[neb52]

A&M can show that they were using it way before anybody else, which shores up their trademark pretty tight.

An example would be if you think you can open a business advertising you singing "Happy Birthday" at peoples' birthdays. I guarantee that you will be receiving a letter from Paul McCartney's attorneys.

[Drango]

A&M can show that they were using it way before anybody else,

Well they have a noble history of it and they took it to new levels. Further I remember sitting in the Kingdome, circa 1980s, watching the Seahawks, and I don't recall any 12th man hype. But that begs the issue. I suspect a little research will show that the 12th man concept and utterance, was and has been used by most teams in the world. Long before the Aggies.