Judge says no to Bears fans' request for a new moniker
Lindsay Stuart, Alestle Sports Reporter
Issue date: 4/10/07 Section: Sports
There remains only one Peyton Manning in the world because of a judge's decision to disallow Forsyth's Scott Wiese to change his name to match that of the Indianapolis Colt's famous quarterback.
Wiese, an avid Bears fan, lost a bet made over the Super Bowl, and in return agreed to change his name to Peyton Manning. Before he could go through with the change, however, he had to obtain a judge's approval.
Wiese, the older brother of SIUE mass communications freshman Kyle Wiese, went to the Macon County Circuit Clerk's Office March 26 for a hearing with Macon County Circuit Judge Katherine McCarthy, where he petitioned the judge to allow him to legally change his name.
Although it was an open courtroom, there was a small crowd.
"Anybody could have come to watch but I didn't tell anybody when the court date was because it was pretty crazy there for about two weeks right after the Super Bowl," Wiese said. "Actually it was just me and my lawyer friend and the judge and stenographer at the hearing."
Judge McCarthy ruled against the name change because it would be too confusing and because it was "possible infringement on the privacy of the real Peyton Manning."
"I could appeal it if I wanted to, but it would cost a lot of money," Wiese said. "I think I lived up to my end of the deal by going to court and all that."
After all the excitement and work Wiese put in to writing a petition to change his name, he was glad he didn't have to actually go through with it.
"I was definitely relieved because there was a lot of paperwork that I had to get through and I probably would have gotten a lot more press if I had to change my name," Wiese said. "I'm fine with the verdict and I know my parents are too."
Wiese's parents were not happy about the possibility of the name change.
"My parents were very upset at first," Kyle said. "They actually filed a petition at the Circuit Clerk's Office and what little chance my brother had went out the window after that. They were really relieved when the judge said no.
"Going in he thought he might have had a chance but he wasn't surprised about what happened," Kyle said. "I think he's kind of indifferent. He didn't care either way. He's probably somewhat relieved, though, because he didn't have to pay all that money to change his name."
Wiese, an avid Bears fan, lost a bet made over the Super Bowl, and in return agreed to change his name to Peyton Manning. Before he could go through with the change, however, he had to obtain a judge's approval.
Wiese, the older brother of SIUE mass communications freshman Kyle Wiese, went to the Macon County Circuit Clerk's Office March 26 for a hearing with Macon County Circuit Judge Katherine McCarthy, where he petitioned the judge to allow him to legally change his name.
Although it was an open courtroom, there was a small crowd.
"Anybody could have come to watch but I didn't tell anybody when the court date was because it was pretty crazy there for about two weeks right after the Super Bowl," Wiese said. "Actually it was just me and my lawyer friend and the judge and stenographer at the hearing."
Judge McCarthy ruled against the name change because it would be too confusing and because it was "possible infringement on the privacy of the real Peyton Manning."
"I could appeal it if I wanted to, but it would cost a lot of money," Wiese said. "I think I lived up to my end of the deal by going to court and all that."
After all the excitement and work Wiese put in to writing a petition to change his name, he was glad he didn't have to actually go through with it.
"I was definitely relieved because there was a lot of paperwork that I had to get through and I probably would have gotten a lot more press if I had to change my name," Wiese said. "I'm fine with the verdict and I know my parents are too."
Wiese's parents were not happy about the possibility of the name change.
"My parents were very upset at first," Kyle said. "They actually filed a petition at the Circuit Clerk's Office and what little chance my brother had went out the window after that. They were really relieved when the judge said no.
"Going in he thought he might have had a chance but he wasn't surprised about what happened," Kyle said. "I think he's kind of indifferent. He didn't care either way. He's probably somewhat relieved, though, because he didn't have to pay all that money to change his name."
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