Super Bowl Sunday is almost an American holiday. People throw parties, indulge in copious amounts of beer and finger foods, and suddenly become expert advertising commentators. Instead of dwelling on speculations over who’s going to take home the Vince Lomardi Trophy, let’s geek out on some fun football facts. Use them to impress people at tonight’s viewing party.
1. Super Bowl is Two Words
Super. Bowl. Two words, capitalized. Once you know, it’s one of those things — like double spaces after periods — that will bother you to no end.
2. NFL Footballs
If you’ve ever drawn a football, you may have included two white stripes on the side. This is, in fact, a college football. Footballs used by the NFL do not have side stripes. It’s amazing how many advertisers are unaware of this.

The official Super Bowl XLVIII Ball. No stripes. Photo by Esther Nisanova
3. Roman Numerals
Roman numerals have been used to number Super Bowls from the start and are an integral part of the event’s branding. The next three Super Bowls will be IL, L and LI. One can only suspect there are deep discussions at NFL’s HQs about whether to abandon the roman numeral tradition in two years, calling it Super Bowl 50 instead of the slightly awkward Super Bowl L.
4. Cheerleader-less Teams
They may seem like a constant presence on the field, but the fact is that there are six NFL teams that do not have cheerleading squads — the Bears, Lions, Browns, Packers, Steelers, and Giants. Both teams in Super Bowl XLVIII have cheerleaders, who (we hope) will be allowed to wear a bit more than their usual skimpy outfits in the freezing outdoor stadium.

The Seattle Seahawks Cheerleading squad, The Sea Gals
5. The Vince Lombardi Trophy
The silver trophy given to the winning team is called the Vince Lombardi Trophy (named after the famous Green Bay Packers coach). It’s made by Tiffany and is delivered to the stadium by armed guards. Before the players of the winning team all put their sweaty hands on the trophy, its handlers wear white gloves.

The Vince Lombardi Trophy is made by Tiffany. Photo by Esther Nisanova
6. The NFL is a Non-profit
The National Football League operates as a non-profit. Despite the billions of dollars the organization makes each year, it does not pay taxes. When the NFL merged with the American Football League in 1966, an arcane tax code change placed this new combined entity in section 501(c)6 of the tax code, which means it’s designated as an industry association, something many are now questioning.
Enjoy the game. Go easy on the guac.