Cleveland Browns fan suing EA over Madden ’09 appearance

EA is facing a courtroom battle with Cleveland Browns super-fan/man with too much time John Big Dawg Thompson, after the latter was allegedly depicted in the company’s Madden NFL ’09.

Thompson, who legally changed his name to include his nickname, shows up at every Browns game in the bug-eyed dog mask and No.98 jersey you see above, bellowing support from the ‘Dawg Pound,’ a section behind the east end zone in Cleveland Browns Stadium.

A very similar dog mask-wearing fan (only wearing a No.92 jersey) is occasionally seen in Madden NFL 09, and now Thompson has picked up the scent of possible free money. He’s filed a complaint against EA in the Cuyahoga Country Court of Common Pleas for “the alleged unauthorized and unlicensed use of his Big Dawg persona.”

The bad news for EA: he wants $25,000 (which, incidentally, would fund 1,390 Rubber Chew Bones).

[Via Gamespot]