COMMENTARY
KU doesn’t look good in T-shirt suit
By JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star
The whole lawsuit seems un-American, a trampling of the little guy for profit, all because a major institution can’t laugh at itself.
In the battle between Joe-College.com and the University of Kansas, I’m rooting for Larry Sinks, the owner of Joe College, the brains behind all the tasteless T-shirts lampooning KU coaches and KU’s athletic opponents.
Kansas wants to put Larry Sinks out of business. A Topeka jury resumes deliberations this morning and is likely to return a verdict soon that will determine whether Sinks needs a license and permission — two things he’ll never get — from KU to continue selling his hilarious T-shirts.
Full disclosure: Sinks is a friend. Dick Schaap, the legendary sports media personality, introduced me to Sinks years ago. Schaap visited Kansas City for a book signing and invited me to hang out with his friends from Lawrence. Sinks was one of those friends and picked up Schaap and me in a limo for a night on the town.
It was a great night, maybe as much fun as a young black man can have partying with a group of old white men without anyone getting arrested.
Since then, I’ve counted Sinks among my friends in Lawrence. Whenever I needed T-shirts to support my radio shows, I called (and paid) Sinks. Whenever I’m really bored and want to entertain myself, I’ll call Larry and listen to the world’s most prolific name-dropper. According to Larry, he’s BFF with Bill Clinton, Kid Rock, Jeff Gordon, Mario Andretti and “The Girls Next Door.”
Larry is friends with just about everyone you’ve ever seen on TV.
I like Larry. But that has nothing to do with me wanting Joe College to prevail in this lawsuit. I like Kansas, too, particularly its athletic department and athletic director, Lew Perkins.
Lew is a damn good man, someone I consider a friend, someone I feel I could call if I were ever in a jam or needed advice. I just think Lew and Kansas are wrong for suing Joe College and Larry Sinks.
It’s not a fair fight. It’s a fight that’s beneath a major institution. Kansas and its Dream Team of attorneys are firing tanks at a slingshot. I’m aware that Kansas isn’t the first university to claim it has licensing and brand rights for its school colors, nickname and whatever else. Kansas isn’t the first school to be annoyed by a small business owner who profits from making smart-aleck T-shirts playing off things associated with the school.
But Kansas should limit its bloody battles to institutions its own size. Pick on The Kansas City Star, TheWichita Eagle or The Topeka Capital-Journal. We profit off Kansas’ sports teams, too. We use the school’s team colors, nicknames and everything else to sell newspapers, books, posters, etc. We lampoon their coaches and teams in columns and cartoons. I even know a strikingly handsome, perfectly fit sports columnist who occasionally cracks a Mangino fat joke.
I know we’re the “free press” and our right to ridicule is protected by the First Amendment, a team of high-priced lawyers and a plethora of editors who occasionally bicker with Kansas officials about big and small issues.
Why can’t the little guy enjoy the same freedom as an institution as powerful as The Kansas City Star?
The Star doesn’t pay a licensing fee, so I can write Kansas or Jayhawk or Hawk KUtie or Our Coach Ate Your Coach.
On Thursday, Sinks told me a Kansas official argued in court that the school owns the color blue in the state of Kansas. Really? I thought the Crips owned the color blue. Seriously, Kansas winning this lawsuit would set a terrible precedent.
To reach Jason Whitlock, call 816-234-4869 or send e-mail to jwhitlock@kcstar.com. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.
