Arenas
There is no law that says that you have to call a sports venue what a big corporation wants you to call it. Nicknames are a rich sports tradition, from Bronco and the Babe to Magic and Dr. J. We often call players by nicknames, and we can do that for sports arenas too.
Let’s stop the commercial degradation of sports by calling arenas by their nicknames, not corporate names. It will help cut back on the commercialism that’s wrecking pro sports.
There are other things you can do too:
1) Ask your favorite sportswriters and sportscasters to use stadium nicknames, not corporate names.
2) Ask the sports editor of your favorite local newspaper, radio and tv stations to use stadium nicknames, not corporate names.
3) Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper encouraging them to use stadium nicknames not corporate names.
4) Ask your friends and colleagues to call sports stadiums by nicknames, not corporate names.
More Information
News Releases
San Francisco Approves Referendum Against Sale of Naming Rights for Candlestick Park
Gary Ruskin | November 4th, 2004
San Francisco Voters Will Decide the Name of Candlestick Park on Election Day
Gary Ruskin | September 28th, 2004
San Francisco Won’t Sell Naming Rights to Candlestick Park; First Pro Stadium to Return to Popular Name
Gary Ruskin | August 6th, 2002
San Francisco Moves to Ban Sale of Naming Rights; First Major City to Counter Naming Rights Trend
Gary Ruskin | July 30th, 2002
Nader Praises “Civic Courage” of Denver Post for Ignoring Corporate Stadium Hustle
Gary Ruskin | August 8th, 2001
Commercial Alert Asks Sportswriters to Call Sports Stadiums by Nicknames, Not Corporate Names
Gary Ruskin | June 13th, 2000
Articles
Trampling on the Memory of Bobby Kennedy
Gary Ruskin | March 28th, 2005
Related Articles and Links
Related Articles
Dolphin Stadium Set to Become Land Shark Stadium
Barry Jackson | Miami Herald | May 2nd, 2009
Bottom's Up: Sponsored Seats Generate Revenue for MLB Teams
Michael McCarthy | USA Today | May 1st, 2009
Comcast Buys Naming Rights For Hartford Theater
Todd Spangler | Multichannel News | April 15th, 2009
Pepsi Porch Opens at New York Mets New Home
Patricia Odell | PROMO Magazine | March 31st, 2009
UCF To Sell Naming Rights For Arena
Central Florida News 13 | February 21st, 2009
NBA Cans Ban on Liquor Ads
John Lombardo and Terry Lefton | Sports Business Journal | January 19th, 2009
Brewers, Potawatomi Announce New Deal
Don Walker | Milwaukee Journal Sentinal | January 8th, 2009
CONSOL Energy Buys Naming Rights to New Penguins Arena
Pittsburgh Business Times | December 15th, 2008
Stadium Sponsorship Grows to New Levels
Stephanie Clifford | The New York Times | December 10th, 2008
Rutgers Wants $2 Million a Year for Naming Rights of Stadium
Curtis Eichelberger | Bloomberg News | October 20th, 2008
Naming Rights Could Turn Dodger Diamond Into Gold
Roger Vincent | Los Angeles Times | October 14th, 2008
Rio Tinto Gets Naming Rights to New Real Soccer Stadium
Michael C. Lewis | The Salt Lake Tribune | September 29th, 2008
Target Wins Naming Rights To New Twins Stadium
Associated Press | The Wall Street Journal | September 15th, 2008
Park Board Approves Selling Naming Rights to Cotton Bowl
Robert Wilonsky | Dallas Observer | September 4th, 2008
AmeriHealth NJ Secures Naming Rights to New Jersey Devils’ Practice Facility
Business Wire | September 2nd, 2008
As Jets Sell Seat Licenses, a Fan Looks for a Sponsor
Richard Sandomir | The New York Times | August 28th, 2008
Seeking Post-Game Sponsors
Geoffrey A. Fowler | The Wall Street Journal | August 15th, 2008
Midway Naming Rights Deal Puts Saints in ‘Skinny Water Stadium,’ for a Week
John Vomhof Jr. | Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal | July 30th, 2008
Citigroup Puts Its Money Where Its Name Will Be
Richard Sandomir | The New York Times | July 20th, 2008
New Deal Keeps Budweiser Name Before Eyes of Wrigley Visitors
Jim Kirk | The Chicago Tribune | July 4th, 2008
Landmark's Name Is up for Sale
Matthew Futterman | The Wall Street Journal | June 24th, 2008
Comcast in, Tweeter out in Mansfield
Carolyn Y. Johnson | The Boston Globe | June 5th, 2008
Bradley Center Drops Naming Rights Effort
The Business Journal of Milwaukee | April 23rd, 2008
AT&T Stadium Deal with Cowboys Would be More Than a Name
Andrea Ahles | Fort Worth Star-Telegram | April 21st, 2008
QuikTrip Buys Naming Rights to Grand Prairie Minor League Stadium
Andrea Ahles | Fort Worth Star Telegram | April 16th, 2008
Bobcats Ink Naming-Rights Deal with Time Warner
Charlotte Business Journal | April 8th, 2008
Dallas Cowboys Stadium Naming Rights May Top Record Deal
Suzanne Marta | The Dallas Morning News | March 30th, 2008
For Nats, What's In A Name?
Barry Svrluga | The Washington Post | March 29th, 2008
Real Salt Lake Negotiating Deal for Stadium Name Rights
James Edward | Deseret Morning News (Utah) | March 27th, 2008
LG Electronics to Sign Deal to Rename the NEC Arena
Robert Lester | Marketing Week (UK) | March 26th, 2008
Twins See Naming-Rights Deal Done by End of '08
John Vomhof Jr. | Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal | March 21st, 2008
Juventus Sells Stadium Name Rights to Sportfive
Jo Winterbottom | Reuters | March 20th, 2008
Multiple Firms May Be Part of Rights Deal
Kathy Bergen and Jim Kirk | The Chicago Tribune | March 13th, 2008
Fever Sell Field Naming Rights
Keith Leventhal | KEPRTV (Washington) | March 12th, 2008
Name Game's Prattish
David Pratt | The Province (Canada) | March 11th, 2008
Courage, Vision Needed for Bradley Center Situation
Dave Begel | OnMilwaukee.com | March 11th, 2008
Several Firms in Naming-Rights Talks
Andrea Ahles | Star-Telegram (Texas) | March 11th, 2008
Prices of Stadium Name Sponsorships Soar
Janet Frankston Lorin | Associated Press | February 10th, 2008
Cleveland Indians Formally Announce Naming Rights Sold to Progressive Insurance
Cleveland Plain-Dealer | January 11th, 2008
When Tradition and Naming Opportunities Collide
Erin Stout | Chronicle of Higher Education | January 10th, 2008
New Deal Reached with Cougars to Get Stadium Renovation Project Moving
William Presecky | Chicago Tribune | January 9th, 2008
Wichita arena naming rights are sold for $15 million
Rick Alm | Kansas City Star | January 9th, 2008
What's in a School Name? Maybe Money, Maybe Public Service; Policy's in the Works
Jo Collins Mathis | The Ann Arbor News | June 13th, 2007
Cubs Show Tradition the Door with New Ad Deal
Paul Sullivan | Chicago Tribune | February 15th, 2007
Arena's Name May Be Priceless
Bertrand M. Gutierrez | Charlotte Observer | January 28th, 2007
In Utah, the Half-Life of Arena Naming Rights
Richard Sandomir | The New York Times | November 29th, 2006
Stadium Naming Rights Deals Make Rebound
Ben Klayman | Reuters | November 24th, 2006
Some Seek to Nullify U Stadium Naming Rights Deal
Mike Kaszuba | Minneapolis Star Tribune | March 16th, 2006
Willie Mays or AT&T
Jonathan Rowe | onthecommons.org | February 7th, 2006
Do the Yankees Still Play at Yankee Stadium?
Scott Soshnick | Bloomberg | November 16th, 2005
Allstate Seeks Net Gain With New Ads
Michael McCarthy | USA Today | August 30th, 2005
Sponsor sought for RFK Stadium
Eric Fisher | Washington Times | March 28th, 2005
Nuisance Ads: Buying the Naming Rights to Stadiums Is a Dumb Idea
Leigh Montville | Sports Illustrated | August 9th, 2001
Whose Stadium Is it Anyway? For Sake of Fans Everywhere, Fight For The
Ralph Nader | Rocky Mountain News | January 28th, 2001
They Didn't Pay YOU to Call it Safeco, So Feel Free to Call it Whatever You'd Like
Jim Caple | Seattle Post-Intelligencer | June 9th, 2000
External Links
Capital Game: Big Business Has Saturated the Sports Industry with Corporate Branding. Next Stop, a School or Museum Near You.
Norman Solomon, San Francisco Bay Guardian | June 21, 2000
Stanford To Cut Down On Signs; Too Much Commercial Clutter in Sports Arenas, Says President.
Mark Simon, San Francisco Chronicle | June 15, 2000