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MLSNet.comWe love the single table format. That said, we also love rumors that MLS may be headed in that direction. With everyone from Sean Wheelock to Greg Lalas, to Shep Messing commenting on it as of late there must be something to the rumors. So we decided to look for any fact based evidence rather than seek out a New York bartender who keeps Don Garber's tab.
Here is what we found from the US Patent and Trademark Office. It would appear that in 2006 MLS quietly cancelled long held trademarks on "MLS East" and "MLS West".
| Word Mark | MLS EAST |
| Goods and Services | (CANCELLED) IC 016. US 002 005 022 023 029 037 038 050. G & S: printed matter, namely, posters, stickers, trading cards, and magazines and programs about soccer. FIRST USE: 19960501. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19960501 (CANCELLED) IC 025. US 022 039. G & S: wearing apparel, namely t-shirts, shorts, pants, jackets, sweatshirts, hats, sweaters and footwear. FIRST USE: 19960501. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19960501 (CANCELLED) IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment services, namely, organizing, conducting and staging professional soccer games and exhibitions, production or radio and television programs in the nature of professional soccer games and exhibitions. FIRST USE: 19960501. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19960501 |
| Mark Drawing Code | (3) DESIGN PLUS WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS |
| Design Search Code | 02.11.08 - Feet, human; Foot prints, human; Human feet, toes, imprints of feet or toes, legs; Imprints, feet or toes 21.03.01 - Balls including playground balls, beach balls, billiard balls, tennis balls, bingo balls and lottery balls; Beach balls; Billiard balls; Bingo balls; Lottery balls; Paddle balls; Playground balls; Table tennis balls; Tennis balls 21.03.15 - Soccer balls; Volleyballs 24.01.02 - Shields or crests with figurative elements contained therein or superimposed thereon 26.09.21 - Squares that are completely or partially shaded |
| Serial Number | 75557023 |
| Filing Date | September 23, 1998 |
| Current Filing Basis | 1A |
| Original Filing Basis | 1A |
| Published for Opposition | November 16, 1999 |
| Registration Number | 2315923 |
| Registration Date | February 8, 2000 |
| Owner | (REGISTRANT) Major League Soccer, L.L.C. LTD LIAB CO DELAWARE 110 E. 42nd Street, Suite 1000 New York NEW YORK 10017 |
| Disclaimer | NO CLAIM IS MADE TO THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE "EAST" APART FROM THE MARK AS SHOWN |
| Type of Mark | TRADEMARK. SERVICE MARK |
| Register | PRINCIPAL |
| Live/Dead Indicator | DEAD |
| Cancellation Date |
| Word Mark | MLS WEST |
| Goods and Services | (ABANDONED) IC 016. US 002 005 022 023 029 037 038 050. G & S: printed matter, namely, posters, stickers, trading cards, and magazines and programs about soccer. FIRST USE: 19970501. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19970501 (ABANDONED) IC 025. US 022 039. G & S: wearing apparel, namely t-shirts, shorts, pants, jackets, sweatshirts, hats, sweaters and footwear. FIRST USE: 19970501. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19970501 (ABANDONED) IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: entertainment services, namely, organizing conducting and staging professional soccer games and exhibitions and production or radio and television programs in the nature of professional soccer games and exhibitions. FIRST USE: 19970501. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19970501 |
| Mark Drawing Code | (3) DESIGN PLUS WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS |
| Design Search Code | 21.03.01 - Balls including playground balls, beach balls, billiard balls, tennis balls, bingo balls and lottery balls; Beach balls; Billiard balls; Bingo balls; Lottery balls; Paddle balls; Playground balls; Table tennis balls; Tennis balls 26.03.12 - Ovals with bars, bands and lines 26.03.21 - Ovals that are completely or partially shaded 26.09.21 - Squares that are completely or partially shaded 26.11.21 - Rectangles that are completely or partially shaded |
| Serial Number | 75552031 |
| Filing Date | September 10, 1998 |
| Current Filing Basis | 1A |
| Original Filing Basis | 1A |
| Owner | (APPLICANT) Major League Soccer, L.L.C. LTD LIAB CO DELAWARE 110 E. 42nd Street, Suite 1000 New York NEW YORK 10017 |
| Attorney of Record | DAVID WEINBERG |
| Disclaimer | NO CLAIM IS MADE TO THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE "WEST" APART FROM THE MARK AS SHOWN |
| Type of Mark | TRADEMARK. SERVICE MARK |
| Register | PRINCIPAL |
| Live/Dead Indicator | DEAD |
| Abandonment Date | March 1, 2000 |
greg lalas sucks at life
Can you provide a little explanation as to what we're looking at?
Also, I'm having second thoughts about the Single-Table. For the sake of on field performance, which obviously suffers during long distance travel, wouldn't it make more sense to keep the East-West split and schedule fewer interconference games?
Just thinking out loud...
The scheduling match-ups would most likely stay the same for traveling purposes. So some Western teams would play each other three times, while only playing Eastern teams twice.
The primary attributes of single table are having the top 8 teams in the league all earn playoff spots, and having a traditional, aesthetically pleasing format.
And then MLS and the USL can combine powers and begin to send down teams that don't deserve top flight and bring up teams that do! Hello American Premier League. Do you guys think that could ever work?
Abandonment date: march 1, 2000.....
THE AMERICAN PREMIERE LEAGUE SOUNDS SEXY! HERE IS TO THE APL!
APL.. I dig! MLS sounds like an abandoned little brother of that stickball organization.
which may I add seems to be dying pretty quickly.
Single table is good.
I could care less about a single table and how aesthetically pleasing it would be. Relegation can only happen if USL teams upgrade their facilities. An A/C schedule would allow the MLS a bigger stage in American sports at about the time when the MLS all-star game is played.
I tought the current play off system was set to simulate a single tabe format. It looks that way from where I stand.
Wouldn't it make it less of a local rilvalries with out conferences?
With the move to single table, and due to expansion, teams will be playing each other only twice in the regular season, so local rivalries will come from geography and play on the pitch rather than by imposing more games between the teams closer together.