DaTrain Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 There isn't much anyone can do about keeping the sports venues from having somebody else's corporate business naming rights to it for the next few years, but imagine what Houston would be a lil better off with just simple sports venue names. Just so I don't sound ignant for saying so, this isn't anything new since there was The Summit (Compaq Center) and the dome simply called the Astrodome (w/o Reliant). Even so, hardly anybody even heard of the name Astrodomain outside of the city because Reliant Energy quickly advertised it as Reliant Park right away. Other major cities such as NYC, SF and Chicago stick by the original names to appease residents who are in NIMBY-mode to keep businesses from having naming rights in order to not taint the sport related aesthetics and just name it after the teams or somebody else's name, such as the HHH Metrodome in Minnesota. But hopefully things will turn around in a couple decades when Reliant Park will go back to being the Astrodomain and the Toyota Center can be renamed the Houston Arena (i.e.) and Minute Maid Park can be named the Astrofield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 I think the naming rights should go to whoever actually pays to construct the facility. I always thought Houston taxpayers got a raw deal in the building of the baseball stadium. When Enron paid for the naming rights, the money went into the pockets of the team owners rather than paying construction costs. That was a slap in the face of all Houstonians. Mainly for that reason, I ceased to be an Astro fan, and I refuse to go that stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ V Lawrence Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 There isn't much anyone can do about keeping the sports venues from having somebody else's corporate business naming rights to it for the next few years, but imagine what Houston would be a lil better off with just simple sports venue names. Just so I don't sound ignant for saying so, this isn't anything new since there was The Summit (Compaq Center) and the dome simply called the Astrodome (w/o Reliant). Even so, hardly anybody even heard of the name Astrodomain outside of the city because Reliant Energy quickly advertised it as Reliant Park right away. Other major cities such as NYC, SF and Chicago stick by the original names to appease residents who are in NIMBY-mode to keep businesses from having naming rights in order to not taint the sport related aesthetics and just name it after the teams or somebody else's name, such as the HHH Metrodome in Minnesota. But hopefully things will turn around in a couple decades when Reliant Park will go back to being the Astrodomain and the Toyota Center can be renamed the Houston Arena (i.e.) and Minute Maid Park can be named the Astrofield.I think Chicago and SF are bad examples, yo. If fact, Chicago's got the oldest stadium I can think of with their stadium named after a company (Wrigley Field).Also, I think in this era of naming rights, Houston got lucky with the names Minute Maid Park, Reliant Park, and Toyota Center. It could have been a LOT worse (GalleryFurniture.com Bowl). Naming rights are not a big deal. There are advertisements all over stadiums, but that money doesn't go to the city either. Just look the scoreboard at a Texans/Astros game, or courtside at a Rockets game to see them. The company that names the stadium are only doing the same thing...advertising. I say it's smart for the owners to do that, and it's dumb that our city leaders don't add a $100 million fund for schools, businesses, local enforcements, hospitals, etc. as part of a package deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 There isn't much anyone can do about keeping the sports venues from having somebody else's corporate business naming rights to it for the next few years, but imagine what Houston would be a lil better off with just simple sports venue names. Just so I don't sound ignant for saying so, this isn't anything new since there was The Summit (Compaq Center) and the dome simply called the Astrodome (w/o Reliant). Even so, hardly anybody even heard of the name Astrodomain outside of the city because Reliant Energy quickly advertised it as Reliant Park right away. Other major cities such as NYC, SF and Chicago stick by the original names to appease residents who are in NIMBY-mode to keep businesses from having naming rights in order to not taint the sport related aesthetics and just name it after the teams or somebody else's name, such as the HHH Metrodome in Minnesota. But hopefully things will turn around in a couple decades when Reliant Park will go back to being the Astrodomain and the Toyota Center can be renamed the Houston Arena (i.e.) and Minute Maid Park can be named the Astrofield.Somehow I doubt we'll ever return to not selling naming rights. If anything, I'm surprised that they haven't hit on selling team names, something like the Exxon Mobil Astros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ V Lawrence Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Somehow I doubt we'll ever return to not selling naming rights. If anything, I'm surprised that they haven't hit on selling team names, something like the Exxon Mobil Astros.Korea's professional sports team do that and still get support. My baseball team there was the Samsung Lions. People still supported them. A lot of Soccer/futbol teams have corporate names on their jerseys.There's almost no way that you'll see that happen to American sports teams with fan support. The only team I can think of that currently does that is the New York Red Bulls, and I hear their attendance is dropped since adopting the company name. Besides, when cities fund these teams' stadiums, they mainly fund 'em to buy the name (Houston Rockets, etc.). Houston would never fund a stadium to the BMW Astros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 I don't know. The thing about sports finance is that the goalposts are always moving, so to speak. At one point it was unheard of to sell naming rights, or expect tax support for stadium construction. Now both are the norm. If a team could claim that selling team name rights was saving taxpayers money by relying on private rather than public funds, I think a city could well go for