# The NFL and Roman Numerals **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-roman-numerals/335488 "2005-12-13T21:49:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Gene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@Soylent\_Gene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Gene)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-roman-numerals/335488/1 "2005-12-13T21:49:28Z")
Does anyone think the NFL will ever get rid of the Super Bowl Roman numeral thing? I hate it. I just read something about Troy Aikman in Super Bowl XXVII. First off, I have to translate it to 27. Then I have to think when the hell that could have been. Were are up to about 40 (I think), so it was something like 2005-13= 1992. Why cant they just call it Super Bowl 1992? Why in the world would anybody want to use Roman numerals? Is it to give the event an “epic” image? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-roman-numerals/335488/2 "2005-12-13T21:52:54Z")
Yeah, that’s probably it - after all, they retconned two AFC-NFC Championship games into Super Bowls, right? I wonder why they’ll do in ten years. The X’s in Roman numerals look cool, but “SUPER BOWL L” doesn’t have much zazz. SB XLIX is fine, but L and LI don’t inspire any awe from yours truly. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-roman-numerals/335488/3 "2005-12-13T21:55:19Z")
What puzzled me was the XLV on the Vikings’ uniforms on Sunday. Isn’t that 10-50-5 in numbers? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-roman-numerals/335488/4 "2005-12-13T21:56:42Z")
XLV == 45 Brian ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-roman-numerals/335488/5 "2005-12-13T22:02:14Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > What puzzled me was the XLV on the Vikings’ uniforms on Sunday. > > Isn’t that 10-50-5 in numbers? It reads as (50 - 10) + 5. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-roman-numerals/335488/6 "2005-12-13T22:19:14Z")
The Vikings logo this year has two meanings that I can discern: One, it’s XL (for the Super Bowl) followed with a stylized V-with-horns for the Vikings. Two, and more relevant, it’s the 45th anniversary of the Vikings franchise (1961-2005). ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Gene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@Soylent\_Gene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Gene)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-roman-numerals/335488/7 "2005-12-14T00:40:15Z")
> [@lno](#): > > The Vikings logo this year has two meanings that I can discern: > > One, it’s XL (for the Super Bowl) followed with a stylized V-with-horns for the Vikings. > > Two, and more relevant, it’s the 45th anniversary of the Vikings franchise (1961-2005). XL = extra large? nyuk