On Monday, the NFL backed down and said that it would not object to shirts or other gear that were not presented as official Saints or NFL products, even if they use the team colors, the fleur-de-lis or the phrase "Who Dat." The bickering lasted about a week and included lots of grandstanding by Louisiana politicians eager to pander to citizens of the Who Dat Nation, many of whom likely have dual citizenship and voting rights in the United States.
Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said that he had spoken with the League's general counsel about the matter, and that he was ready to declare victory. "They've conceded and they've said they have no intention of claiming the fleur-de-lis, which would be ridiculous, or the 'Who Dat,' which would be equally ridiculous," Caldwell said in an interview, apparently taking the position that the League's claims were ridiculous.
The owner of the Fleurty Girl T-shirt store in New Orleans, who received what appears to have been the first cease-and-desist letter from the NFL, said it had turned out well for her. "What started out as a letter that scared the bejesus out of me," she said, "has turned out to be the best thing ever for my business."
Link: MSNBC.com
