I guess this is the way things work now. You sell off naming rights or local ownership, sell nostalgia down the river, all to make a few more bucks. I know sometimes it helps provide funds for valuable things. But where does it end?
It started so innocently when the old Chicago Stadium, home of the Bulls and Blackhawks was replaced with the United Center.
The City leased the Chicago Skyway for $1.83 billion. And now the naming rights are available. After all, 1.8 billion doesn’t go as far as it used to.
And March 30th this year the Cubs announced that the famous bleachers at Wrigley Field would be named the Bud Light Bleachers. Right. OK. Apparently the extra revenue from the $40(!) new bleacher seats wasn’t enough.
A quiet name change comes from the Tweeter Center, née World Music Theater, now the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre. That sure is special. You know. Let’s rock at the Bank!
Of course, rIAm’s “favorite” comes to mind… the State Street Fields. Err, Macy’s, come September 7th. I mean, that store is only a Chicago icon. What difference does the name make?
And now today I learn that one of the most prominent local brews, and one of the best, Goose Island Brewery plans to sell 35% of itself to Anheuser-Busch Inc. Because being a fantastic Chicago brewery and pub (with amazing fish ‘n chips, btw) isn’t good enough. Apparently Goose Island had Clydesdale envy.
So why not just sell naming rights to the city? Any takers? Wrigley City of Chicago? Chew on that one.
I’m with you on this one. My pet peeve in Chicago has been U.S. Cellular Field, which for some reason brings to my mind apocalyptic images of some sci-fi future a la The War of the Worlds.
JFT Response: And the nickname “The Cell” makes it sound like prison. I still call it Comiskey. No doubt that this post could go on endlessly if we cover everything… what’s everybody else’s pet peeve?