Seahawks' "12th Man" gets respite in courts

A Seattle Seahawks football team flag, left, flies with the "12th Man" flag, along with an American flag in front of the team hotel, the Hyatt Regency. (ELAINE THOMPSON / AP)

We can all take a break from the "12th Man" debate until after the Super Bowl.

The trademark-infringement case brought against the Seahawks by Texas A&M University was moved to federal court in Houston Thursday. No hearing date has been set.

"It's unlikely we'll hear about any of that until after the Super Bowl," said Steve Moore, chief marketing officer at Texas A&M, which filed for a temporary restraining order against the Seahawks Monday.

The Seahawks filed to have the case moved out of the 85th District Court in Brazos County, Texas. Judge J.D. Langley, an A&M graduate, was scheduled to hear the matter Thursday.

"It brings everything here to a screeching halt unless the federal court decides to remand it," Langley said.

According to the motion, because Texas A&M is alleging a violation of its federally registered trademark by the Seahawks, a federal court has jurisdiction in the case.

Texas A&M has two trademarks on the phrase "12th Man." It refers to the collective fan base of a football team, which fields 11 players. The earliest trademark dates to 1990, but the tradition at the university goes back to 1922.

Seahawks fans have been known as the 12th Man since at least 1984, when the team retired jersey No. 12 in their honor.

A 12th Man banner — a flag with the No. 12 on it — was flying this week from the team's hotel in suburban Detroit. Similar flags are atop the Space Needle and the state Capitol in Olympia.

The Aggies have tried since 2004 to get the Seahawks to stop using 12th Man.

"In 2004, they asked if we would sublicense the brand and we refused," Moore said.

Here's an idea

The Save Our Seahawks fan group weighs in with this:

"Texas A&M is having financial troubles and is looking for new ways to fund their athletic programs. We don't know about you, but we believe that no city, state, professional and or non-professional sports team can own The 12th Man.

"We would like to encourage all 12th Men and Women around the world to help Texas A&M's athletic department in its time of financial need.

"It is very important that sports fans help amateur athletics. We are asking and encouraging that all sports fans, big and small, please send 12 cents to the Texas A&M athletic department to help in their fund-raising campaign."