle of having to draw them on daily with an eye pencil.
In these cases..... mental well being is restored and leads to a more optimal outcome as opposed to a tattoo that
goes badly wrong...e.g the name of a partner on an arm after a divorce or break up.
I therefore believe the reasoning behind the tattoo has a large effect upon the sensory outcome and whether it
makes the system ‘whole’ or perturbs it.
Hope this adds an interesting slant.
Len, United Kingdom
Have you also noticed how David Beckham’s career has nose dived, with each and every tattoo?
Have you noticed how the jobless queue is full of tattooed people, where, those in work seldom have tattoos?
My theory is that:
a) You have to be stupid to have a tattoo, as this is testament to your stupidity.
b) As you are now telling everyone that you are stupid, having a tattoo says so, you also notice that your ability to
concentrate is lessened, which is visible to those around you.
c) Therefore, you performance in area of expertise is damaged.
d) The frequency and intensity of tattooing accelerate and amplify your stupidity, which makes you want more
tattoos, and become more stupid.
Also, if you start off as stupid, say you get tattooed to make people aware of you, to try to increase self esteem, but
you’re suckered into the circle of stupid – tattoo – stupider – more tattoos.
Celebrities, sportspeople, etc, start of the circle one step down tattoo – stupider – more tattoos – more stupider.
Wherever, whenever, you join the circle, immaturity takes over, and you become useless at whatever you try to do.
So, if you educate yourself, and don’t get tattooed, the world is yours.
If you are stupid, or get tattooed, then, tough. Down the slide you go.
So, that is my theory. It supports yours, but from a psychological point of view rather than physiological.Difference
– ch in the former – I in the latter. Add together, chi, is your life force. You destroy it, from either point of view,
psychological or physiological, and your performance is negatively affected.
So, from any point of view, becoming tattooed is stupid. It affects who you are, how you behave, and how others
see you. QED (extremely flawed I’m sure!!!! But, hey, we’re only joking, aren’t we???)
Pam, Australia
This is fascinating, but do we know which other team members have had tattoos and have there been changes in
their performance? Have any of the English team had recent tattoos which have not affected performance?
Dr Robert, Australia
Maybe a tattoo is an ‘acupuncture’ with dye. Perhaps your explanation for a tattoo’s potency on motor
performance could apply as an alternative explanation for acupuncture’s efficacy in pain. The old explanations of
endorphin release are not holding up all that well. Maybe the needling of the body allows the brain to refine the
somatosensory cortical body map. You feel the pin, and can’t help but try and direct attention to its location. Over
repeated sessions the limbs cortical representation is fine tuned.
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Edel, New Zealand
I think your hypothesis is far too loose to say that the tattoos had any bearing on how well the cricketers played.
As you suggested there are so many variables involved, such as state of the pitch, state of the match, opposing
cricketers’ actions and current climate, that I think it is unlikely that the bad play is as a result of the limb being
embodied a little differently in the brain.
I don’t doubt that the limb is embodied differently but I don’t believe that this altered representation should be
blamed when there are so many other variables. And what about the 3rd test, Johnson played great.
When you look at the game, England also looked after the ball a lot better than Australia and Australia had some
really bad fielding.
Johnson is definitely a confidence player, when things are going well he plays great but when his head is down
usually he has a bad day. Clarke is similar, he had a bad test series but his best games were when he was captain,
rising to the challenge etc!
What’s happening in the brain there?
Henry, United Kingdom
Regarding to your Hypothesis, I would like to bring to your attention a top ranked player who performs match after
match who have tattoo’s(picture included), world no1 Bowler Dale Steyn! Kevin Pieterson also springs to mind as
one of the Ashes opposition who sports tattoo’s...Yours in Health
Frédéric, Canada
About the tattoo hypothesis. I have to admit I am usually a fan of the body maps/motor imagery explanations and
a regular user of such concepts I have to admit I find your explanation for the poor performance a little far fetched.
First, the sample is so small we can’t really make any assumption about any type of correlation between tattoo and
performance with a n=2 sample!!
Then, this can all just be a perfect example of a type II error where the initial hypothesis, tattoo can negatively affect
performance by changing the body map, is not rejected by the little observational study despite being false. My
Occam’s razor tells me «it’s just a coincidence» seems like a more likely explanation for the Aussies loss!!
But I won’t stop using graded motor imagery with my patients, don’t worry!
