You probably have noticed that since the NFL started enforcing their trademarks on team names and the “Super Bowl” (several years ago) that advertisers who still want to profit from it will use replacement phrases. This is not all that new. For example, I recently heard an advertisement for a local furniture and electronics store that started with “Green Bay is in the Big Game…” Well, what I have started to notice just recently is that regular folks will use this phrasing too.  For example, news media are not restricted from saying “super bowl” but they will say “the big game” just the same.  I just received an epistle from an acquaintance who wrote “…especially with the big game coming up…”

Furthermore, “Go Green and Gold!”  I mean, “Go the major league football team from Green Bay!”  I mean, “Go Packers!”