But let's get this back on track. This is just a horrible thing for the Sox to do to their fans. Now everyone can be happy.

 

I don't understand how after your 5th or 6th attempt at downplaying this, and yes you have a good point, why you don't just let it go and let people be annoyed by it? You're obviously not going to change anyone's mind. *shrugs*

"old news" right Dick?

 

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/newsst...teed_rate_field

As much as I hate to say it, I have to agree with DA. Are we really that bleeping scared of a "down arrow" associated with a company? Come on people. Are we going to remove all the down arrows on stairs because they're pointing down towards the basement and we don't want our team to be cellar dwellers? Heck, we can't have a basement can we, we also can't have a 4th floor because we've gotten stuck in 4th place and that's bad. Maybe the basement should be the wild card level.

 

Is the park name great? no. Is it clearly worse than "US Cellular Field"? No, it's a syllable shorter and at least this company has a business presence in Chicago these days. Does "The rate" sound worse than the cell? your call. They sold the naming rights a long time ago, worry about whether we're unable to attract quality sponsors for some reason.

 

A down arrow sends a bad message about a franchise that's in a downward spiral? Great, fix the stupid downward spiral and no one will care. Fire Rick Hahn, send his lackeys off to run the Kane County Cougars, put a winning ballclub on the field for once this generation and no one will care at all that there's a downward pointing arrow on the side of the ballpark.

"old news"

 

http://deadspin.com/white-sox-didnt-want-g...stad-1788440027

"old news"

 

http://deadspin.com/white-sox-didnt-want-g...stad-1788440027

Yes old news.

 

In fact, you were pissed off about it in August. Embarrassed, wished you could turn back the clock and be a Tigers fan, said the Sox were trying to piss their fans off...

Edited November 1, 20169 yr by Dick Allen

Yes old news.

 

Sorry it wasn't covered in this month's AARP.

 

As much as I hate to say it, I have to agree with DA. Are we really that bleeping scared of a "down arrow" associated with a company? Come on people. Are we going to remove all the down arrows on stairs because they're pointing down towards the basement and we don't want our team to be cellar dwellers? Heck, we can't have a basement can we, we also can't have a 4th floor because we've gotten stuck in 4th place and that's bad. Maybe the basement should be the wild card level.

 

Is the park name great? no. Is it clearly worse than "US Cellular Field"? No, it's a syllable shorter and at least this company has a business presence in Chicago these days. Does "The rate" sound worse than the cell? your call. They sold the naming rights a long time ago, worry about whether we're unable to attract quality sponsors for some reason.

 

A down arrow sends a bad message about a franchise that's in a downward spiral? Great, fix the stupid downward spiral and no one will care. Fire Rick Hahn, send his lackeys off to run the Kane County Cougars, put a winning ballclub on the field for once this generation and no one will care at all that there's a downward pointing arrow on the side of the ballpark.

 

A club capable of winning consistently on the field, or at least fielding a competitive product wouldn't make this decision. It's that simple. This decision part and parcel of the awful leadership at the top.

 

That's why when you say "oh just field a winner and nobody will care about the logo" isn't so simple. People need to be replaced.

A club capable of winning consistently on the field, or at least fielding a competitive product wouldn't make this decision. It's that simple. This decision part and parcel of the awful leadership at the top.

 

That's why when you say "oh just field a winner and nobody will care about the logo" isn't so simple. People need to be replaced.

Brooks, you took the best offer? You incompetent idiot, you're fired.

 

When you sell a house just remember it's stupid to take the best offer financially. You should sell it to whoever you think the neighbors would like best no matter the financial consequence.

Edited November 1, 20169 yr by Dick Allen

Brooks, you took the best only offer? You incompetent idiot, you're fired.

 

I read somewhere that Wintrust proposed "Wintrust Field at Comiskey Park" for the same amount of money. So I don't think GR was the only offer

I read somewhere that Wintrust proposed "Wintrust Field at Comiskey Park" for the same amount of money. So I don't think GR was the only offer

It was for less money. I read the CEO's comments. They ultimately pulled out of the bidding.

I read somewhere that Wintrust proposed "Wintrust Field at Comiskey Park" for the same amount of money. So I don't think GR was the only offer

 

It was for the same-ish amount for the naming rights, but GR fronted a pretty big package to the team for additional advertising to win the bidding. The difference being that the naming rights go to the ISTA, while the advertising package goes directly to the team.

It'd be nice to just ignore the corporate name and have the media and everybody call it Sox Park. Or just say "they played the game at the White Sox stadium."

Or "they played the game at 35th and Shields."

Why should everybody who is not affiliated with the Sox cooperate and call it Guaranteed Rate Field? They don't pay the newspapers or TV stations or radio stations to get the free plug. And it's a repulsive name. What if Playboy Magazine paid by far the most money, would they agree to call it Playboy Magazine Field?

I was really annoyed when I first heard that it was going to be called Guaranteed Rate Field. But I also was pissed when New Comiskey changed into US Cellular Field, too.

 

I've since made peace with the idea that stadiums these days are going to change their names frequently and have different corporate sponsors. I've stopped trying to remember the latest corporate sponsor on stadiums not only in the Chicago area, but nationwide. It's not worth the effort. Hell, I still call the music theatre at Harlem & I-80 the World Music Theater. I was politely informed recently that was like 3-4 names ago. I'd forgotten previous names like Tweeter Center, First Midwest Bank Amphitheater, etc.

 

Actually, I won't be surprised when the day comes when they're not even called the Chicago White Sox anymore, but maybe something like Bank of America White Sox, General Electric White Sox, Google White Sox, etc. That may happen in 20 years for all we know. The city/state in teams' names may be cast away in favor of more corporate sponsorship and money. Don't forget that there once was a time when we never envisioned a company name being on a stadium.

 

It's just Sox Park to me these days. I couldn't care less what company's name is on the stadium anymore or what their logo is.

 

That would probably put the final nail in Playboy's eventual bankruptcy.

 

Should stadiums funded with taxpayer revenues (unless 100% privatized) even have the right to use corporate names? It's an interesting debate.

 

Most amusing line of Balta's statement is close to a reality already, our next manager actually might have been Kane County's in 2015 (in Grudzielanek), since we're banishing rhetorical Hahn lackeys off to run that franchise.

Edited November 1, 20169 yr by caulfield12

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 1, 2016 -> 12:58 PM) *

As do the responses.

 

Including yours. The most predictable post in Soxtalk history.

 

Thank you, DA

I don't know if this was mentioned, as I just thought of it, and I am probably a little slow, but if the White Sox had made the WS this year and it went 6 games, they would have called it US cellular field for games 1 and 2, and guaranteed rate for 6 and 7.

One thing that hasn't really been mentioned is how little they're paying for the naming rights. As the deadspin article pointed out, this deal is $2.4 million AAV below league average. Further, if the White Sox are so cash hungry, why not keep the naming rights and change the name back to Comiskey Park, like most Sox fans want anyway, and just go forward with a full rebuild, which will put a lot more than $2 million AAV into the owners' pockets, and then go for a Citi Field-esque naming rights deal when a competitive team emerges from the talent purge?

Edited November 2, 20169 yr by Dam8610

One thing that hasn't really been mentioned is how little they're paying for the naming rights. As the deadspin article pointed out, this deal is $2.4 million AAV below league average. Further, if the White Sox are so cash hungry, why not keep the naming rights and change the name back to Comiskey Park, like most Sox fans want anyway, and just go forward with a full rebuild, which will put a lot more than $2 million AAV into the owners' pockets, and then go for a Citi Field-esque naming rights deal when a competitive team emerges from the talent purge?

 

I'm sure they'll find a way to blame the fans for not going to the games as the reason why they can't afford to pass on a bad naming rights deal.

I don't know if this was mentioned, as I just thought of it, and I am probably a little slow, but if the White Sox had made the WS this year and it went 6 games, they would have called it US cellular field for games 1 and 2, and guaranteed rate for 6 and 7.

That was probably accommodated for and we just didn't know it.

That was probably accommodated for and we just didn't know it.

 

One thing that hasn't really been mentioned is how little they're paying for the naming rights. As the deadspin article pointed out, this deal is $2.4 million AAV below league average. Further, if the White Sox are so cash hungry, why not keep the naming rights and change the name back to Comiskey Park, like most Sox fans want anyway, and just go forward with a full rebuild, which will put a lot more than $2 million AAV into the owners' pockets, and then go for a Citi Field-esque naming rights deal when a competitive team emerges from the talent purge?

That is one, great post! Great post.

One thing that hasn't really been mentioned is how little they're paying for the naming rights. As the deadspin article pointed out, this deal is $2.4 million AAV below league average. Further, if the White Sox are so cash hungry, why not keep the naming rights and change the name back to Comiskey Park, like most Sox fans want anyway, and just go forward with a full rebuild, which will put a lot more than $2 million AAV into the owners' pockets, and then go for a Citi Field-esque naming rights deal when a competitive team emerges from the talent purge?

 

 

They're making more $$ total than the previous deal though. And it doesn't matter what the name of the stadium is.

They're making more $ total than the previous deal though. And it doesn't matter what the name of the stadium is.

 

The team is making a lot more money off of this deal. The extra advertising deal is generating millions of new dollars that go directly to the team.