The Who Dat Nation experienced a frenzy of emotions this season when the New Orleans Saints won their first Super Bowl and a lawsuit emerged involving Saints memorabilia.The New Orleans Saints made history, winning Super Bowl XLIV for the first time in franchise history Feb. 7. The victory against the Indianapolis Colts in Miami sparked a spirit of unity, celebration and relief as the dream of Saints fans finally came true.University students sported Saints jerseys, caps and T-shirts throughout the football season. The Saints ranked No. 6 in merchandise sales in the NFL by December 2009, climbing from its No. 10 slot. The 2009-10 season marked the first time the Saints appeared in the top-10 merchandise sales since 1979, when the league began recording sales.Saints merchandise sales increased by more than 60 percent since last season, according to Reebok. Shirts embellished with “Who Dat” were among the Saints attire seen on campus this year.The NFL received much criticism for claiming ownership of the phrase “Who Dat.” The controversy arose following the Saints’ NFC championship victory against the Minnesota Vikings, marking the Saints’ first conference championship and second appearance in the coference title game.The uproar began when the NFL issued cease and desist orders to a number of local businesses selling Who Dat merchandise. The NFL claimed ownership of the phrase before surrendering to the Who Dat nation.Local T-shirt shop Storyville complied when they first received the order banning the sale of their “Who Dat Nation” shirts.Rusty Verret, Storyville sales associate and general studies senior, said sales spiked with the attention from the media and fans, and the shop was granted permission to continue sales.The NFL issued a letter saying the situation was a misunderstanding and revoked the cease and desist orders. “Contrary to public reports, the NFL has not sought to exclude all uses of the word WHO DAT or the fleur de lis logo,” said Jeffrey Miller, NFL vice president for government relations and public policy, in his letter to Louisiana Sen. David Vitter. “Rather, the NFL has sent out narrowly targeted letters, challenging the sale of products bearing the fleur de lis and Who Dat marks only when these products contain or are advertised using other trademarks or identifiers of the Saints,” Congressman Charlie Melancon started an online petition that accumulated more than 10,000 signatures, Melancon said. “The Who Dat nation is the people of New Orleans, the people of Louisiana and the Saints fans, not the Saints,” Melancon said. “They shouldn’t be able to do a franchise royalty.”Sen. David Vitter sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell saying if the NFL does not change its position, he will have shirts printed with the phrase “Who Dat say we can’t print Who Dat!” and dared the NFL to sue him.He signed the letter, “David Vitter, Junior Senator of Who Dat Nation.”Matters became more confusing when brothers Steve and Sal Monistere, owners of Who Dat Inc., said they trademarked the phrase in 1983. Who Dat Inc. filed a lawsuit against NFL Properties, the New Orleans Saints and the State of Louisiana for misappropriation of Who Dat, on March 4 in Baton Rouge district court. NFL Properties and the Saints filed a reply calling the lawsuit “a transparent and opportunistic effort to capitalize on the equity and popularity of the New Orleans Saints as their fans celebrate the Super Bowl victory.”
__Contact Sabrina Trahan at [email protected]