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National Football League

Why Isn't The NFL Using Roman Numerals For Super Bowl 50? The Reason Is A Little Silly

by Jenn Rose

It's that time of year again, when artistic Pepsi vendors erect dazzling displays of 12-packs in grocery stores, all the cans of Pillsbury crescent rolls are sold out, and everyone and their mother is broiling chicken wings. Oh, and there's also a football game on TV! The big game is upon us, but this year, it's not called Super Bowl L; it's Super Bowl 50, which has left fans wondering why the NFL isn't using Roman numerals this Super Bowl. The NFL has been using them ever since Super Bowl V in 1971, according to ESPN. So what changed? Simply put, "Super Bowl L" looks stupid.

While the usual I's, V's, and X's can lend an air of importance to the game's official logo, and Super Bowl XL looked neat in its own way, Jaime Weston, the NFL's vice president of brand and creative, said that it was determined that aesthetically, a standalone "L" just didn't work. The league will go back to Roman numerals for Super Bowl LI in 2017, which is a mistake, if you ask me. It looks like "Super Bowlli," a cutesy nickname that the Super Bowl's little sister calls it. Or like maybe the Super Bowl married Jet Li and hyphenated their last names. So, no Super Bowl L. Is this a thing that people actually care about? Yup.

This is 2016. Everyone has the internet, which means that everyone now has the power to be absolutely outraged publicly over every little thing, no matter how insignificant, and how little it actually affects the individual. Some people think that breaking tradition is wrong because... tradition, I guess? Others think that the Roman numerals should be left in for educational purposes, which is kind of a stretch.

It's true, if you don't learn Roman numerals, you'll never know the dates certain motion pictures were copyrighted. And also, you might be mauled be a man-eating tiger.

So, the "L" had to go, because, well, design. Weston's team worked on this year's logo for over a year, going through 73 different versions before settling on a golden 50 as a backdrop for the silver Lombardi trophy. The color was chosen as a nod to the game's golden anniversary, and its location, the "Golden State" of California. Another version includes Levi's stadium, where the game will be played, and other San Francisco landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge. Now that we've gotten that settled, we can get on to more pressing matters, such as barbecue wings versus Buffalo wings. Pick a side!

Images: National Football League; Giphy