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The number 8 is associated with a slew of notable athletes, and Lamar Jackson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are both members of that particular club. However, they also have some beef now that the Ravens star is trying to block the NASCAR legend from securing a trademark involving that digit.
Kobe Bryant is probably the most accomplished athlete to rock “8” on their jersey at some point during their career, but it’s also been the number of choice for some standout NFL quarterbacks including Steve Young, Troy Aikman, and Lamar Jackson.
Last year, the last two men on that list found themselves engaged in a legal tiff after Jackson attempted to stop Aikman from filing a trademark for the light brand beer the retired Cowboy dubbed “EIGHT” (as well as related merchandise) while asserting he’d previously cornered the market with filings linked to a “You 8 Yet?” restaurant concept and his “Era 8” line of apparel.
That battle was still being waged as of last month, and according to intellectual property attorney Josh Gerben, the Ravens QB has added another one to his plate courtesy of Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Gerben came across a notice of opposition Jackson recently filed to challenge the trademark the member of NASCAR royalty applied for in order to sell clothing emblazoned with the stylized “8” he’s rocked on the side of his car for his entire career; the QB’s argument largely hinges on the belief people would falsely believe there’s a link between the two men.
That seems like a bit of a stretch, although it’s worth noting trademark holders are essentially required to be overly cautious when it comes to protecting their brand in order to hold onto it.
I am not an attorney, but Gerben (who’s been kind enough to chat with me about the intricacies of similar issues in the past) firmly is and seems skeptical Jackson will ultimately be able to prevail in his case against both Earnhardt and Aikman.
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board will theoretically weigh in on the most recent complaint at some point in 2026 if the two sides can’t come to an agreement, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see how things pan out.