Wow! First Big Phone Company backs down and now the NFL. My sign worked, despite having been in place only since late yesterday afternoon. I am drunk with power.
From the Times-Picayune.
The National Football League appeared to back off Friday on its trademark ownership claims to the phrase "Who Dat" and the fleur-de-lis logo, saying it is challenging the sale of items only "when those products contained or are advertised using other trademarks or identifiers of the Saints."
"Who Dat we do not claim to own by itself," said Brian McCarthy, a spokesman for the NFL. "It's when Who Dat is used in conjunction with Saints marks that it's a problem."
Who Dat shirts being sold at the Fleurty Girl shop on Oak Street would be acceptable, McCarthy said, as long as the shop removes advertising referring to the Saints.
In a letter to Sen. David Vitter, R-La., the league described the trademark tussle, which has enraged New Orleans Saints fans across the country since it erupted this week, as "a significant misunderstanding."
McCarthy said T-shirts and items with Who Dat and a fleu-de-lis logo unlike the one owned by the Saints is allowed as long as they are not advertised as being Saints or NFL paraphernalia.
More like a serious miscalculation, I'd say. The NFL came off looking like big bullies. What nonsense that the "brains" in the NFL thought they could take ownership of "Who dat?" and the fleur-de-lis symbol.
And writing to Vitter is going to get them what?
ReplyDeleteOh, and I meant to say, once again Mimi, you have saved the world! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteSusan, I suspect that Vitter may have written to the NFL first to protest the silliness.
ReplyDelete...you have saved the world!
Not yet. I believe that I have a good bit of work left to do. :-)
I am enjoying a vision of you meeting Vitter. It ain't pretty - for Vitter. Who will be left saying "Who dat?" for a long time to come, as he tends his wounds. The ones inflicted with your considerable verbal heft!
ReplyDeleteFran, Vitter and I have had a face to face at a town meeting. I asked the senator a zinger of a question which I can't remember now. He was quite polite in the face of my confrontation, but he danced around my question and didn't really answer.
ReplyDeleteAt one time, I emailed him and sent snail mail fairly often, but now I know he's a hopeless case, and I restrict myself to the occasion call to his office. He may know "Who dat?"
The sign must have helped, but so did Mary Landrieu's threat to have Congress remove the NFL's exemption from the anti-trust law.
ReplyDeleteWell then, Ormonde, I suppose that I should share credit with Mary. Sometimes she does the right thing.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get a chance to comment earlier, but I was going to say "How ridiculous!" I can remember cheerleaders at my middle/high school doing the "Who dat?" cheer back in the 1970s. And back then, there wasn't ANYONE saying "Who dat talkin' 'bout beatin' dem Saints?"! ;-)
ReplyDeleteActually, I remember thinking back in the day that the chant was racist--especially as performed by a bunch of lily-white cheerleaders at a white-flight private school...
Cheers,
Doxy
The NFL should know better than to tangle with a swamp granny. No contest.
ReplyDeleteYou rock, Mimi!
...I remember thinking back in the day that the chant was racist....
ReplyDeleteNot no mo', Doxy. Now you may think my comment is racist, too, but in New Orleans, there are a number of different accents, each with their own colloquialisms, Irish channel, Italian, proper NOLA English, proper black NOLA English, in other words, all manner of proper and improper versions of the English language which tend to mix together into a gumbo language.
Context is everything, Mimi... ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt is extremely interesting for me to read the blog. Thank you for it. I like such topics and everything connected to this matter. I definitely want to read a bit more soon.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes