WHAT’S NEXT STEP FOR WASHINGTON?
For as much debate as the Washington Redskins’ team name has generated over decades, there has been just as much contention in guessing, and attempting to profit from, what the new one will be.
“Washington Warriors” has been claimed and abandoned multiple times over the past two decades.
“Washington Red Wolves” has gained enough recent popularity on social media platforms that a trademark application was filed for it in the past week.
But the person making that application also owns “Washington Red Tails” and dozens of others, though it’s not clear any of his claims would hold up legally.
With its controversial team name now relegated to history books and retail clearance tables, Washington’s NFL franchise is now working through an obstacle course of trademark issues, according to two people familiar with the situation, before unveiling a new name and logo. Those people said the organization’s new name has been held up by trademark issues, but that could encompass both an existing trademark application or a new one the team intends to file.
If the team is pursuing any of the names that have been subject of fan and media speculation, legal hurdles must be cleared. Speculators have tried to trademarks dozens of potential team names, hoping team owner Daniel Snyder someday might write them a check to relinquish those rights.
For as long as the Redskins’ name has stoked controversy, speculators have been paying a $100 filing fee with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, trying to secure rights to names they could sell to Snyder in the event of a name change. Dozens of names have been scooped up but that might ultimately be just a small hurdle if the organization chose to pursue one of those with pending trademarks.
“The thing about these filings? They’re just filings; they’re not registrations,” said Josh Gerben, a Washington attorney who specializes in intellectual property.
Though it has had the same name since 1933, the organization has plenty of familiarity with the trademark process.
The team filed for the trademark “Washington Warriors” in March 2000 when Snyder was interested in bringing an Arena Football League team to town. It abandoned the trademark in 2004 and a similar one in 2007. The Redskins refiled for “Warriors” in 2007 before Martin Mccaulay, who owns dozens of local football-related trademarks, filed for opposition in December 2019, arguing that the team had no use for it given that Snyder vowed to “never” change the team name and therefore had no use for Warriors. The Redskins did not respond to that filing and the mark was abandoned this March.
“Washington Warriors” currently is owned by Don Terry and Carol Glass, who filed for the mark in November 2013. The mark is for “entertainment in the nature of football games” and football-related merchandise, however, the name is currently suspended. When reached by The Washington Post on Monday morning, Terry declined to comment on his trademark.
Trademarks experts say a person can’t simply file for a trademark and sit on it indefinitely. At some point he or she would have to show a legitimate enterprise associated with that trademark.
Chargers’ Teamer suspended
Chargers safety Roderic Teamer has been suspended for the first four regular-season games due to a violation of the
NFL’S substance abuse policy, the league said.
Teamer played in seven games as a rookie last season with six starts. He posted 39 tackles and had an interception during a Week 7 loss at Tennessee.
Teamer made the roster last year as an undrafted free agent. He is eligible to participate in all training camp practices and preseason games. His suspension will begin the Monday before the Chargers’ first regular-season game.
Jackson accepts invite
Eagles wide receiver Desean Jackson has accepted a Holocaust survivor’s invitation to visit Auschwitz concentration camp with him in Poland.
Edward Mosberg, who is 94, invited Jackson to visit the camp last week after the NFL veteran was widely condemned for posting images of anti-semitic quotations falsely attributed to Adolf Hitler and for praising Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has long espoused anti-semitic ideas, on his Instagram feed.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Mosberg and Jackson spoke Friday via video conference call, during which Mosberg wore the uniform given to him at the Mathausen concentration camp.
“I grew up in Los Angeles, and never really spent time with anyone from the Jewish community and didn’t know much about their history, this has been such a powerful experience for me to learn and educate myself,” Jackson said during the call.
Notable
Seahawks tight end Greg Olsen told The Associated Press he agreed to a contract with Fox Sports to become its No. 2 NFL game analyst once he retires from football. The 35year-old Olsen will partner with Kevin Burkhardt in the booth.