SCREW the NFL! (whaddabuncha moneygrubbing a$$holes!)

[Bennyboy]

The NFL does NOT own the Fleur de Lis or the phrase "Who Dat"

Recently the NFL started issuing "cease and desist" letters to several local businesses claiming that they own the copyright to any Fleur de Lis design and any use of the popular phrase "Who Dat".

The Fleur De Lis is a religious symbol and symbol of royalty dating back to the 12 century, which in turn was taken from the ancient Egyptians.

The phrase "Who Dat" originated in minstrel shows and vaudeville acts of the late 1800s and early 1900s, and was then taken up by jazz and big band performers in the 1920s and 30s. The phrase was later adopted from a chant originating at Southern University ("Who dat say they gonna beat them Jags") to usage by Saints fans in the early 80s.

The NFL is making false claims of trademark ownership, hoping to scare local businesses hoping that they don't have the money to defend themselves legally. Legally, I'm sure they know that they really don't have a leg to stand on, but to fight them would require time and money that these small businesses don't have. It's called being a bully.

Join the cause! Defend Who Dat!

facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=273517002549&ref=nf&v=info

[MUAD_DIB]

1. Let's see if the ACLU can step up to this one, that is if the are done

bending over for the SCOTUS 5.

[the other one]

17. The t-shirts also had Saints colors and logo

An obvious attempt to capitalize on the NFL without paying royalties.

[rcrush]

2. Would this make more sense if I was a football fan?

[Bill McBlueState]

8. this story confused you at 7:18, too.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7595977&mesg_id=7596103

Seriously, nearly three hours wasn't enough time to figure it out?

[rudy23]

3. They're trying to get back at the Saints for ruining the Favre-fest the NFL had planned

they're trying to recoup their money by going after the merchants of New Orleans.

[Rebubula]

20. OK

Interesting theory...

[virgogal]

4. I assume you will NOT be watching the Superbowl this year.

[madrchsod]

5. i wonder how drew thinks about this latest crap?....

i`m betting he`s not to happy.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=367x24715

[JackRiddler]

10. All right! Now I have a rooting interest. Go Saints.

Was wondering if I cared, after the Jets lost.

Well, okay, not really, but it will be a fun game to watch.

[rocktivity]

6. "Who dat" was also picked up by Janet Jackson in the 1980's

(co-starring Paula Adbul)--let's see you sue HER!

x(
rocktivity

[Johonny]

7. well in two years they are going to screw themselves

as the labor talks don't seem to be going very well

[BolivarianHero]

9. Wow...`

*awaits the inevitable Quebecois lynch mob*

Would serve the NFL right.

[starroute]

11. From Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Dat%3F

The first reference to "Who Dat?" can be found in the 19th Century. A featured song in E.E. Rice's "Summer Nights" is the song "Who Dat Say Chicken In dis Crowd", with lyrics by poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. A common tag line in the days of Negro minstrel shows was: "Who dat?" answered by "Who dat say who dat?" Many different blackfaced gags played off that opening. Vaudeville performer Mantan Moreland was known for the routine. Another example is "Swing Wedding," a rarely shown 1930s Harmon-Ising cartoon musical, which caricatured Fats Waller, Cab Calloway, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Ethel Waters, and the Mills Brothers as frogs in a swamp performing minstrel show jokes and jazz tunes. The frogs repeatedly used the phrase "who dat?"

I found "Swing Wedding" at YouTube -- it's good fun (especially if you're a Cab Calloway fan) and not particularly offensive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UAVPMYd83c

[frylock]

12. done

[mindwalker_i]

13. Wow, the title seems to indicate you expected something different

Yeah, I remember all that stuff during the bare tit scandal about how the NFL was supposed to be good, down-home America at it's finest. They're a business. They make money. It's what they do.

That's why corporations make such bad citizens.

-mwalker

[Unrepentant Fenian]

14. "Who dat dat say Who dat when I say who dat?" Mark Twain

[Archae]

15. "Who dat" goes back to ham radio, CB, and aircraft communications also.

Especially in WW2 it was common on aircraft frequencies.

"Who dat?"
"Who dat say who dat?"
"Who dat say who dat say who dat?"

(Flight leader) "KNOCK IT OFF!!!"

(pause)

"Who dat?"

:D

My uncle was in the USAAF, they used to do that all the time, drove the flight leaders nuts.

[the other one]

16. Unrec! Saints colors + fleur de lis + "who dat"

All add up to a good case on the part of the NFL. The shirt guys are clearly trying to capitalize on the league without paying royalties. Note they desisted withou a fight.

[KamaAina]

18. The No Fun League: Malaka of the Week!

http://www.first-draft.com/2010/01/malaka-of-the-week-the-no-fun-league.html

The Saints are obviously the talk of the town: NOLA's pride and joy. The NFL, on the other hand, is about as popular as the bubonic plague in these parts right now. Why? The No Fun League claims that it has trademarked the term Who Dat and has comie down hard on some local businesses:...

The most annoying thing about this small minded malakatude by the greedheads of the NFL is that the term Who Dat is older than the hills that we don't have in NOLA. It has been traced back to 19th Century show biz and wasn't even applied to our Saints until the 1980's when the team first flirted with a winning season. In those days the chant "Who Dat saying dey gonna beat dem Saints" was dubious at best but these aren't Bum Phillips' Saints but Sean Payton's.

Saints management hasn't chimed in on this as of yet but I suspect they'll side with the malakas in suits. Owner Tom Benson is a car dealer and major GOP donor, after all. Nuff said.

The good news is that this issue has already been litigated and a court in 1983 ruled that Who Dat was in the public domain. The bad news is that the NFL has enough clout and money to scare the living shit out of the small businesses it has threatened. They have quite understandably chosen not to get into a legal pissing match with the No Fun League which has thereby won this week's dishonor with its bullying and heavy handed malakatude.

[LibertyLover]

19. If anyone had the copyright to the fleur de lis I would think it would

be the Republic of France as successor to the kingdom of France which used the fleur de lis as its arms (azure, a semi of fleur de lis or - ancient Royal France / azure, 3 fleur de lis or - modern Royal France).

And will the NFL also be doing the same thing to, among others, the Cleveland Browns and the Bengals, who also use the phrase 'who dat'?

[LWolf]

21. What does it say about a culture

that needs to claim exclusivity, or fight for the rights to use slang?

I'll bet I could copyright some good grammar and no one would notice or care, lol.