Fansided

NBA’s Raise the Cat tees could lead to different kind of court battle

By Nick Tylwalk

Jan 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons practices prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons practices prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Come on people, Sixers fans haven’t had that much to cheer about in a while, so let’s not ruin it.

If you’re a long-suffering Philadelphia 76ers fans, it isn’t just Joel Embiid and the promise of Ben Simmons that has you pumped this season. It’s every chance you have to “Raise the Cat.”

The fandom/social media sensation started innocently enough with Simmons posting pictures of his cats (apparently also Sixers fans) after his team’s wins. Someone coined the Raise the Cat phrase and suddenly everyone was hoisting their pets toward the ceiling.

But you know how it goes: business had to go and possibly ruin the fun.

As BillyPenn.com explains, the NBA is now selling official Raise the Cat shirts. Cool, right?

It would be, except as someone once said in a much different context, you didn’t make that, NBA. Dennis Grove is the dude who did, starting with this tweet:

Indeed, Grove’s Twitter bio even leads off with “Founder of #RaiseTheCat.” He’s got his own official t-shirts with a website and everything.

The difference is that people who buy Grove’s tees are also helping to support actual cats, since the money goes to PhillyPAWS. The proceeds from the NBA’s shirt just goes to support … well, the NBA.

And it gets even more complicated. Trading card and memorabilia giant Upper Deck has already filed a trademark claim for both “Raise the Cat” and “#RaiseTheCat,” according to BillyPenn.

(Sidebar: While yours truly isn’t surprised one could trademark a hashtag, it’s also not something this writer knew prior to today.)

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The upshot here is that something fun and organic is getting bogged down by the gears of commerce. That’s a different kind of process, one not as exciting as Sixers fans are trying to celebrate. If you’re a lawyer and a sports fan in need of putting in some more pro bono hours, maybe give Grove a holler. He might need you.