Phenomenon Jeremy Lin will soon have the rights to his global nickname ‘Linsanity’ after the New York Knicks point guard filed an application on Feb. 13 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, according to the agency’s website.

The filing came six days after Yenchin Chang, a 35-year-old Alhambra, California, resident with no ties to Lin, became the first to apply for a Linsanity trademark, according to the website.

A second filing was made on Feb. 9 by Andrew W. Slayton of Los Altos, California, and on Feb. 14 there was another filing by Yoonsoo Stephen Kim of Duluth, Georgia.

“We’re prepared to enforce his intellectual property rights,” Pamela M. Deese, a partner in the law firm Arent Fox LLP, said in a telephone interview, confirming that she had filed the application on Lin’s behalf.

Trademark applications generally take about three months to be examined and published, according to Gary Krugman, a partner at the Washington-based firm ofSughrue Mion. As Lin, 23, is the subject of the phrase Linsanity, he would probably be successful in opposing an application filed earlier than his own, Krugman said.

“Nobody can register a mark if it falsely suggests a connection with a person or an institution,” Krugman said in a telephone interview. “I would guess that Jeremy Lin would be able to oppose on the grounds that Linsanity points uniquely and unmistakably to him.”

Lin, the first Harvard University graduate to play in the National Basketball Associationsince Ed Smith in 1953-54 and the first Chinese-or Taiwanese-American ever to play in the league, drew widespread attention coming off the bench Feb. 4 to score 25 points and hand out seven assists in a win over the New Jersey Nets. As a starter, he led New York to six straight wins, boosting television ratings, ticket prices and worldwide interest in his game.

Lin’s agent, Roger Montgomery, also filed his own Linsanity application on Feb. 14, one day after Lin’s. An e-mail seeking comment from Montgomery about the reasoning behind his separate filing wasn’t immediately returned. Deese declined to comment about Montgomery’s filing.

Chang said he “wanted to be part of the excitement” in making his own filing. An AndrewSlayton who said he used to coach Lin in high school told the New York Post that in 2010 he registered the domain names Linsanity.com and thejeremylinshow.com, where Lin-related merchandise is being sold.

Lin’s filing seeks to use Linsanity for goods such as bags, cups, clothing, toys and beverages.

Discuss the potential commerical impact of ‘Linsanity’ here

by Ismail Uddin

Bannkrupt former NFL great Ray Guy has sold his three Super Bowl championship rings for a total of $96,216 at an auction to help pay off his debts.

Guy now 61, won his Superbowl titles with the Oakland Raiders in 1976 and 1980 and with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1983. He has been to the Pro Bowl seven times in his 14-year career.

He filed for bankruptcy protection in Augusta, Georgia, in April 2010 and got authorization May 23 to sell the rings, according to court records.

The rings were sold by Nate D. Sanders Inc, the Los Angeles-based auction house that issued a news release yesterday with the final sales price. The auction company said each ring contained at least 22 diamonds.

English Premier League soccer side Tottenham Hotspur, who crashed out of the UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals at the hands of Real Madrid last night, has officially launched legal action at London’s High Court for a judicial review of London rival West Ham United’s successful bid for the London Olympic Stadium.

Tottenham has said it had sought permission from the court to bring a claim against the east London Borough of Newham after the Council arranged a £40m (US$65m) loan to finance West Ham’s move to the stadium after the 2012 Games.

Following a proposal made to the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), Tottenham lost out to West Ham to become the tenant of the stadium following next year’s Olympic Games.

The crucial factor in the decision of the OPLC to award preferred bidder status to West Ham, a process which still required ratification by the Mayor of London and UK Government, revolved the league strugglers plans to convert the 80,000-seater stadium into a 60,000-capacity facility, most importantly, retaining the athletics track.

It is believed Tottenham will ask the judicial review to consider whether Newham Council was right to use public money for the loan, and whether it went through proper processes before doing so.

In a statement, Tottenham said: “The club has today sought permission from the High Court to bring a claim against the London Borough of Newham for judicial review of Newham’s process in providing a loan for the conversion of the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games.

“The club wrote to Newham asking it to explain its reasons and justification for its decision, but Newham has declined to respond to this request for information.

“Due to the time limits which apply to claims for judicial review, the club has had no alternative but to issue these proceedings in order to protect its position.

“The club continues to hold discussions with both local and national government bodies in order to seek to agree a feasible stadium solution.”

It was revealed in March that Spurs had sent letters warning of court action to Newham Council and the OPLC after their bid was rebuffed as they had hoped, in their joint bid with AEG sport and entertainment group, to create a soccer-only stadium without the track and to redevelop Crystal Palace for athletics..

West Ham plans to move from Upton Park as of the 2014-15 season, though whether they will have maintained Premier League status by then is less certain.

Irish rugby union team Ulster Rugby has signed a five-year sponsorship deal with Dutch brewer Heineken, it has been announced.

