Tom Brady wants to trademark ‘Tompa Bay’ and ‘Tampa Brady’
Tom Brady apparently wants to corner the market on apparel featuring puns involving his name and his new team.
Already looking to trademark the phrase “TB x TB,†the recently signed Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback filed April 6 to trademark two more phrases to be used on clothing, headgear and footwear.
Brace yourselves. They’re pretty cringe-worthy.
“Tompa Bay†and “Tampa Brady.â€
Get it?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers set a record for jersey sales by an NFL team debuting a new look, with a huge assist from new quarterback Tom Brady.
Believe it or not, Brady isn’t the first person to lay claim to either of those phrases. Radio and TV host Dan Patrick said on his show Friday that he and his co-hosts came up with both of them and mentioned them on air after the longtime New England Patriots quarterback signed with Tampa Bay on March 20.
“We were doing mock headlines of Brady going there and then we joked that it was so easy. We threw out ‘Tompa Bay’ right away and then ‘Tampa Brady,’ and then I go, ‘Let’s make T-shirts.’â€
“Tompa Bay†shirts are still available on Patrick’s website. On Friday’s show, Patrick was informed he could eventually receive a cease-and-desist letter from Brady if the NFL star gets the trademark.
“Oooh,†Patrick said. “That’d be nice. That’d be nice!â€
Two other individuals, neither of them Patrick nor any of his cohorts, applied to trademark “Tompa Bay†before Brady. A St. Petersburg, Fla., man filed March 31 with the intention of using it on hats and shirts. Someone else from Scottsdale, Ariz., applied March 18 for separate trademarks on “Tompa Bay,†“Tompa Bay Buccaneers,†“Tompa Bay Florida†and “Tompa Bay Beach Club†for use on all sorts of athletic apparel.
Last year, Brady tried to trademark “Tom Terrific,†claiming that he was doing so just to prevent other people from calling him that. Maybe that’s what he’s attempting this time as well.
Or maybe not, based on this tweet Friday afternoon in reference to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
“I never understood why Drew wasn’t making Drew Orleans shirts...,†Brady tweeted.
So Brady seems to know a good marketing opportunity involving a bad pun when he hears one. Wonder why he never tried “New England Brady-ots�
More to Read
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.