Johnny Manziel might be out of the NFL for now, but he wants to keep cashing in on his popular nickname “Johnny Football.”
Manziel and his legal team filed paperwork with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Friday to keep the nickname from expiring according to Darren Rovell of ESPN.com. Manziel doesn’t own the trademark currently, but by filing now, it allows his company, JMan2 Enterprises to protect it.
As Rovell notes, Manziel has used the nickname to negotiate endorsement deals when with the Browns. His representatives negotiated with the NFLPA to sell the nickname for licensing purposes on apparel. Manziel also cashed in more from his autograph deal with Panini Authentic after agreeing to write the nickname alongside his autograph.
Currently, Manziel’s status in football seems unimportant, given his alcohol issues and seemingly spiraling pro aspirations. He also has pending legal troubles, facing facing domestic abuse charges from a former girlfriend – with a court date set for mid-November. Manziel’s assets, at least comparatively to his time at Texas A&M and in Cleveland, aren’t what they used to be. His nickname is one of the few things Manziel hasn’t thrown in the trash, so it makes sense he wants to retain it.
How valuable is the Johnny Football moniker? It represents a time where Manziel was unstoppable force on the football field. Now, he can’t even get on one. It’s smart asset protection from Manziel’s camp, but hardly a priority at this point in his life.
[ESPN]