The deal will see Heineken Beer, Murphy’s Stout and Bulmer’s Original Cider served from all the bars at Ulster’s Ravenhill ground.

Chief executive of Ulster, Shane Logan, said: “Together we believe that the Ravenhill experience can become renowned throughout European Rugby – we want the opposition teams to fear coming here, whilst giving the away fans an experience they will never forget when they arrive.

“Heineken NI is an integral part of building this experience. Our partnership represents a significant investment in Ulster Rugby’s future. We are confident Ulster Rugby can become one of the biggest clubs in Europe.”

Commercial manager for Heineken NI, Leza Nulty, added: “The optimism around Ulster Rugby is infectious. When Heineken first met with Ulster Rugby it quickly became clear that we shared a mutual vision. Ulster Rugby plan to be the premium rugby team, not only in Ireland, but throughout Europe.”

GLORY Sports International, a professional martial arts organisation and television content provider, has appointed Jon J. Franklin as Chief Executive Officer.

In this role, Franklin will oversee management of the world’s premier kickboxing league, with coverage in over 170 global territories.

Since 2002, Franklin has been President of The Sports and Entertainment Company (Sports-EntCo), a sports and entertainment marketing firm that assisted with production, programming, sponsorship, and logistics for GLORY events in the United States.

“I look forward to working with Jon in this new capacity. He has been a big part of our incredible success thus far and is uniquely suited to lead GLORY into the next phase of development,” said Pierre Andurand, GLORY Chairman and Co-Founder. “With Jon at the helm, we are confident that 2015 will be a banner year in the evolution of our brand as a leading combat sports league in the United Statesand abroad.”

Previously, Franklin spent 15 years in senior roles at IMG-Media and has also served as President of Golden Gloves Boxing LLC and AP-X, a division of America Presents Boxing.

“I’m honored to have been a part of GLORY’s growth into one of the top fight promotions worldwide, but the work is not done,” said Franklin. “I truly believe that we have the best athletes in the world, with production for both live audiences and home viewers that is second to none. As we move into the new year, I can’t wait to share GLORY’s global vision for kickboxing with our fans.”

Andrew Whitaker, who served as CEO previously, will assume an advisory role with GLORY as a consultant for business development.

GLORY also jointly announced with SPIKE TV that they have extended their agreement to provide original kickboxing programming through 2015, with a full fall schedule to be released in the coming weeks.

The World Rowing Federation (FISA) has announnced today that it has launched the bid process for future World Rowing events.

The selection includes World Rowing’s most prestigious event, the 2019 World Rowing Championships. In addition to the more than 1.200 athletes from over 70 countries, this event attracts a significant number of international spectators and reaches a global television audience. In addition, the 2019 Championships will double as the main Olympic Qualification Regatta for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, thus considerably enhancing the brand of the host city.

The final event open for bids is the 2017 FISA Extraordinary Congress. The Extraordinary Congress happens every four years with decisions about the statutes, rules and regulations of rowing being made. The Extraordinary Congress is held in February in this post-Olympic year.

Accepted bids will be provided with bid documentation by September 15th. Candidates will make their presentations to FISA during the 2015 World Rowing Cup regatta in Lucerne. The FISA Council will make their final recommendation at the FISA Congress in 2015.

Full list of events available for bids:

2017
– World Rowing Junior Championships
– World Rowing Cup II and III
– World Rowing Coastal Championships
– FISA Extraordinary Congress

2018
– World Rowing Junior Championships
– World Rowing Under 23 Championships
– World Rowing Cup II & III
– World Rowing Masters Regatta

2019
– World Rowing Championships
– World Rowing Under 23 Championships
– World Rowing Masters Regatta

Check out more details here

The Confederation of North, link Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), arthritis has signed a cooperation agreement with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) aimed at intensifying the ongoing work to combat match-fixing in football.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organizations will enhance joint efforts to safeguard the integrity of the sport through the sharing of resources and experiences in relation to sports integrity initiatives.

“At CONCACAF we are determined to eradicate this scourge from football through education, surveillance and sanction of those involved in any unethical and unlawful behavior that would undermine the legitimate nature of the game,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb.

“Working together with INTERPOL will allow us to tap into their vast expertise in this area. The football family must continue to play an intrinsic part on the battle against match fixing. However, we mustn’t forget to work in partnership with all other stakeholders, such as other sports, governments, media, fans and society as a whole,” added Webb.

The MoU covers the areas of coordinated training programs and workshops against match-fixing and corruption in sports through prevention and education programs for players, referees and officials within all three regions of CONCACAF.

“This agreement formalizes the extremely constructive and fruitful relationship between INTERPOL and CONCACAF, as seen by the joint initiatives we have already delivered to our member countries,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.

“We are united in our determination to protect the ‘beautiful game’ and in our collective commitment to educate and  support all those involved in this fight including law enforcement, players and officials to ensure the public can maintain confidence in the integrity of all sports” concluded the INTERPOL Chief.