BY BOB HOLT
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
IMHO, the use of Roman numerals to designate which Super Bowl is being played causes a number of technology savvy young people to say "OMG!"
High school students have touched on Roman numerals during Latin classes, but they are not emphasized in elementary schools. ROFL may be easy to understand for many of them, but apparently translating Super Bowl XLVI is not.
Myfoxdc.com reports that former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle began using Roman numerals well before the age of computers; back in 1971, for Super Bowl V. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy says the Roman numerals are "part of the mystique of the Super Bowl."
But the league is already aware of possible letter concerns for 2016, the year of Super Bowl L. The Wall Street Journal reports that a 2003 book defined the "loser gesture" by forming a letter L on your forehead with your index finger and thumb. The signal has been around since at least the 1990s, and has been featured in promotional materials for Fox hit series "Glee."
In 2003, the Children's Internet Protection Act was upheld by the Supreme Court. The law censored parts of the Web for children in schools and libraries, but also blocked searches for Super Bowl XXX.
