Q: Are companies prohibited from using the term “Super Bowl” in their advertising?
— Andy Sims, Douglasville
A: The NFL has trademarked the term Super Bowl, so it can't be used in marketing or advertising by any company, organization — even local restaurants and bars — that's not an official NFL sponsor, which pays fees to be associated with the league. Companies not connected to the NFL also can't use Super Sunday, National Football League, NFL or team nicknames, like 49ers and Ravens. Instead, advertisers use terms like "Big Game" to describe the Super Bowl, which the league tried to trademark in 2006, before giving up on it. Papa John's was the official pizza sponsor of the NFL last year, so Pizza Hut countered with its "Big Deal for the Big Game" promotion, and reportedly sold 2 million pizzas on the day of the game. The San Francisco 49ers will play the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII.
Q: Where did Rep. Phil Gingrey go to medical school?
— Alan Giles, Atlanta
A: Gingrey, who represents Georgia's 11th Congressional District, graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He interned at Grady Memorial Hospital, had a residency at the Medical College of Georgia and completed a rotation at Doctors Hospital in Columbus before he established an obstetrics and gynecology practice in Marietta, according to his congressional bio. Gingrey was initially elected to Congress in 2002 after serving on the Marietta City Schools Board of Education, including three terms as chairman, and in the state Senate.
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