The rollout of new Cleveland Guardians merchandise was delayed on Monday, and it may be a sign that the franchise’s new name may not be so official just yet.
According to a Cleveland.com report, retailers were told to expect sales of Guardians merchandise to begin at 9 a.m. but a short time after that they were notified, without explanation, that the launch would be postponed.
A new sale date has not been determined while a spokesperson for the franchise declined to comment to Cleveland.com.
The holdup could potentially be due to a trademark lawsuit that was filed by a roller derby team of the same name last month, per the report.
“The cannot be two ‘Cleveland Guardians’ teams in Cleveland, and, to be blunt, Plaintiff was here first,” the roller derby team wrote in the suit.
The roller derby team, based in Parma, Ohio, was established in 2013 and argues that the city cannot have two sports teams with the same name because it would cause confusion among fans and irreparable harm to the smaller and lesser-known team.
The baseball team apparently tried to buy the naming rights in June, but the four-figure offer was turned down by the roller derby team, per their attorney.
A month after that offer, the baseball team announced its new name as the Guardians.
Last week, Cleveland team president Chris Antonetti was seen wearing a shirt with the new “Diamond C” logo on it at the GM Meetings in California.
“We have been and continue to be confident in our position to become the Guardians,” the baseball franchise wrote in response to the lawsuit last month. “We believe there is no conflict between the parties and their ability to operate in their respective business areas.”
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