Show us your tats

HE HAS BEEN IN the tattoo business for so long that nothing surprises him.

Not even the Clearwater Threshers' tattoo night, where fans who have the team's logo inked on their body get free admission to home games for life.

Last year, T. Reb Brown said he and fellow artist Jeremy Scott, of Vintage Ink Tattoos in Clearwater, tattooed more than 50 fans at the inaugural event.

Tonight, they will be back at Bright House Field drawing sharks (that's what a thresher is) on what can only be described as extremely dedicated fans.

Oh, and the Phillies' Class A affiliate will play a game too. They're hosting the St. Lucie Mets.

"Last year we got there about a half-hour before the gates opened and there was already a line of about 80 people," Brown said.

Tonight, in an effort to speed up the process, only the first 30 fans will receive tattoos and only four styles will be available (down from eight). And, there will be a nominal $20 charge to help defray cost.

The 41-year-old Brown said the number of men and women who got tattoos last year was evenly divided. Fans, by the way, have to be 18 or older and must provide proof of age.

Besides sharks, Brown has done a wide variety of tattoos in his 24 years in the biz. Including "several Eagles tattoos."

His most memorable story? It's about a drunk guy who made a lasting impression on his wife. Literally. Seems he wanted a tattoo of the wife's name. But when it came time to tell Brown which name it was, only one came to mind . . .

His ex-wife's.

- Tom Mahon

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