Cameron, Australia
Lovely work. We like to be able to look at research and say: “well, that makes sense”. The more sensible it sounds,
the more we’re likely to accept it. So my first reaction was to have a laugh, (“izze avvin’ a laff??” in my best Ricky
Gervais voice), but then with my science goggles on, none of this should be out-of-bounds. As long as it’s possible,
it’s worth looking at. My own theories about how physio works are wayyyyy out of left field, after all.
Supporting evidence: AFL player Lance Franklin, one of the stars of the game, got ink done (sleeve) and dropped off
in performance in 2010 season. I can’t find any stats unfortunately, but as a close follower of the game, I can say
that the drop off in performance coincided with the art work. Hypothesis - He wanted to be seen as a bit of a bad
boy, a lad. That means that he felt like he didn’t quite look cool enough in his natural state, indicating low selfesteem. Esteem effects performance. Something along those lines.
David, I’m going to send another email about a patient I had just this week. I want to see what you make of it.
Joshua, Australia
Your theory breaks down in Perth ie Johnson’s wicket haul. Tattoos used to represent those of a criminal nature
but they now represent uneducated cashed up bogans like these 2 cricketers. We now see a generation of people
who have never read a book, gone to church or had any exposure to the Judeo/Christian liberal democratic values
that underpinned western civilization. These uneducated cashed up bogans have no sense of cultural identity or
spirituality so they steal from other cultures – hence the tats. These people worship money and bling – think Lara’s
engagement ring. They have no values, only money – so they save themselves for the Indian Premier League 20/20.
Your graph follows the rise of this organized crime funded competition. Tats = lack of cultural education and values
= worship of bling = need cash = need to save self for IPL = loss of Ashes Yes it is the brain, or lack of it that, gives
you tattoos.
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Tattoos are a symptom of cultural decay, part of the disease. These guys put self before team eg. Clarke getting
belted by Katich for trying to hurry up the sprig of wattle victory chant because Lara wanted to go. Posing
for cameras – what sort of men are they? We need to go back to XXXX and terry towelling hats, David Boon
moustaches etc Then we would win a few games again. Real men – like the Painters & Dockers brothers in the first
series of Underbelly.
Penny, Australia
OK, so I am not sure if this is the place to reply but I can at least get it off my chest!
Surely the biggest ‘hole’ in the tattoo argument is that they surely are more likely to augment than diminish playing
ability?? If a particular limb has had a lot of input, as you describe below, surely this will enhance the brain’s
awareness of that area. Now, if other body areas had been tattooed ... For the sake of propriety I shall not name
any candidate parts here .... Attention to which might divert from body parts involved in playing, then I can see why
play might deteriorate. Equally, if the player had just had the tat done (painful, inhibition etc etc) then again it might
have a deleterious effect. But it seems to me that focussing on the arm that bowls (if Mitch Johnson is right handed
..) is surely a positive thing?? Somewhat like facilitation of motor response via visualisation surely? Not sure how
that works with Michael Clarke and batting but I do think maybe there’s a wee bit more in his loss of form than just
his tat!!!!!!
That’s my thoughts anyhow. Love the newsletter & its wackiness with a hint of truth – always makes me think &
always gets passed on to colleagues in the PT school here at Curtin!
Another suggested response from the Curtin School of Physiotherapy: Maybe we could suggest that you haven’t
considered that the most tattooed football team is Collingwood (with Dane Swan and Dayne Beams alone) and they
won the premiership last year, so it’s obviously not all coordination, just cricket coordination that is a problem...
Renee, Australia
Nice amusing theory - I love it. Personally I find body piercing and tattoos akin - stupid and ugly and no doubt all
cause poisons to enter the body. Why do these people think they look nice? Best thoughts for our poor NZ friends
who are a long way from thinking about such trivia.
Amy, United States
Apparently 30% of NBA players have tattoos. http://mag.rankmytattoos.com/top-twenty-professional-athleteswith-tattoos.html. Would be interesting to analyze their performances, although many factors play in I’m sure.
Joy, United States
How about considering the location of the tat and the area of the brain that lights up during fMRI? For instance,
the shoulders are linked to limbic, the knees tempo parietal (that’s why we kneel to pray -- well, I don’t because
I’m a devout atheist, so devout in fact that I don’t even believe other people believe in god otherwise they would
act better but I digress). Tempo parietal is where we store religiosity/spirituality - kneel on the knees and that area
lights up, then we think there’s a god so we kneel again to get that feeling. The limbic is high emotion and why we
raise our arms up in anger (to fight), to cry (to wipe tears), to laugh (to cover a wide open mouth). So tats on the
shoulders would stimulate or inhibit limbic (I’m not smart enough to know) and who knows - stimulation might
make us more inaccurate or less.
