Niners are 'Hot Boyz 'Imposters,' Says Cowboys Tank Lawrence as Nickname's Being ‘Legally Stolen’ by Super Bowl Team

The Dallas Cowboys ‘Hot Boyz’ Nickname - Promoted So Strongly by Tank Lawrence and Friends - Has Been ‘Legally Stolen’ by Super Bowl-Bound 49ers ... But Tank Calls Them 'Imposters'

FRISCO - Back in August, at Dallas Cowboys training camp, I asked defensive end DeMarcus "Tank'' Lawrence about the news that the San Francisco 49ers defense has somehow stolen Dallas' "Hot Boyz" defensive nickname.

''I don't know what's going on,'' Tank told me, joking that he'd trademarked the monicker. "But absolutely, the 'Hot Boyz' is here. We're the 'Hot Boyz.' Some people don't tune in.''

Well, some people are about to "tune in'' to Super Bowl LIV. And when they do, they'll see the San Francisco 49ers participating (against the Kansas City Chiefs) and they're sure to learn that Niners linebacker Kwon Alexander has filed trademark applications for "Hot Boyzz" and "Hot Boyzz University.''

Handing out degrees in Legendary Action ‼️#BeLegendary x #WallpaperWednesday pic.twitter.com/wcrvmyeM1W

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 16, 2020

That extra "z'' apparently makes all the difference. application is the extra "z."

Appreciate everyone keeping me updated on the imposters. But, please believe my legal team has been monetering the situation and has already taken the steps to protect our ™️. Only one @HotBoyzTM don’t matter how many “Z’s” they put on it. #LawyerUp

— DeMarcus Lawrence (@TankLawrence) January 21, 2020

Tweeted Lawrence today upon hearing the news: "Appreciate everyone keeping me updated on the imposters. But, please believe my legal team has been monitorring the situation and has already taken the steps to protect our TM. Only one "HotBoyz'' ...don’t matter how many “Z’s” they put on it.''

Lawrence and his defensive teammates have had some fun with the nickname, and maybe made a little profit, too, as "Hot Boyz'' merchandise is on sale. But they take it seriously, too, witness, the pricy necklaces worn by Tank and some of the other fellas. (Oh, and Tank is apparently serious about legal action here.)

Of course, as Tank would be the first to admit, Dallas didn't play so "hot'' on defense this year, and the Niners did. Still, this is obviously now more than the non-football thing that Tank at one time assumed the Niners were clinging to.

"You gotta understand,'' Lawrence told me, "there's this thing going around called 'Hot Boyz Summer' and "Hot Girlz Summer'' ... They're probably in their summer mode.''

Maybe the Niners were in "summer mode'' then. But they're in "Super Bowl mode'' now, with the "Hot Boyz'' nickname in the process of having been "legally stolen .... all made possible by the letter "z.''