Washington Commanders

Commanders Clash With Hogs Over New Mascot Possibilities, Trademark

Some former players are unhappy about the possibility of a hog becoming the new Commanders mascot.

Washington Commanders

The Commanders will honor the Hogs -- the offensive line from the 1980s and early 1990s that helped lead the team to Super Bowl victory -- over the weekend.

But the celebration may come with some conflict.

While legendary head coach Joe Gibbs will at at the game, some former players like John Riggins and Joe Jacoby will not be in attendance this weekend.

The Commanders are selecting a new mascot, and have narrowed the choice down to a dog, or a hog.

Some former players are unhappy about the possibility of the hog winning that contest. Riggins and Jacoby are part of a group that filed an application for a federal trademark of the HOGS name, to protect their brand and legacy.

The players say the team previously let the trademark expire, and they expect to get that trademark in late January. They also say they have tried working with the team on an arrangement, but nothing has been worked out yet.

The lawyer representing the group says they have no problem with the Commanders commemorating the players, but the issue is with the team trying to take hogs as their mascot. The trademark application is not a lawsuit at this time, the lawyer said.

The Commanders released a statement saying they have been working with the Hogs on this event for 6 months and look forward to welcome them and coach Gibbs back.

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