Tom Brady files trademark application for 'TB X TB'

Tom Brady is all in on Tampa Bay, so much so that his representatives have filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The application, filed March 20 by Yee and Dubin Sports, states that he hopes to use "TB X TB" on clothing, including T-shirts, pants, shorts, sweatshirts, sweaters, jerseys, sleepwear, athletic tops and bottoms, and headwear. His TB12 health and fitness company already has a "TB12 Tampa Bay" T-shirt for sale online.

This is bound to go better than his last foray into the trademark realm. Last spring, he filed an application for the term "Tom Terrific," a decision he came to regret. Back then, as a member of the New England Patriots, his effort to profit from the team drew fire from all corners of social media and from columnists and sports radio talkers, managing to aggravate yet another New York fan base.

Former Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason told WEEI in Boston that he planned to "fight tooth and nail" until the application was withdrawn. New York Reps. Peter T. King, a Republican, and Tom Suozzi, a Democrat, even found common ground on the matter. "I feel like Tom Brady, it's bad enough he's deflating footballs. Now he's deflating his reputation," King said, according to TMZ. "There's only one 'Tom Terrific,' and that's Tom Seaver." Said Suozzi: "He's a Republican. I'm a Democrat. And we both agree there will always only be one 'Tom Terrific.'"

Brady backed off the application and was left to smooth over the hit to his reputation. He called the whole situation, which even drew politicians and fans of all ages into the fray, "unfortunate. 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," he told reporters last June. "I was trying to keep people from using it, and then it got spun around to something different than what it was. Good lesson learned, and I'll try to do things a little different in the future."

He went on to say that he didn't even like the nickname. "I don't like when people probably give me many nice compliments, certainly that [one]," Brady, ever the 199th pick in the NFL draft, said. "It wasn't something I was trying to do out of any disrespect or ill manner or anything like that."

That shouldn't be a problem with TB X TB.

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