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Tonight the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks will contest the 49th Super Bowl in NFL history.
LIVE - FOLLOW THE SUPER BOWL AS IT HAPPENS
The game's official title, instead of the simple 'Super Bowl 49', is 'Super Bowl XLIX', the NFL having used roman numerals since 'Super Bowl V' in 1971.
Everybody knows roman numerals are baffling, so we have created a straightforward, demystifying one-minute guide.
Super Bowl XLIX - in picturesShow all 35 1 /35Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Marshawn Lynch The controversial Seahawks running back covers up before kick-off
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Glendale The University of Arizona Stadium
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Seahawks fans Seattle Seahawks supporters cheer for their team ahead of kick-off
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Glendale-2.jpg The stadium, full to the brim with thousands of fans
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Seahawks huddle Russell Wilson leads the Seahawks in a motivational huddle
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Patriots huddle Brady (blocked) does the same
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures KICK-OFF Steven Hauschka gets Super Bowl XLIX underway
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Brady.jpg Tom Brady completes a pass in the first quarter
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Cheerleaders Seahaawks cheerleaders get the crowd on their feet
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Jeremy Lane Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane picks off Tom Brady in the first period
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Brandon LaFell The Patriots drew first blood with a Brady touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Marshawn Lynch The Seattle star powers his way into the endzone to even the score at 7-7
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Rob Gronkowski Patriots tight end Gronk hauls in a 22-yard catch to give his team the lead just before half-time
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Katy Perry Perry brought down the house in Arizona
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Chris Matthews Unknown receiver Chris Matthews ties the game after Seattle head coach decided to go for it with just seconds on the clock in the first half
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Katy Perry Katy Perry arrived for the half-time show on a giant mechanical tiger (or maybe a lion)
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Steven Hauschka The Seahawks kicker extends his team's lead to three points early in the third quarter
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Pete Carroll Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll watches on from the sideline
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Brady-int.jpg Tom Brady trudges off the field after throwing his second interception in the game
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Doug Baldwin Doug Baldwin catches a Russell Wilson pass to give the Seahawks a 10 point lead in the third quarter
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Danny Amendola Amendola catches a touchdown pass as the Patriots start their comeback in the fourth quarter
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Julian Edelman Julian Edelman spikes the ball after he scores to put the Patriots into the lead
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Malcolm Butler Undrafted free agent Malcolm Butler makes a crucial interception on the 1-yard line in the dying seconds, effectively sealing the win
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Patriots.jpg Patriots players celebrate the interception
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Derrelle Revis Patriots players stream onto the field to celebrate
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Gatorade.jpg Players douse coach Belichick with juice
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Michael Irvin A scuffle broke out as tempers flared in the final seconds of the game
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Nate Solder Ticker tape falls from the rafters as the final whistle blows
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Tom Brady Tom Brady embraces opposing quarterback Russell Wilson
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Bill Belichick Patriots coach Bill Belichick does the same with Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Seattle fan A Seahawks fan inside the stadium is in tears after her team loses the Super Bowl
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Richard Sherman Star defender Richard Sherman reacts at the end of the game
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Rob Gronkowski Tight end Rob Gronkowski lifts the Vince Lombardi trophy
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Brady-1.jpg Tom Brady, 37, was named the game's Most Valuable Player
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Super Bowl XLIX - in pictures Brady - Belichick Head coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady won their fourth Super Bowl together in the last 15 years
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All numbers are formed by combining these basic characters, placed from left to right in order of value:
I = 1
V = 5
X = 10
L = 50
C = 100
D = 500
M = 1000
'I' can precede 'V' to make 4 (IV) and 'X' to make 9 (IX), and similarly 'X' can be placed before 'L' and 'C' to make 40 (XL) and 90 (XC).
So tonight's clash combines 'XL' (40) with 'IX' (9) to make 'XLIX', or 49.
For the record, 'C' also goes before 'D' and 'M' to make 400 (CD) and 900 (CM), but the 400th Super Bowl is set to take place in the year 2366 (or MMCCCLXVI), so no need to worry about that yet.
This fan knows his way around them already
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Therefore next year's edition, the 50th Super Bowl in the NFL's history, will be 'Super Bowl L'? Actually, no.
The NFL decided, after working on 73 different versions of a logo, that 'Super Bowl L' just didn't really look right. Instead, next year's NFL championship game will be simply 'Super Bowl 50', which will precede 'Super Bowl LI' in 2017.
It's as simple as that.
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