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Tim Tebow: Nike suing Reebok over use of quarterback’s name
Nike alleges that the player known for last-minute wins was unwittingly involved Reebok’s a last-minute attempt to cash in on his name.
Quarterback Tim Tebow addresses the media as he is introduced as a New York Jet on Monday2 in New Jersey. Tebow was traded from the Denver Broncos last week and will be the Jets’ backup quarterback according to Jets head coach Rex Ryan.
Mike Stobe
NEW YORK — Tim Tebow has barely arrived here and the fighting over him has startd already.
Nike filed a lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan today against rival apparel maker Reebok, a subsidiary of Adidas, accusing the company of using Tebow’s name on Jets apparel without permission, according to The Associated Press.
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Known for his ostentatious religious displays and last-minute, come-from-behind victories, Tebow was traded to the New York Jets last week from the Denver Broncos, the team he led to the NFL playoffs before their defeat to the New England Patriots.
Nike on Sunday is to replace Reebok as the supplier of NFL team uniforms, just a week after the Tebow trade.
According to the AP, the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and claims that Reebok enriched itself by using Tebow’s name on new products without his permission and so had misappropriated publicity rights.
According to Reuters, a Reebok spokeswoman declined to comment.
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The lawsuit said demand for Jets related apparel last week was intense. Reusters said the lawsuit accused Reebok of attempting to cash in on "short-lived intense consumer appetite for such products."