It’s time to lose the Roman numeral designator that’s been part of the Super Bowl’s name and marketing since the game’s early days. Allow me to make a few suggestions on what could replace it.
Before I do, with due respect to the old poem about Latin being a dead language, ancient Rome’s numbers can also be dissed:
Roman numerals are confusing
When you get past II or III.
They don’t work in computers.
And they don’t work for me.
The most obvious replacement would be Arabic numerals, like 48 for this year’s game. You know, a designator that’s instantly recognizable by almost everyone in the world. Instead of plastering I’s, V’s, X’s, and the rest of the Roman numerals on T-shirts and other souvenirs, just go with the simplicity of two Arabic digits (three starting in 2066).
It’s too late to make the switch this year, but the change needs to be in place by 2016. That’s the year the 50th Super Bowl will be played (L to the Romans). Does the NFL really want to promote Super Bowl L (a letter that stands for lost, lousy, and loser among other things)?
Or replace the Roman numerals with nothing at all. Less is more. The Super Bowl is the country’s most watched (and hyped) sporting event. All by itself it has created a de facto national holiday (two if you count the day after). Like the World Series and Final Four, it doesn’t need a number. It’s not like people are going to be confused and schedule their Super Bowl parties for the wrong day.
If the NFL needs something on the official merchandise to clearly distinguish this year’s game from Super Bowls past and future, it could follow the Olympics’ lead and create a mascot for the game. Actually, scratch that idea. Mascots might end up being too cute for the NFL, although the Sochi leopard is adorable and is rumored to run the 40-yard dash in under four seconds.
Like Survivor the Super Bowl could base the designator on location. Yes, I know that several cities have hosted multiple Super Bowls so duplication would occur unless the NFL spreads the wealth and plays the game in a new site each year. But if you think the location isn’t important, ask the players. They are going to remember Super Bowl New York for a long time if the Arctic Vortex is still paralyzing the nation on Super Bowl Sunday.
The NFL originally adopted Roman numerals as a designator to help deal with something they thought might confuse fans and historians. The game is played in a different calendar year than the regular season for which the championship is being decided. After almost 50 Super Bowls, we get that. Adding the year (2014) to the name beats using Roman numerals (XLVIII) in my view.
Finally there’s the approach Microsoft takes when it names the latest version of Windows. Keep ‘em guessing. Windows started with a numerical designator, switched to a two-digit year (Windows 95 and 98), then dropped numbers completely with XP and Vista, and has gone full circle with Windows 7 and 8.
A catchy name and logo help marketing, but in the end exactly what the designator is matters less than keeping the product and the game relevant.
Mud Bay Blog 
My vote would be for arabic numerals.