FIFA Don't like Metlife

[Bruce]

I'm starting to think FIFA is onto something with these super generic stadium names tied to a predominate city or geographic area.  I'll definitely be using "San Francisco Bay Area Stadium" whenever I go see a game there next time.

Most stadiums in Europe still use their traditional names in the press and in common conversation, while the sponsored name is only acknowledged by the team itself. It's a good setup.

Lumen Field's unofficial name among disgruntled Sounders fans is Royal Brougham Park, named for one of the most distinguished sports reporters in the city's history. The supporters' section is also named the Brougham End because it faces the street that bears his name.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm starting to think FIFA is onto something with these super generic stadium names tied to a predominate city or geographic area.  I'll definitely be using "San Francisco Bay Area Stadium" whenever I go see a game there next time.

Most stadiums in Europe still use their traditional names in the press and in common conversation, while the sponsored name is only acknowledged by the team itself. It's a good setup.

Lumen Field's unofficial name among disgruntled Sounders fans is Royal Brougham Park, named for one of the most distinguished sports reporters in the city's history. The supporters' section is also named the Brougham End because it faces the street that bears his name.

To me that sounds way too much like a Malaise era Cadillac trim level.

[Max Rockatansky]

I wonder that FIFA would call the Sears Tower? 

Whatcha Talkin Bout Willis Tower 

This is the only variation of "Willis Tower" which is acceptable.

[1995hoo]

Most stadiums in Europe still use their traditional names in the press and in common conversation, while the sponsored name is only acknowledged by the team itself. It's a good setup.

....

I don't have any issue with that, of course, but it's fair to recognize that there are some venues that have never had a name that wasn't a sponsored name. DC United's current stadium has been named Audi Field since it opened, for example. It's the only name it's ever had and I've never heard anyone call it anything else, which makes sense when you think about it. (Certainly a FIFA-style "Washington Stadium" would be stupid because it would be ambiguous with other local sports venues.)

The old Capital Centre in Maryland (now demolished), the long-time home of the Capitals and Bullets, was an example of the opposite. You could always tell someone new to the area because they'd call it US Air Arena, whereas those of us who have been here since the 1970s always used its original name and ignored the airline's sponsorship. (And, of course, then there are venues that have never had a non-sponsored name, but the sponsor has changed. A lot of us continue to call the arena in downtown DC Verizon Center, rather than its new name Capital One Arena.)

I knew some people in San Francisco who said you knew instantly when someone was from an East Coast media outlet because such outlets were the only ones that used the new sponsored names to refer to Candlestick Park.

I think the MTA in New York had a good solution to the problem of naming rights changing hands. They refused to put the name "Citi Field" on the Willets Point stop on the Flushing Line to replace Shea Stadium unless the Mets committed to paying for new signage and subway maps if the name changed. The Mets refused, so the MTA renamed the stop from "Willets Point–Shea Stadium" to "Mets–Willets Point." Seems like a sensible solution to me. (Whereas they did put "Barclays Center" in the name of the stop closest to the arena in Downtown Brooklyn. I assume the Nets agreed to pay if it changes, though I never heard anything either way.)

Edited to add: Apparently Barclays agreed to pay the MTA $200,000 a year for 20 years to get its name on the subway station.

[kphoger]

Chicago's situation with the 'L' stop is fortunate.  When the red line station near Comiskey Park opened in 1969, the stadium had reverted to its former name of White Sox Park, or just 'Sox Park' for short.  So the station got the name of Sox–35th.  The subsequent name changes (back to Comiskey Park again in 1976, demolished and replaced with a new iteration of Comiskey Park in 1991, renamed to U.S. Cellular Field in 2003, then just recently renamed to Rate Field) haven't had any effect on the L station's name, because it's still where the Sox play and it's still at 35th Street.

[NWI_Irish96]

Chicago's situation with the 'L' stop is fortunate.  When the red line station near Comiskey Park opened in 1969, the stadium had reverted to its former name of White Sox Park, or just 'Sox Park' for short.  So the station got the name of Sox–35th.  The subsequent name changes (back to Comiskey Park again in 1976, demolished and replaced with a new iteration of Comiskey Park in 1991, renamed to U.S. Cellular Field in 2003, then just recently renamed to Rate Field) haven't had any effect on the L station's name, because it's still where the Sox play and it's still at 35th Street.

