Blazers Move to Patch Up All the Rips

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers, tired of being ripped by their fans and the media, have given up trying to control the use of the slogan “Rip City.”

The outrage over the “Rip City” issue became so great that the team held a news conference Monday to announce it is relinquishing rights to that slogan, as well as another, “Red Hot ‘N’ Rollin.”

Team executive Marshall Glickman said that the team still believes it has trademark rights. “However, our fans, and virtually everyone in the media, have made it clear to us that they want the terms ‘Rip City’ and ‘Red Hot ‘N’ Rollin’ to be in the public domain,” he said.