The name you cannot say

Super Bowl, Super Bowl, Super Bowl.

There, I said it. The Super Bowl is this weekend and the hype is flying. I have my 3D glasses for the Dreamworks commercial at the second half and I've voted on the Danica Patrick commercial for Go Daddy. I know that I need to look out for the 1 second ad from Miller High Life and I have my DVR set to record Wipeout on ABC during the half time show. Now if I could only remember who is playing in the game.

I know it's the Steelers and the Cardinals, I'm not that out of touch. But unless you're watching ESPN or listening to sports radio, nobody is talking about the game. It's all about what commercials are going to be running and I'm looking forward to that more than the game. It's the only time I TiVo something just to watch the commercials.

With everything centering on advertising you would think the NFL would let people use the Super Bowl name. Any retailer with a contest has a football shaped sign that says "Win tickets to the Big Game!" Does the NFL think we don't know what that means? The name is trademarked and I can understand them being upset if I sell t-shirts with their logo on them but if I'm selling Cheez-Its by giving away tickets to the Super Bowl on February 1st, isn't that also advertising for the NFL? The signs have been up since the beginning of the football season telling everybody when the game is.

Lighten up NFL and let people use the name. I'm sure your favorite radio station has been advertising their "Big Game" party on "Super Sunday" and I doubt anybody is going to show up hoping to see soccer. A few years back a local DJ got in trouble for talking about the Superb Owl party they were having so the NFL tried to trademark "Big Game" and Super Sunday." Thankfully the courts wouldn't let them, imagine the royalties I'd have to pay for writing this if they did.