KU doesn’t look good in T-shirt suit
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.”
kansascity.com
7/13/08
