New Ballpark Name

[Panerista]

Caption: “Celebrating Cubs Opening Day on our roof.” Courtesy: Guaranteed Rate

http://reviews.greatplacetowork.com/guaranteed-rate

This post is pointless. Guaranteed Rate just inked this deal.

[Doc Edwards Shot]

It's an awful name but I personally couldn't care less.

 

I don't mean to add to the negativity, but the second half of your statement is starting more and more to apply to my opinion of this franchise as a whole! LOL

[Balta1701]

[Balta1701]

I'm not sure whether I regret googling the company or not. 10th image was them celebrating the Cubs...then I got into the naked Ty Penningtons.

[chitownsportsfan]

yakety sax is playing in the background when I read this thread.

[jasonxctf]

Did they use 2015 season ending average vs 2016 present average??? Because Baseball Reference through yesterday has Sox attendance down about 600 per game after 59 games each season.

 

Yup

[southsider2k5]

Apparently it's the fan's fault?

 

Mark

 

I know you and the rest of the JR haters have this weird guilt factor any time this is said, but it is a fact. The rate of return is directly tied to how much and how loyal of a fan base a team has. Teams like the Cubs get bigger deals because no matter what has happened they have stuck around. Like it or not, but it is true.

[InTheDriversSeat]

 

US Cellular doesnt even offer plans in the midwest. I am sure they were no longer interested.

 

 

Yes, they do. U.S. Cellular no longer does business in the Chicago area (although the company still has a large corporate office near O'Hare), the company offers plans in other Midwest states.

 

One week ago I was driving thru Wisconsin and heard a radio commercial for U.S. Cellular on a local radio station. I believe they company has a large presence in Iowa also.

 

 

 

As others have pointed out and I have no idea on this, the money may not even be going to the Sox. We'll find out more I guess in the next few days. Some say because the Sox simply rent the stadium they won't get the money.

 

 

Not directly, but the money pays for renovations and upkeep of the stadium used by the White Sox, so the money does help the Sox indirectly.

 

 

I'm am surprised that this did not happen a long time ago after U.S. Cellular pulled out of the Chicago area. Not uncommon for a sponsor to change it's mind after a contract was signed, and for the original sponsor to sub-lease the sponsorship to another company. Happens in NASCAR occasionally.

 

 

 

.

 

 

[Dick Allen]

As a resident of the state off Illinois, I don't care about the name, U.S. Cellular sounded like a 5k park in Peoria, just get whoever is paying the most money. I doubt the Sox share in this anyway. The ballpark might get some more amenities.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Brooks Boyer: "The arrow pointing down is very good for pitchers' ERAs. We're working on creating logos for the facility.''

 

Brooks, the red down arrow has to go no matter what weird spin you try to put on it.

[chitownsportsfan]

wait, that's a real quote?

[Reddy]

I've never been so apathetic about this team as I've been this year. Between all the ridiculous embarrassments coming from the LaRoche saga, Sale being an overgrown baby, our inability to develop talent, make decent trades, or even have ONE GM IN CHARGE... I mean that was already enough... but now THIS?

 

I just.... I just can't with this team right now. If you wanted to see a masterclass on how to run a team straight into the ground, you're getting a good one.

[dpd9189]

When I first heard the name change, I thought some telemarketing company bought the naming rights.

[caulfield12]

Wonder how many predatory lending cases/lawsuits they've been involved in...ala Countrywide?

 

So US Cellular was paying this same amount as G Rate will and not even in the Chicago market any longer and yet the best they could do was maintain the amount they were paid years ago, with essentially no allowance for inflation...so actually the amount they're making is decreasing into the future?

 

Sounds about right.

 

And we're magically going to more than double our broadcast rights fees?

 

Between the negative associations with rape/Southside and the down arrow....how does Boyer keep his job?

 

Unless the White Sox are in first place or ERA is lowest....their dowtrending overall record, off field nonsense or James Shields' latest ERA will all be fodder for showing a video highlight with that stupid down error. It's almost kind of genius for sponsors to get additional exposure....surprised it wasn't Ryan Lochte Field the way things are going.

 

Can they do a further subcontract to Tony the Tiger, and Kellogg's? They're gggggggggg-rate!

 

 

[caulfield12]

Do we have an emoji/icon available with a Sox fan holding his head down in shame/humiliation/embarrassment?

[Dunt]

Gonna take a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time to come back from this season.

[hi8is]

I hope GR loses business due to this deal.

 

"Oh... That's the company who has naming rights to the White Sox. What an awful name for a baseball field. I'll take my business elsewhere."

[Dick Allen]

ISFA guy says the State will get up to $6.4 million from this agreement. Considering the U.S.Cellular was a $68 million 20 year agreement, it is a better deal. The White Sox will still get paid the amount from the U.S.Cellular contract until 2026 to pay down the cost of the renovation. The ISFA gets the rest. So $3 million a year until 2026 then $6.4 million after that. So it is almost double.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Sox hit #1 in America on twitter trends today. That's like the most relevant we've ever been.

[Chicago White Sox]

Sox hit #1 in America on twitter trends today. That's like the most relevant we've ever been.

That's like saying Jared the Subway guy was the most relevant he's ever been after being arrested for child pornography.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Why do people keep saying guaranteed rate? I would not have even thought of that if not posted here. It's completely unnecessary, unfunny, kind of stupid.

[Kyyle23]

Yea, rape joke ends now. Take it out of your post if your posted it. You guys are smarter than that

[Balta1701]

Why do people keep saying guaranteed rate? I would not have even thought of that if not posted here. It's completely unnecessary, unfunny, kind of stupid.

It's an obvious bit of word play. You're right on the description, but it's literally changing one letter. People are going to be dropping that phrase as an obvious negative commentary throughout this agreement. We will be seeing that in game threads in 2025.

 

Hell, I bet you could search the phrase on twitter right now and find hundreds of posts from today that came up with that.

[Chisoxfn]

Yea, rape joke ends now. Take it out of your post if your posted it. You guys are smarter than that

Echoed. It ends now.

 

By the way, it is just a stadium name, I find it hilarious at how many people overreact. They can slap whatever name they want on the stadium, you don't have to call it by that name. Just put a good product on the field, that is all I care about.

[soxforlife05]

It's an obvious bit of word play. You're right on the description, but it's literally changing one letter. People are going to be dropping that phrase as an obvious negative commentary throughout this agreement. We will be seeing that in game threads in 2025.

 

Hell, I bet you could search the phrase on twitter right now and find hundreds of posts from today that came up with that.

 

Exactly what I said to the mods. You're going to be dealing with this for the next 13 years so have fun! Doesn't help when the optics of the south side to outsiders are reinforced by that name.

Edited August 24, 2016 by soxforlife05