The Chicago Bears' star quarterback Caleb Williams is trying to leave his mark on the league after two successful seasons and cashing in on it off the field, but he might have hit a potential roadblock.
Williams filed four trademark applications, including his "Iceman" nickname, which he adopted after leading an NFL-record seven comeback and game-winning drives last year. While he is trying to get that done, one problem has popped up wth it.
CBS Sports reporter Jonathan Jones reported that former NBA player George Gervin, also nicknamed "Iceman" in his playing days, submitted his trademark for the name four days after Williams did.
"I've got nothing but respect for (Williams)," Gervin told the Chicago 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.'"
Caleb Williams has a fight on his hands for "Iceman" nickname
This might end up getting ugly, as multiple people and entities could argue that the "Iceman" nickname is theirs. The movie Top Gun featured a character nicknamed "Iceman," played by Val Kilmer.
It's a common nickname, so saying it's special just for Williams wouldn't be true. The reality is, though, Williams jumped quickly on getting it trademarked, so that should be a credit to him for not waiting around for someone else to take it from him. He shouldn't be punished for thinking what no one else thought about.
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Williams is going to be in for a fight for it and may not end up getting his way. Whether Bears fans feel that is right or wrong is their own opinion, but for now, it's an interesting situation to monitor.