NFL Looks Ahead to Awkward Super Bowl L

XLVI—the number of Sunday's Super Bowl—may be clunky, but at least it doesn't come with baggage. The NFL is preparing for the 50th Super Bowl in 2016, which will be Super Bowl L. Insiders are wary of T-shirts emblazoned with giant Ls: It could look like fans are just big losers, the Wall Street Journal notes. The "L" hand gesture is more recognizable than ever after TV's Glee adopted it in its logo. Maybe 2016 would "be a nice time to switch over to Arabic numerals," says an ad exec.

The league, though, also has a few possible marketing options. The game could be held in an L city, like London or Los Angeles, where the first Super Bowl took place. The host city hasn't been announced, but a league spokesman said talks have begun on "those types of details," referring to the L. It's a challenge for the league, but Adidas—whose Reebok brand will soon be replaced by Nike as the NFL's official gear manufacturer—is excited. "L standing for loser with a Nike swoosh right above it—I love that," says a rep. (In more imminent Super Bowl news, click to watch the best Super Bowl ad you won't see in America.)