One man holds multiple trademarks on potential Washington Redskins replacement names

(CNN) — The Washington NFL franchise announced on Monday that it would be changing its team name, but one man has already beaten them to the punch by trademarking a number of potential options.

However, he’s not some sort of trademark troll trying to make a quick buck. In fact, he’s the opposite.

Philip Martin McCauley, 61, told CNN that he’s been a fan of the franchise since the 1980s, and that quarterback Joe Theisman is his favorite player in franchise history. He says his goal is simply to get the team to change its name.

“I want them to change the name and am embarrassed if I did anything that slows that down,” McCauley tweeted on Tuesday. “I thought if I hoarded all the good names that would keep someone else who might be a pain in the neck from getting them.”

McCauley first trademarked the Washington Pigskins in 2015, and while he has lost count himself, a search of the US Trademark and Patent Office website shows that he holds trademarks for names such as the Washington Monuments, Washington Redtails, Washington Veterans, Washington Red Wolves and Washington Warriors.

Despite holding trademarks for a number of potential team names, McCauley said that he offered them for free in writing on July 4. However, he said that he has not been contacted by the team or the NFL.

As for how much he has spent on all of the trademarks, McCauley simply said that it’s “less than someone would pay to go to home games for 6 years for tickets, parking and refreshments.”

While McCauley told CNN that his top choice for the new team name is the Washington Pandas, it’s highly unlikely the team would even consider it. McCauley can at least take some solace in knowing that the team has committed to changing its name, and he hopes that he’s not some sort of obstacle standing in the way.

The-CNN-Wire
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