NEW ORLEANS – The fleur-de-lis is a symbol that is deeply ... whether there are parallels to the Confederate flag. "Code noir, those words are French and mean black code," said slave historian ...

The Saints have used a fleur-de-lis mark since they started playing in the NFL in 1967. The team also secured a trademark registration from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the mark in 1974.

Efforts to build the monument have generated $50,000 in private funding, which would help cover project costs.

However, the court ruled that his claim has no evidence, suggesting that neither Messier nor his family currently use the fleur-de-lis in any commercial capacity to merit consideration.