While researching other potential NASL names that might be resurrected for the New NASL we came across something very interesting.

Riddle us this: If a current MLS ownership group suddenly in 2009 registers an old NASL trademark for a team which has not played a competitive game since 1981 what could that possibly mean?

Possible scenarios:

1. Protection – Perhaps Hunt Sports Group got wind that the new USL breakaway league planned to bring some old dead NASL trademarks back to life. If they did then they would have had to know this before June 8 of this year, well before the whole USL Team Owners Association public split with the USL.

2. Memorabilia – It would be common sense that a name for a team formerly owned and chaired by Lamar Hunt would fall under HSG, for nothing else than to be able to produce throwback jerseys and other memorabilia. However, one would wonder about the timing of this.

3. Re-branding – They did before, so we highly doubt they’d do it again but, perhaps they looked at the Sounders success and thought that linking FC Dallas to that history in a sort of San Jose Clash becomes the San Jose Earthquakes way might be an option they would at least like on the table if Pizza Hut Park attendances remained anemic. The counterargument to this is that unlike the Seattle Sounders there would be only one real link back to the Dallas Tornado and that would be the family that owns FC Dallas. The Hunts

4. NASL/MLS cooperative agreement. There has been a rumor that the new NASL plans to work with MLS in ways that the USL didn’t, perhaps including acting as a sort of reserve league for MLS teams. It would make a lot of sense that if FC Dallas fielded their reserves in the NASL that it take on the name of the old NASL club since it appears several of the new NASL clubs will have old names.

Here’s the trademark:

Word Mark	D TORNADO
Goods and Services	IC 025. US 022 039. G & S: Clothing, namely, jerseys, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and capsIC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment services, namely, organizing and conducting professional soccer games and exhibitions; production of television and radio programs in the nature of professional soccer games and exhibitions; website featuring information regarding soccer games and exhibitions
Mark Drawing Code	(3) DESIGN PLUS WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS
Design Search Code	01.01.10 – Stars, three or more; Three or more stars 01.01.13 – Stars – multiple stars with five points 01.15.12 – Cyclones; Tornadoes; Whirlpools 21.03.15 – Soccer balls; Volleyballs 26.17.07 – Heat, lines depicting; Lines depicting speed, propulsion, heat or wind; Propulsion, lines depicting; Speed, lines depicting; Wind, lines depicting
Serial Number	77754283
Filing Date	June 8, 2009
Current Filing Basis	1B
Original Filing Basis	1B
Published for Opposition	November 3, 2009
Owner	(APPLICANT) Hunt Sports Group, LLC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY TEXAS 1601 Elm Street Suite 4000 Dallas TEXAS 75201
Attorney of Record	Tamera H. Bennett
Description of Mark	Color is not claimed as a feature of the mark. The mark consists of word “tornado” beneath a stylized letter “D” with the center of the “D” being a soccer ball. The design of the tornado is coming out from the center of the letter “O” in “tornado”.
Type of Mark	TRADEMARK. SERVICE MARK
Register	PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator	LIVE