Some businesses stay clear of using Super Bowl name

PHOENIX (AP) - It is the game that must not be named - at least not without permission.

For most people, the game Sunday between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks is the Super Bowl. But for some Phoenix-area media and business owners, it's simply the "big game" or "game day."

Radio hosts are tripping over their tongues and airport signs are carefully worded to keep from referring to it as the Super Bowl, a trademarked name the NFL strictly polices.

Mom-and-pop shops and large companies hoping to cash in on the game have found ways to color inside the lines.

NFL officials say the league works to protect its intellectual property.

Attorneys say big organizations such as the NFL typically go after national advertisers, not small businesses.