JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Jaguars fans have mixed feelings about whether the team should trademark "DUUUVAL."
The hometown chant was said to be started by a couple of local DJs and Raines High School, which is why many have posted on social media, expressing concern about if the franchise will trademark it.
During the team's playoff run, News4Jax's Scott Johnson set out to track down the origin of "DUUUVAL." He found former Jacksonville DJ Bigga Rankin.
"I don't know what I can say, I'm happy for the city. I'm happy for Jacksonville," Rankin told News4Jax. "When I came up with the word, it was spur of the moment. It was in the midst of just having fun."
Rankin said he coined the chant during an out-of-town show. He said he began saying it on the radio, and many followed.
"It wasn't about money. It wasn't about being the greatest," Rankin said. "It wasn't about 20 years later, trademarking it."
Fans feel indifferent about trademarking "DUUUVAL." Some say to give credit where it's due, while others say it didn't become a phenomenon until the Jaguars got a hold of it.
Many Jacksonville residents said they didn't realize the chant didn't start with the Jaguars.
"I have no idea (where it started)," a woman at a grocery store told News4Jax on Wednesday.
Although unsure where the chant originated, some said they're OK with the team putting a stamp on it.
"Most people use that chant at Jaguars games, and that's, kind of, a Jags thing," one man at the grocery store said. "I don't see any problems with it."
The Jaguars released an official statement to News4Jax on Wednesday about trademarking:
"The Jaguars have not submitted a trademark application for the DUUUVAL wordmark. The only actions we have taken to date are designed to protect our ability to continue to use this wordmark to promote our fan base and the team in the event someone else attempts to trademark the phrase."