MatcomNews Update: Judge Denies Man's Bid To Change Name To Payton Manning

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DECATUR — Scott Wiese's rush to become Peyton Manning was sacked by a judge Monday: She ruled he cannot change his name to that of the star quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts.

Wiese said that Macon County Circuit Judge Katherine McCarthy told him the name change was too confusing and risked infringing the privacy of the football player.

Wiese had gone through with the legal name change attempt to fulfill a bet with friends. The 26-year-old Forsyth man - a diehard Chicago Bears fan - had pledged that if his beloved team lost in the Super Bowl, he would change his name to the player who led the Indianapolis nemesis to victory.

''I had told the judge that I was not doing this because I wanted to change my name, but I was doing it because I was honoring a bet,'' Wiese said. ''I think she understood that.''

His lawyer and friend, Andy Bourey, thought going in that Wiese had a 50-50 chance of getting away with the name change.

''The judge had to do a kind of balancing test, to see if the reason he was changing his name was outweighed by the consequences of what he was changing his name to,'' said Bourey, 30. ''She was really good-hearted about it all, and I think she had a little bit of mercy for him because I am sure she knew this wasn't something he was excited about doing.''

Wiese's attempt to become Peyton Manning generated a publicity storm with newspapers, television and radio shows coast to coast queuing up to interview him. The frenzy even reached into the courts facility on Monday.

http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/03/28//news/local/doc4609a99916356108673369.txt

frivolous for sure

:D

How would they be able to tell? :P

I always wondered about that commercial where those kids are playing with a cardboard Manning cutout, and then it drank whatever product it was and came to life, too. How could they tell?