One would have to interview the fellow with the old girlfriend embedded on his skin -- perhaps he has fond
memories and wishes her back and it stimulates an unrequited longing (ugh). Perhaps he believes in an eternal love
and it brings him great peace (ahhh). Perhaps he was jilted and is angry and has given up on love altogether (double
ugh). Only he knows. Comfort or anger? Is the limbic system calmed or churned up? Does churned up make him
more or less coordinated?
Amy, United States
This comment is strictly anecdotal and not at all based in science. I have done bodywork for over 25 years. I have
been fascinated by tats and the whys and wheres for their placement. More often than not, significant tats are on
an area of the body where there is pain. I always wondered and often asked, did the area hurt before that tat was
done? Why did you choose the location? What is the significance of the picture and how much did it cost? How
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much did it hurt when it was done? I wish now I had written down all the answers. What David says, while cloaked
in humour, rings true with what I have been told. Fascinating. Think Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls some years
back...
Katharine, United Kingdom
It is said that Red Arrow (UKs very close formation RAF jet flying team) pilots cannot respond to anything much
after flying as after that adrenaline rush, normal human activity is boring. Perhaps after the pain of tattoos normal
cricket is a bore. It is to me as a non tattooed Pommie female!
Ray, United Kingdom
The hypothesis that wearing a tat
is excuse enough for being crap
Is flawed - in thatbad delivery of ball or falling to score
is simply the result of being poor
Chorus: Rule Britannia etc......
Part deux:
1) What do you call an Australian with 100 by his name? A bowler.
2) Why can’t Aussies open bottles? Because they don’t have any openers.
3) What do you call an Australian with a bottle of champagne in his hand? A waiter.
4) What do you call a world class Australian? Retired.
5) What do you get if you cross the Australian cricket team with an Oxo cube? Laughing stock.
6) Australia still have a couple of good spinners - the red back and the funnel web.
7) What’s the Australian name for an all-round bowler? A toilet duck.
8) What do you call an Australian who knows what to do with a bat? A vet.
Cameron, Australia
What a crock........
Jo, New Zealand
Hi all. There is an old saying “its just not cricket”. Perhaps they were thinking of this tattoo fad even then. Surely
someone who defaces their bodies in this way already has a brain problem? It seems to be pugilist types, mob
members etc. However I cannot comprehend why young women, some who are already beautiful think tattooing
would make them more attractive. Sailors delight in getting tattoos in foreign ports it seems, and yet “Racing
yachtsmen have forsaken this fad. Few on American Cup teams or Volvo Ocean race Round the World sailors
indulge. More brains perhaps? Rugby players seem to be forever getting injuries, so their Brain must be continually
in fight/flight mode! And the addition of tattoos an unwelcome addition!
Robert, United States
This is a much less scientific rebuttal on disagreeing with tattoos negative motor response. I would challenge
the group to look at NBA basketball, almost every guy is tattooed up and down their arms. I can’t say I note any
difference in performance of these athletes vs non-tattooed players. 2 of the most celebrated players (Lebaron
James and Kobe Bryant) have several tattoos. Take this for what it is worth, food for thought today. God bless your
work.
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Karen, Unknown
Mechanisms underlying embodiment, disembodiment and loss of embodiment Melita J. Giummarraa,Stephen
J. Gibsonb, Nellie Georgiou-Karistianisa, John L. Bradshawa Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 32 (2008)
143–160
“The body schema is a plastic and dynamic representation of the spatial and biomechanical properties of the body
that is derived from multiple sensory inputs—particularly proprioceptive information from the muscles, joints and
skin—that interact with motor systems (Kammers et al., 2006; Schwoebel and Coslett, 2005). The body schema
comprises automatic motor and postural schemata upon which non-conscious movements are based, although
these schemata can enter into and support intentional activity (Gallagher, 1986; Gallagher and Cole, 1995; Paillard,
1991).” “See also page 152 6.1. Tool embodiment”
Don Bradman had an extraordinary embodiment and lived in an era when gentlemanly pursuits were appreciated.
In this current era of fast cars, video games and pop culture pressure it is no wonder a left-handed fast bowler’s
embodiment might falter occasionally. I am not convinced tattoos specifically contribute to (…?)