As I said a couple days ago, those panicking about the name change of Wrigley Field have nothing to worry about, per the Chicago Tribune:
The very qualities that make Wrigley unique — the historic, landmarked ballpark, a national fan base and even a surrounding neighborhood named for the stadium — may thwart suitors.
“Wrigley Field will be a very tricky deal,” said Alan Ferber, the chief marketing officer of U.S. Cellular Corp. who helped negotiate the deal to rename Comiskey Park six years ago. “I think there’s a really big question about whether it’ll get done. I think they’ll have a really big public relations risk. I think it’s a minefield for anyone to step in it.”
Companies clamor to be associated with professional sports stadiums and the opportunity to link their businesses to passionate fans. Experts say Wrigley naming rights could be worth a whopping $10 million or more a year.
“There will be plenty of companies that would like to align with the Cubs, but it boils down to is there a way to do it so they don’t suffer an enormous community relations and PR backlash?” said David Carter, executive director of the University of Southern California Sports Business Institute. “You’re not going to find any greater venue with greater sensitivity than the naming of Wrigley Field.”
So, now just worry about the impending sale of this ballpark to the state.
on Mar 7th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
[...] Something’s gotten into TJ Brown. He’s writing again and telling us not to worry about Wrigley’s name being sold. [...]