Last month, Tom Brady’s TEB Capital Management company filed two applications to use the nickname for commercial purposes with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, angering New York sports fans who believe the nickname rightfully belongs to Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, who has dementia and is no longer making public appearances. So on Thursday, the New England Patriots quarterback attempted to defuse the minor furor over his attempt to trademark the nickname for use on trading cards, posters, T-shirts and the like.
But in trying to nip the matter in the bud, Brady likely killed his chances of ever getting the right to use “Tom Terrific” to sell merchandise.