Corportate Arena and Stadium naming rights...

[Guest Choken One]

It is in my view, that corportate naming rights is one of the many things that has plauged American sports over the last decade. While I don't recall the 1st corporate arena or venue, I remember the outcry here in Cincy, when the renamed Riverfront Cinergy Field.

 

After Driving by the newly built reds Ballpark, GREAT AMERICAN Ballpark...I wondered how many baseball teams have corporate sponsered stadiums.

 

Here is the list

 

American East

 

Tropicana Field-Tampa Bay

 

American Central

 

Comerica Park-Detroit

 

American West

 

Edison Field-Anaheim

SAFECO Field-Seattle

Network Asst. Colieseum-Oakland

 

National East

 

Pro Player Stadium-Florida

 

National Central

 

Cinergy Field-Cincy

PNC Bank-Pittsburgh

Busch Stadium-St. Louis

Enron/Minute Maid Park-Houston

Miller Park-Milwakue

Wrigley Field-Chicago

 

National West

Bank One Ballpark-Arizona

Qualcom Stadium- S.D

Pac Bell-S.F

Coors Field-Colorado

 

That's Sixteen teams...more then Half of the MLB.

 

I haven't even looked at Football, Hockey and Basketball...I know there's more there then here...

 

Am I the only one who wishes for the simplier days when the field was named after the Owner or had somesort of connection to the city or was called after the team (Yankee or Oriole)..or is this a better deal or something?

[Guest jimmy no nose]

They get so much money from companies for naming rights. That's the only reason. I don't know how much, but the main complaint about the Steelers's Heinz Field was that they "only" got $57 million for naming rights while other teams were getting a little bit more.

[Guest alkeiper]

One minor quibble with your list Choken. Busch Stadium is so named because they were owned by August Busch III for a long time, who named the stadium after himself. In fact, Sportsman's Park was also named Busch Stadium from 1954 on.

[Guest starvenger]

You think that's bad? Check out the NHL:

 

Atlantic Division:

New Jersey - Continental Airlines Arena

Philadelphia - First Union (aka FU) Center

Pittsburgh - Mellon Arena

 

Northeast Division:

Boston - Fleet Center

Buffalo - HSBC Arena

Montreal - Bell Centre

Ottawa - Corel Centre

Toronto - Air Canada Centre

 

Southeast Division:

Atlanta - Phillips Arena

Florida - National Car Rental Center

Washington - MCI Center (I'm sure that'll change soon)

 

Central Division

Chicago - United Center

Columbus - Nationwide Arena

St. Louis - Savvis Center

 

Northwest Division

Calgary - Pengrowth Saddledome

Colorado - Pepsi Center

Edmonton - Skyreach Centre

Minnesota - Xcel Enrgy Center

Vancouver - GM Place

 

Pacific Division

Anaheim - Arrowhead Pond of Aneheim

Dallas - American Airlines Arena

LA Kings - Staples Center

Phoenix - America West Arena

San Jose - Compaq Center at San Jose

 

So out of 30 teams, 24 of them have corporate sponsorship. That's 80% of the teams!!

[Guest Shaved Bear]

well it helps poorer teams bring in some easy money

[Guest alkeiper]

Do the teams get the money in all these cases? Not every team owns its stadium/arena.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Eh, I have no problem with it.

 

Where you live in Cincy, Choken?

[Guest Kingpk]

Know what's funny?

 

The Patriots sold the right to name their new stadium to a small internet company called CMGi (CMGi Field). At that time, a share of stock in that company was around $10.

 

The price today? 42 cents, $3.15 a year ago.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Could be worse, they could have had Enron as their highest bidder...

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

Houston Astros had Enron's name on their stadium.

[Guest MrRant]

Right now the Seahawk's new stadium is called Seahawk Stadium.... for now. I'm just waiting for Microsoft or someone to pony up.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

"Houston Astros had Enron's name on their stadium."

 

I know. It was a joke. Ha ha.

 

Swing and a miss...

 

BTW: Isn't Starbucks Seattle-based? They could be another stadium name bidder, but seeing how the Seahawks always seem to shut down during games, I think Microsoft would be the better sponsor.

[Guest starvenger]

>BTW: Isn't Starbucks Seattle-based? They could be another stadium name bidder, but seeing how the Seahawks always seem to shut down during games, I think Microsoft would be the better sponsor.

 

What about Nintendo of America? I always thought that they missed out on renaming the Kingdome the Nintendome. And Amazon is also in the Seatle area...

[Guest treble charged]

You think that's bad? Check out the NHL:

 

Central Division

Chicago - United Center

Columbus - Nationwide Arena

St. Louis - Savvis Center

Unless I'm wrong (and that IS possible), I think Nashville's arena is named after Gaylord Entertainment. Yes, the Predators play at the Gaylord Entertainment Center, a name sure to strike fear in the hearts of many an opponent.

