Will the Mets New Ballpark End Up with an Awful Name?

With Citgroup in serious trouble of being taken over as stock prices continue to plummet, will Citi Field, the Mets' new stadium set to open next year, still have its name by Opening Day? Citigroup's deal with the Mets calls for the financial company to pay the team $20 million annually for the name. The Hoston Astros were still playing in Enron Field when the company went bankrupt and was mired in an enormous scandal. But with other financial giants lining up as potential Citigroup suitors, could Queens become home to Goldman Sachs Stadium? It seemed that New Yorkers' ability to pretend it was called "City Field" softened the blow of the town's first major corporate handle for a hometown team's digs. Maybe now we'll just have to pride in not being San Diego, a city saddled with the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

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By Billy Parker in News on November 22, 2008 4:05 PM

Comments [rss]

bornbrednewyorker

Considering that the Wilpons don't need the money how about taking a page from the Steinbrenner's and NOT corporate whore out the stadium.

NannyState

It'll be confusing when half the teams in pro sports will be playing at the "TARP Center".

S.D.

r1b2, What? And Not be a Slave to Commercialism?!?!

;)

I think it's a shame that Municipalities are no longer willing to name venue's after people, but rather after the almighty Dollar.

Just look at Minute Maid Park (once known as "Enron Field") With it's "Conoco Home Run Porch" and "Chick-fil-A cows" on the "Fowl Pole" (Seriously. You just can't make this s__t up!!).

That's what municipalities seem to want, no monuments to Public Service, but monuments to the Almighty Dollar. Just wait, the New Stadium will have BS corporate names for Everything they can manage...

"The House that Citi Built"???

Bah.

r1b2

Of course we could show some class and continue to call it Shea. Shea was named to honor someone deemed influential in the creation of the team. Why not respect that legacy? Why must everything have a price?

NannyState

Even the government would allow Citi to keep up the payments on their naming rights. Yes, they are that stupid.

longacre

By no means is Citigroup anywhere close to broke, and by no means is the name Citi going to cease to exist any time soon. They may receive some government help or be forced to sell some parts of the company, but they're certainly not dying.

jchez

Say what you want about the Steibrenners, at least their stadium is named after the team as it has been for over 80 years. Even Wrigley field is named after a chewing gum tycoon.

MaiaW

According to MetsBlog, the name is safe for now: http://www.metsblog.com/2008/11/21/news-citi-field-deal-is-fine-per-mets/

dr zippy

Name it Ed Kranepool Field at Marv Throneberry Stadium and be done with it!

CDR52X

I hope TD Bank buys in. TDField has such a HOT ring to it.

abcohen

Where is APPLE COMPUTERS to setup up and call it The Big Apple Stadium or APPLE FIELD!!!!

PKinNYC

DROP THE ITI AND CALL IT CRAPPY FIELD.

GOP

Who gives a fuck about the name of a stadium? I say let's name ALL the subway stations after a corporation. $20mm annually for the Astor Place stop and I'll stop seeing rats and trash and smelling urine.

Only you hipster wanna see the old New York with the crime and the grime. Until you get jacked and end up paying $3 for a subway ride.

Snoopy

It's time Bloomberg steps up to the plate and takes a swing at being known ten years from now. $20 mil times ten is only $200 mil. At that rate he can carry it for 100 years and not break a sweat. And at the end people will still ask, " What is a Bloomberg?" The same as people ask who the hell is Shea?

ides_of_march

What this town desperately needs is more places named after members of the Kennedy clan. Money is no object either.

Kojak

I doubt Citigroup will fail. In the off chance it comes close to failure, the govt won't let Citi drown.

The name will stick unless the company as a whole is sold elsewhere.