While the real Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are working on a program to cut beleaguered homeowners’ mortgage bills, the St. Louis Blues have invoked the firms’ names in announcing a “bailout” promotion of their own.  As part of a “Fan Bailout Plan,” the hockey team has declared its remaining Saturday games to be “Fannie and Freddie Mortgage Saturdays.”

At each of those games, the Blues will hold a drawing and one lucky fan will get his or her mortgage (or rent) paid for the next four months. The maximum payment is $4,000. There is no minimum payment, so if you’ve paid off your mortgage, you might want to give your Saturday tickets to one of your deep-in-debt friends.

The official rules don’t say whether the Blues got permission to use the two giant mortgage companies’ names. If they didn’t, Fannie’s and Freddie’s lawyers might not be happy about this particular bailout. Then again, Fannie’s and Freddie’s lawyers probably have bigger things to worry about at the moment.