The NFL’s premier event coincidentally features Patriots battling Eagles, the national symbol, but it has been revealed recently that the armed forces pageantry that is now part of the game was paid for by the U.S. Department of Defense. Super Bowl XLII on Sunday between New England and Philadelphia, coincidentally features a battle between patriotic brands while the National Football League’s related brand image is increasingly challenged. New England’s team name – Patriots – obviously refers to someone who loves, supports, and defends their homeland. Determined by a public contest, the team was initially identified as the Boston Patriots when they began play in 1959 as part of the nascent American Football League. New England’s opponent, Philadelphia, is an NFL franchise that dates back to 1933. The team was named the Eagles to respect the blue eagle symbol of the New Deal and the National Recovery Administration. Overseen by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a series of federal programs, policies, and financial reforms were implemented in response to the Great Depression. The bald eagle, in particular, has been the official emblem of the United States since 1782 when it was placed with outspread wings on the Great Seal of the United [...]