ATLANTA, GA — The age-old rivalry between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints just took a sharp turn off the field — straight into the courtroom and the culture war. This week, the Falcons organization officially filed a trademark request for the slogan “The South Belongs to Us”, sparking a fierce and immediate response from their NFC South foes in New Orleans.
The Falcons’ trademark filing, submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday, aims to use the phrase on merchandise, digital media, and stadium branding starting with the 2025 season. According to a team spokesperson, it’s part of a larger “cultural rebrand” under head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot.
“We’re claiming our identity,” Morris said during a team presser. “This isn’t about disrespecting anyone — it’s about letting the league know where we stand.”
That message didn’t sit well with the Saints. Within 48 hours, the New Orleans franchise filed a formal legal challenge to block the trademark, citing “historical rivalry claims”, regional representation rights, and what Saints VP of Marketing called “blatant territorial trolling.”
But it didn’t stop there. The Saints’ official X (formerly Twitter) account responded with a now-viral post:
“Funny. Y’all trying to trademark the South when you haven’t even conquered the Dome.”
Attached was a highlight clip of New Orleans defeating Atlanta in four of their last five meetings.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen remained calm but sly in his comments to the media:
“They can try to own the South on paper. We’ll handle it on the field — as usual.”
Former Saints legend Cam Jordan, now a team ambassador, didn’t hold back either:
“Trademark all you want — you still can’t trademark wins. Or banners. Or the Superdome.”
Fans from both cities erupted online. The hashtag #WhoOwnsTheSouth trended nationally, with Saints fans flooding timelines with photos of division banners, playoff wins, and reminders of Atlanta’s infamous 28-3 Super Bowl collapse.
Legal experts say it’s unlikely the Saints will be able to block the trademark outright, but they can delay and challenge its scope. “It’s rare for slogans like this to be denied entirely, but challenges can limit how they’re used commercially,” said IP attorney Marissa Clay, based in Baton Rouge.
Meanwhile, the NFL has remained neutral — at least publicly. But a source close to the league office hinted that the league is watching the situation carefully. “They don’t mind a little rivalry marketing,” the source said, “as long as it doesn’t interfere with game-day integrity or merchandise deals.”
The Saints and Falcons are set to face off in Week 4 at the Superdome — a game already labeled “The Battle for the South” by ESPN. After this week’s legal drama, it might just be the most personal one yet.
