Nice to see an article about a ballpark's name can take a moment to bash Steinbrenner. It's a cheap shot, uncalled for and unfair. I haven't heard anything about Fenway, Shea, Camden Yards, or Arlington being forced to sell their park's name to a corporation. Yeah, it's the Yankees' fault it isn't Taskykake Park or (my preference) Yuengling Field.

I think most fans will just be calling it Citizens Park, leaving bank out. It is probably one of the better corporate names around to use for a ballpark, better than Enron lets say wink .

[ June 18, 2003, 07:59 PM: Message edited by: phillyrunner ]

I wonder if "Lincoln Field" would make southerners feel unwelcome. We seem to be constantly refighting the Civil War lately.

Considering the billboard overload that greets you coming north on 95, commercial names for ballparks are a minor addition to the commercialism.

Just think how much nicer the city might look without all the billboards - not like Maine maybe but a much nicer cityscape. Gotta love this town.

Now the city of Green Bay and the Packers are reexamining selling the naming rights to Lambeau. Mayor Schmitt: "The citizens of this county voted to sell naming rights, and we owe it to citizens to go through that process ... We're not going to get $100 million sending out postcards." Brown County voters supported a referendum back in 2000 to sell the name, 53%-47%.

Unlike Philadelphia (or even M'waukee with Miller Park) there isn't a big Fortune 100 type company HQed up in G.B. -- so no obvious corporate choice for the name.

How 'bout \"Coca-Cola Park at Lambeau Field\" frown

Call me a conspiracy theorist if you will but do you really believe the percentages reflected in that public opinion poll are accurate Bucky? -- geez, and David Stern wasn't even around to rig the results either ....I can't imagine all those loyal Wisconites (is that what they'll called :confused: ) would support such a move, especially given the team's apparent fiscally sound economics -- one would think the local fans would endorse an increase in ticket prices before selling out the immortal Curly Lambeau.

I am opposed to ANY sports franchise selling out as I refer to it but for the fabled Green Bay Packers to be playing on the frozen tundra of "Coca-Cola field" (insert the name of your favorite greedy conglomerate here) that would be an absolute sacrilige IMHO....it was bad enough that the Ravens refused to name their stadium after Johnny Unitas (despite public support for doing so) after PSI went bankrupt and forfeited their naming rights but this has seemingly gone too far....what's next? -- Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium having corporate names attached to them? (come to think of it don't suggest that to Steinbrenner -- he'll do anything for the "almighty dollar" ).

[ July 17, 2003, 06:09 PM: Message edited by: Tarkus ]

It looks like it wasn't an opinion poll but an actual ballot question voted on during an election.

[ July 17, 2003, 06:08 PM: Message edited by: Tarkus ]

I am opposed too! A more appropriate name would be "Ben and Jerrys field" or even "Klondike Park"

It's very frustrating, as a sports fan, that practically everything has to have a stupid corporate sponsor's name attached to it. Trust me, I know it's not exclusive to any city or sport, but it's just irksome. The billboards all over stadiums are an eyesore, to say the least, but since there are ads everywhere else (TV, radio, internet, etc etc) you just get numb to it all after a while. When they tore down Mile High Stadium a few years ago (pardon me while I wipe away a tear or two), a columnist in the Rocky Mountain News named Gene Amole suggested they name the new one Taxpayer Stadium. Instead they opted to insult the city of Denver by attaching "Invesco Field" to "at Mile High", claiming it was in honor of the old venue. As far as I'm concerned, they razed the only Mile High Stadium there will ever be, which was one of the last non-corporation stadiums/arenas left. I, too, wonder which of the remaining few will fall next.

When Abe Pollin sold the naming rights to the Capital Centre and it became the USAir Arena, a lot of fans in the D.C. area were upset; many in the area still referred to it as the Cap Centre even when the name change had been official for several years.

Later, when Daniel Snyder's purchase of the Redskins from the Jack Kent Cooke estate was made official, he immediately did away with the name Jack Kent Cooke Stadium (which fans had called The Jack or The Big Jack) until he got a corporate naming deal with FedEx. For a short time, it was known as Redskins Stadium. I still sometimes refer to it as The Jack.

I know it's a different story in Baltimore with the Orioles ballpark but its official name made NO ONE in Oriole land happy: Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Most fans refer to it as Camden Yards, while some others call it Oriole Park.

Okay, time for me to stop with the damn history lesson. But I think it's time to stop the damn corporate names. In any opinion piece, I will likely find a non-corporate alternative wherever possible, esecially with college bowl games.

[ July 17, 2003, 06:07 PM: Message edited by: Tarkus ]

During Tuesday's telecast they were hyping the naming of the new park, and according to the Phila. Inquirer, occasional analyst John Kruk had a great line....

I'd highly doubt that anyone from Tampa, Atlanta or Dallas would EVER be welcome.

Now why would a company want to spend all that money when everyone is just going to shorten the name?

the linc... Bank one is the BOB... ect ect.. oh and my favorite and most appropriate FU...

[ June 20, 2003, 10:44 AM: Message edited by: PhillyFan ]

I made the newspaper today! I'm quoted at the end of this article. wink

Meanwhile, the Phils have announced how much tickets will cost in the new park. In some cases the prices are up, in others they're down. But since even the worst seats in the new park will be closer to the field than some of the Vet seats, I don't think the prices are too out of hand. And they say that more than 20,000 seats are priced at $20 or less.

[ July 17, 2003, 07:23 AM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

With the waste treatment and Sunoco processing plants nearby, and the underground chemical lake that nobody is sure how to clean up yet you'd think there'd be better things to worry about than what to call it.

I think the Cincinnati Reds snagged the best corporate sponsor - Great American Insurance. Which results in the Great American Ball Park. How awesome is that! I didn't even know it was a corporate name until someone told me.

Having been there for a game July 5th, I can say it is worthy of the name too. It's a great stadium.