[Guest starvenger]

Actually, I wasn't too sure about that one. I couldn't find a "Gaylord Entertainment", but I figured that it was named after a prominent Gaylord from Nashville or something.

 

And if there IS a Gaylord Entertainment, well, I'm shocked that GLAAD hasn't jumped all over that one with a lawsuit or something.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

The corporate names never bothered me.

 

On a related topic. The people who don't like the ads behind home plate, saying it's ruining the game and it was never like that. What a bunch of bull that is, watch tapes of Fenway Park from the 40's and 50's, and the Green Monster is covered with advertising. Baseball Stadiums have always had advertising, it's only know that teams can make money from naming rights.

[Guest Choken One]

We're only stone's throw away from having endorsments on ALL uniforms, they already do in Europe Football.

[Guest Karnage]

Actually, I wasn't too sure about that one. I couldn't find a "Gaylord Entertainment", but I figured that it was named after a prominent Gaylord from Nashville or something.

 

And if there IS a Gaylord Entertainment, well, I'm shocked that GLAAD hasn't jumped all over that one with a lawsuit or something.

The guy's last name is Gaylord, similar to Turner so I don't think there's anything GLAAD can do.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

NASCAR has two tracks

 

Lowes Motor Speedway which used to be Charlotte Motor Speedway

 

Infineon Raceway which used to be Sears Point Raceway

 

2 Tracks out of 21 total. Im sure this will change eventually..although I doubt tracks like Daytona, Talladega and Indianapolis will.

[Guest Choken One]

Yes, Nascar is going at that approach with it's two corporate named tracks when it's already the biggest corporate showcase in the world... However, Most people don't realize that most drivers would perfer no Sponsers or anything...Some because they feel it damages the sport and others because they dont like a F500 company using them as their spokesperson. My father drove Pepsi back in the Late 80's, and although we certaintly enjoyed the free Pepsi, the had expectations of us to perform. We went through this with Surge a few years back and they aren't worth the free stuff.

 

Now, If a Friend needs a good sponser, I advise him not to go to a major corporation, try somewhere they are driver friendly like AutoDealerships or Auto Body Shops or Hardware stores like ACE or something.

[Guest alkeiper]

Why would drivers object to track sponsership when they're already driving huge billboards around the track?

 

And on an unrelated note, fuck Nascar. Two weekends a year my area's deluged with 150,000 of the biggest rednecks imaginable. I'm sick of it.

[Guest Some Guy]

The corporate names never bothered me.

 

On a related topic. The people who don't like the ads behind home plate, saying it's ruining the game and it was never like that. What a bunch of bull that is, watch tapes of Fenway Park from the 40's and 50's, and the Green Monster is covered with advertising. Baseball Stadiums have always had advertising, it's only know that teams can make money from naming rights.

That's what pisses me off about these so called "purists", the "Save Fenway" reatards. They bitch and moan wbout all the new advertising in the park and don't want a new one. Sometimes I want to reach into my TV and strangle one of these dumb fucks. If they knew anything about the history of Fenway, then they would realize that the left field all was totally covered with ads, except for the scoreboard and that the stadium is 90 years old and falling apart. I'm 6'2" and 170 lbs adn I barely fit in the seats width wise and don't fit as far as leg room. If we get a new stadium I wouldn't give a shit what it was called as long as I could sit and confortably enjoy a baseball game. I would prefer it still be "Fenway Park" or "(corporatation)'s Fenway Park" though.

[Guest Kingpk]

That's what pisses me off about these so called "purists", the "Save Fenway" reatards. They bitch and moan wbout all the new advertising in the park and don't want a new one. Sometimes I want to reach into my TV and strangle one of these dumb fucks. If they knew anything about the history of Fenway, then they would realize that the left field all was totally covered with ads, except for the scoreboard and that the stadium is 90 years old and falling apart. I'm 6'2" and 170 lbs adn I barely fit in the seats width wise and don't fit as far as leg room. If we get a new stadium I wouldn't give a shit what it was called as long as I could sit and confortably enjoy a baseball game. I would prefer it still be "Fenway Park" or "(corporatation)'s Fenway Park" though.

Maybe the new owners should take the route Kraft did: say you are moving to Hartford if they don't pony up for a new park and watch the fans stampede to Beacon Hill to protest.

[Guest alkeiper]

Problem is, no one would believe them. The new owners have realized what a cash cow Fenway Park is and they have no real plans to move out in the immediate future anyway.

[Guest alkeiper]

Problem is, no one would believe them. The new owners have realized what a cash cow Fenway Park is and they have no real plans to move out in the immediate future anyway.