Who’s the greatest No. 8? The importance of creativity in athlete brand building & trademark registration

When you think of the No. 8 on a sports jersey, which professional athlete comes to mind first – Kobe Bryant? Cal Ripken Jr.? Alex Ovechkin? Perhaps even Yogi Berra (for those “seasoned” N.Y. Yankees fans)? Certainly, these are all extraordinary players with a legitimate claim to being the “Greatest 8” of them all, but this is a discussion that is more likely to occur on a bar stool than at the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).