Kind of related …
There’s a park near Wrigley Field in Chicago that is totally fenced in, it’s used by people in the neighborhood to allow their dogs to run free. It’s called Wiggly Field 
Shewsbury Town’s Gay Meadow always strikes me as odd. I’m probably just being puerile, but am I the only one?
Also, The ArenA. Can’t remember where but I want to say Eindhoven or Munchen. What’s the deal with the two capital A’s, are you supposed to be able to read it backwards or what?
On Preview, I see you asked for Basketball arenas. Well, international soccer arenas is what you’re getting anyways.
Our small local arena, built in 1946-47, and named “Memorial Arena” was razed and a new facility is arising.
Local ultra-rich guy Jimmy Pattison, who owns a big supermarket franchise just dropped some money on the city for naming rights, and it will be called the “Save-On-Foods Centre.” It’s only about 4 blocks from one of the supermarkets of the same name. We’re hoping to win some games by default as confused out-of-town teams show up in the produce aisle by mistake.
Locals have already suggested the nickname “The Fridge” for the place, and it’s only halfways built.
A lot of pissed-off people, though, that “Memorial” has been quietly dropped from the designation…a lot of young Canadian boys died in WW2, and that was the original commemorative intent of the arena name, not a commercial for cheap hamburger.
We have an entire college here named after a supermarket chain whose headquarters are based here in Boise, called Albertson College. Before this it was just called the College of Idaho.
Indeed. Here in Charm City, the inscription on Memorial Stadium read:
Time, aparently, will not dim the glory of their deeds, but economics doomed the existance of their monument-Memorial Stadium was razed in 2001. 
The dedication from the facade was supposed to go down to the new stadium complex (The metal letters, a rather destinctive font, invented just for the stadium) , but I haven’t noticed it down there yet.
Another non-sports-arena (I hope you don’t mind) is a local concert venue which used to be called Pine Knob. That was somewhat goofy, in a Beavis & Butthead kind-of-way. However, a couple years ago the naming rights were sold and now it’s named after the local electricity company. It’s now DTE Energy Music Theater [barf]
Not to mention that the Ford family played an instrumental part in Detroit becoming the automotive capital of the world. I have no problem with corporate naming when there’s a greater historical context like that, especially since Ford is not only a company, but also a name.
“General Motors Field” just wouldn’t sound right, though. “Chrysler Field” could work, but certainly NOT “Daimler-Chrysler Field”
And while being infinitely better than Enron Field, Minute Maid Park is the sissiest stadium name I’ve ever heard.
Miller Brewing has Miller Park in Milwaukee where coincedentaly the Brewers play.
This is my example of a “good” name.
Any stadium or arena or venue named after a corporation is a crime against good taste and decency, IMO.
So Wrigley Field is a crime against good taste and decency?
The ArenA is in Amsterdam.
Okay, ONE exception. But only one! :mad: 
I’m still bitter about 3-Com Park.
Ah, but now it’s called “San Francisco Stadium At Candlestick Point.” I’d like to meet one person who has ever called it that.
I went to a wine tasting event at Pac Bell two weeks ago, and when I saw the huge letters “SBC Park” out the window of the N Judah I thought I was going to puke.
Hemisfair ceased to exist many years ago. In its place is a very nice extension of the downtown convention center. The Spurs moved to the Alamodome for a few years, then to the newly opened SBC center.
Aye. At least your team does not play in the aforementioned “SBC Center”, where it’s all SBC, all the time.
I know. Doesn’t ease the bitterness.
When Ralston Purina bought the old Arena in St Louis in the late 70’s, they changed the name to “The Checkerdome”. Luckily they changed it back after a couple years.
Oh man, no kidding? Yuck. I traveled from Kansas City to Pine Knob a few decades ago to see Genesis in concert. I have fond memories of the place (except that I had to hitchhike to and from downtown Detroit to get there). It was a good time.
I don’t follow baseball, but I still cringed when they changed Comisky Park to “U.S. Cellular Field” a while back. Blah.
At least Wrigley Field has a history, and they owned the team.
I don’t mind the United Center either. Sure, it’s an airline, but it doesn’t sound corporate. It sounds nice and friendly.
They’ll be changing Soldier Field soon enough. They say they won’t, but they will. When no one’s looking, they will. They built an ugly UFO in the damn thing, it’s not like it’s important or anything.
I’m just waiting for the big cities to start selling their names. Winter vacation in Tampax Bay, Florida!
In Phoenix, they built an outside venue and named it Desert Sky Pavillion, a fitting name and pretty descriptive. A nearby shopping mall changed it’s name to Desert Sky Mall to capatilize on its proximity. It wasn’t soon afterward that the venue changed its name to CricKet Pavillion (capital ‘k’ intentional). The mall is still “Desert Sky.”
What’s up with that? Looking at their website, I see the Clear Channel tag at the bottom, so apparently they own the place. But “CricKet?” I picture a symphony of insects rubbing their wings together.