Vegas Golden Knights Prematurely File Trademark for “Cup In Six”

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

2 minute read

Back in February of 2016, Golden Knights’ managing partner Bill Foley notoriously predicted “Playoffs in three; Cup in six” ahead of their very first season. 

So, now that Vegas stands just one win away from lifting the Stanley Cup trophy in precisely its sixth season, the Golden Knights have already filed a handful of trademarks for “Cup in Six” to be used on clothing, sunglasses, trading cards, and other merchandise in celebration of Foley’s original prediction the Action Network reported.  

But by doing so, did they just bring bad luck upon themselves?

“The owner was very vocal about this prediction and stories were recently written about it, so it makes sense to protect it,” said trademark attorney Josh Gerben, who discovered the filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office early Tuesday morning. “But it also means it’s out there because filing a trademark is very public.”

Updated on 04/27/2024

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In theory, if things head south for the Knights following the filing of the trademark, they certainly won’t be the first team guilty of jinxing themselves in such a way.

The most famous premature trademark filing story was the New England Patriots back in 2008, who filed trademarks for “19-0” and “Undefeated Season” in the days leading up to Super Bowl XLII – before losing as heavy 12-point favorites to the New York Giants. 

Pat Riley also notoriously jinxed his team by filing for a “Three-Peat” trademark an entire year in advance -- on two separate occasions.

Riley originally filed the “Three-Peat” trademark prior to the 1988-89 NBA season after winning back-to-back titles as the Lakers’ coach, before subsequently falling to the Detroit Pistons in the 1989 Finals.

And then flip forward to 2014, Riley filed for another “Three-Peat” trademark, this time to be used on rings after winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 as an executive for the Heat, but likewise, Miami lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 Finals.

Riley still doesn’t have a “Three-Peat” of his own under his belt, but he’s certainly cashed in big on the trademark thanks to the Bulls, Yankees, and Lakers all managing to string together three straight titles since the original filing.

Nobody is saying that it was a bad business move for the Golden Knights to jump the gun on the “Cup In Six” trademark, but all things considered, it probably would’ve been best to avoid giving Florida bulletin board material before the title is officially won.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson