I joked about it yesterday but the douchiness of Citibank is pretty hard to ignore. Via the Biz of Baseball comes the report that despite laying of 53,000 workers, about twenty percent of their workforce, there is no intention of Citi reneging on their record $20 million per season naming rights deal. Well that just makes perfect fucking sense to me. Wouldn’t you love to be one of the 53,000 newly unemployed people, be told that there simply isn’t any money to pay you, but of course, there is still $20M available to throw the company’s name up on the facade of a billion dollar building. I know that I would be PSYCHED! Sure, I can’t pay my rent and my kids are going hungry, but I’m glad that the brand name is still getting publicity. Besides, what’s $400M these days, chump change right! I’m sure that money simply couldn’t be used more effectively, maybe by helping the employees, naaaaah, what am I thinking, that must be my socialist nature coming out.
See what I want to do is take the wealth from the corporations that are stupidly wasting it on useless shit like stadium naming rights and instead give it to the employees so they don’t need to lose their jobs. CuRAZY! I’m a fucking socialist!
I’m sure that there has been lots of research on naming rights, but I follow sports religiously, many of my friends (OK, well, the random people who I have begged to be my “friend” on Friendster…) also watch lots of sports, and I don’t know anyone who has ever EVER bought anything or opted for a service because the company had their name on a stadium. OOOH Quicken Loans Arena, I must run out and buy Quicken because I love the Cavs! Reliant Energy Stadium, whenever I need energy, they are who I will use. Minute Maid Park, mmmm juice!
I simply don’t understand these corporations shelling out millions upon millions of dollars simply to have their name on a building. I get that every time the stadium is mentioned the brand name is too, but 99 times out of 100 the name sounds fucking STUPID. Seriously, Quicken Loans Arena? WTF!?! I want more War Memorial Stadiums, less ATT WIRELESS BLACKBERRY STORM FIELDs.
Meanwhile, decent people are losing their jobs because these corporations are foolishly spending these ridiculous sums on a useless thing. It’s despicable.
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