What’s In A Name?

I’m slightly disappointed that we are so quickly selling our Stadium’s name. I was beginning to grow fond of “Mean Green Stadium”

The capatalist in me thinks it is a great idea. I love that we will get nearly $1 million a year for the next twenty years for this. That is some pretty decent cash flow.

The romantic in me hates it. There is value in a classically named stadium. Ebbets Field. Giants Stadium. Yankees Stadium. Camp Nou. Old Trafford. Wembley. Soldier Field. Lambeau. Michigan Stadium. Camp Randall. Ohio Stadium. They carry weight that can only be appreciated and can only be accrued over time. The seemingly generic Mean Green Stadium will seem unique and meaningful after twenty years of memories.

At worst we are facing a series of ridiculous names that tie us to potentially awkward situations. We don’t want an Adelphia or Ameriquest thing. At best we could have a Busch relationship. They’ve sponsored the Cardinals home for years and even moved with them when they opened their new park.

The shame can transfer the opposite direction. We could embarrass Apogee like we did with Fouts. Now, I don’t think of old Theron J Fouts. I think of a dilapidated mess that served as home to a bad football team for the last few years. Sorry, Theron. We should have treated your name better.

I’m for selling the naming rights to Apogee. It’s cool they were down to do it. If it were solely up to me? I’d have either picked an important contributor to the Denton area or just left it with the full-of-potential Mean Green Stadium.