Queens Tribune

“Dream dies in Queens: Jets opt to share a N.J. stadium rather than live up to team’s moniker,” read the headline of Newsday’s Saturday Editorial.

The New York Giants and the New York Jets have reached agreement to jointly build and share a new stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey – The Meadowlands — and spend, according to the Jets Web site, the next 99 years, on the wrong side of the Hudson.

The two teams agreed to build and share the $800 million stadium complex while the state of New Jersey will kick in 40 acres for training camps, not only robbing Queens of its momentary hope but Hofstra University of significant revenue for its training facilities and New York State of jobs and some $20 million in tax revenue.

The Jets, after the grandiose West Side Stadium proposal failed to materialize, in what now appears to be a negotiating ploy, flirted with the people and elected officials of Queens proposing a stadium in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which would have brought the team back home to Queens after spending more than two decades in the bowels of Jersey – forgive the use of “bowels” but the poetry of the word forced me into it.

The Jets, who have been tenants in “Giants” Stadium since leaving our borough in 1984, were unwilling to remain a second class team in the Meadowlands and so the teams agreed to sell the naming rights of their new jointly operated complex.

Ironically, one suggested corporate sponsor is Queens corporate giant Jet Blue, whose name includes the “Jets” and the Giants “Big Blue” nickname.

And as the speculation and celebrations continue, and while our state calculates the economic and job loss, something else of great relevance seems to continue to be ignored.

Let me explain.

Have you ever tasted New York Wine made in Trenton?

How about New York cheddar from Montclair?

In what state is the New York Stock Exchange located? . . . The New York Times?

Where do New York apples come from?

Where will the New York Jets and the New York Giants be playing New York football, training and housing their corporate offices and selling their New York team memorabilia for the next 99 years?

Football dreams may die but New York pride should not.

We sat around the newsroom griping at the Jets betrayal of our hope for a return of football to Queens. We talked of our friend, now Jets Vice President of Development, Matt Higgins, the former Trib reporter who began our Action Desk and started this millennium in our newsroom, and who for the last several months tried to convince us that the Jets may come back home. We talked of not having a football team in our great city.

But most of all we talked about the teams’ names: The New York Jets and the New York Giants.

How can you play New York football if you’re not in New York?

How can you sell clothing with the New York name?

You can’t produce New York wine or New York cheddar.
Who owns the name New York?

In private industry, we would have been in court long ago.
I remember when “the Donald” – before his first name was “The” – sued the “Trump Group,” an unrelated Trump family from South Africa, over the use of their own name because it might cause people to think it is his.

Case law is cluttered with meaningful and meaningless actions of people and companies protesting the commercial use of their names by others. Registration rights, copyrights, trademarks, misleading advertising, and all sorts of UCC and other infringement protection regulations are utilized to make sure one’s good name is not used for profit by another.

Who owns the rights to “New York”?

Two teams who left us in the last millennium or the people of our great state?

We propose legal action to reclaim our name from the teams who left us.

We call upon the Attorney General, the Governor, and the New York State Legislature to act to protect one of the most valuable assets of our State – its name.

I don’t know precedent; I’m not an attorney.

I do know public relations. The Jets and Giants must hear from our State and our people that their use of our name is misleading, is used for commercial benefit and is offensive to our sensibilities.

We call upon the New York State Department of Commerce and the City Office of Economic Development to begin an aggressive campaign to bring a football team back to our city. If the NFL wants to claim a New York franchise is in its league, then let’s get one.

The New York Cowboys anyone?

The Jets online store doesn’t offer anything with the letters NJ.