From this day henceforth, the SkyDome shall be known as...

[Ubiquitous]

Haha, they don't do this in the UK, because we rule, yes we do.

Obviously you have not heard of the 'Walker's Bowl' [Leciester City].

Quite a number of other lower league teams have had to sell their stadiums name to businesses as well. I think Arsenal may have signed a big deal for their new stadium.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Obviously you have not heard of the 'Walker's Bowl' [Leciester City].

Quite a number of other lower league teams have had to sell their stadiums name to businesses as well. I think Arsenal may have signed a big deal for their new stadium.

The majority aren't, though. The lower league clubs need the funding and so are bought out. For the most part, venues and public buildings are named after people, places or what have you. I like to think the corporations have more sense than to further ram their brands down our collective throats by renaming the likes of Wembley to Virgin Megastadium or Sky Sports News Channel Playing Ground.

[Tommy J]

Obviously you have not heard of the 'Walker's Bowl' [Leciester City].

Quite a number of other lower league teams have had to sell their stadiums name to businesses as well. I think Arsenal may have signed a big deal for their new stadium.

The majority aren't, though. The lower league clubs need the funding and so are bought out. For the most part, venues and public buildings are named after people, places or what have you. I like to think the corporations have more sense than to further ram their brands down our collective throats by renaming the likes of Wembley to Virgin Megastadium or Sky Sports News Channel Playing Ground.

If people want to continue to pay lower taxes, are incensed with gasoline taxes or if the price goes up by $.10, get angry when their electric bill goes up by $20 month how do you suggest that we continue to build more parks and maintain the current infrastructure we have? I say, let Coca-Cola afix their name to a new playground down the street just to get the thing built.

[Lagmonster]

I am so sick of corporate-named sports facilities. I still can't believe they turned Candlestick Park into 3Com Park. What the fuck kind of name is that?

And if Rogers wants to use the SkyDome for advertising, why can't they just blaster their fucking ads all over it? Why do they have to change the name? Argh.

I'm a number of years too late to feel your pain from up here in Ottawa; our brand-spanking new and neatly-named Palladium (on Palladium Drive, no less), was quickly purchased and turned into the 'Corel Centre', apparently on the very real fear that nobody remembers what Corel is anymore.

[Darth Wong]

Here's the other thing; why do they have to give it a name that doesn't even vaguely hint at what it is? "Rogers Centre" sounds like a goddamned shopping mall, not a fucking retractable-dome stadium. Why couldn't they call it the "Rogers SkyDome", if they had to change its name?

[Lagmonster]

Here's the other thing; why do they have to give it a name that doesn't even vaguely hint at what it is? "Rogers Centre" sounds like a goddamned shopping mall, not a fucking retractable-dome stadium. Why couldn't they call it the "Rogers SkyDome", if they had to change its name?

According to the press release - and I'm paraphrasing from memory - it was done to show Rogers' "committment to the Blue Jays" by giving them the "recognizability associated with the number one brand in communications". Thankfully this is as far as this distasteful crap goes, unless a lot of support develops somewhere among people who really like the sound of 'the Toronto Rogerers'.

[Tommy J]

Why couldn't they call it the "Rogers SkyDome", if they had to change its name?

Because arrogant super rich people want to shed any vestige of the old name in favor of making their own ego inflated legends

[Slartibartfast]

Preparation-H Stadium anyone? (cookie for the reference)

...Baseketball?

Alright Yuo get teh prize! *gives lucuma-flavored cookie*

[Tommy J]

I'm curious about something and plays to the entire issue. Would you as tax payers in Canada and citizens of the city of Toronto be willing to pay additional taxes to keep the original names on these facilities, and essentially governmentally supported sporting?

I can tell you that in most cities in America the answer is a loud NO. Probably Yankee Stadium is the only facility that will be spared this trend, as I'd venture to guess that the people of NYC would pay to keep it Yankee Stadium.

[The Kernel]

I am so sick of corporate-named sports facilities. I still can't believe they turned Candlestick Park into 3Com Park. What the fuck kind of name is that?

Have you ever been to Candlestick? It's probably the shitiest sports stadium in the world. They park is falling apart and they built in a location that even if it's a sunny day at 75F, you will still freeze to death because of the fucking wind at Oyster Point.

It's not like I LIKE the name change but calling Candlestick/3Com anything else besides the seventh circle of hell is being charitable.

[Mayabird]

If people want to continue to pay lower taxes, are incensed with gasoline taxes or if the price goes up by $.10, get angry when their electric bill goes up by $20 month how do you suggest that we continue to build more parks and maintain the current infrastructure we have? I say, let Coca-Cola afix their name to a new playground down the street just to get the thing built.

