Super Bowl 44 - Who Owns 'Who Dat?'

"Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Who dat? Who dat?" is a chant that fans use to cheer and support the New Orleans Saints. In recent years, the chant has been shortened to just "Who Dat?"

You usually see "Who Dat?" used in conjunction with a fluer-de-lis symbol on t-shirts and sports memorabilia, rather than on an English quiz. You would think that the phrase is in the public domain, and not owned by anyone in particular anymore than "kiss my grits" is owned by Flo the waitress at Mel's diner, or "Go Ahead Make my Day" is owned by Harry Callahan.

Now, only one week before the Saints play the Colts on Super Bowl Sunday, there are legal issues surfacing about "Who Dat?" ownership. Isn't love grand?

The NFL is asking t-shirt manufacturers to cease-and-desist using "Who Dat?" It has been harassing the companies with hate mail for several weeks now, warning them about trademark infringement.

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell was called in and the State of Louisiana says that "Who Dat?" is not a trademark owned by the NFL. While more important matters were actually on the agenda, such as the high unemployment rate, an increased crime rate, and increasing the completion rate for its GED Options program, the State of Louisiana issued the following statement:

"We've asked the Attorney General to take whatever steps are necessary to protect the Who Dat Nation from frivolous lawsuits. If it requires litigation, then so be it. 'Who Dat?' belongs to the citizens of the Who Dat Nation, and no one else." The Who Dat Nation is comprised of all the Saints fans.

"Who Dat?" has been part of Superdome culture since the 1980s. You can also find it in the title of a late 19^th Century song by E. E. Rice, "Who Dat Say Chicken in dis Crowd."

The phrase was also commonly used in the 1920s and 30s by vaudeville acts and minstrel shows. My grandmother used to say it every time someone rang the door bell. So, I say the NFL is doing the sandbag shuffle here, trying to capitalize on "Who Dat?"

No one owns the question "Who Dat?"

You can freely put "Who Dat?"on parts of your body, hats, shirts, pants, jackets, underwear, pets, car, and lunch bag.

You can tweet "Who Dat?" to @nfl every day until the Saints win Super Bowl 44.

So, "Who Dat?"

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