it. People would gripe at first, but like anything else, they'd get used to it quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Maybe some drug concern would be interested in sponsoring Houston teams. They could be called the Ritalin Rockets, Astroglide Astros and the Tylenol Texans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaTrain Posted August 30, 2006 Author Share Posted August 30, 2006 I think Chicago and SF are bad examples, yo. If fact, Chicago's got the oldest stadium I can think of with their stadium named after a company (Wrigley Field).Also, I think in this era of naming rights, Houston got lucky with the names Minute Maid Park, Reliant Park, and Toyota Center. It could have been a LOT worse (GalleryFurniture.com Bowl). Naming rights are not a big deal. There are advertisements all over stadiums, but that money doesn't go to the city either. Just look the scoreboard at a Texans/Astros game, or courtside at a Rockets game to see them. The company that names the stadium are only doing the same thing...advertising. I say it's smart for the owners to do that, and it's dumb that our city leaders don't add a $100 million fund for schools, businesses, local enforcements, hospitals, etc. as part of a package deal. ROFLMAO @ Gallery Furniture Bowl. Speaking of SF, the 49ers Stadium is currently called Monster Park, but it has nothing to do with the job search site: Monster.com. Technically some other business called Monster Cable has that naming rights which will expire soon, then they'll revert back to Candlestick Park. Maybe some drug concern would be interested in sponsoring Houston teams. They could be called the Ritalin Rockets, Astelin Astros and the Tylenol Texans. Don't forget about the Advil Avalanches and the Coca-Cola Comets (Coke used to have cocain as secret ingredient). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ V Lawrence Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 ROFLMAO @ Gallery Furniture Bowl. Speaking of SF, the 49ers Stadium is currently called Monster Park, but it has nothing to do with the job search site: Monster.com. Technically some other business called Monster Cable has that naming rights which will expire soon, then they'll revert back to Candlestick Park.I doubt that. Watch, SF's football field will be named after a website. I can see it now...-Google Field-MySpace Stadium -Amazon Park-HAIF Collesium...or it's gonna get named after something crazy like IPOD, Windows Media Player, Solitare, Minesweeper, SIM CITY, Counterstrike... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeebus Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Go Tampax Texans! Woo Hoo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ V Lawrence Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Go Tampax Texans! Woo Hoo!Well, it would be easier to absorb a loss, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Go Tampax Texans! Woo Hoo!Or (as the old joke goes) maybe the Texans don't have a second string, or they are just good for one - uh, quarter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProHouston Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Somehow I doubt we'll ever return to not selling naming rights. If anything, I'm surprised that they haven't hit on selling team names, something like the Exxon Mobil Astros.I'm surprised more public spaces don't sell their names. Why not malls? I think the biggest money maker would be airports. Tens of thousands of affluent business people travel through these concourses everyday. Why isn't Atlanta's Hartfield Airport named Coca-Cola International? It could save the citizens a lot of tax money if cities would sell the naming rights.Hell, speaking of naming the new downtown park. Sell the rights, save us some money on construction costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Hell, speaking of naming the new downtown park. Sell the rights, save us some money on construction costs.The president of the Downtown Park Conservancy said the other day that, while virtually everything inside the park is up for sale, the name of the park will not be. She also said that $46 million of the $52 million needed to build the park has already been raised, that parts of it will open in October 2007, and the grand opening ceremony will be in early 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Hell, speaking of naming the new downtown park. Sell the rights, save us some money on construction costs.I was recently at Millenium Park, and it's about like that. Corporate sponsorship is about to the level of "Verizon Park Bench" and "Bank of America Water Fountain." I think you will see more and more of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ V Lawrence Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 I was recently at Millenium Park, and it's about like that. Corporate sponsorship is about to the level of "Verizon Park Bench" and "Bank of America Water Fountain." I think you will see more and more of it. I can see us selling naming rights to our freeways > Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Who has ever read the names of some of these college bowls. Almost anyone can advertise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ V Lawrence Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Who has ever read the names of some of these college bowls. Almost anyone can advertise. GalleryFurniture.com Bowl!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDubRedRaider Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 I'm surprised more public spaces don't sell their names. Why not malls?Discover Mills is a 1.2 million square foot mall in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and is named after the Discover Card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalparadise Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 the dome simply called the Astrodome (w/o Reliant). Even so, hardly anybody even heard of the name Astrodomain outside of the city because Reliant Energy quickly advertised it as Reliant Park right away."The Astrodome," though not actually a paid name for the stadium was a nickname. The official name of that stadium was Harris County Domed Stadium. Do you advocate calling it that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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