You mean they're not already? I could've sworn I'd seen Coke's logo on some sponsored playground or children's area somewhere.

And let's please not go into college bowl games. There's a very good reason why I often talk about them in code words ("Potato Bowl," "Mud Bowl," etc.)

[Darth Wong]

I'm curious about something and plays to the entire issue. Would you as tax payers in Canada and citizens of the city of Toronto be willing to pay additional taxes to keep the original names on these facilities, and essentially governmentally supported sporting?

We did pay a lot of the money to build the fucking thing in the first place. Then these assholes came in more than a decade later, scooped it up for a small fraction of its original construction price, and slapped their name on it.

[Tommy J]

It's not like I LIKE the name change but calling Candlestick/3Com anything else besides the seventh circle of hell is being charitable.

It just occurred to me why he hyphenated names don't work from a pure Marketing perspective.

When you're a corporation and you may millions of dollars to brand your name you don't want any remnant of the old name for one simple reason, people will revert back to the old name.

In the two examples, Rogers SkyDome and CandleStick/3 Com people and the media would still call it The SkyDome or CandleStick and drop the corporate logo.

There entire reason for spending this enormous amount of money is to get free branding in the press and with the general public. The hyphenated names defeat the purpose.

[Tommy J]

I'm curious about something and plays to the entire issue. Would you as tax payers in Canada and citizens of the city of Toronto be willing to pay additional taxes to keep the original names on these facilities, and essentially governmentally supported sporting?

We did pay a lot of the money to build the fucking thing in the first place. Then these assholes came in more than a decade later, scooped it up for a small fraction of its original construction price, and slapped their name on it.

I'm confused then, why did they sell the thing? Was the city having trouble funding it's maintenance and repair? Were parking lot fees and concession sales not paying for basic upkeep?

Without a financial necessity to do such, it seems irrational to sell a public building to a private company.

[Lagmonster]

I'm confused then, why did they sell the thing? Was the city having trouble funding it's maintenance and repair? Were parking lot fees and concession sales not paying for basic upkeep?

Without a financial necessity to do such, it seems irrational to sell a public building to a private company.

It doesn't have to be a necessity to sell; if you can keep the place open while simultaneously not have to pay for its upkeep anymore AND make a buck on selling the place, it seems like a deal.

[Tommy J]

I'm confused then, why did they sell the thing? Was the city having trouble funding it's maintenance and repair? Were parking lot fees and concession sales not paying for basic upkeep?

Without a financial necessity to do such, it seems irrational to sell a public building to a private company.

It doesn't have to be a necessity to sell; if you can keep the place open while simultaneously not have to pay for its upkeep anymore AND make a buck on selling the place, it seems like a deal.

Well if you as a Canadian citizen and anyone who lives in Toronto gets lower taxes or at a minimum not higher taxes as a result, seems to me call it the big White Blob with the electric roof for all that you care.

I guess my original point is that some tax payers like to eat their cake and have it too when it comes to things like this.

Lower, Lower, Lower my taxes but don't you dare change that name of that building it's a sacred trust.

[Petrosjko]

It's not like I LIKE the name change but calling Candlestick/3Com anything else besides the seventh circle of hell is being charitable.

It just occurred to me why he hyphenated names don't work from a pure Marketing perspective.

When you're a corporation and you may millions of dollars to brand your name you don't want any remnant of the old name for one simple reason, people will revert back to the old name.

In the two examples, Rogers SkyDome and CandleStick/3 Com people and the media would still call it The SkyDome or CandleStick and drop the corporate logo.

There entire reason for spending this enormous amount of money is to get free branding in the press and with the general public. The hyphenated names defeat the purpose.

Not so. The commentators are part of the media machine, all of which derives funding from advertising. Some independent commentators and web media types will drop the brand name portion, but tuning into a football game at Mile High Stadium gets you 'Invesco Field AT Mile High Stadium'. So Invesco gets burned into the mind of viewers anyway.

Which is personally what I think is the best way to handle it. Because shithole or not, the 'Stick will always be the 'Stick, and 3Com can kiss my ass.

The funny thing about the branding is that like a lot of media buys, it really doesn't make a great deal of sense. For example, Qualcomm paid millions for a stadium name, but what do they offer in the consumer market? I've dealt with Qualcomm equipment because it's standard issue in all the major trucking companies, but I don't know of any brand-name middle-class consumer products they sell. Is the ROI anywhere near justifying the expense? I seriously doubt it. But I guess it makes for a good tax write-off.

[Slartibartfast]

It's not like I LIKE the name change but calling Candlestick/3Com anything else besides the seventh circle of hell is being charitable.

It just occurred to me why he hyphenated names don't work from a pure Marketing perspective.
<snip>
In the two examples, Rogers SkyDome and CandleStick/3 Com people and the media would still call it The SkyDome or CandleStick and drop the corporate logo.