Has anybody told the Sox they still play there? Doesn't seem like it.

[kphoger]

Has anybody told the Sox they still play there? Doesn't seem like it.

Yes.  They were informed that they now play at Rate Field.  But then they were all like, What's that?  So they've been trying to figure out where to play since then.

[NWI_Irish96]

Has anybody told the Sox they still play there? Doesn't seem like it.

Yes.  They were informed that they now play at Rate Field.  But then they were all like, What's that?  So they've been trying to figure out where to play since then.

Selling naming rights to a company who's logo is a downward-pointing arrow has turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[1995hoo]

Has anybody told the Sox they still play there? Doesn't seem like it.

Yes.  They were informed that they now play at Rate Field.  But then they were all like, What's that?  So they've been trying to figure out where to play since then.

Selling naming rights to a company who's logo is a downward-pointing arrow has turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The downward-pointing arrow was just the team's most famous fan telling people where they'll go if they root for the other Chicago team or if they use the name "Sox," without clarification, to refer to the team in Boston.

[kphoger]

Selling naming rights to a company who's logo is a downward-pointing arrow has turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I've only been to one Sox game in the last 35 years.  They were losing at the 7th inning stretch, and we decided to leave.  After we'd left, they came back and won the game. 

[Scott5114]

This isn't unique to FIFA. The IOC has the same stick up its arse and demands that Olympic venues use generic names for the duration of the games.

I think more people should have this particular stick up their ass. Allegiant Airlines isn't paying me anything when I have to say the name of their company for no good reason when talking about the Raiders stadium, so why should I?

I'm starting to think FIFA is onto something with these super generic stadium names tied to a predominate city or geographic area.

Me too, but I think we could mix it up a little:

- The street name the stadium is on. The new A's stadium could be Tropicana Avenue Stadium. This would encourage cities to come up with interesting street names for a change.
- The original name of the street the stadium is on. The new A's stadium could be Bond Road Stadium, which both sounds cool and would help educate people about local history.
- Instead of a specific business, it could be the genericized industry or product the sponsor is. Levi's Stadium could become Pants Stadium. This would help educate people about America's culture of wearing pants.

People in other countries with some average knowledge of the outside world probably know what Boston and Dallas are. They don't know what Foxboro or Arlington are.

Then I would think it would be more confusing to them if they were to book a hotel in Dallas, assume they can use Dallas transit to get to the stadium, etc. when the stadium is in Arlington.

[PColumbus73]

Agreed that I don't see how referring to a stadium by a corporate sponsor is somehow superior to naming it after the city or mayor or whomever.

[kphoger]

Agreed that I don't see how referring to a stadium by a corporate sponsor is somehow superior to naming it after the city or mayor or whomever.

I think it's more that people just don't like being expected to call something by a different name than what they've known it as for the last few decades—no matter what that name is.

Comiskey Park is named after a person, Wrigley Field is named after a corporation (that happens to be named after a person), and Soldier Field is named after fallen World War I soldiers.  But you're not going to get me to call either one of them by any other name.

[NWI_Irish96]

Agreed that I don't see how referring to a stadium by a corporate sponsor is somehow superior to naming it after the city or mayor or whomever.

I think it's more that people just don't like being expected to call something by a different name than what they've known it as for the last few decades—no matter what that name is.

Comiskey Park is named after a person, Wrigley Field is named after a corporation (that happens to be named after a person), and Soldier Field is named after fallen World War I soldiers.  But you're not going to get me to call either one of them by any other name.

Fenway did it backwards as a corporation was named for the stadium.

[ZLoth]

One of the first NBA arenas to having naming rights was the ARCO Arena for the Sacramento Kings back in the 1980s. However, some of the stations referred to it at "Kings Arena" in their reports.

[Max Rockatansky]

One of the first NBA arenas to having naming rights was the ARCO Arena for the Sacramento Kings back in the 1980s. However, some of the stations referred to it at "Kings Arena" in their reports.

