The Who Dat Nation Says Fiddle-Dee-Dee, Among Other Things

And you thought it was all about football and team spirit and the coming-true of grandiose dreams. Wrong! It's about the NFL capitalizing on every penny imaginable, even if that means sending "Cease and Desist" letters to mom-and-pop businesses trying to make a buck off of long-standing tradition.

From today's news accounts, however, the Who Dats are NOT going quietly into that good legal theorem. They're standing up, still accepting orders online, and taking ownership of this piece of southeast Louisiana heritage (I know this because I ordered a cute tee shirt that says "Supa*BEAUXL" from Fleurty-Girl.net yesterday afternoon!) . Let's just watch the Commish issue a warning for me to forsake my Who Dat gear. You can wrench my cute Who Dat tee-shirts from my cold, dead fingers!

One of our Senators has weighed in on the skirmish (in all fairness, however, I must admit that he's the Senator who's running for re-election and must be just soaking up all this free publicity!) I got this email a few minutes ago:

January 29, 2010

Roger Goodell, Commissioner
National Football League
280 Park Avenue, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10017

Dear Commissioner Goodell:

I was stunned to learn recently that the NFL is taking the position that it owns the exclusive trademark of the term "Who Dat" and has even threatened legal action against some mom-and-pop merchants selling t-shirts using the term. I would urge you to drop this obnoxious and legally unsustainable position and instead agree that "Who Dat" is in the public domain, giving no one exclusive trademark rights.

This letter will also serve as formal legal notice that I am having t-shirts printed that say "WHO DAT say we can't print Who Dat!" for widespread sale in commerce. Please either drop your present ridiculous position or sue me.

"Who Dat" was probably first heard in New Orleans minstrel shows well over 130 years ago. Much more recently, but before it was used in connection with the Saints, it was used as a rallying cry by St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. In the 1980s it was adopted by Saints fans in a completely spontaneous way. Only later did any legal persons, including the Saints and the NFL, try to claim it through registration.

Perhaps more significant than this history, "Who Dat" has become part of New Orleans and Louisiana popular culture. For the NFL to try to claim exclusive ownership of it would be like me registering and trying to claim exclusive ownership of the terms "lagniappe" and "laissez les bons temps rouler!"

Under Paul Tagliabue's leadership, the NFL was an unbelievable partner in helping us recover and rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. Thank you again. We look forward to your dropping your "Who Dat" position so that this partnership can continue without strain or blemish.

Sincerely,
David Vitter
Junior Senator of Who Dat Nation

I kinda like one new shirt that says, "Who could it be that asserts it will prevail in its upcoming sporting contest over the New Orleans professional football team?" on the front and "Take Dat!" on the back. Heh.

It's a strange, strange world.

UPDATE: The NFL has seen the light! Dat's right!

Moogie's Post-Mortem of the State of the Unionized Extravaganza

Just a couple of observations about the State of the Unionized speech last night --

(1) Apparently no one told Michelle that the SOTU speech is a business-attire event, not a cocktail-attire event. Purple satin? Really?

(2) One positive: unlike during last year's address to Congress, this year Pelosi appeared to be faking all her jump-up-and-down O-rgasms. Do you suppose he's man enough to deal with that?

(3) I have to agree with Andy: seeing one's Secretary of Homeland Defense -- the guardian of our security -- take a little nap during her boss's big appearance is more than a little disquieting.

(4) The Young President v. The Supreme Court. STOP! in the name of love! Think it oh-oh-ver!

(5) Using the phrases, "jobs," "clean energy," and "working families" for trigger-words in the State of the Unionized Speech Drinking Game makes for a tipsy citizen-viewer.

(6) One hour, 25 minutes, 31 seconds? See: U.S. Constitution, Amendment 8. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

(7) Conspicuously absent: Foreign policy? What Foreign Policy?

Carnival Time!

Speaking of things other than the NFC Champions New Orleans Saints (don't you just love saying that: the NFC Champions New Orleans Saints!), the Super Bowl, New Orleans elections, and tonight's State of the Unionized Speech and Drinking Game, there are other goings-on in the Crescent City. Namely -- Carnival Season!

The irreverent Krewe du Vieux will roll through the Quarter on Saturday (the only Krewe with permission to roll in the Quarter), taking the following route. Just exactly how they depict their theme ("All Fired Up," because their den almost burned to the ground last summer!) is kept under wraps until parade day, but you can bet it'll not be "family-friendly!"

The weather is supposed to be really cold by southeast Louisiana standards so we may skip it, but I do want to go! We shall see.

America's Military to the Rescue -- Again.

Just saw this at IMAO -- it's a great Pajamas Media video that actually gets it right about the American military.

Thanks to all our service members everywhere, and especially to those deployed to, or preparing to deploy, to Haiti. God Bless You and your Families!

Sorry About That, Pro Bowl. Not!

Who dat? Drew Dat!! Our Brees will blow through Miami the following week, thank you very much!

No Looting, No Rioting -- Just a Brass Band and . . .

Saints Video: Bourbon Street

So, I had to steal this from Elder Daughter. THIS! This visually captures what I was trying to communicate about the joy in this city! And, I love a couple of the comments posted about the video on NOLA.com: My favorite part of this video, the brass band. What other city in the world would have a fan say: "our team is about to make the superbowl, party in the streets...hold on, I gotta get my tuba!" hahahaha Awesome! What no rioting, looting, and burning cars? I thought that's what fans did to their city when they win lol. As usual NOLA is a CLASS ACT. Geaux Saints! How cool is that -- NOLA is a class act!!!! Seriously -- this video will give you happy tears!

Two Words Are Irrevocably Linked Today: Saints and Destiny

When the Saints recovered that fumble near their own goal line to steal a momentum-shifting touchdown from the Vikes right before halftime, and I happened to catch a glimpse of the guest towel in our powder room during a "commercial" trip to the kitchen, a voice softly whispered one word in my mind: Destiny.

Two quarters and one overtime later, I believed.

I may leave this guest towel out ALL FREAKIN' YEAR!!!!!

What a party!! I just heard on the radio that police in the Quarter were actually encouraging reveling Saints fans to go home and go to bed as recently as 7:30 this morning! Fireworks went off all over the city after the final whistle, and kept on popping until well after midnight last night! We stood in the back courtyard to ooh and ahh for quite awhile.

Local television stations posted crews in the Quarter to report on the celebration from the usual Bourbon Street balconies, and their broadcasts showed crowds that rival those of Mardi Gras -- the kind of crowds in which you literally cannot get from Point A to Point B unless the entire crowd wants to go to Point B.

A friend emailed this morning that his ears were still ringing from the unbelieveable noise in the Dome, and that -- of course -- he hopes to get his voice back some time later in the week, having lost most of it while contributing to the din in the Dome that caused the Vikings to wear ear plugs!

Oh, to have been in that number!

But, savoring a victory from the couch tastes just as sweet as it would have when standing immobile on Bourbon Street. Ringing in the ears and laryingitis might not be too bad, though.

Next stop on the Destiny Train -- Miami. February 7th. Super Saintly Sunday!!!!!!