A trademark ruling has granted the Yankees official rights to the "Evil Empire" moniker.
For some unfathomable reason, I've discovered that New York Yankees fans like myself aren't well-liked in other parts of the country. Fans of other teams often assuage their sadness by insisting that the New York Yankees constitute the "Evil Empire" of baseball, something like a convocation of Sith Lords who fight with bats instead of lightsabers. Well, according to the New York Yankees, those fans are right. Due to a trademark dispute that ruled in the Yankees' favor, they're now legally in the right to call themselves Baseball's Evil Empire. This would be the appropriate time to photoshop George Steinbrenner's face onto Emperor Palpatine, if you haven't already.
The dispute arose in 2008 when Evil Enterprises, a sports memorabilia company, tried to trademark "Baseball's Evil Empire" as way to sell t-shirts, jackets, hats, and other clothing to baseball aficionados. Since U.S. law prohibits seeking a trademark with the sole purpose of disparagement, this may have seemed like an open-and-shut case. However, Thomas Shaw, an administrative trademark judge who oversaw the case, did not think the issue was so clear. "The offensiveness of 'evil' isn't as obvious as a dictionary definition would suggest, especially in matters of popular culture," he wrote in the case's decision. Shaw calls the moniker a "badge of honor" among Yankees fans, and points out that the Yankees themselves apparently liked the name enough to play Star Wars music while announcing the starting lineups for each team. "Having succumbed to the lure of the dark side, [the Yankees] will not now be heard to complain about the judgment of those who prefer the comfort of the light."
While the judges did not ultimately support the Yankees' claim of "Evil Empire" as disparagement, they did rule that Evil Enterprises cannot trademark a name that the Yankees so clearly associate with themselves. So there you have it, fans of the Red Sox, Orioles, and that other New York baseball team: we're officially the Evil Empire you've always made us out to be. And we find your lack of faith disturbing.
A trademark ruling has granted the Yankees official rights to the "Evil Empire" moniker.
For some unfathomable reason, I've discovered that New York Yankees fans like myself aren't well-liked in other parts of the country. Fans of other teams often assuage their sadness by insisting that the New York Yankees constitute the "Evil Empire" of baseball, something like a convocation of Sith Lords who fight with bats instead of lightsabers. Well, according to the New York Yankees, those fans are right. Due to a trademark dispute that ruled in the Yankees' favor, they're now legally in the right to call themselves Baseball's Evil Empire. This would be the appropriate time to photoshop George Steinbrenner's face onto Emperor Palpatine, if you haven't already.
The dispute arose in 2008 when Evil Enterprises, a sports memorabilia company, tried to trademark "Baseball's Evil Empire" as way to sell t-shirts, jackets, hats, and other clothing to baseball aficionados. Since U.S. law prohibits seeking a trademark with the sole purpose of disparagement, this may have seemed like an open-and-shut case. However, Thomas Shaw, an administrative trademark judge who oversaw the case, did not think the issue was so clear. "The offensiveness of 'evil' isn't as obvious as a dictionary definition would suggest, especially in matters of popular culture," he wrote in the case's decision. Shaw calls the moniker a "bade of honor" among Yankees fans, and points out that the Yankees themselves apparently liked the name enough to play Star Wars music while announcing the starting lineups for each team. "Having succumbed to the lure of the dark side, [the Yankees] will not now be heard to complain about the judgment of those who prefer the comfort of the light."
While the judges did not ultimately support the Yankees' claim of "Evil Empire" as disparagement, they did rule that Evil Enterprises cannot trademark a name that the Yankees so clearly associate with themselves. So there you have it, fans of the Red Sox, Orioles, and that other New York baseball team: we're officially the Evil Empire you've always made us out to be. And we find your lack of faith disturbing.
Wait, aren't the Yankee's the one who just solves everything with Money? I mean if a team is beating them, don't they just buy those good players from them?
Not really into baseball, but all I can recall from them was "Something... Something... Lots of Money".
Greg Tito: Clearly, the Kansas City Royals are the Rebel Alliance.
In the sense they are an almost unnoticeable thorn in the side of the Empire without a ringer or three in the form of the Skywalker Twins and Solo, yes, I suppose that would be an apt description...
Wait, aren't the Yankee's the one who just solves everything with Money? I mean if a team is beating them, don't they just buy those good players from them?
Not really into baseball, but all I can recall from them was "Something... Something... Lots of Money".
You probably wont care all that much but you might find this video to be kind of educational
Haha, I don't like baseball myself but I can empathize with Yankee fans. In the NHL us Canuck fans have adopted an 'embrace the hate' motto. We're obviously not an evil empire like the Yankee's, but in the toxic environment that is Canadian NHL fanbase rivalries being the clear cut top Canadian team for the past 10 years and only legit contender pretty much everyone here hates us, even many prominent figures in the national sports media. Adding to the Canadian element you also have fierce rivalries with two major American markets in Chicago and Boston.
At some point you gotta stop being apologetic for being good and just say **** em.
Steve the Pocket: As this is a gaming website, I'll just leave this here: If baseball video games were made realistically, the Yankees would be the final boss.
I.just hate the yankees because of what they sstand for. Just like Ihate the wahsington crapitals and miami heat. Just cause you can buy all the best talent doeswnt mean you're great and the fall of a rod is proof.
Besides. Doesn't beat oakland being named the most metal team in baseball.
New York Yankees Officially Become "Baseball's Evil Empire"
A trademark ruling has granted the Yankees official rights to the "Evil Empire" moniker.
For some unfathomable reason, I've discovered that New York Yankees fans like myself aren't well-liked in other parts of the country. Fans of other teams often assuage their sadness by insisting that the New York Yankees constitute the "Evil Empire" of baseball, something like a convocation of Sith Lords who fight with bats instead of lightsabers. Well, according to the New York Yankees, those fans are right. Due to a trademark dispute that ruled in the Yankees' favor, they're now legally in the right to call themselves Baseball's Evil Empire. This would be the appropriate time to photoshop George Steinbrenner's face onto Emperor Palpatine, if you haven't already.
The dispute arose in 2008 when Evil Enterprises, a sports memorabilia company, tried to trademark "Baseball's Evil Empire" as way to sell t-shirts, jackets, hats, and other clothing to baseball aficionados. Since U.S. law prohibits seeking a trademark with the sole purpose of disparagement, this may have seemed like an open-and-shut case. However, Thomas Shaw, an administrative trademark judge who oversaw the case, did not think the issue was so clear. "The offensiveness of 'evil' isn't as obvious as a dictionary definition would suggest, especially in matters of popular culture," he wrote in the case's decision. Shaw calls the moniker a "badge of honor" among Yankees fans, and points out that the Yankees themselves apparently liked the name enough to play Star Wars music while announcing the starting lineups for each team. "Having succumbed to the lure of the dark side, [the Yankees] will not now be heard to complain about the judgment of those who prefer the comfort of the light."
While the judges did not ultimately support the Yankees' claim of "Evil Empire" as disparagement, they did rule that Evil Enterprises cannot trademark a name that the Yankees so clearly associate with themselves. So there you have it, fans of the Red Sox, Orioles, and that other New York baseball team: we're officially the Evil Empire you've always made us out to be. And we find your lack of faith disturbing.
Source: Grimes & Battersby, LLC, United States Patent and Trademark Office
Image: MLBlogs Network
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