Browns Fan Gets Super Bowl LIV Champs Tattoo Before Week 1
The Browns certainly have high expectations in 2019, armed with second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield, elite edge rusher Myles Garrett and, of course, dynamic wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Cleveland could very well return to the playoffs for the first team since 2002 this season, but one Browns fan chose to take his optimism to the next level on Wednesday.
Ohio State student Garrett Howenstine got a tattoo on his right thigh on Wednesday, with the Browns' helmet accompanied by the team name and the phrase, "Superbowl Champs LIV," according to WKYC in Cleveland.
Cleveland's football history suggests Howenstine's tattoo will ultimately be an ill-fated decision. Super Bowl is also two words. But perhaps a new era of Browns football has arrived along with Mayfield.
Sports Illustrated's Stanley Kay explained the art of the fan tattoo in 2017.
"The rise of modern sports culture gave humans more reason to mark up their bodies. Through the development of teams and leagues, athletics became institutionalized, and the attachment of clubs to local communities allowed sports to take on a church–like role," Kay wrote. "Loyalty became the most valued quality in a fan, and tattoos became one way to show that loyalty."
We'll get our first look at the new-look Browns on Sept. 8 when they host the Titans in Week 1.
