Redneck Olympics May Be Sued By USOC Over Event Name
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is threatening to sue the Redneck Olympics over the “Olympic” part of their name.
The event was held last week by founder Harold Brooks and the three-day event drew more than 2,600 fans.
Harold says he received a call form the USOC’s legal department who said the word “Olympics” is the property of the Olympic Committee and that he must immediately stop using the name or face legal action.
Brooks for his part won’t allow the USOC to bully him, refusing to change the name’s appearance, however he may change the “O” to “Zero” and pronounce it the “Redneck Zero-Lympics.”
According to Brooks:
“The ‘Zero-lympics,'” he says. “Are they going to say I can’t use numbers?”
“I’m not basing it on your Olympics; I’m basing it on the Olympics in Greece,” Brooks told the person who phoned him from the USOC, while he added, “I understand we can’t use the word ‘Pepsi,’ but we can use the word ‘soda.’ The Olympics has been around for thousands of years.”
According to the Sun Journal he argues that none of his fans could afford to attend the real Olympics and that they would never confuse the Redneck Olympics with the real event.
The USOC says money they raise from the “Olympics” name is used for athlete training and transportation and they hope it doesn’t go to court.
In the meantime, Greece will be suing the USOC next week for using an ancient event name to make money. Joking aside is this what the Olympics have become? A money making venture that tramples everyone that gets in their way? When I think Olympics the first thing I think about is how long it’s been around, I’m pretty sure the USOC wasn’t competing in the event during ancient times.
