Bill Belichick’s latest hustle hit a roadblock. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office just nixed four trademark applications filed by the UNC coach and his partner, Jordon Hudson. The slogans: _“Do Your Job (Bill’s Version),” “Ignore the Noise (Bill’s Version),” “The Belestrator (Bill’s Version),”_ and _“No Days Off (Bill’s Version)”_—were all denied because the Patriots already own them, ESPN reports.
> View this post on Instagram
>
> [A post shared by Yahoo Sports (@yahoosports)](https://www.instagram.com/p/DOZWGPgkVwI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading)
TCE Rights Management, with Hudson listed as manager, filed in April to slap the phrases on everything from clothing to books, podcasts, and streaming content. But here’s the kicker: all four slogans were born during Belichick’s 23-year run in New England, where the Patriots trademarked them between 2009 and 2017. The NFL team still holds the rights, and the Patent Office isn’t playing, saying consumers could get “confused, mistaken, or deceived” about where the merch or media came from.
Now Belichick and Hudson have three months to make their case and appeal. Until then, the Patriots’ grip on these iconic sayings stays locked up, and the attempt to claim “Bill’s Version” of his own legacy is on hold.
Belichick’s attempt to reclaim his own slogans shows a widening rift with his former franchise. He resigned as Patriots HC after the 2023 season. Tension has since spilled into the college ranks. Last week, reports surfaced that Belichick barred Patriots scouts from UNC’s football program after saying, following a win over Charlotte, that _“It’s clear I’m not welcome there… so they’re not welcome at ours.”_
**Bill Belichick Must Choose: Chapel Hill Future or New England Patriots Grudges**
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson on the red carpet before Super Bowl LIX NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Two weeks into the college season, it’s hard to ignore how Bill Belichick still looks stuck in Foxborough instead of Chapel Hill. He was hired to lift North Carolina, yet every move (be it trademark squabbles or shutting out Patriots scouts) screams preoccupation with the past. That’s not leadership.
> “I understand the sting of leaving New England without another NFL offer. But if he can’t show young players how to park old grudges, what lesson is he really teaching? The Tar Heels need a coach who is all-in, not one replaying old battles.”
Trying to rebrand slogans already owned by the Patriots is petty, if you ask me. Blocking access to scouts is counterproductive. Unless Belichick shifts his focus now, North Carolina risks becoming collateral damage in his unfinished breakup with New England. What do you folks think?