Aaron Hernandez has a tattoo on his right hand that has the word “blood” written in red ink, and the tat was frequently discussed Wednesday in the context of the tight end’s arrest and first-degree murder charge.
Some wondered if “blood” meant Hernandez was part of the widely known gang. Others felt it was an ominous symbol that Hernandez literally has “blood” written on his hands, and figuratively may have blood on his hands from the alleged killing.
I think you can strike the former theory for a few reasons. One, it looks like “blood” is part of a longer phrase tattooed on his hand, which I’m guessing is blood, sweat and tears. You can see what looks like an “S” and “W” just after “blood.” Secondly, if you’re actually a member of the Bloods, you wouldn’t get a tattoo that says “blood,” unless the name of your specific gang has the word “Blood” in it. You would probably get one with the number “5” or the letter “P,” like this guy; or you would get one with a bunch of stars, like this guy.
There were some reports that Hernandez had friends with gang ties, but those have been unconfirmed (update on this – see below). We don’t know what kinds of activities Hernandez was doing away from the football field but, based on what has emerged the past few weeks, most of it seems unsavory.
UPDATE: Hernandez reportedly joined the Bristol Bloods gang as a teenager, so it’s possible the tattoo is related to his alleged Bristol Bloods ties.
See all the LBS coverage on the Aaron Hernandez murder
