I got my favorite mascot from my favorite team tattooed on my left thigh. Then, my favorite mascot signed my tattoo, so I felt I had no choice but to get that tattooed, as well. Here’s the story.

For my birthday in March 2023, I attended the Villain Arts tattoo convention in Rosemont, Ill., for the first time. From what I’d read, the traveling tattoo convention featured hundreds of excellent tattooers and vendors from around the world. As a Bulls fan, I knew I wanted to get a Bulls tattoo, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted it to be. After several days of deliberation, I landed on Benny the Bull. Why? If you’ve ever been to a Bulls game, you understand that Benny is the best mascot in the sports. He’s vivacious. He’s playful. He’s talented. Even on nights when the Bulls don’t have it, Benny does.

How do you decide which version of Benny the Bull to get tattooed? Do you go with the 90’s version where they were just starting to play with multicolored hair, but still had Benny in a bullseye shirt riding a tricycle? What about the original 60’s Benny with the lifelike Bull head? What if I get the tattoo, and they change Benny’s look again? I mean, that’s happened several times over the years. And, what if Benny — NEVER MIND, I FOUND IT - THIS IS THE ONE.

This photo captures the spirit of Benny the Bull and the swagger of Chicago as a city. The watch. The chain. The glasses. This is what I imagine Benny wears post-game when he joins the team at The Cheesecake Factory. Now, I just needed someone who could do it in black and grey, without losing the details that make it one of my favorite headshots ever.

When tattooers attend conventions, it’s important to them that they line up clients from each city. To do this, many of them use social media platforms like Instagram because of its popularity as a visual platform. One of those tattooers was Matt G from Ahava Tattoo Studio in New Jersey. I noticed an Instagram ad from him and dug into his previous tattoos to see if he’d be the right person.

As you can see from the photo of the completed tattoo below, Matt was the right person for the job. The full tattoo took roughly three hours to complete. When he was finished, we submitted the work to the judging panel (Villain Arts convention is also a competition). While we didn’t win, it was clear from the reactions of others - especially Bulls fans - that this was a special tattoo. Admittedly, I’m a bit biased.

Chicago Bulls Instagram posted the tattoo in Summer 2023.

Fast forward to November 30, 2023. The Bulls were on a five-game losing streak, hosting the Milwaukee Bucks, with Damien Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. My wife, Christy, and I attend 10 games per year as part of a limited season ticket package. We didn’t expect the Bulls to win, but they did thanks to a last-second three-pointer from Bulls defensive ace Alex Caruso to force overtime.

During the second quarter, we walked through the concourse to stretch our legs. We saw Benny just outside our section signing autographs and taking photos. We’d never seen Benny in our section before, and I’d never met him previously. I asked Christy to take a photo of us, only to realize I’d left my phone at my seat. When I returned with it, Benny had left. I said, “It just wasn’t meant to be. Another time.” We walked a little, then headed back to our seats. That’s when I spotted Benny’s bike.

Standing next to the bike was a person I assumed was Benny’s assistant. Christy and I told her about my Benny tattoo. She needed to see it. I was wearing sweatpants and hiked them up over my thigh. Benny returned a couple minutes after that. I could see his assistant pointing our direction. Benny came over to see his likeness. We high-fived and hugged. I was elated. I started pulling my pant leg down to walk to our seat and noticed that Benny had come back, this time with a Sharpie. Here’s that moment, posted by the Chicago Bulls Instagram account.

Bulls France Instagram account reposting the video of Benny The Bull autographing my tattoo of him.

We went back to our seats to explain to our neighbors what had happened. In the next hour or so, the Bulls would pull off an unlikely win to accompany my unlikely moment. I sent the autograph video to a friend of mine named David Allen, a Chicago artist who’s been tattooing me for years and is one of the best creative minds in the world. The stars aligned with his schedule, and he was able to tattoo the autograph the following morning. Benny The Bull posted the tattoo on Instagram.

Chicago Bulls Instagram account reposting Benny The Bull’s video from when I had the autograph tattooed.

So, that’s the story of a guy who got his favorite mascot tattooed and subsequently experienced some serendipity and lifelong memories. Thanks to Christy, Matt G, David, Benny the Bull and others for making this happen. Go Bulls!

My Benny The Bull Tattoo