The name sounds like a structure you would build in Sim City 2000.

[ZLoth]

One of the first NBA arenas to having naming rights was the ARCO Arena for the Sacramento Kings back in the 1980s. However, some of the stations referred to it at "Kings Arena" in their reports.

The name sounds like a structure you would build in Sim City 2000.

It was a real company, and short for Atlantic Richfield COmpany. It was acquired by BP in April, 2000, and the brand is now controlled by Marathon Petroleum Corporation. They ran the AM/PM mini-markets/gas stations.

[Max Rockatansky]

One of the first NBA arenas to having naming rights was the ARCO Arena for the Sacramento Kings back in the 1980s. However, some of the stations referred to it at "Kings Arena" in their reports.

The name sounds like a structure you would build in Sim City 2000.

It was a real company, and short for Atlantic Richfield COmpany. It was acquired by BP in April, 2000, and the brand is now controlled by Marathon Petroleum Corporation. They ran the AM/PM mini-markets/gas stations.

I'm very much aware it is a gas station chain...

[CtrlAltDel]

One of the first NBA arenas to having naming rights was the ARCO Arena for the Sacramento Kings back in the 1980s. However, some of the stations referred to it at "Kings Arena" in their reports.

The name sounds like a structure you would build in Sim City 2000.

It was a real company, and short for Atlantic Richfield COmpany. It was acquired by BP in April, 2000, and the brand is now controlled by Marathon Petroleum Corporation. They ran the AM/PM mini-markets/gas stations.

Just for the record, in Sim City 2000, you could build structures called arcologies.

[Max Rockatansky]

One of the first NBA arenas to having naming rights was the ARCO Arena for the Sacramento Kings back in the 1980s. However, some of the stations referred to it at "Kings Arena" in their reports.

The name sounds like a structure you would build in Sim City 2000.

It was a real company, and short for Atlantic Richfield COmpany. It was acquired by BP in April, 2000, and the brand is now controlled by Marathon Petroleum Corporation. They ran the AM/PM mini-markets/gas stations.

Just for the record, in Sim City 2000, you could build structures called arcologies.

Which were shorthanded to "arco."  They basically were contained living spaces that could handle a large number of residents.  Building Launch Arcos was pretty much the only way in game to go for a high population mark over nine million. 

[SP Cook]

- Most people, in common conversation, never use corporate, or political/historical, names for stadiums, airports, roads or whatever.  Unless you are in a really big city, the airport is "the airport", the other airport is "Jim is flying to Kansas City", the ball game is "the Cubs are in town through Thursday", and the road is "Route 67" (or some other regional variation on the manner of speech.   

- Corporate naming rights seem to be an ego thing, as the list of companies that have gone broke while holding naming rights seems long.

- Soccer is the sport of the next generation.  Four generations and counting. 

[hotdogPi]

and the road is "Route 67" (or some other regional variation on the manner of speech).

I would never have expected you of all people to reference a Gen Alpha meme.

[Max Rockatansky]

and the road is "Route 67" (or some other regional variation on the manner of speech).

I would never have expected you of all people to reference a Gen Alpha meme.

Can we look forward to SP using a "skibidi toilet" analogy in the NASCAR thread after the Talladega race?

[1995hoo]

....

- Soccer is the sport of the next generation.  Four generations and counting. 

Heh. You made me remember the old NASL's slogan. I had one of these pennants that was a giveaway at a Washington Diplomats game. I'm not sure why they thought "80s" should be possessive, though.

The NASL didn't survive halfway through the 1980s, of course.

[Max Rockatansky]

Even with my wife's family soccer is pretty far down the list of sports viewing list unless it somehow involves the Mexican national team on TV.  Her dad and several of her uncles were born in Jalisco but mostly follow the NFL.  None of them have expressed any interest in attending a World Cup event.

For me I don't dislike soccer, but it is sport centered around nationalism.  Similar national level events like the Olympics really doesn't grab much interest in other sports I follow like basketball, hockey and baseball.  I wonder if I would care more if Detroit had some sort of presence in MLS.