Super Bowl 50: Lack of Roman numerals not the only thing different about this game

As if the Super Bowl -- aka The Greatest Championship Game In The History of the Universe And Maybe Beyond -- didn't already get enough hype, it heads into Sunday's all-day football festival with history on its side.

This is the 50th anniversary of the game and the first in that half-century not to have Roman numerals attached to it. Maybe the NFL used them all up the last two years, what with Super Bowls XLVIII and XLIX pretty much doing the job.

Regardless of the reason, calling it Super Bowl 50 instead of Super Bowl L won't be the only bit of history coming to the fore on Sunday.

[Watch on Yahoo Canada: The best ads from the Super Bowl]

No, Canada: If the deep thinkers at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (no wonder they shortened it to CRTC) have their way, this will be the last time those in the Great White North will be forced (forced, I tell you!) to watch Canadian commercials during the Super Bowl. This deprivation has apparently kept millions from sleeping peacefully for decades. But if you are one of them, don't get your hopes up just yet. Bell Media, which owns rights to the Super Bowl in Canada and makes millions off selling true-blue Canuck ads, is appealing the decision. It has the backing of the NFL, which makes millions of dollars selling rights to Bell and fears that gravy train may be shut down. In the meantime, enjoy those car insurance ads featuring the guy wearing armour.

Eye-poppers: When you've got more than 100 million people watching and are charging $5 million U.S. for a 30-second ad, you have a few extra dollars to spend on technology. So, its pockets overflowing with dollars, CBS has decided to use a record 70 cameras, including a 360-degree replay system to its impressive arsenal. This was tried a few years back, with spectacular results, but CBS is promising technological advances and improved resolution. Basically, by using 36 cameras strung along the upper deck at Levi's Stadium, the system will be able to freeze plays and then revolve around the play. It's promising that viewers will get to see what the quarterback sees, with the added luxury of not getting their heads smashed by 300-pound linemen.

Piling on the pylons: Ever wonder what the game looks like through the eyes of a pylon? OK, maybe you never have, but pylon-mounted cameras provided some pretty cool and definitive images during the playoffs. By putting two cameras in each of eight pylons, CBS will be the first to use the technology in the Super Bowl. The difference is that these pylon-cams will be Super.

Watch by numbers: CBS is all excited about its ``innovative technology platform" that tracks players on-field and generates ``a broader set of statistical data in real-time." Hearts are fluttering across the land.

But not everything is historic. Some of the your old favourite features will still be there:

The TV marathon: The classic eight-hour pre-game show is back thanks to CBS and CTV. It all starts with the NFL Insiders giving their opinions at 10 a.m. ET, followed by NFL Countdown at 11 a.m. with that show's insiders giving what might or might not be different opinions and several other shows with panels of insiders giving more opinions right up to game time. The game will be followed by more insiders giving their opinions. (Note that this year's CBS coverage will not include sandwich salesman Jared Fogl, who is indisposed this year.)

On the go: If you can't be near a TV screen, CTV is once again streaming the game live on its CTV Go app. And if you can't get the app, Bell Media radio stations will also have the game. And if you can't get the app and don't have a radio, you can follow the game on Twitter. Apparently all kinds of people have already been tweeting about the game and, according to IPG Mediabrands, the majority of the Canadian tweets have been about the Denver Broncos.

"Canadians appear to be pulling for Peyton Manning and the Broncos in what will likely be his final season of football," said Loraine Cordery, Insights Manager for IPG Mediabrands. "That being said, most Canadians actually care more about the halftime show."

And that pretty much says it all.