Count me in the group that hates this trend.The Brooklyn Cyclones entered into a new partnership with Muncipal Credit Union and they bought the naming rights to their stadium in Coney Island. KeySpan Park will now be known as MCU Park.
I've always hated the idea of ballparks named after some corporation that ponies up the cash for the naming rights. The first time I remember this happening was when Candlestick Park was named 3Com Park, and when a poll was taken in San Francisco about it, something like 40% of the people hated the change. The other 60% REALLY hated the name change. (The irony in that is that the stadium is back to being known as Candlestick Park again.)
Granted the Cyclones park has never been known as a "classic" named park, and was always named after a corporation.
But I did like it when Artie Moreno changed the name of his ballpark in Anaheim to Angel Stadium right after he purchased the Angels, after it was known under various names for years. And I'll never call the Metrodome "Mall of America Field" or whatever the official name is now.
I know it's big money for sports teams to give up their arena's name for some giant corporation, and sometimes it can come back to haunt those involved. Remember when the Houston Astros canceled their agreement with Enron after the scandal hit a few years back?
I'm glad there are still parks that haven't bowed to the pressure and big payday of selling out their name, like Fenway, Wrigley, or Oriole Park. Let's hope those classic "holdouts" never do.
This goes along with my post about how I wish companies would pay teams to leave a blank space instead of a billboard: For a minor league park at class A, I have to figure the money involved isn't that much, relative to big league deals. So why doesn't some CEO at a giant corporation (who's a Mets fan or just hates this crap like everybody else) go to the Cyclones and say, "What's MCU paying you?", then reach into their pocket, pull out twice that amount, and say "it's called Cyclone Park."
ReplyDeleteOr whatever name they want--in fact, I would have called that team the Coney Islanders, and named it Boardwalk Park or something.
You could argue that Wrigley was the first corporate naming though.
ReplyDeleteI agree though I still Petco Park the ballpark and Qualcomm aka The Q is Jack Murphy Stadium aka The Murph.
& Since The Mets own The Cyclones(Sterling Mets LP), why not call it Madoff Park, as this group doesn't understand Ponzi Schemes.
ReplyDeleteStadiums had been named after owners for years: Wrigley, Ebbets, Crosley, etc. I remember when the name Jack Murphy was taken off the stadium years ago, Ken, his brother Bob, the Mets announcer, was quite angry about it.
ReplyDeleteCyclone Park has a nice ring to it, Jere...
Actually, Fenway Park was a involved with a precursor naming for the Fenway Realty Company. Wrigley was for The Wrigleys & The Chewing Gum Concern, hence corporate in nature:
ReplyDeleteSterling Mets LP(Freddie, Jeffy, Sol Katz & Company) are trying to recoup losses from Bernie From Far Rockaway Madoff, hence these Stadium Naming Deals;
Boardwalk By The Sea Park Would Be cool. In the case of MCU, it's actually a Non-Profit Outfit, unlike Citicorp;
Even The Rose Bowl is now called "The Rose Bowl, Presented By...". It's These Times.
I wonder if Central Park will ever get a corporate sponsor name.
ReplyDeleteyes we can a have a best name than that also .
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