Indy Car owner can’t honor Super Bowl champs

UPDATE So here's my question: If Paul Diatlovich, owner of PDM Racing, wanted to put the ichthys, or "Jesus fish," on his No. 18 car, would he first have to receive clearance from God?

As you may have read the other day, PDM, the mom-and-pop racing team from right here on Crawfordsville Road, wanted to dress up its car in blue and white with "Go Colts" and the team's insignia placed on the chassis. The idea, simply enough, was to pay homage to the Super Bowl champions.

This is when the Colts and the NFL stepped in. Well, their lawyers stepped in. And the lawyers said, sorry, but the NFL has a copyright on these images, the Colts have sponsors to protect and decorating a race car in the Colts' colors will make us very ornery and litigious.

Now, you're probably expecting me to take PDM's side because there's nothing better than a good little-guy-against-the-self-important-money-grubbing- corporate-behemoth story.

But . . . I can't.

Painful as that may be.

First, the NFL has a hard-and-fast rule about cross-promotion in other sports. Years ago, the Colts sponsored a sprint car that ran at 16th Street Speedway, and allowed a NASCAR team to use their name and likeness during one of the early Brickyard 400s. More recently, though, the NFL has strictly disallowed the practice.

Second, and maybe more important on a local level, the Colts have to protect their sponsors.

Let's say the PDM car has all the Colts images alongside other sponsors, maybe Pennzoil. If you're Forest Lucas of Lucas Oil, and you've just plunked down megamillions for the naming rights at the new stadium, you're not going to be pleased. While the Colts would not be directly supporting Pennzoil, their presence would be tantamount to an implied sponsorship. Indy Star

05/15/07 The Colts have no problem with Peyton Manning starting the Indianapolis 500. They just don't want a Colts car running in the May 27 race.

Paul Diatlovich, the primary owner of PDM Racing, said he had asked permission to paint Jimmy Kite's No. 18 car in the Colts team colors — dark blue and white — with a message on the car's sidepod that read simply “Go Colts.'' Indianapolis officials nixed it because of sponsorship concerns.

“I'm extremely upset with the narrow-minded, pinheaded leadership of the Colts team and the NFL,'' said Diatlovich, who lives in the city. “It's inexcusable. All we're trying to do is say thank you.''

Last week, it was rumored Diatlovich would bring his Colts car to the historic 2 1/2 -mile oval. Because of NFL policies, his car is now blue-and-orange.

Tom Zupancic, the Colts vice president for sales and marketing, said the team was adhering to a policy issued by the league last year. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league prohibits cross-promotion between sports. More at Yahoo! Sports