While there are rumors of plenty of problems facing Washington’s football team, there is at least one that has been confirmed, and his name is Martin McCaulay.
McCaulay, a 61-year-old fan of Washington’s NFL team from Alexandria, started filing for trademarks for potential team names in 2014 when he noticed other people filing applications.
Since paying $275 to register for the “Washington Pigskins,” McCaulay has filed 43 more trademark applications for team names and owns nicknames like the Washington Red Wolves, Red Tails, Monuments, Veterans, Red-tailed Hawks, Americans, Freedom Fighters and Radskins.
Once word began to spread about McCaulay’s trademark assets, social media users who assumed he was going to stand in the way of the Redskins changing their name called him everything from a troll to a gold digger — and much worse.
But, according to McCaulay, he is willing to give up his trademarks for free or for a fee as low as $1 and has even retained legal help to facilitate the process.
Dear Mr. Snyder,
Mr. McCaulay has retained @HEITNERLEGAL to assist you and your organization should you be interested in rebranding to a mark owned by our client. Mr. McCaulay will gladly do whatever is in his power to clear a path for the Washington NFL team to rebrand itself. pic.twitter.com/bnJvJlZMTh
— Darren Heitner (@DarrenHeitner) July 15, 2020
“He’s not looking to be a thorn in the side of the Washington NFL organization,” McCaulay’s lawyer Darren Heitner said of his client to The Washington Post. “He will do whatever is necessary to step aside and provide the team with whatever rights it needs, if it’s interested in any of the names he’s applied for or registered.”
According to what McCaulay has posted on Twitter, all it will take is a simple call from Daniel Synder to Heitner as he genuinely wants the team name to be changed and has no intention of standing in the way of that happening.
The Trademark Hog has been a fan of the Washington team since the days of the offensive line during the 80s and 90s known as "The Hogs". The Hogs are known for their ability to control the line of scrimmage and they won Super Bowls XVII, XXII and XXVI under head coach Joe Gibbs.
— Martin McCaulay (@MartinMcCaulay) July 16, 2020
If the team wants one of the Trademark Hog's names prepare papers for him to sign because he does not want to be an obstacle to the Washington football team changing their name prior to the start the 2020 season and all it takes is a simple call to attorney @DarrenHeitner .
— Martin McCaulay (@MartinMcCaulay) July 16, 2020
Native Americans are not mascots. Fans should not show up at games in red face paint and feathers. The names of all the high schools with the R-word name need to change their names, too, and Pro-Football Inc. should pay for it. #ChangeTheName #TheTimeIsNow #NotYourMascot
— Martin McCaulay (@MartinMcCaulay) July 16, 2020
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