Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams established himself as one of the most clutch quarterbacks last season, garnering the nickname of “Iceman” for the ice in his veins and his ability to lead his team from behind in the most unlikely situations.
Given the popularity of Williams and his “Iceman” moniker, the former first overall pick filed paperwork to trademark the name, a logo and two silhouettes of his improbable fourth-and-8 pass to Rome Odunze during Chicago’s wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers. The trademark would cover a variety of merchandise and goods associated with the moniker and logos.
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But, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, Williams is now facing some pushback from former NBA player George Gervin, who went by “Iceman” during his 14-year career with the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls.
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“I’ve got nothing but respect for [Williams],” Gervin told the Sun-Times. “He’s already proved greatness and his potential upside is great. Like an ‘Iceman.’ But that name is taken…All I’m saying is: Young fella, we’ve already got one ‘Iceman.’”
Four days after Williams filed his application to trademark “Iceman,” Gervin Interests LLC filed trademark applications for “Iceman” and “Iceman 44.” Jerald Barisano, president/CEO of Gervin Global Management, chalked it up to confusion following the death of a business associate as he believed the moniker was already trademarked. If Williams is granted the trademark, Barisano said he and Gervin plan to contest it.
“We are hoping the inspectors will do the right thing,” Barisano said. “All they’ve got to do, is, do one Google search and they’ll see hundreds and hundreds of articles on the ‘Iceman,’ George Gervin.”
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While it will still be some time before the applications are processed, Williams technically applied for the trademark first, which should mean he’s granted the trademark. But we’ll see how it all ends up shaking out in the coming months.
One thing’s for certain: Williams is still known around Chicago and the NFL as “Iceman,” and if he continues his late-game heroics in the coming seasons, that’s not going to change, regardless of what happens with the trademark.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears QB Caleb Williams facing pushback for ‘Iceman’ trademark