Tom Brady’s bid for a trademark on a nickname some use for him has been met with opposition from Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Seaver’s fans and former teammates.
Trademark lawyer Josh Gerben noted that Brady’s company TEB Capital recently filed for trademarks on “Tom Terrific” for use on various collectibles and clothing products. Gerben also notes that the trademarks were filed on a 1B basis, which indicates that the company intends to use these trademarks.
Players seeking such trademarks is nothing new, but the fact that the nickname was also used for Seaver during his time in the majors has rankled some people. That group includes Seaver’s Mets teammates Ed Kranepool and Art Shamsky, former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason and Mets fans who organized a small gathering to object to Brady’s proposed trademark.
There has been no comment from Seaver, who has retired from public life while dealing with dementia, or his family about the matter.
A cartoon called “Tom Terrific” predated Seaver, so the name has been kicking around for some time. We’ll see if any of that winds up leading Brady to stick with TB12 and other merchandising avenues in the future.