Filed under: NFL Fans, Super Bowl, Sports Business and MediaNEW ORLEANS — We’ve all seen them, those enterprising individuals who camp out at sporting events and concerts and sell unlicensed bootleg merchandise for much cheaper than what’s available legitimately. And usually, the homemade merch is hilariously bad, tacky screen-printed designs on t-shirts that feel like they’re made out of thin paper towel, mostly only available in XXL.This phenomenon has always intrigued me. Who buys these things?In New Orleans the answer is, apparently, almost everybody. Because despite a mini-controversy in which the NFL tried to crack down on unlicensed merchandise using the “Who Dat” refrain so ubiquitous in the city, and then backtracking to state they’d only be cracking down on merchandise that pairs the phrase with NFL trademarked terms and logos, stores are taking advantage of the leeway generously and creatively, selling t-shirts that get the point across while side-stepping anything that can legitimately get them in any legal hot water.And they’re selling. I’ve seen far more of these on people than any jersey or NFL licensed t-shirts. Below, a sampling.
