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Saints gear replaces brown paper bags
All across Louisiana, New Orleans Saints fever is heating up and Franklin Parish is no exception.
As the state's professional football team gears up for its first Super Bowl game, local vendors are finding it hard to keep Saints merchandise in stock.
Employees at one Winnsboro sports store said they sold 120 National Football Conference championship T-shirts in just the last week in the wake of the the Saints defeating the Minnesota Vikings. The win over the Vikings ended the Saints 43-year quest for a Super Bowl game.
In anticipation of the Saints taking it all, Super Bowl championship shirts are already on the way, said the store manager.
"We should be getting some about two or three days before the game, that's usually the way it goes," he said.
Saints T-shirts, hoodies, jerseys, coffee mugs and just about anything with a fleur-de-lis on it can be found displayed in stores across the parish.
Those who don't have a license agreement with the National Football League to carry official Saints merchandise are making due by selling items that aren't directly related to the Saints, but still get the point across.
At one Winnsboro store, customers can purchase black and gold T-shirts with fish and deer sporting a fleur-de-lis.
Harder to find is clothing with the slogan "Who Dat?" That might be a good thing since the NFL recently laid claims to the Saint fans signature cheer and sent a cease-and-desist order to some Louisiana merchants last week who were selling items with the slogan.
The NFL asserting ownership of "Who Dat?" has spurred reaction from Washington with a letter from Sen. David Vitter, R- Metairie, to the NFL commissoner informing him that Vitter was printing "Who Dat Say We Can't Print Who Dat?" Vitter informs the NFL that they should sue him if they don't like him selling the shirts.
Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell who looked into the matter of "Who Dat?" ownership at the behest of Gov. Bobby Jindal, said Monday that "Who Dat?" shirts could be sold as long as they did not depict any other Saints symbolism.
It's likely ownership of the slogan will become more likely if the Saints are able to beat the Indianapolis Colts on Super Bowl Sunday Feb. 7 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
What is less likely is what will become of all the Saints Super Bowl championship T-Shirts vendors are all ready stocking if the Saints lose.
"They will either be a gold mine or make some pretty good oil rags," said a Winnsboro vendor. |
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