A New Name for the Rose Garden?
The Portland Trail Blazers are seeking to sell corporate naming rights for the Rose Garden Arena in time for next season.
From the Associated Press:
The Portland Trail Blazers and the Rose Garden are looking for a corporate partner to buy naming rights for the arena, Trail Blazers President Larry Miller said Thursday.The team and arena are both affiliates of Vulcan, Inc., which is owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
The Trail Blazers say they have started talking with several interested Portland companies, as well as other regional and national entities, about the deal. It is the first time a corporate-naming partnership has been offered at the Rose Garden since it opened in 1995.
The Blazers say they want to secure a deal in time for the 2008-09 season.
"The goal is to once again find a partner whose core values match our own," said Tod Leiweke, the chief executive officer of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment who also helped negotiate the naming rights at Qwest Field, home of another Vulcan-owned team, the Seattle Seahawks.
The $262 million Rose Garden Arena opened in the fall of 1995 and seats about 20,000. It hosts more than 160 events annually, including Trail Blazer games and concerts.
Read the rest. What might the new name be?
Discuss.
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Dec. 13, 2007
Posted in in the news 2007. |
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connect with blueoregon
Dec 13, '07
This usually comes up when a team or stadium owner(s) claims to need more taxpayer dollars to finance a new or renovated stadium or arena. I hate the names of such places but it's better than taking taxpayer dollars in order for some people to feel good about themselves in stopping such a name change.
Bob Tiernan
11:59 a.m.
Dec 13, '07
I hadn't had any coffee when I saw this this morning. What a way to wake up. I'm in for ten bucks if a bunch of people want to buy it and keep it the Rose Garden. Or People's Arena--that'd be cool.
Dec 13, '07
I like Nike Arena, if Phil Knight is willing to step up with the cash. "Nike" was the Greek goddess of victory. It's not a bad name for a sports venue.
Dec 13, '07
If the trailblazers want to rename an arena, they can go build one out of their own pocket on their own land and name it Dumfuck Stadium for I care. As for a city-owned property? Hell no. Heck, PGE Park is an abomination: Why not Civic Stadium?
1:02 p.m.
Dec 13, '07
Every arena or stadium that carries a corporate name sounds like the most pathetic and stupidly named venue possible. If there is a way to make your corporate brand name sound stupid, is to name a stadium or venue with it. Same with bowl names. All you do is make me want to never have anything to do with the venue or your company.
And this comes from a graphics designer who has worked in numerous ad agencies and now within the marketing department of a Fortune 500 corporation.
Dec 13, '07
The Cesar Chavez Arena. Who's with me?
Dec 13, '07
Call it the Nike Center and have the court plastered with "Just Do It", that would be pretty cool.
Honestly, I don't care that much, I'll probably still call it the Rose Garden anyways just like I refuse to call the White Sox Ballpark in Chicago anything but Comiskey or the 9ers stadium in SF anything but Candlestick.
1:53 p.m.
Dec 13, '07
Damned right Adam.
It's about time we honored one of our nation's great LatinoBasketballCivilRightsActivist heroes.
Who would dare to object?
Dec 13, '07
Adam:
The Cesar Chavez Arena. Who's with me?
Bob T:
Hopefully, no one.
What would be wrong with Mount Hood or Cascade Arena? Too many people want to name things after people.
Bob Tiernan
2:21 p.m.
Dec 13, '07
Agreed. The only park which is named after a corporation that I use is Wrigley Field. But that was because Wrigley was an actual investor and had shares of the club (the Chicago Cubs) eventually gaining full control of the team and the park was renamed Wrigley Field in 1922 when Wrigley made major renovations and expansions to it.
Dec 13, '07
I had heard that the Rose Garden was unusual in that taxes were not used for its construction - it was privately funded. Looking at previous comments, now I wonder if this is true.
If it was privately funded, they should be able to name it whatever they want, hopefully something tasteful.
Besides, "The Rose Garden" name was taken in Portland long before the stadium was built. A new name will clear up any resulting confusion.
Dec 13, '07
"Mangina Arena"
nsfw: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=man-gina
Dec 13, '07
Now Bob,
As a free marketeer, you must be on board with naming the hall for whatever corporation is willing to pay the most, right? Let's see: Nike, Comcast, Intel, or how about Starbucks?
Dec 13, '07
"Or People's Arena--that'd be cool."
Why would you want to name it after a bank in Connecticut?
Dec 13, '07
The Rose Garden was privately funded, out of the funding, this was the spread according to Wikipedia:
$262M total costs $155M loan led by TIAA-CREF $46M Paul Allan $34.5M City of Portland, mostly for transportation improvements like the garages/improved MAX station if I recall. $10M bond based on ticket/parking revenues
What's funny about that is that this was during a period in which he probably could have gotten public funding as everyone else was.
Dec 13, '07
David, have you research the land cost deals between the city and Paul. You'll see that taxpayers by far did not get market value for all the land that connects to Memorial Coliseum. And the $34.4M,(actually $38M) CoP's further contribution, was for more than the loose words "transportation improvements". It includes site improvements and all the other line items that can be snuck into the category. And also consider all the "free land" value when several streets were vacated around the Rose Garden, making for several "superblocks". Who paid for that? It was given to Paul. Thanks, TaxPayers!
Dec 13, '07
I'd like to see Blue Oregon purchase naming rights and have it be the Blue Oregon Rose Garden!
10:38 p.m.
Dec 13, '07
Here's an interesting research paper that shows just how little business benefit accrues to most companies that purchase naming rights to sports arenas.
Dec 13, '07
Well it won't be Freightliner Arena
Dec 13, '07
Nor Willamette Industries or Columbia Sports
Dec 14, '07
Jerry:
David, have you research the land cost deals between the city and Paul. You'll see that taxpayers by far did not get market value for all the land that connects to Memorial Coliseum. And the $34.4M,(actually $38M) CoP's further contribution, was for more than the loose words "transportation improvements". It includes site improvements and all the other line items that can be snuck into the category. And also consider all the "free land" value when several streets were vacated around the Rose Garden, making for several "superblocks". Who paid for that? It was given to Paul. Thanks, TaxPayers!
Bob T:
That't the managed economy for ya! New Deal in action. Pick winners and losers for "the common good". But ya know, when I advocate saying no to all of this I'm called a luddite or something. The worst part about the Rose Quarter, by the way, is how it srewed up chances to really improve I-5 flow in that area.
Bob T
10:47 a.m.
Dec 14, '07
As I've only been to the Rose Garden when it's packed with dirt for the awesome spectacle of "Monster Jams" monster truck rally's, I'd vote to rename it "The Mud Hole."
Not quite as Victorian-Era-quaint as "The Rose Garden," but more descriptive of our fair city for six months out of the year.
Dec 14, '07
Tom Civiletti:
Now Bob,
As a free marketeer, you must be on board with naming the hall for whatever corporation is willing to pay the most, right?
Bob T:
If the person(s) selling it have ownership of what's to sell, sure. If you re-read what I wrote earlier you'll see that I reserve the right to be unimpressed with such a name, and that's all.
Bob Tiernan
Dec 14, '07
Given the name of the controling corporation, how about "The Vulcan Rose Garden."
--Live Long and Prosper.
Dec 15, '07
The Walmart SuperCenter Arena.
Dec 16, '07
Regardless of the name, the name "Jail Blazers" needs to be prominently displayed, plus there needs to be a giant screen out front showing a movie of a couple of Jail Blazers speeding down I-5 at 120 MPH while smoking a honkin' big joint.
Dec 22, '07
How about "Rat's Ass", since that's about how much I really care...
Dec 23, '07
Will it really matter since Allen will be moving the Trailblazers to Seattle once the relatively new owners of the Sonics relocate that team to Oklahoma City?