Berra Sues TBS Over 'Sex and the City' Ad

My Freeze ^ | Feb 2nd, 2005

[missyme]

NEW YORK (AP) - Hall of Famer Yogi Berra has filed a $10 million lawsuit against TBS, claiming the cable television network sullied his name by using it in a racy advertisement for its "Sex and the City" reruns. Berra's papers, filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court, say the Turner Broadcasting System Inc. ad, which has appeared on buses and in subways, caused "severe damage to his reputation" with its reference to Kim Cattrall's sexually promiscuous character, Samantha.

The offending ad, Berra's court papers say, queried readers about the definition of "yogasm." Possible definitions: (a) a type of yo-yo trick, (b) sex with Yogi Berra and (c) what Samantha has with a guy from yoga class. The answer is (c).

The reference to the sexual act made in connection with Berra "engenders a moral taint that has damaged his otherwise spotless reputation," say his court papers, filed last week and posted on thesmokinggun.com Web site.

The 79-year-old Berra "is a married man and has children and grandchildren," his court papers say. "He is a deeply religious man who has maintained and continues to maintain a moral lifestyle and has a spotless reputation for integrity, decency and moral character."

Berra's lawyer Lewis Smoley, said he was told TBS stopped running the ad last August. Nevertheless, he said, he wants the court to order the superstation to never run the ad again.

The Berra suit seeks $5 million on each of two causes of action: commercial use of his name without permission and unjust enrichment by use of his name without permission.

A spokeswoman for TBS, based in Atlanta, said Tuesday: "We do not comment on litigation."

Berra, a catcher for the New York Yankees from 1946-63 who lives in Montclair, N.J., is one of baseball's most beloved and quotable characters. He also managed the Yankees and the New York Mets to pennants.

[missyme]

[Borges]

Someone should have sued because 'Sex and the City' was severly unfunny. So now I know what women talk like when they're alone...they talk like gay comedy writers.

[Cagey]

I'm not one to complain about re-posts, so here goes again.


Yogisms


"I never blame myself when I'm not hitting. I just blame the bat and if it keeps up I change bats....
After all, if I know it isn't my fault that I'm not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?"

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"Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting."

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"You give a hundred percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough,
in the second half you give what's left."

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"Nobody goes to that restaurant anymore, it's too crowded."

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Carmen Berra: "Yogi, I went to see Dr. Zhivago today."
Yogi: "Now what's wrong with you?"

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Larry Berra to his father: "Hey, Dad, the man is here for the venetian blind."
Yogi: Well, go in my pocket and give him a couple of bucks for a donation and get rid of him.

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"[When introduced to writer Ernest Hemingway] Yeah, what paper you write for, Ernie?"

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"It gets late early out there"

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"I really didn't say everything I said"

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"Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical."

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"You can observe a lot by watching."

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"In baseball, you don't know nothing."

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"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore."

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"It's deja vu all over again."

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"If you come to a fork in the road, take it."

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"Think! How the hell are you gonna think and hit at the same time?"

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"I usually take a two hour nap, from one o'clock to four."

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"If people don't want to come out to the park, nobody's going to stop them."

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"Why buy good luggage? You only see it when you travel."

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Hey Yogi, what time is it?
"You mean now?"

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On being asked his cap size at the beginning of spring training.
"I don't know, I'm not in shape."

---

On why the Yankees lost the 1960 series to Pittsburgh:
"We made too many wrong mistakes."

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On Rickey Henderson:
"He can run anytime he wants. I'm giving him the red light."

---

On Ted Williams:
"He is a big clog in their machine."

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On being told by the wife of New York Mayor John V. Lindsay that he looked cool despite the heat:
"You don't look so hot, either."

---

On Yogi Berra appreciation day in St. Louis 1947:
"I want to thank you all for making this day necessary."

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On the tight 1973 National League pennant race:
"It ain't over 'til its over."

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On being asked why Johnny Bench hit more homeruns than he did:
"Most of his homeruns were hit on artificial turf."

---

"Eighty percent of putts that fall short don't go in."

[Cornpone]

Way to go Yogi!! By the way, the Yogi was recognized in the latest issue of The Economist as one of the wisest fools of all time.

[Marano NYC]

Berra is the most beloved man in NYC. He has parlayed the simpleton routine into a second career. He is a shrewd businessman and has invested his money wisely.
His quips are brilliant. "McQueen must have made that movie before he died ".
Part of the reason he is so loved is for his humility. Even A Rod and Jeter speak with him in the most respectful terms.He apologized to A Rod for delaying his session with a trainer. A Rod told him "you built this place".

[dfwgator]

I like the one in the AFLAC commercial:

"And they pay you in cash, which is just as good as money."

[Boundless]

> The Berra suit seeks $5 million on each of two causes of
> action: commercial use of his name without permission and
> unjust enrichment by use of his name without permission.

Neither of which has anything to do with his reputation.

This is a pretty open-and-shut case of neglecting to pay
the "talent" used in an ad.

It will probably settle out of court, but will also
likely end up costing TBS more than if they had
negotiated in advance - and it needs to.

[firebrand]

"Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting."

One Elmore Leonard crook to another, as they read in the paper that they "fled the scene": "You ever flee? I've run like hell, but I don't ever remember fleeing."

[herewego]

Have you seen the Aflac ad? Yogi is in a barbershop explaining that if you get hurt, Aflac will pay in cash- which is almost as good as money....lmao at that one.

[Freepdonia]

Yogi is a good Republican, too.

[isthisnickcool]

Gads. This is gonna cost them.

This has nothing to do with this thread other than it's entertaining. You need a fast connection and speakers.

Sand

[Cagey]

I have seen that ad and it's very clever.

I used to bowl in a league at the Berra Rizzuto lanes in Clifton some years ago and one night Yogi stopped in and you couldn't hear a pin drop as everyone turned to catch a glance. He made sure he greeted everyone that night. He's always been a very classy guy and I hope he lives forever.

[xrp]

Wow, this has only been posted about a dozen times, now.

[big'ol_freeper]

Ping.

[Marano NYC]

A minor fact not discussed by the ever humble Berra is he is a WWII veteran who was part of D Day.

[scottybk]

Sex and the City is the absolute worst that TV has to offer. Overpaid homosexual men imagining themselves as slutty, over-the-hill broads trying to get laid with young dudes every night. Not to mention the fact that a newspaper writer could NEVER afford an apt. that size in Manhattan, and a Manhattan biglaw lawyer like the babe on there would have no time left to socailize- those firms require 80+ hours of week of their associates. Overall, an unrealistic piece of crap that makes me want to drink a Drano martini while having a Liquid Plummer enema.

[CARDINALRULES]

I've seen him here in my town a few times. First time was about 15 years ago at our high school's football playoff game and the last time was about 2 years ago at our Wal-Mart.

Most of the people didn't know who he was and I didn't have the nerve to get his autograph.

His wife is from this area and they visit often

[It's me]

SO COOL!!!

[isthisnickcool]

Neat, eh?