Introducing.... The Cheatham Musketeers!

[atljar]

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122027320/en/Synergistic-and-Xavier-Offer-Cheatham-Middle-School-Free-Mascot-Rebrand-and-Marketing-Support-Following-UC-Bearcats-Cease-and-Desist-Letter


Trolling! :tonguewag:

[X-band '01]

Cheatham still has to agree to change their mascot. I wonder how the C would work there.

[atljar]

Yes this isnt official yet, but absolutely amazing marketing ploy from all sides at X. Well done

[noteggs]

Like others have said not official. But here’s a start

https://x.com/musketeergear/status/1860113212609561012?s=42

[XUGRAD80]

World class pettiness by officials representing UC and world class trolling by those X fans. Well done.

[bjf123]

World class pettiness by officials representing UC and world class trolling by those X fans. Well done.

Teams do need to protect their intellectual property rights like logos, but it’s a frickin’ middle school. I remember that decades ago Princeton High School asked, and received, permission from the Minnesota Vikings to use their logo, just with different colors. UC could have handled this so much better.


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[X-band '01]

I wonder how many high schools actually use variants of Xavier's logo.

If UC had played this right, they could have actually brought a few eyeballs from Cheatham towards their program. Now it's for the wrong reasons.

I know Loveland uses a variant of the UC logo - or were they willing to pay something that Cheatham didn't?

[muskiefan82]

If UC did nothing here, then they would not be able to stop anyone from using their logo. Once you let unauthorized use happen, you lose your property. It wasn't really petty. They had to do this. That said, if they want to be Musketeers now, that would be outstanding.

[WCWIII]

You can search for the past and present 159 Pro, College and High School "Bearcats" and the 15 "Musketeers" at the link (here (https://mascotdb.com/search)).

[XUGRAD80]

If UC did nothing here, then they would not be able to stop anyone from using their logo. Once you let unauthorized use happen, you lose your property. It wasn't really petty. They had to do this. That said, if they want to be Musketeers now, that would be outstanding.

No, it is actually petty. They could have very easily just granted them permission to use it. Cheatham Co. Middle school has been the Bearcats since they opened in 1998. So for 26 years it was not a problem. It could have remained that way IF UC had just told the company that secures their trademark to just have Cheatham Co. sign an agreement that UC had the rights to the C-paw but was granting them the right to use it for say $1.00 per year. Nobody would have even had to know about it. In actuality it really comes down to the fact that it is cheaper for Cheatham Co to change their name and rebrand themselves than it is for them to fight it in court. But it’s still not right. It’s not just a matter of changing their name either. They will have to change all of the uniforms they have. All of the branding on signage. Repaint their gym floor to remove the current art work. Etc. It will cost the taxpayers of Cheatham Co. several thousand dollars to make all the changes. It’s a small, rural, community. It doesn’t have thousands of dollars sitting around either. It’s UC being a bully and I would say the same thing if it was X doing it in a similar situation. It’s just plain wrong. I’ve been a football season ticket holder for UC for many many years, but I sent a letter to the UC AD telling him that our family won’t be renewing them if they don’t change their mind on this. I won’t support a bully.

Edit to add: the person that initially designed the UC C-paw logo is a close friend of mine. They agree that UC is in the wrong.

[Xville]

Yeah it’s petty as hell but par for the course for uc. I have to wonder just how many grade schools, high schools, etc have logos and names that have the same nickname and essentially the exact same logo. I know of a grade school here that uses a certain nfl teams logo and as psycho as the nfl is I doubt they would do something so petty.

I hope we give them their first loss this year. F that institution

[muskiefan82]

I feel like there must be more to this story that is not being told. I do agree it seems petty on the surface unless UC told the middle school they would have to sign a contract retroactive to the date they began using the logo and the middle school balked or refused. I understand protecting the rights to your logo and branding if that is the case. If the school agreed to do whatever UC wanted to be able to use the logo, then what are you doing this for, sUCks?

[Xavier]

I’ve seen UC hired a company to deal with all that stuff (going after apparel companies that might use trademark, etc etc) and that company is who went after the middle school. UC didn’t really have anything to do with it- but should have just shut it down once it came to light.

[muskiefan82]

It happened. And I love it. https://www.wlwt.com/article/tennessee-middle-school-legal-cincinnati-bearcats-musketeers/63134544?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3qEVOK35QeGd4xPZhw8Sabk Ic0SI3cwsNuiYXr6EKRXfOjFHeh2Nitzwo_aem_u7ZL5azkmT5 uTi8d6vhJIQ

[XUGRAD80]

I’ve seen UC hired a company to deal with all that stuff (going after apparel companies that might use trademark, etc etc) and that company is who went after the middle school. UC didn’t really have anything to do with it- but should have just shut it down once it came to light.

Correct, it was the 3rd party that reached out initially, and at the same time informed UC of the issue. After that, the middle school reached out to all parties in the hope of reaching a compromise solution and with the expectation of being able to. When they were rebuffed they were left with no other choice than to pick a new name and mascot. It will cost the school (the parents and taxpayers in reality) somewhere between 100-200K to make the change. Money they don’t have. There is still a chance that UC will do the right thing and help them out financially, but I’d give that about a 1 in a million chance at this point. As you say, UC should have taken control of the situation and found a good solution early in the process. As a resident of Cincinnati since grade school I am embarrassed for them. At the same time I applaud the Xavier community for stepping up and showing them that not all folks in this city are jerks and bullies.

[xubrew]

A+ troll!!!! Bravo!!!!!!

[American X]

This tops Trump working a McDonald's shift as the greatest troll I have ever seen.