Now it is true that I am a Yankees fan and ever since the Mets traded Tom Seaver I have been a Mets hater. The last Mets game that I went to, I made fun of the stadium so much that I got myself uninvited from future games even though I loved the sausage sandwich and beers from around the world. But this announcement of the Mets selling the naming rights to Citigroup for $20 million over 20 years is terrible and real bush league, more so than Ed Kranepool alley. Sure $20 million per year would provide good money to the franchise and might help sign future free agenets or their own stars, but this is just a plain sellout and I can't imagine they need the money now that they have a TV network.
I'm upset whenever professional teams sell their stadium naming rights. I used to be able to name every baseball stadium and other than Coors Field who really cares what the corporate name is. It adds no character to the team and even sounds ridiculous to say that I'm going to a game at United Parcel Services today. Or how about a stadium named after Embarq the worst brand name ever?
Besides being offended I've often wondered what the value of th
is advertising is to the corporation other than an ego boost. Will it sell more banking accounts? Not based on my experience. Does Citigroup really need to boost brand awareness? Who hasn't heard of them in the NYC area? I could understand if a company like mine wanted to slap a name on a stadium, but a major corporation with huge awareness? What's the point?
Personally I would have spent the $20 million per year on online advertising to sell more credit cards, money markets, bank accounts, anything but on a stadium name. Good thing I never followed up on those recruiter calls to Citi because I probably would have screamed so much over this deal that I would have been shown the door...
PardonMyFrench,
Eric
I had to respond to this post mainly because I am the Mets ticket holder who "uninvited you from future games." It really irks me when Yankee fans fail to embrace the future of baseball by calling anything that doesn't involve 100 years of tradition as "bush league." It's a no brainer that the new Yankee Stadium will be known as Yankee Stadium but is it really necessary to call the new Shea Stadium - Shea Stadium? What has William Shea done for the Mets lately? What are the alternatives: Casey Stengel Stadium? If I remember correctly one of your gripes with Shea Stadium was that it celebrated the ex Yankee Stengel too much. So who's left: Tom Seaver Stadium? Bob Murphy Stadium? Even Met fans would be a little embarassed by those names (name a team that plays in a stadium named after a former player or even after the team itself - there aren't many.)
17 out of 30 MLB teams (including the Mets) play in a stadium sponsored by a copropration. And out of the 13 that don't, 2 are building new parks (the Twins and Nationals) and I'm guessing they'll follow the same trend. I'd suggest that only Fenway, Wrigley and Yankee Stadium are names that will never go away (one could probably throw in Dodger Stadium and Busch Stadium too.) Why should the Mets be any different than the rest? Pick on the Astros who once played in Enron Fielod and now play in Tropicana Field! Or the A's who play in McAffee Stadium!
Citi is actually a reasonable name given the alternatives. And since their HQs are located in Long Island City which is in Queens it's a "local" fit. I do agree with your argument over Citibank's logic - I'd like to see the guy who has to crunch the numbers justifying the ROI for that spend!
As a Met fan, I'm willing to live with the name if it keeps my ticket price down and allows the team to sign more free agents (SportsNet NY alone won't provide enough cash to sign Zito AND Soriano!)
So go pick on another team Mr. Former Met Fan and learn to embrace the future not fight it. Corporate Sponsored Ballparks are here to stay - just like the Wild Card, the 162 game schedule, post season games that start at 8:20, the Designated Hitter, ...... Babe and Lou would have their own rap CDs if they were alive today!
Posted by: Guy with The Mets Tickets | November 16, 2006 at 08:26 AM
You are crazy if you think this will somehow keep your ticket prices down. I am sick and tired of stadiums being named after corporations. It is a waste of money for Citi to spend $20 million per year to boost brand awareness in the NY market. What is wrong with calling it Mets Stadium?
Enjoy your games at Citi Stadium...
Eric
Posted by: PardonMyFrench | November 16, 2006 at 08:37 AM
To the moron who thinks corporate naming of stadiums is okay, the Astros don't play at Tropicana Field, they play at Minute Maid Park. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays play at Tropicana Field. Even you idiots who think there's nothing wrong with having corporate names and logos pissed all over stadiums can't keep up with which team owner is selling out the fans to which corporation.
Posted by: Elmo Rockbottom | October 03, 2007 at 05:01 AM
To the moron who thinks corporate naming of stadiums is okay, the Astros don't play at Tropicana Field, they play at Minute Maid Park. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays play at Tropicana Field. Even you idiots who think there's nothing wrong with having corporate names and logos pissed all over stadiums can't keep up with which team owner is selling out the fans to which corporation.
Posted by: Elmo Rockbottom | October 03, 2007 at 05:02 AM