Finebaum: UAT v. Daniel Moore

[MDM4AU 336]

Alabama paints itself into corner

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Primum non nocere.

Simple words every physician lives by and it's about time the people who run the University of Alabama start doing the same.

Primum non nocere is Latin for the term "First, do no harm," the medical principle of Hippocrates.

In Tuscaloosa, the translation comes out -- The Hypocritical Oath.

It happened last year with the shockingly stupid decision to replace Sylvester Croom's name on an utterly insignificant spring football award. As a result, Alabama ended up with a week's worth of ignominy in the national media.

This time around, on one of the slowest news weeks of the year -- spring break -- the school announced it was suing Daniel A. Moore, the much-loved Birmingham artist, who has depicted almost all of the most famous Alabama football events during modern time (the last 26 years), starting with the "Goal Line Stand" against Penn State in the 1979 Sugar Bowl.

The school claimed he was violating their licensing and trademark agreements and the university was due considerable sums of money.

Keith Dunnavant, an Alabama grad and now a noted New York writer and author (among his books, "Coach: The life of Paul 'Bear' Bryant") got off the week's best bon mot, cracking: "What Alabama is doing is the moral equivalent of the church suing Michelangelo for painting the Sistine Chapel."

Most pundits agree that if there were a legitimate lawsuit to be filed, it should have been Moore suing Alabama, claiming he has been unable to make a living doing artwork about Alabama since the school has enjoyed only two bowl wins during the last 10 seasons, been on NCAA probation twice, dropped nine of 10 to arch-rival Tennessee and had four different coaches in the last five years.

There has been an endless stream of jokes about the kind of art depictions Moore could have done during this gothic period with such subjects as Albert Means, Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione bolting Texas A&M and Mike Price's eternal night in Pensacola, to name a few.

Actually, it is quite sad to see where this once great program has fallen, making it more unbelievable that one of the school's most important goodwill ambassadors would find himself persona non grata at the Capstone.

I won't bore you with the legal arguments, although one doesn't have to be a Harvard scholar to grasp that the case law favors Moore in his fight against Alabama. Schools have an obligation to protect their trademark and licensing agreements and many operators and vendors do pay the standard 8 percent fee.

For the life of me, what I can't understand is what Alabama hopes to accomplish by picking a wanton public fight with someone who is universally loved and appreciated by the Crimson Tide nation.

One thing Paul Bryant always stressed and preached to his players was a simple rule, but it's worth repeating. "No matter what happens," he would say, "show your class."

Lately, Alabama officials seem to have thrown that basic principle out the window.

(Paul Finebaum's column appears Tuesdays and Saturdays in the Mobile Register. Contact him at finebaumnet@yahoo.com)

http://www.al.com/sports/mobileregister/pf...91571325650.xml

['82 Tiger 2]

interesting that paulie would quote the bahr about 'show your class.' coming for such a classless talk show host like himself.

[jared52 4,354]

2 things of interest here:

Most pundits agree that if there were a legitimate lawsuit to be filed, it should have been Moore suing Alabama, claiming he has been unable to make a living doing artwork about Alabama since the school has enjoyed only two bowl wins during the last 10 seasons, been on NCAA probation twice, dropped nine of 10 to arch-rival Tennessee and had four different coaches in the last five years.

and...

One thing Paul Bryant always stressed and preached to his players was a simple rule, but it's worth repeating. "No matter what happens," he would say, "show your class."

153329[/snapback]

Class? teh bahr? :huh: Maybe he said and they misunderstood.

[BF11 0]

I am still speechless about this whole deal...Disappointing.

[BoJtrueAUman 4]

LOLOLOLOLOL

That has to be one of the funniest things I have seen in a while

And Jared52 thanks for the huge laugh

[wesfau 0]

2 things of interest here:

Most pundits agree that if there were a legitimate lawsuit to be filed, it should have been Moore suing Alabama, claiming he has been unable to make a living doing artwork about Alabama since the school has enjoyed only two bowl wins during the last 10 seasons, been on NCAA probation twice, dropped nine of 10 to arch-rival Tennessee and had four different coaches in the last five years.

and...

One thing Paul Bryant always stressed and preached to his players was a simple rule, but it's worth repeating. "No matter what happens," he would say, "show your class."

153329[/snapback]

Class? teh bahr? :huh: Maybe he said and they misunderstood.

153372[/snapback]

2 bowl wins in 10 years?? Is that accurate?? Wow.

[ECEstudentUA 9]

UA is wrong on this one. I think they should let Moore paint. Doesnt he also paint for AU?

[AURainman 6]

UA is wrong on this one. I think they should let Moore paint. Doesnt he also paint for AU?

153787[/snapback]

nope.

Just ole Bammer.

There are various painters who specialize in Auburn stuff, but not Daniel Moore.

[Mike4AU 1,739]

Moore did the "Bo Over The Top" painting, but I do not recall anything else of substance that he may have done for AU.

IMO, if one reads between the lines, Bryant Jr is behind this and is using UA to try to get more bucks for the Bryant Estate. Hmmmm...an in-state school with a meddling power broker trustee...hard to believe, I know.

[Ranger12 46]

What I really love is how bammer keeps saying they are doing it to "to protect the best interests of the university". Looks like they are doing a great job with that.

[DKW 86 7,440]

Didnt he do a 98 print too?

[ontovictory 0]

2 things of interest here:

Most pundits agree that if there were a legitimate lawsuit to be filed, it should have been Moore suing Alabama, claiming he has been unable to make a living doing artwork about Alabama since the school has enjoyed only two bowl wins during the last 10 seasons, been on NCAA probation twice, dropped nine of 10 to arch-rival Tennessee and had four different coaches in the last five years.

and...

One thing Paul Bryant always stressed and preached to his players was a simple rule, but it's worth repeating. "No matter what happens," he would say, "show your class."

153329[/snapback]

Class? teh bahr? :huh: Maybe he said and they misunderstood.

153372[/snapback]

2 bowl wins in 10 years?? Is that accurate?? Wow.

153445[/snapback]

[WarTim 3,457]

EVERYTHING about this is TOO funny. It simply keeps uat in the media in a bad light.

Poor souls.