University of Houston plans to buck NFL, use Columbia Blue
The University of Houston has taken a page from the late Bud Adams's playbook. Specifically, the school has given a double-barreled-middle-finger to the NFL and the Tennessee Titans.
After abandoning an alternate Columbia Blue color scheme at the direction of the league last year, the University of Houston has reversed course.
“We’re doing it,” athletic director Chris Pezman told Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle. “We’ve reviewed everything and come to the conclusion that we are going to proceed.”
Houston has informed the league of its position. As of Tuesday, the NFL had not responded.
“We’re giving them two or three weeks to respond,” Pezman said. “We’re waiting on a response to see if we get one.”
Pezman explained the about-face on standing down.
“We literally have a story we can show the city uses it,” Pezman said. “This isn’t a reach. This is a layup. We’ve got a very defensible position.”
It's hard to imagine anyone having intellectual property rights to a color. And it surely helps the University of Houston that the Texans recently introduced an alternate uniform that uses the color.
Even if a plausible argument can be made, Big Shield will look like the big, bad wolf if it sues the University of Houston.
