Online Casinos Ban Just Part of NFL Bullying, "Who Dat " Seized

New Orleans Saints fans are learning what online casino patrons and operators have known about the NFL and its arrogant bulldozing of the law.

Online casino operators have long seen the manipulative, bullying approach utilized by the National Football League to feed its greed for cash, as the NFL led lobbyists fighting to deny Internet gambling rights. That hidden face was dragged a little further into the light this week as the league attempted to seize and profit from the populist “Who Dat” chant used by New Orleans Saints fans.

“Who Dat” as in “Who dat gonna best dem Saints? Nobody!” became one of the rallying cries by New Orleans fans in the 80s, along with the register sound of “Cha-ching!” The history of the cry goes back to St. Augustine High School, a private Catholic school known for both its powerful football teams and colorful marching band.

Saints fans adopted the cheer, and used it as theirs for 25 years, while the team toiled in mediocrity. But, now that the team is in the national spotlight and playing in its first Super Bowl, the NFL wants local merchandisers to cease and desist from using the slogan on t-shirts and such.

“The Saints actually win something and go to the Super Bowl, and the NFL sees a way they can make a penny,” general manager Dan Frazier, of sports-talk radio 690 WIST told the Wall Street Journal.

The NFL says it is concerned people buying “Who Dat” merchandise will think they are purchasing NFL-sanctioned material. But even the Saints see the issue here. Locals are waiting to find the NFL claiming rights to “The Saints Come Marching In.”

“No one should own ‘Who Dat,’ ” says team spokesman Greg Bensel.

Still, as with gambling, the NFL cares more about wielding its money as a weapon than any consideration of right and wrong. Shop owners are pulling the materials in question, saying they can’t put their mom-and-pop operations up against the NFL attorneys and hundreds of millions in legal warchests.

There are signs US lawmakers are growing tired of NFL arrogance. Delaware is taking the case of legal sports betting to the Supreme Court. New Jersey legislators have filed suit against the NFL-sponsored sports betting ban. Barney Frank is advancing his bill to regulate online casinos.

And Senator David Vitter advised the NFL in a letter to “Please either drop your present ridiculous position or sue me,” signing as “Junior Senator of Who Dat Nation.”