I got an email a couple weeks back with this subject line: "Bastards stole your idea. What's next? Museum of oddities?"
The stolen idea he mentions was for the Padres to hire tattoo artists from around town to ink the Padres logo on fans for free. I eloquently described the idea back in August of 2010.
"Dog Days of Summer" and other random stuff - Gaslamp Ball
The Padres should hire 2 or 3 tattoo artists, put them out in the Park at the Park during a game. Then get a few hundred interlocking SD tattoo stencils. Offer to give free tattoos to any fans that wants one, maybe even throw in a couple Padres tickets if they get one. It's a win-win. People that want a tattoo get one and the Padres get free advertising from these fans until their skin gets all saggy, leathery and wrinkly. Plus once you've tattooed these fans, you've locked them into "Padres fan for life" status. They aren't going to stray after that and if they do their friends will mock and ridicule them.
Up until this year they could have been the first major sports team to tattoo their fans. Unfortunately in the beginning of March, the Brooklyn Nets teamed up with the Ink Masters TV show to cross promote each other. You could enter to win a free tattoo as long as it was the Nets logo.
Brooklyn Nets Tattoo Giveaway Is Totally The Real Deal (PHOTOS)
The Nets believe they are the only NBA team to give away real tattoos, a spokesman told The Huffington Post. "The [Memphis] Grizzlies offered fake ones," he said.
It's a shame, that the Padres didn't jump on this idea first. But as the email author reminds us, the Padres could still be the first team to create a Museum of Oddities at the ballpark. It's not too late!