Staten Island Pizza Rats (Staten Island Yankees nickname)
Matt Little posted a YouTube video on September 21, 2015, titled “New York City rat taking pizza home on the subway (Pizza Rat).” The video showing a rat dragging a slice of pizza down subway stairs soon went viral.
The Staten Island Yankees had a contest to rename the team, and in June 2018, the minor league baseball club announced that the team would be the Staten Island Pizza Rats for every Saturday home game in 2018 (five games). The “Pizza Rats” name was trademarked.
Know Your Meme
Pizza Rat
About
Pizza Rat is the nickname given to a rodent that became an overnight Internet sensation after it was spotted carrying down a slice of pizza down the stairs of a New York City subway platform in September 2015.
Origin
On September 18th, 2015, New York City standup comedian Matt Little recorded a video of a rat dragging a slice of pizza down the stairs at the First Avenue L train station in Manhattan. On September 21st, Little uploaded the video to his Instagram and YouTube accounts with a bemusing description comparing the rodent to Master Splinter from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (shown below). Within the first 24 hours, the video garnered over two million views.
YouTube
New York City rat taking pizza home on the subway (Pizza Rat)
Matt Little
Published on Sep 21, 2015
A rat tries to bring slice of pizza down subway station stairs.
OR
Master Splinter bringing food home to feed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
Twitter
Dan Hopper
@DanHopp
@themattlittle Dude, Pizza Rat is making the full on “obligatory Twitter jokes about it” rounds! Congrats!!!
3:43 PM - 21 Sep 2015
Vox
Pizza Rat: New York City’s infamous rodent, explained
By Margarita Noriega .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Sep 21, 2015, 5:10pm EDT
Pizza Rat wildly captured the imagination of Twitter on Monday, thanks to comedian Matt Little (h/t Jordan Sargent). Like any other rat in the Big Apple, it is hungry for life. Unlike the rest of its rodent brethren, however, it was recorded carrying a large, single slice of pizza down the dirty cement steps of a New York subway station.
People
Rat Takes Pizza Home on the Subway, Et In Terra Pax
ALEX HEIGL
September 23, 2015 04:14 PM
These are the days of rats and pizza.
Monday, a video of a rat casually descending the stairs of a New York City subway station with an entire slice of pizza creeped up on the Internet.
(...)
Pizza rat doesn’t care. Pizza rat was before the Internet and will exist long after the Internet or pizza.
Twitter
Maddie Boardman
@ml_boardman
As if I could possibly love the @SIYanks any more, they’re now considering becoming the Staten Island Pizza Rats:
(“Staten Island Yankees Reveal New Team Name Finalists” -is shown.—ed.)
12:00 PM - 8 Sep 2016
Grub Street
PIZZA RAT APR. 30, 2018
Pizza Rat Made Its Triumphant Return to New York This Weekend
By Chris Crowley
In New York, the return of the pizza rat — much like the quaint Groundhog Day — is a harbinger of the beginning and end of summer. It should come as no surprise that with the forecast predicting temperatures in the 80s this week, pizza rat was spotted ceremoniously dragging the Whole Slice across the Sacred Subway Tracks over the weekend.
MLB.com
It is happening: The Staten Island Yankees will become the Staten Island Pizza Rats
By Matt Monagan @MattMono11
June 11, 2018 at 6:53pm
(...)
It was the news that the Staten Island Yankees would, after a declaration from its discerning fan base, become the Staten Island Pizza Rats. And nearly two years later, the organization has fullfilled its promise to honor the American hero:
The team will only sport the jerseys and name for Saturday home games this season, but look at all that sweet gear! You can wear a pizza rat hoodie or even a pizza rat bucket hat to keep out that hot summer sun. Also, all purchased ball caps will be delivered to customers in a pizza box with crushed red pepper and parmesan cheese.
Twitter
Staten Island Yankees
@SIYanks
SPECIAL DELIVERY: SI YANKS ➡️ STATEN ISLAND PIZZA RATS on Saturday night home games this season 🍕 🐀 Visit http://pizzaratsbaseball.com to place your order! #SIPizzaRats #JoinThePack
11:06 AM - 11 Jun 2018
Daily News (New York, NY)
The Staten Island Yankees will be renamed the Pizza Rats after all (but not for long)
By JAKE BECKER
JUN 11, 2018 | 3:20 PM
The Staten Island Yankees are finally giving “Pizza Rat” a slice of the action.
The Yanks’ Short Season-A club announced Monday that the team is honoring a fan vote from 2016 and changing its name to the Staten Island Pizza Rats — well, for all five Saturday home games this season.
“Pizza Rats” emerged as the winning moniker in a “Name the Team” contest two years ago, when fans voted overwhelmingly for the slice-carrying New York City subway rodent after it went viral on YouTube in 2015.
MLB.com
After long gestation, Pizza Rats come to life
Staten Island Yankees president talks about team’s new alter-ego
By Benjamin Hill / MiLB.com | June 14, 2018 10:00 AM
The Staten Island Pizza Rats, conceived in 2016, are now a reality. On Monday, the Staten Island Yankees announced that they will play as the Pizza Rats during every 2018 Saturday home game.
The term “pizza rat” burst into the public consciousness in September 2015, after comedian Matt Little posted a video of a rat carrying a slice of pizza down a flight of New York City subway stairs. One year later, the Staten Island Yankees announced that Pizza Rats were among the finalists in their “Name the Team” contest. That name change never occurred, but Staten Island’s front office didn’t wavered in its belief in the power of the Pizza Rat.
On Tuesday, Staten Island Yankees president Will Smith stopped by the MiLB.com office as part of his morning-long, Manhattan-based Pizza Rats media blitz. During a 20-minute conversation, he discussed the origin of the Pizza Rats name, the branding process, public reaction and just what constitutes “Shaolin flavor.”
(Trademark)
Word Mark PIZZA RATS
Goods and Services IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment services in the nature of baseball games and exhibitions. FIRST USE: 20180611. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20180623
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 87163462
Filing Date September 7, 2016
Current Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1B
Published for Opposition April 11, 2017
Owner (APPLICANT) Nostalgic Partners, LLC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY DELAWARE 75 Richmond Terrace Staten Island NEW YORK 10301
Attorney of Record Daniel Tychonievich
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE