Corporate Sponsorship...I Live For This
Over the past couple of years, I've gradually begun to accept the idea of pervasive corporate sponsorship in sports. It took me a while to be OK with them renaming Riverfront Stadium to Cinergy Field (Great American Ballpark at least sounds more authentic), but I made peace with it. "The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi" still strikes me as an abomination, and I don't know if I'll ever be fine with that one. The latest example of everything in sports being available for the right price, though, is much less obtrusive, far more inventive and, well, flat-out hilarious.
Yes, if you've got the disposale income, you can now purchase the right to start a baseball game whenever you feel like it. Convenience store chain 7-11 recently signed a 3-year contract to have all White Sox night games start at 7:11 PM. No word yet on whether the deal also included hot dog vending privileges or a requirement to sell Slurpees at US Cellular Field. According to 7-11, they pursued the agreement with the White Sox as a "subtle reminder" to fans to visit their approximately 180 Chicagoland locations.
Sports franchises have gradually sold off everything that wasn't nailed down over the last decade or so, but even that doesn't seem to limit the entrepreneurs in the luxury boxes anymore. Where does it stop now? I'm convinced we're heading towards something resembling the following sequence of commentary:
Brad Nessler: "Welcome to the Staples Center for this afternoon's exciting matchup between the Burger Kings of Sacramento and the Los Angeles Screen Actors Guilders. Here's the opening tip-off, sponsored by Blockbuster Video. The tip is controlled by NBA the Life's Kobe Bryant."
Bill Walton: "Kobe is the greatest scorer in the history of Western Civilization. And if you don't believe me, tune into the History Channel at 9 PM tonight for 'History's Greatest Weapons.'"
Nessler: "Kobe passes the rock, which is sponsored by the DVD release of 'Gridiron Gangs', to Luke Walton, who dribbles to the Kraft Macaroni elbow. Walton gives it up to Kwame Brown inside with a Gerber Baby Food post-feed, and..."
Walton: "Throw it down, big fella, throw it DOWN!!!"
Nessler: "This Bill Walton catchphrase brought to you by AIG."
Yes, if you've got the disposale income, you can now purchase the right to start a baseball game whenever you feel like it. Convenience store chain 7-11 recently signed a 3-year contract to have all White Sox night games start at 7:11 PM. No word yet on whether the deal also included hot dog vending privileges or a requirement to sell Slurpees at US Cellular Field. According to 7-11, they pursued the agreement with the White Sox as a "subtle reminder" to fans to visit their approximately 180 Chicagoland locations.
Sports franchises have gradually sold off everything that wasn't nailed down over the last decade or so, but even that doesn't seem to limit the entrepreneurs in the luxury boxes anymore. Where does it stop now? I'm convinced we're heading towards something resembling the following sequence of commentary:
Brad Nessler: "Welcome to the Staples Center for this afternoon's exciting matchup between the Burger Kings of Sacramento and the Los Angeles Screen Actors Guilders. Here's the opening tip-off, sponsored by Blockbuster Video. The tip is controlled by NBA the Life's Kobe Bryant."
Bill Walton: "Kobe is the greatest scorer in the history of Western Civilization. And if you don't believe me, tune into the History Channel at 9 PM tonight for 'History's Greatest Weapons.'"
Nessler: "Kobe passes the rock, which is sponsored by the DVD release of 'Gridiron Gangs', to Luke Walton, who dribbles to the Kraft Macaroni elbow. Walton gives it up to Kwame Brown inside with a Gerber Baby Food post-feed, and..."
Walton: "Throw it down, big fella, throw it DOWN!!!"
Nessler: "This Bill Walton catchphrase brought to you by AIG."
posted by Lock Ness Monster at 5:48 PM
1 Comments:
I'm going to get a football team and call them the "69ers"
-your mom
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