Proehl seeking trademark on white receiver comparisons

“I think I’ve earned it,” Proehl said. “Used to be that white receivers would be compared to Steve Largent, Ed McCaffrey, Don Beebe or even Wayne Chrebet. But now that I’m retired, I think the honor should be all mine. I mean, I think everyone agrees that I’m basically the definitive white possession receiver.”

The trademark Proehl is seeking would be similar to the one that current Miami Heat coach Pat Riley acquired when he was coaching the Los Angeles Lakers and coined the term “three-peat.”

However, there are critics who say that the trademark is inappropriate – the absurdity of the idea aside – because not all white wide receivers are “possession receivers,” which carries with it the insinuation of being slow-footed.

“Of course, not all white receivers are slow, but the media doesn’t care about that,” Proehl pointed out. “Even if a fast player like Matt Jones or Kevin Curtis is catching passes, they still compare them to me, so I feel I’m owed something. Maybe I could even become a verb; like if a white guy makes a tough catch over the middle, Madden could say, ‘What a Proehl by [Chicago Bears backup WR] Mike Hass. Bam!’ Or maybe we should call it a Ricky – either one is really fine with me.”

Despite his commitment and apparent confidence, most inside the sports industry do not believe that Proehl will be successful in his quest.

“There’s no way he’s getting that trademark,” said one television executive, who spoke with SSNN on the condition of anonymity. “Nor do we want him to. Our announcers are under explicit instructions to mix it up a bit when comparing white receivers to their predecessors. They’re all the same type of player, but variety is essential – compare one to Steve Largent, one to Don Beebe and another to Ed McCaffrey. It’s always been the rule – even with a guy like Tim Dwight. It’s not that we don’t respect Ricky, but there’s a well-established hierarchy here, and I see no reason to rock the boat.”

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Labels: Carolina Panthers, Don Beebe, Ed McCaffrey, Indianapolis Colts, John Madden, Kevin Curtis, Matt Jones, Mike Hass, NFL, Pat Riley, Ricky Proehl, St. Louis Rams, Steve Largent, Super Bowl, Tim Dwight, Wayne Chrebet

Posted on March 24th, 2008

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