University of Phoenix Stadium?

[pyonir]

Text

The new Cardinals stadium here in Glendale, AZ has officially been named "University of Phoenix Stadium". Quite possibly the worst name for a stadium i have EVER heard. I'm ashamed to have that stadium in my state.

It's official: University of Phoenix Stadium

Carrie Watters
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 12, 2006 07:27 PM


The Arizona Cardinals won one and lost one in the boardroom on Thursday.

The win seals a deal worth $154.5 million over the next 20 years. The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority unanimously agreed to the team's naming-rights agreement on University of Phoenix Stadium.

The loss came when the sports authority, the governing body that oversees the former Cardinals Stadium, gave the Fiesta Bowl the go-ahead to temporarily redecorate the facility in January for the Fiesta Bowl and the national collegiate football championship.


The Cardinals earlier in the week said they opposed six pieces of the college bowl's decorating proposal, including covering the large Cardinals bird at the stadium's northwestern entrance with a Fiesta Bowl logo.

Authority board Chairman Larry Landry compared the two sides to the "Hatfields and McCoys."

It wasn't the only friction in recent weeks. Glendale filed a suit last week against the Cardinals over concerns regarding control of a nearby street.

While some of the euphoria of the stadium's opening day may have worn off over the past two months, many fans are still buzzing about the facility and the games it brings, from a Monday Night Football match-up against the Chicago Bears next week to Super Bowl XLII in 2008.

"It just doesn't matter what they call the park, what they do behind the scenes, where they hang the banners. That is all about money. Shut up and play football," said season ticket holder Suzie Roberts of Peoria.

Other observers said turbulence between business partners is bound to happen with projects of this magnitude. In this case, a $455 million stadium.

"As the Arizona Cardinals move into this massive and impressive facility, there are going to be growing pains as their partners settle in," said Ray Artigue, executive director of the M.B.A. sports-business program at Arizona State University.

John Junker, president of the Fiesta Bowl, said that more than feuding, the different types of teams have different vested interests in the stadium. His goal is to create a college atmosphere for the Fiesta Bowl.

With less than three months until game time, Junker said, he would be calling to order the signs today, if not on Thursday night.

Bidwill said he believes the Fiesta Bowl's decorating plans violate legal agreements.

The NFL team had offered to accept the Fiesta Bowl's plan for one year while further negotiating a permanent arrangement. But the sports authority is the arbiter when such issues have a pressing time element.

Bidwill could not say whether the team would challenge the signage decision.

After the meeting, Bidwill was more enthused to talk about the stadium's new name and its partnership with the university, which was founded in the Valley more than 30 years ago and provides adult education in campuses nationwide and online.

Temporary University of Phoenix signs already hang inside and outside the Glendale stadium.

For two weeks, some fans have criticized naming a professional sports stadium after a university. Others chafe at having a Phoenix name on a Glendale landmark.

"There's always an adjustment period," Bidwill said Thursday.

 

[fustercluck]

It's kinda bad. Stadium names have no meaning anymore, not besides stadiums that have had their name for a long time. Like Wrigley field or something like that. Now every stadium now is (Insert giant corporation here) stadium.

 

[chuckywang]

Yeah, it's pretty bad that a stadium is named after some of my spam mail.

 

[Eeezee]

That's such a cool stadium. Why did they name it after a 2-bit university like that? It isn't even a university, it's a puffed up community college that does mostly correspondence courses. The whole point of giving the Cardinals their own stadium was to get AWAY from the association with academia, since they had been playing in the ASU Stadium.

They should have named it Arizona stadium or something. Someone got paid a bunch of money to give it a stupid name like that one.

 

[probzy]

Yeah. It's a bad name.

 

[Juno]

horrible.

 

[amol]

wow, that name is no M&T Bank Stadium there.

 

[Cruisin1]

I'll be at the University of Phoenix stadium on Monday when the Bears layeth the smack down

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

they shoiuld have accepted the Pink Taco offer.

 

[preslove]

That's a misleading name. It implies that The U of Phoenix has a huge stadium. It's pretty clever, actually.

 

[j00fek]

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Adaman
It's kinda bad. Stadium names have no meaning anymore, not besides stadiums that have had their name for a long time. Like Wrigley field or something like that. Now every stadium now is (Insert giant corporation here) stadium.

wrigley, of course, being a giant corporation that sells gum

 

[JRich]

I think the Cards should still be playing in the Sun Devil Stadium.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

My pity to everyone living on the west side of Glendale. Traffic there has been hell (even west of the 101) for the past ~three years. With traffic at the new stadium, it will be that much worse.

 

[BAMAVOO]

Originally posted by: Eeezee
That's such a cool stadium. Why did they name it after a 2-bit university like that? It isn't even a university, it's a puffed up community college that does mostly correspondence courses. The whole point of giving the Cardinals their own stadium was to get AWAY from the association with academia, since they had been playing in the ASU Stadium.

They should have named it Arizona stadium or something. Someone got paid a bunch of money to give it a stupid name like that one.

Because that 2 bit University has more money than your entire family tree?