More DC Drama: Commies’ Team-Name Trademark Application Denied
I don’t know what it is about the Washington NFL franchise, but they sure seem to generate a lot of off-field drama. First it was their team name, then it was Daniel Snyder’s misogynistic shenanigans, and now the team’s attempt to trademark the name “Commanders” has been turned down by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
According to Sports Illustrated:
The letter sent to Washington [from the USPTO] said that the application was denied for two reasons; 1. The “Commanders’ Classic,” which is the annual football game between Army and Air Force. 2. Previous trademarks for the Washington Space Commanders and Washington Wolf Commanders were made by a man named Martin McCaulay, who lives in DC.
There are potential workarounds that the team could pursue. But with the team having just been sold and nobody all that excited about the “Commanders” identity, many observers are already suggesting that the new owners should just give the team a(nother) new name.
If that were to happen, the team would be on its fourth identity in a relatively short time period, having previously cycled through “Redskins” (last used in 2019), “Washington Football Team” (2020 and ’21) and “Commanders” (2022). That would surely set some sort of record for the most team names in the shortest time frame.
Source: Uni Watch
