So...ready for the Big Game?

Each year at this time, I tell anyone who'll listen my amusement with the plethora of commercials and marketing campaigns that try to take advantage of consumers' love of the Super Bowl while going out of the way to avoid using the trademarked term "Super Bowl." See, the NFL is highly protective of its trademark and highly litigious. As a result, we get all these silly ads in which stores tell us to stock up on snacks for "The Big Game," electronics stores share how great it would be to see "The Championship Game" on a giant-screen TV, and radio stations invite us to come to the party they're hosting to watch "The Big Event."

It's ludicrous, of course, almost rivaling the efforts to keep anyone from using the word Oscar without permission or without using that stupid little TM symbol. On one hand, I understand the NFL's desire to protect the interests of its endless array of advertisers and corporate sponsors, all of whom paid handsome sums for the privilege (note I didn't say "the right") to boast of being the OFFICIAL air freshener of Super Bowl Roman Numeral. Still, I think things somehow got carried away, and now anyone in a position of reaching anyone in any kind of consumer relationship whatsoever has to live in mortal fear of a Trademark Malfunction. Letting a nipple slip is only marginally more costly than a verbal "Super Bowl" slip, and that's only until the next administration cleans house at the FCC.

Many people, myself included, have half-seriously suggested that the U.S. of A. declare Super Bowl Sunday a national holiday or give us that Monday and make an official 3-day weekend. I've changed my thinking on that, though. If we actually made that a real holiday, it would instantly surpass even Halloween and, yes, Christmas itself as the most corporate one ever.

I mean, as commercialized and insincere Christmas has become, at least stores can still refer it to by name in their ads. Who wants a Special Day in which we have to look for Big Game cards and wish each other a Happy Football Championship if we don't shell out a fee to the No Fun League?

Nah, let's leave the Super Bowl what it is--a big lovefest for the sponsors and corporate interests that align themselves with the National Football League for business purposes. And, oh, yeah, also a big game sports fans can enjoy.