When the U.S. Patent Office concluded last summer that the Redskins logo and mascot could not be protected under U.S. copyright law, it struck a blow to the value of the brand and sent a strong message to the Redskins organization -- one that the franchise continues to ignore.

But it appears that the worst is yet to come. In a one-minute promo released ahead of its season premiere, South Park has revealed that one of its major storylines will revolve around a mysterious corporation started by the always-plotting Cartman, and that the corporation has borrowed the Redskins mascot for itself.

The promo was originally aired Sunday during the Redskins-Eagles game on Fox, and it offers a quick summary of the current copyright issue while teasing its upcoming season:

It appears that Cartman's corporation could be a multi-episode storyline for South Park, which is starting its 18th season. The premiere is 10 p.m. ET Wednesday on Comedy Central. South Park is beloved by its fans for taking aim at newsworthy subjects and pulling no punches in its often-dark satire.

And South Park isn't alone in taking on the Redskins issue head-on. Comedy Central's The Daily Show will reportedly air its own episode that brings the use of 'Redskins' under fire. In that episode, anti-'Redskins' activists will face off with Washington Redskins fans to discuss the issue and make their respective arguments.

The show has already been taped, and those on the pro-Redskins side are reportedly upset about being manipulated and pushed into a more extreme perspective. So far, an air date for the episode has not been set.

In other words, the next few days will have an almost-certainly frustrating outcome for both the Washington Redskins and the NFL, the latter of which has seen better days.

As we've covered in recent posts, loyalties to the 'Redskins' mascot appear to have the resilience of a cockroach in a nuclear wasteland. But the controversy continues to grow louder, and these offerings from Comedy Central could help that conversation reach a breaking point.

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