The politicians of Louisiana have spoken, and the NFL is listening.
The league appears to be backing down from their ownership claims of the phrase “Who Dat?” and the fleur-de-lis logo.
“‘Who Dat’ we do not claim to own by itself,” said Brian McCarthy, a spokesman for the NFL told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “It’s when ‘Who Dat’ is used in conjunction with Saints marks that it’s a problem.”
T-shirts can use the phrase and a fleur-de-lis unlike the one owned by the Saints as long as they are not being advertised as Saints paraphernalia.
McCarthy said the brouhahaha over the issue last week was a “significant misunderstanding.” Senator David Vitter had urged the league to “drop this obnoxious and legally unsustainable position.”
The league, it appears, is essentially doing just that.
(Thanks to Sportsbusiness Daily for pointing us in the right direction.)