Who Dat?

While reading a blog on Yahoo Sports, I came across a link to the following Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Dat%3F#Origins

The article discusses the history of the "Who Dat?" chant used by sports fans, most notably fans of the New Orleans Saints. I am familiar with the chant's ties to football, but was surprised to find that it originated in minstrel shows in the late 1800s.

The chant in its current form is certainly not racially motivated. However, it was strange to find a parallel between the blackface minstrel shows of the late 19th / early 20th century and the NFL, a league made up of over 50% non-white athletes. The league has made notable advancements toward equality, such as the establishment of the Rooney Rule (requiring all teams to interview minorities when filling head coaching vacancies), so the connection is sort of ironic.

Again, I see no problem with the chant in its current form. I just found it interesting how something can evolve from being part of the racially-charged minstrelsy scene to being the battle cry of the 2010 NFC Champions.