Johnny Manziel is seeking to trademark the phrase 'Johnny Football.' (USATSI) Johnny Manziel won a battle in his effort to trademark the nickname 'Johnny Football,' as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reportedly refused to register the same trademark with a College Station investment firm.
ESPN reported that the patent office sent a letter to Kenneth R. Reynolds Family Investments rejecting its argument that the phrase 'Johnny Football' did not refer to any particular individual.
"Registration is refused because the applied-for mark consists of or includes a name, portrait, or signature identifying a particular living individual whose written consent to register the mark is not of record," the office's attorney wrote -- in other words, that yes, "Johnny Football" does refer to a "particular living individual," and that that individual hasn't "consented" to giving the firm the trademark.
On the contrary, the Manziel family has filed its own claim to the trademark, though its filing came some weeks after the Kenneth R. Reynolds Family Investments claim in late 2012.
The firm, ESPN reports, can appeal this week's ruling.
NFL Hot News
QB Campbell signs one year deal with Bengals
According to ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter, quarterback Jason Campbell has signed a one year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals for the 2014 season. The monetary terms of the deal have yet to be released. Campbell has familiarity with the offense that Cincinnati will be running in 2014. New Offensive Coordinator Hue Jackson was Campbell's OC in 2010 and his head coach in 2011, both seasons in Oakland.Campbell spent the 2013 season as part of the Cleveland QB carousel, starting the last eight games for the Browns. He led the team in passing with 2,015 yards and 11 touchdowns, and had the best game of his career in a 27-26 loss to the Patriots at Foxboro in Week 14, throwing for 391 yards and three touchdowns.
Rarely would you say that there's a quarterback competition on a team where their guy threw for 4,293 yards and 33 touchdowns the previous season... but, don't think for one second that Marvin Lewis and Hue Jackson aren't going to use the signing of Campbell to try to motivate current QB Andy Dalton to take some strides and improve even more this year. With this signing and the rumors that they are interested in Georgia signal caller Aaron Murray, it may be possible that they aren't all that thrilled about the prospect of Dalton being "their guy" long-term.Look, the guy put up great fantasy numbers last season. He helped me win a high-stakes league in the process. But, he also threw 20 interceptions in the regular seasons, two more in a home playoff loss to San Diego. I watched him play at least six times in 2013, and saw him underthrow a wide open A.J. Green what felt like at least once in every one of those games. Had he been able to lead his receivers on deep balls a little better, he could have eclipsed 4,500 yards and 35 touchdowns. Fantasy fans see the numbers. Bengals fans see what could have been a much better season.I like Dalton. He is still going to be the starter and he should still be expected to have another good season in 2014. But, the signing of Campbell definitely shows that they want to have a decent backup to go to, should things start to go awry and Who Dey Nation starts to get restless.
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