I think Kernel meant "either Candlestick or 3Com".

[Darth Wong]

Well if you as a Canadian citizen and anyone who lives in Toronto gets lower taxes or at a minimum not higher taxes as a result, seems to me call it the big White Blob with the electric roof for all that you care.

The money that Rogers paid for the SkyDome would give each Ontario resident an extra $2.50 in his pocket. Not worth it.

[Pablo Sanchez]

As an aside, can anyone here report that this advertising technique has actually had an effect on them? I can't remember any time that it does. The Orange Bowl actually made me want to eat some oranges, but I sure as fuck didn't feel like shipping anything by FedEx--and I already liked oranges anyway.

[Vendetta]

Haha, they don't do this in the UK, because we rule, yes we do.

No, the companies at least have to get in at the time the stadium or stand is being built, ref: Leicester at the Walkers Stadium or Bolton at the Reebok Stadium..

[Petrosjko]

As an aside, can anyone here report that this advertising technique has actually had an effect on them? I can't remember any time that it does. The Orange Bowl actually made me want to eat some oranges, but I sure as fuck didn't feel like shipping anything by FedEx--and I already liked oranges anyway.

That's the eternal plague of marketing. It's almost impossible to accurately track the return on investment (ROI).

See, the purpose of branding isn't necessarily to make you immediately desire the product. But the theory is that if they pound the name into your head enough, when the time comes for you to use a certain product or service, theirs is the first name to jump to mind. For example, Ebay is firmly branded as the online auction house, and excepting people who have found and stick to other services, it is the one that leaps to mind whenever the average person thinks of doing an online auction.

What is questionable is how effective this is for companies that haven't attached a service to their name as part of their branding effort. For example, I know the name Invesco, but I have no clue what they do. So what have they done to garner my business? Are they even interested in my business? Beats the fuck outta me, and I have no interest in Googling for it.

On the other hand, when you think shipping you will probably think of Fedex and UPS. DHL is making a hard push to break into that elite circle... (And I hope they flop- DHL drivers SUCK. But then so do Fedex jockies.)

So in that case of Fedex, the whole effort is to make you think of their name before you think of UPS.

Advertising is a bizarre little field of smoke and mirrors.

[RedImperator]

I remember when they had the press conference to announce the name of Lincoln Financial Field, the president of Lincoln Financial Group actually got up behind the podium and TOLD the press and people of Philadelphia not to give the field a nickname, "Out of respect for our investment."

We laughed for three days and started calling it the Linc.

Then there's Citizen's Bank Park, where the Phillies play. I didn't really mind that name, because Citizen's Park sounds pretty nice. However, now it's being called the Money Pit.

The best corporate stadium name of all was when First Union Bank bought the naming rights to Flyers' and Sixers' arena and called it the First Union Center. It took about 15 seconds for someone to figure out we could call it the Fuck You (FU) Center. Then fucking Wachovia bought First Union and changed the name again. But it will always be the FU center in my heart.

[Darth Fanboy]

Will Fenway and Yankee stadium be the last holdouts? I can't help but think so.

Dodger Stadium has been owned and operated by the Dodgers since they moved to Los Angeles, and there are no plans to sell naming rights.

The Anaheim Angels ended their partnership with Edison International and actually have declined to sell naming rights, and instead rechristened it Angel Stadium to help promote the team. ALthough they then made the IDIOT move of changing the name of the team to "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" Even though they arent in LA City limits, or even LA County. They had to keep the name Anaheim in the name to satisfy agreements with the city made during the Disney-Era. The Reds play at "The Great american Ballpark" which sounds cheesy but at least it isnt tainted with corporate titleage. The Mets still play at Shea, but that place is a dump. I could rant for a while on baseball parks but youd quit reading the post.

Hockey, though dead as it may seem, has a few good places left. I dont think anyone will touch Madison Square or Joe Louis, and hate the Mighty Ducks (my beloved 2003 conference champs!) all you want but at least they have the decency to play at the POND. Chicago will always have Soldier Field no matter who it is sponsored by, and

3 baseball teams have parks named for Breweries, Busch in St. Louis (Cardinals), Miller Park in Milwaukee (Brewers) and Coors Field in Denver (Rockies)

Some really bad ones:
-PETCO Park a.k.a "Bark Park" in San Diego (Padres)
-US Cellular Field formerly known as Comiskey Park in Chicago (White Sox)
-Tropicana Field, formerly the ThunderDome in Tampa (Devil Rays)



AND MY NEW SLOGAN FOR THE BLUE JAYS:

VISITNG TEAMS GET ROGERED!

[Darth Fanboy]

Can't they call it the "Rogers Skydome"?