NEW YORK, June 7 — Tom Brady’s attempt to patent the nickname “Tom Terrific” provoked backlash from the New York Mets and their fans, but the New England Patriots quarterback said yesterday he doesn’t even like the moniker.
The Mets and their fans reacted swiftly to news of Brady’s filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office, noting that Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver was fondly known as “Tom Terrific” 50 years ago — a title borrowed from a TV cartoon.
In a posting on Twitter, the Mets appealed directly to the US Patent and Trademark Office to register their opposition to Brady’s move.
“Hey @uspto, with all due respect to @TomBrady...There’s only one #TomTerrific to us,” the Mets wrote in a posting.
Fans were scathing on Twitter, and on Tuesday some angry Mets fans in New York threw baked beans at Brady merchandise in a stunt at a restaurant.
While reports said Brady planned to use the nickname for a clothing line and collectible trading cards, Brady said the truth was that he disliked it so much he wanted to ensure that others couldn’t use it to capitalize on his likeness.
“It’s unfortunate,” Brady told reporters at a Patriots mini training camp in Massachusetts. “I was actually trying to do something because I didn’t like the nickname and I wanted to make sure no one used it because some people wanted to use it. I was trying to keep people from using it and then it got spun around to something different than what it was.
“Lesson learned and I’ll try to do things a little different in the future,” he said. “It wasn’t something I was trying to do out of any disrespect or ill manner.” — AFP
