New York Red Bulls

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

lol The NY MetroStars in the MLS are changing their name to the Red Bulls, named after the energy drink company. I hope this never happens in a real league.

[loopydate]

Actually, I think they're going to be called "Red Bull New York."

Still a ridiculous story. Although there are a lot of corporate teams in Europe, this is the first example I can think of in the U.S. (At least in a sport of this size)

[YOUR Hero]

First the stadiums, then the teams.

"The Boston Red Sox, brought to you by Edge Gel" - I can see, in the future, that's how they'll announce teams. They'll keep their original names but have a tag line by some sponsor. The uniforms will have a logo of the corporation on them too. Just you wait.

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

I dunno about the brought to you by part, but maybe. I can definetly see the logo on jerseys at some point. In a lot of the smaller leagues, that is already happening (MLS, MLL etc)

A lot of stuff you don't really notice though and teams make a lot of easy money off it. Like the "Red Zone report brought to you by Oldspice Redzone." Fans complain about the stadium names though but I don't think it has a big enough negative effect on the experience of the game for anyhting to happen. I wonder if logos put on the "big 4" here in the US would really bother fans though, to the point of the teams losing money on jersey sales etc. I know they are all the place on professional soccer jerseys across the pond.

[loopydate]

And NASCAR is like watching a department store or mall drive around in circles really fast.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

You think that's lame? How bout the fact that there's already a team in Austria called Red Bull Salzburg

[loopydate]

http://www.mlsnet.com/imgs/logos/rbn_lg.gif (http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/rbn/)

[BCWWF]

The only part I am pissed about is that New York/New Jersey Metrostars was by far the best name the MLS had.

In terms of corporate sponsoring, it is mainstay in soccer but I'll be damned if it rubs its ugly face into baseball anytime soon. Do you remember a few years ago when there was a huge uproar just because they were going to put a spider web graphic on the bases at the All Star Game to promote Spiderman? They will never get it on jerseys.

[BCWWF]

Also, Red Bull buying this team is one of the best things to happen to the MLS. The league is dominated by a couple owners (who own multiple teams), so this not only gives a fresh face to the league but also a lot of money to build a real stadium and to play the transfer market successfully.

[BCWWF]

One more note. The only corporate sponsorships that REALLY bother me are for the college football Bowl Games.

In terms of arenas and stadiums, they suck because it is harder to build a tradition in "Movie Gallery Stadium" that changes to "H&R Block Field" two years later, but that's its own fault. It allows for some top of the line places to be built, and I guess that's good enough.

But the Bowl games are where it has crossed the line. It was one thing when they started putting a main sponsors with the Bowl, but it's not life and death. But when they start taking the given name off the bowl and making it Sponsor Bowl, that's where it's rediculous. For example the Citrus Bowl is now just the Capitol One Bowl, and starting next year it is no longer the Peach Bowl, instead...the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

Naming a bowl after chicken and peaches isn't the best to begin with, but that is a classic bowl. Can't the chicken company go buy rights to the Farm Bowl or something?

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

I forgot about that base thing with Spiderman, good point. Nascar the sponsors are kinda just a part of it though, they have always been there. It just a part of the tradition of the sport, I think people get upset when the tradition of the sport gets tarnished by sponsors. IE Bowl games

[BCWWF]

Yeah I agree. I don't know how long NASCAR has been using sponsors or whatever, but for one thing they need them to survive, and the other is that they don't seem to take anything away from the races. It gives the cars an identity.

In fact, the sad thing about sponsors with European football, in my opinion, is that teams are recognized for their sponsors more than anything else. You see "Carlsberg" and you know it's Liverpool, "Vodafone" is Manchester United, Perrelli (Inter Milan), Seimans Mobile (Real Madrid), and on and on. I don't that will ever happen in baseball or football, because they generate plenty of money as is. The one league that I wouldn't be surprised to see sponsors on uniforms though, is the NBA.

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

I really don't know where they could place an ad on an NBA jersey without it looking stupid. Maybe on the shorts.

Or you could say these leagues already do it, since the Reebok logo is already on the jersey for the NFL and NBA. Plus if you look, a player cannot have a Nike logo on his gloves or anything that(They can wear whatever gloves they want, but if it isn't Reebok then it is just has the NFL logo, not the brand name logo) Sean Taylor has gotten fined many times for wearing Jordan Brand wristbands instead of the Reebok NFL Equipment ones

[Nervous Ferret]

In asscosiation with Gillete Mach 5 Blade Fusion the Los Angelos Angels of Anaheim presented by the ABC corporation and its affiliates.

[Bad Company]

Hey, whatever keeps the clubs in business and competetive :y: