Bullshit Park
This park started as “Pac Bell Park” when it opened in 2000. Kind of an ugly name if you ask me, especially since the old park was named “Candlestick.” Well, I went to Pac Bell Park when it first opened and I immediately got burned by a souvenir-bat salesman. I purchased one of those little bats that’s about the same size as a policeman’s club and went back to my seat. Only then did I look at the bat and discovered that it wasn’t a “Pac Bell Park” bat, no, the bastard had sold me a “Candlestick” bat. I thought it was a dangerous move on his part to disgruntle his customers because they were all carrying bats but maybe he just gets lucky a whole lot.
Anyway, Pac Bell Park it was. Funny, Pac Bell wireless didn’t work inside the park, I wonder if that was ever taken care of…
In 2004 the name of the park was changed to “SBC” Park because of the corporate name change. I, along with everyone else in this city, yearned for the days when it was called “Pac Bell” because “SBC” just sounded horrible.
Today they changed the name of the park again, this time to an even UGLIER name of “AT&T” Park. Dammit. Why wasn’t the stupid park named after Willie Mays or something? Fucking AT&T? Gimme a break.
From now on, in my mind and when I’m talking to friends or in print, the new name of the park will be “Bullshit” Park. It’s the only way I can keep up.
Why was the merger of SBC and AT&T approved anyway? I thought that monopoly was broken up by the Justice Department back in the 80’s.
November 22nd, 2005 at 8:08 am
Using a corporate name saves the city from using tax dollars. I’m a true sports fanatic as much as the next guy, but would much rather see corporate sponsors footing the bill on stadiums than education budgets and social programs. Corporate names already dominate every other branded facet of a professional sports team from concessions to uniforms so why not the name of the actual building as well. They pay huge dollars for the rights. Family names are still honored in some playing fields, practice facilities and other auxiliary grounds.
Mergers are crazy these days. We seem to be approaching one single company that handles phones, fossil fuels and banking.
November 22nd, 2005 at 9:43 pm
I understand that it’s necessary to seek corporate sponsorship for something as large as a stadium but the fans end up paying anyway because the corporate investors need to show a profit, hence the $9.00 beers, etc. The park could have a more user-friendly name that wouldn’t change no matter who owns the park and if the owners want to splash the name everywhere then they can inside the park. Webvan bought a year of advertising in our park and then they went out of business. The name was still on every cupholder until the contract expired though and I don’t think there was a person that walked out of that park that hadn’t heard of webvan. Too bad their business failed for other reasons, the advertising was certainly there…