Oct 23, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of a Nike glove on a Dallas Cowboys helmet during the game against the St Louis Rams at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

It’s seems absurd to imagine the greatest moments in NFL history replayed with McDonald’s famous golden arches logo prominently displayed on Joe Montana’s shoulder pad or across Emmitt Smith’s backside. Imagine a world were Tom Brady thanks Texaco for their sponsorship of the team during his Superbowl speech. Ridiculous, right? Well, the league has already made many concessions for advertisers you might not even notice anymore.

The biggest, ofcourse, are television timeouts. Stoppage of play for the sole purpose of running commercials. How about saying the phrase, “I’m going to Disneyland” uttered by every Superbowl winning quarterback since the 1980′s? Instead of seeing it for what it is, a blatant advertising ploy, it’s viewed by many now as tradition.

Don’t forget the ads within the stadium and on televisions broadcast themselves. Who cares now if it’s the Pepsi/NASDAQ halftime report? Our if the characters from the animated show “Family Guy” pop up on the bottom of your screen during the third quarter to remind you their show is coming up next.

Oct 23, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of a Nike cleet on a Dallas Cowboys during the game against the St Louis Rams at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Even the stadiums themselves have sold out. (in name only if not in ticket sales) Half the time I don’t know what to call a stadium nowadays. Is it Oakland Coliseum or Overstock.com Coliseum? And the names are so generalized, I have no idea where they are or who plays in them. Random names like Bank of America Stadium, Mall of America Field, and the Edward Jones Dome. What???

Last, but not least, let’s not forget the uniforms have advertising on them already. You’ll be seeing the Nike “swoosh” on every uniform now. And again those pink gloves, shoes and towels to support breast cancer awareness. Even though it’s a wonderful cause, it’s still advertising. And they are the gateway for what is coming next: Advertising directly on uniforms.

And the saddest thing is we’ve all become so numb to it.The blatant advertising ploy quickly becomes tradition. So get ready future NFL fans. Your favorite team will most likely be sporting a company’s logo soon. And when you purchase your favorite player’s jersey, you’ll know it’s authentic when it proudly displays that Coca Cola logo on it. Just like the one’s they wear on the field. Then you’ll become the walking billboard.