# Corporate stadium name deals go nuts: "Minute Maid Park" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 5, 2002, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530 "2002-06-05T20:28:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/1 "2002-06-05T20:28:31Z")
The Houston Astros play in a stadium formerly known as “Enron Field,” but obviously had to change it. So now it’s called “Minute Maid Park.” The stadium’s new logo is an orange baseball. MINUTE MAID PARK. And you thought “3Com Park” and “Cinergy Field” were bad; now we have Minute Maid Park. Oh, my aching balls. Can you imagine being an athlete having to play in a stadium called “Minute Maid Park”? Or being a fan arguing over who has the nicest ballpark: YANKEES FAN: Yankee Stadium is the best. It’s a majestic temple of baseball. ORIOLES FAN: Camden Yards is the best, a modern stadium with all the amenities and a classic style. ASTROS FAN: I like Minute Maid Park! Drink your orange juice! Vitamin C is good for you! Holy moly. This has gone too far. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/2 "2002-06-05T21:02:18Z")
VENDOR: Orange juice! Get your fresh-squeezed OJ right here! Grapefruit juice! Screwdrivers and Salty Dogs for mom and dad! ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/3 "2002-06-05T21:23:09Z")
I guess “Swiss Miss” couldn’t put the financing together. How long before some smug funnyguy on ESPN makes a “juiced ball” comment? ---
**Author:** ![MachV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@MachV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MachV)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/4 "2002-06-05T21:25:23Z")
Yeah that’s pretty bad. I get sick of them naming venues after the corporate sponsor. In Dallas we have an outdoor ampitheatre that for years was called the Starplex. Then Mr Corporation came in & dubbed it the Coca-Cola Starplex. A couple of years ago Coke apparently got outbid because now it’s called the Smirnoff Music Centre. :rolleyes: Everyone I know now just calls it the Vodkaplex. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/5 "2002-06-05T21:25:31Z")
Hah. I see your silly stadium name and I raise you the name for my the new stand at my club (Oldham, English Football League Second Division) – the Pukka Pies Stand. ---
**Author:** ![MachV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@MachV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MachV)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/6 "2002-06-05T21:27:31Z")
ampitheatre=amphitheater preview preview preview! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/7 "2002-06-05T21:28:47Z")
Yikes. When I posted in another thread about the Playtex Super Bowl, I’m pretty sure I was only kidding. Life imitates art. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/8 "2002-06-05T21:29:22Z")
I started a [snicker thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=118826) on this earlier this afternoon… I didn’t think it worthy of a rant; it’s too ridiculous. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Macro\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Macro\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macro_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/9 "2002-06-05T21:32:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MachV \* > \*\*Yeah that’s pretty bad. I get sick of them naming venues after the corporate sponsor. In Dallas we have an outdoor ampitheatre that for years was called the Starplex. Then Mr Corporation came in & dubbed it the Coca-Cola Starplex. A couple of years ago Coke apparently got outbid because now it’s called the Smirnoff Music Centre. :rolleyes: > > Everyone I know now just calls it the Vodkaplex. \*\* Interestingly, when there’s a kid’s show at Smirnoff MC (Blue’s Clues Live, etc), they rename it the Music Center at Fair Park (or something like that). ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/10 "2002-06-06T03:27:56Z")
Near Chicago (in Tinley Park IIRC) what used to be called the World Music Theater is now the Tweeter Center; Tweeter being a tv/electonics store. When I first heard about the name change all I could think was “when are they going to add the Woofer?” ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/11 "2002-06-06T04:05:35Z")
What about the Orange Bowl? I never hear juice jokes being made about that stadium. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/12 "2002-06-06T05:32:31Z")
Not only did the Canadiens stop playing at the Forum… but they made it into a movie theatre, named the Pepsi Forum. Maurice Richard is spinning in his grave. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/13 "2002-06-06T19:29:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\*The Houston Astros play in a stadium formerly known as “Enron Field,” but obviously had to change it. > > So now it’s called “Minute Maid Park.” The stadium’s new logo is an orange baseball.\*\* AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!! shoot me ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/14 "2002-06-06T20:07:22Z")
I don’t understand the propblem. A huge opportunity exists to make millions of dollars off something as insignificant as the name of a building. If Cadbury came calling, wanting to name Oakland Arena “The Cadbury Egg” and offered $10 million to do so, then I would vote against any politician that tried to stop it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/15 "2002-06-06T20:12:49Z")
Local morning DJ’s Mark and Brian (local to SoCal; but also syndicated to other markets) were riffing on this this morning. Their best potential venue name was “Hello Kitty Stadium”. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/16 "2002-06-06T20:19:44Z")
Course the Cubs will soon be referring to it as Minute Laid Park cuz they usually find themselves fucked there pretty quickly. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BeerFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BeerFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeerFan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/17 "2002-06-06T20:24:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WSLer \* > \*\*What about the Orange Bowl? I never hear juice jokes being made about that stadium. \*\* The Orange Bowl in Miami was so named (afaik) because Florida is a major producer of oranges not because of some corporation named Orange. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/18 "2002-06-06T20:39:55Z")
Not to mention that the Orange Bowl isn’t a stadium, it’s an event. (Prior to 1935 it was called the Palm Festival.) It’s currently played at Miami’s Pro Player Stadium. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/19 "2002-06-06T21:08:00Z")
I’d rather not think of Palm Festivals as a spectator sport. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530/20 "2002-06-06T21:08:32Z")
Also, this is the second stadium named after an orange juice company. Tropicana Field would be the other. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-stadium-name-deals-go-nuts-minute-maid-park/112530.md?page=2)