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WTF is the "10th Unit?"

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Dryden said:
This.

The 10th unit is FPAOS (Football Parents at Ohio State). Stacey & Dawn Elliott, Annie Apple, and Candice Lee are probably the most visible members. They've got super-secret message boards, blogs, and everything.

https://twitter.com/fpaos_board
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https://www.elevenwarriors.com/skul...t-barrett-honey-buns-stephanie-webb-10th-unit

Ohio State filed to trademark the "10th Unit" in May. It's a play on the football program's "Nine units strong" mantra that designates the fans as "the 10th Unit" behind quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs, offensive linemen, tight ends, defensive linemen, linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties.

I always wondered why Meyer never designated the 10th unit as special teams. Turns out the 10th Unit first belonged to the parents:

I guess we should have trademarked our 10th unit after OSU trademark & licensing dept told us to stop using Ohio State on our merchandise. pic.twitter.com/XGG9Glf20o

— Stephanie Webb (@ProfessorSWebb) August 16, 2017

Not a great look for the university, despite the legality. I'd say I won't buy any 10th Unit garb but I already said that.
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Not the coolest that OSU advised the parents to stop using the term, so they could retail it to the masses... But yeah, it's all about amateur athletics :smug:
 
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Actually, Ohio State will have signed licensing agreements giving garment manufacturers (e.g., Nike) rights to manufacture garments in exchange for a considerable upfront payment. These agreements will have provisions that compel Ohio State to take legal action against anyone using the name on garments.

That much is not problematic for me.

There must be some way that Ohio State can give the parents of Ohio State players the rights to make garments for their own use or to provide them with garments exclusively.
 
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Steve19 said:
Actually, Ohio State will have signed licensing agreements giving garment manufacturers (e.g., Nike) rights to manufacture garments in exchange for a considerable upfront payment. These agreements will have provisions that compel Ohio State to take legal action against anyone using the name on garments.

That much is not problematic for me.

There must be some way that Ohio State can give the parents of Ohio State players the rights to make garments for their own use or to provide them with garments exclusively.
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Well yeah....that's why they had to make the parents stop putting OSU on their stuff. But then they turn around and steal the 10th unit idea from them and trademark it out from under the parents noses. That's where it's shitty.
 
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BN27, I got that. I should have been more explicit. They should negotiate rights that allow the parents to use that trademark, or at the very least, negotiate licensing rights so that the parents can receive clothing at cost or whatever is necessary to not violate NCAA rules.
 
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I've dealt with the SOBs in the OSU licensing office before. I purchased a set of blazer buttons from a company in South Carolina (see pic). Eventually the dry cleaners lost enough of the buttons that I had to send away for replacements. "No can do." I could get buttons for Ohio U, U Cincinnati, Dayton, Kent State, BG, Miami, even tiny Wittenberg or Denison. I could get tham for any Big Ten school EXCEPT Ohio State. When I asked why, I was given a terse response, "Talk to the folks in the OSU licensing office." So I did. - Turns out the Licensing Office had cut a deal with a clothing strore in Toledo to sell the "official" Ohio State blazer complete with brass buttons and thus told the SC manufacturer to "knock it off."
 

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Victoria's Secret lost their trademark in South Africa because they files a renewal first thing the morning after it was due. McDonald's had a similar problem but worked their way out of it. If you do not jealously guard intellectual property, it will be appropriated.

That said, for goodness sakes, find some way to license these parents.
 
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