Down to three choices, Jim Speros said yesterday that he will select a name for Baltimore's Canadian Football League team once he has received NFL approval.
The finalists in a name-the-team poll in The Sun are CFLs, Stallions and a third, unnamed write-in vote.
Speros, owner of the team, would not disclose the third choice until his attorneys had registered for trademark rights. But he said it was not Pride, Steeds, Hosses, or C's.
Speros said he expects to choose the winner no later than Dec. 16. Yesterday, he submitted CFLs and Stallions to the NFL for its approval.
The decision would end a costly seven-month legal battle with the NFL over Speros' choice of Baltimore CFL Colts.
When he was unable to overturn a preliminary injunction against using that name, he reached an out-of-court settlement with the NFL. The case was due to begin in Indianapolis in three days.
By getting clearance from the NFL, Speros wants to ensure he won't have to return to court to defend against another trademark infringement lawsuit. He said he has run up legal fees of more than $500,000 fighting the NFL.
The NFL holds trademark rights to Stallions, a name St. Louis planned to use if it had been granted an expansion team last winter. Speros was uncertain whether the NFL would oppose CFLs.
"There's some gray area there," he said. "I want to make sure the NFL gives its OK.
"Legally, we're going to do the right thing. We're not going to infringe, or cause any confusion with our name."
Speros declined to reveal the exact vote in the contest, but said the top three choices were very close.
"We appreciate the information the fans gave us," he said. "We had over 20,000 phone calls from Nov. 12 to Nov. 27, and that's not counting the mail [votes]."
Regardless of the choice, Speros said the team will retain its logo of a horse head.