Allow me a minute to respond to a topic addressed this week by readers of this blog as well as sports radio callers; the reluctance of some NFL teams to sell naming rights to their stadiums in order to generate more revenue. The franchise garnering the most attention is Cincinnati, which plays in Paul Brown Stadium.
Maybe I’m just old fashioned, but I applaud the Bengals and the Brown family for their stance. I wish more teams would show the same respect for tradition and history.
Paul Brown is one of the most revered figures in professional football history. For those of you who don’t know, he was so beloved in Cleveland that the Browns were named in his honor. The affection is matched in Cincinnati, where the man credited with inventing many of the modern coaching principles moved to the front office and helped build 2 Super Bowl teams.
So why then is his son being vilified for not selling naming rights to the stadium named in his honor? Are a couple of million dollars a year really worth it to guys with hundred million dollar operations? What would you do if you were him?
I find such talk particularly curious coming from Boston area sports fans, the same fans who were enraged when the name of the “New Garden� was sold, first to Shawmut (Shawmut Center), then Fleet (FleetCenter). Closer to home, I remember one person recently writing to the Lowell Sun and suggesting the naming rights to Tsongas Arena be sold to a corporation and the money used to help keep the Lock Monsters in town. Imagine that! Removing the name of the guy most responsible for shaping the vision that turned Lowell into what it is today and not a clone of Lawrence. Hogwash! And don’t even get me started on what would happen if John Henry and company ever decided to put Fenway Park up for bid.
As for our NFL franchise I can only hope that one day (hopefully in the very distant future), when Bob Kraft has left this earth, his sons find it in them to tell Gillette and any other corporation interested in slapping their name all over the football stadium in Foxboro that history, tradition and honor are no longer for sale around these parts.
Wouldn’t it be something if parents could one day take their kids to a Patriots game, tell them all about this generous man who gave millions to local charities, a man who helped save football for New England and put the Patriots on the map, the same man who this beautiful stadium was renamed after; Robert Kraft Stadium.
That’s my take….let me hear yours! Do you agree? Have I changed any minds or am I just an old man who can’t let go?
Ted
I'm not sure if there are public dollars involved in Cincinnati's stadium. If that's the case Brown may not have the right to sell the naming rights. Very few owners have financed there own Stadiums like the Krafts have.
If the have-not teams (Bengals) complain about the current revenue sharing then they need to explore EVERY possible revenue source.
I don't know about you. but If I sold the Naming Rights to my stadium for $5 million. My Dad wouldn't care whose name I put on the Fascade.
Posted by RobzRantz | March 11, 2006 7:01 PM
Posted on March 11, 2006 19:01
Teddy, yes it's very nice and resepectful keeping tradition in naming stadiums, but in the real world when your playing with other people's money it really shouldn't be a choice. Especially when other teams are making that sacrifice to maximize profit and others are not. And as Rob ranted, are these traditionally named stadiums built with taxpayer money?
As for the local stadium, wasn't it named after someone who encouraged college grads to default on their school loans as he did? Wasn't that paid for by the taxpayers as well? There is always two sides to an argument, but fair is fair. Everybody should play by the same rules.
Posted by T2 | March 12, 2006 1:44 AM
Posted on March 12, 2006 01:44
in this day of capitolism your thoughts on kraft while very admirable sounds like a puckered up kiss on his behind a man of krafts intelligence has to realize that his memory is something much more valuable themn a stadium ,he has given more to us then the right to name gillete after him ,he has raised a family in which his name shall long be remembered as one who looked past the dreams and made it reality.i need not go to kraft stadium to remember him i see it in his sons and family and reminded everytime i see someone with a pats hat or jersey on ,the way he has held himself and family and business to the highest of standards is a tribute the man ,i will forever remember him as a great man.so call it whatever brand name is hot i`ll always remember the man behind it no matter what
Posted by the other ted | March 15, 2006 3:05 PM
Posted on March 15, 2006 15:05