It gets a little crazy at times as noted in this excerpt about the stadium in St. Louis from Wikipedia: “As part of a deal to sell the naming rights to Rams Park (now the Russell Athletic Training Center), the Rams' training facility in Earth City, Missouri, to sportswear manufacturer Russell Athletic, the Rams agreed to rename the Edward Jones Dome to Russell Athletic Field for the Rams' Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears on December 11, 2006. The renaming was for the one night only.”
And just look at the fate of some of the companies who at one time had stadiums named after them. The following went into bankruptcy, were acquired by another corporation or otherwise had to relinquish their naming rights: Pro Player, CMGi, PSINet, Alltel, McAfee, Network Associates, 3Com, Ericsson, and Trans World Airlines.
Contrast the above with the 20-team English Premier League, whose football [soccer] stadium names evoke historic, even regal images. Here are a few: Stamford Bridge, Craven Cottage, White Hart Lane, Old Trafford, St. James’s Park, Brittania Stadium, The Hawthorns, Molineux Stadium and my favorite, The Stadium of Light. Only three EPL stadiums are named after corporations.
I'm sure those living in Northern California can't wait to experience the nostalgia and atmosphere at the Overstock.com Coliseum. As for me, I'll take The Stadium of Light.
