# Super Bowl 40: Super Bowl XXXX or Super Bowl XL? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395 "2005-02-04T17:38:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/1 "2005-02-04T17:38:29Z")
I daresay Super Bowl XL has a certain “ring” to it. Go Bears! Anyway, what’s the proper convention viz Roman Numerals? ---
**Author:** ![Mystery\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@Mystery\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mystery_Dog)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/2 "2005-02-04T18:11:15Z")
Gregg Easterbrook, a columnist for [NFL.com](http://NFL.com), writes [here](http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/8153024) that next year’s game will be Super Bowl XL. I don’t know how official Easterbrook’s statement is. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/3 "2005-02-04T18:13:01Z")
The fortieth Super Bowl is already in the planning stages and being referred to as “Super Bowl XL”. It will be held in Detroit. Since they’ve established that they use the subtractive convention by using “IX” and “IV” inprevious names, it is reasonable they will call it “XL”. The subtractive convention is also universally accepted for most modern use of Roman numerals (watch faces excepted), although the Romans themselves did not apply it consistently. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/4 "2005-02-04T18:15:52Z")
In fact, the “XL” logo has been unveiled: [http://www.freep.com/sports/football/line28e\_20041028.htm](http://www.freep.com/sports/football/line28e_20041028.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/5 "2005-02-04T18:53:12Z")
Not to mention the fact that there’s no way in hell that the NFL would miss the chance to capitalize on the “Extra Large” pun. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/6 "2005-02-04T19:11:48Z")
And “Super Bowl XXXX” would look like the title of a water-sports video. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/7 "2005-02-04T20:13:30Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > And “Super Bowl XXXX” would look like the title of a water-sports video. Or porn. Yup, looks like porn. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/8 "2005-02-04T20:17:11Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > And “Super Bowl XXXX” would look like the title of a water-sports video. …or a porn movie. 😉 (“Super Bowl XL – Sponsored by Fruit of the Loom!”) ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/9 "2005-02-04T21:45:36Z")
At my workplace a couple jobs ago, the porn filter wouldn’t let us read about the Super Bowl because of the Roman Numerals for 30. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/10 "2005-02-04T22:05:20Z")
I lead a sheltered life, but I thought “water sports” _was_ a genre of porn. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/11 "2005-02-04T22:19:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Or porn. Yup, looks like porn. Of course, we’ve already had Super Bowl XXX, which if anything sounds even more like porn. Don’t the porn labellers generally stop at three Xs? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/12 "2005-02-04T22:49:08Z")
That may be overgeneralizing. There is an obviously an arms race when it comes to the letter X. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/13 "2005-02-04T22:59:46Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > At my workplace a couple jobs ago, the porn filter wouldn’t let us read about the Super Bowl because of the Roman Numerals for 30. > > Haj Quit complaining and _get to work_. 😉 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/14 "2005-02-04T23:05:36Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Or porn. Yup, looks like porn. Beats VVVVVVVV. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/15 "2005-02-04T23:21:05Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I daresay Super Bowl XL has a certain “ring” to it. > > **Go Bears!** > > Anyway, what’s the proper convention viz Roman Numerals? Hey hey, a Cal fan, way back there. Imagine that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jplacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jplacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jplacer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/16 "2005-02-04T23:29:03Z")
FYI. The first Super Bowl to use Roman numerals was Super Bowl V. Commissioner Pete Rozelle wanted to use Roman numerals to give the game more pizzazz. Personally, I liked the World Championship of Professional Football. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/17 "2005-02-05T00:06:30Z")
According to [mathworld](http://mathworld.wolfram.com/RomanNumerals.html), if superbowl 40 was played before the invention of the printing presss, it was XXXX. If it was played sometime after the Gutenberg Bible was published, it was XL. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/18 "2005-02-05T02:53:40Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > Not to mention the fact that there’s no way in hell that the NFL would miss the chance to capitalize on the “Extra Large” pun. I’m sure we can expect lots of variations on “XL-ence” and “XL-ent”. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/19 "2005-02-05T03:36:48Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > According to [mathworld](http://mathworld.wolfram.com/RomanNumerals.html), if superbowl 40 was played before the invention of the printing presss, it was XXXX. If it was played sometime after the Gutenberg Bible was published, it was XL. Although Super Bowl I was officially called the AFL-NFL World Championship, the newspapers of the era were already calling it “The Super Bowl”. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-40-super-bowl-xxxx-or-super-bowl-xl/288395/20 "2005-02-05T04:30:51Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > I’m sure we can expect lots of variations on “XL-ence” and “XL-ent”. … and baby jesus cries on.