Rolling right along with my whinging ways, here’s my next list of the ten worst-of-something in sports, this time stadium names. This one is actually kind of hard, given how the majority of stadiums/arenas these days are named after corporations (and therefore all bad). I’ve tried to narrow it down to the absolutely horrendous:
Pizza Hut Park (MLS’s FC Dallas) — Doesn’t have quite the same inspiring ring to it as ‘Santiago Bernabeu’ or ‘White Hart Lane’ does it?
Canad Inns Stadium (CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers) — I think it’s having the word ‘inns’ actually in the name that makes this dumb. It’s not like the new opera house in Toronto is called the ‘Four Seasons Hotel Chain Centre For The Performing Arts.’ Canad Stadium would be fine.
Gaylord Entertainment Center (NHL’s Nashville Predators) — Even in this enlightened day and age, you have to admit this name still makes you giggle a little bit. “Hey, do you want to go down to the Gaylord for a game?” “Where’s the game tonight? At the Gaylord.” Apparently the contract is up really soon and this place will be changing names, so it won’t be an issue any more. Giggle while you can (the name has now been changed to ‘Sommet Center’ — not much better).
Gay Meadow (Football League Two’s Shrewsbury Town FC) — See above. This ground has now been closed, and the Shrews play at ‘New Meadow.’ Makes sense.
Heinz Field (NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers) — To me this name invokes a giant meadow slathered in ketchup (or catsup, I suppose it would be). A quick look on Wikipedia confirms that some nicknames for this place are ‘The Big Ketchup Bottle’ and ‘The Mustard Palace.’ Oh, to be a Steelers fan. Sheesh.
EasyCredit-Stadion (Bundesliga’s FC Nuremberg) — The Stadium of Easy Credit; come watch the game and refinance your mortgage. Come on down. Javol.
Minute Maid Park/Tropicana Field (MLB’s Houston Astros & Tampa Bay Devil Rays) — Two stadiums in the same league, both named after orange juice. Well, at least it’s healthy.
Jobing.com Arena (NHL’s Pheonix Coyotes) — Web-based business are the worst to name a building after because their name is usually the same as their URL, as we see in this case. This is the worst one though because ‘Jobing’ is not a real word and it just sounds really stupid. What’s the nickname for this place going to be? ‘The Job?’ Dumb.
Monster Park (NFL’s San Francisco 49ers) — Named after a cable company, sounds like a cheesy Hallowe’en amusement park. What makes it even worse is that this used to be Candlestick Park, a place with a lot of tradition and history associated with it. Now all that is stripped away and we’re left with this stupid name. Boo.
U.S. Cellular Field (MLB’s Chicago White Sox) — As bad as this name is, the nickname is ‘The Cell.’ ‘Nuff said.
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (MLS’s Colorado Rapids) — This one should be obvious. Rapids fans will, starting next year, be able to cheer on their team at The Dick. Lucky them.
Hmm. That was actually twelve. Looks like I gave you two extra. You’re welcome.
19 responses so far ↓
Tom Allen // February 21, 2007 at 11:20 pm |
I’ll definitely agree on Minute Maid Park and Gaylord Entertainment Center. Here’s some other nominees:
- Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland. The former Gund Arena, home of the NBA Cavaliers is also nicknamed “The Q”- sounds like a radio station. “Quack quack!”
- The new Lucas Oil Stadium being built for the Colts in Indianapolis. Shorten it to Lucas Stadium and I might drop the nomination.
However, not so sure about Heinz Field- it sorta fits with Pittsburgh.
James17930 // February 21, 2007 at 11:23 pm |
I just thought it was funny to name a stadium after ketchup (notwithstanding the Heinz family is from Pittsburgh).
Roy Boy // March 17, 2008 at 10:23 pm |
The Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego.
Roy Boy // March 17, 2008 at 10:24 pm |
Also, let’s not forget about Enron Field!
James17930 // March 18, 2008 at 12:25 am |
Jenny Craig Pavilion? Yeah, sure. That’s ridiculous. No one in their right mind . . .
Oh — dear god!:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Craig_Pavilion
Sedate Me // March 18, 2008 at 5:00 am |
Yeah, good one Roy Boy. The Enron Field cheque was about the last one they wrote that cleared the bank. Curious how many stadiums (that almost always payed for by taxpayers) are named after companies that go bankrupt or found out to be crooked. Even a non-sports watcher like myself can 3 off the top of my head: Enron Field, Canadian Airlines Saddledome, Air Canada Centre. There must be more.
Matthew Ashton // April 30, 2008 at 4:50 pm |
Thanks for stealing the image of Gay Meadow.
I give you THREE days to remove it, otherwise Ill get in contact with your server provider and they will SHUT YOU DOWN for copyright breach.
http://deathfrombelow.wordpress.com/2006/12/02/top-ten-worst-stadium-names-strikeouts-pt-ii/
James17930 // April 30, 2008 at 5:19 pm |
How is this a copyrighted image? It’s the cover of a book. Shouldn’t you consider this free advertising?
bendaNDYHYMOLI.G, // June 24, 2008 at 2:31 am |
NOT GOOD YOU BITCH
James17930 // June 24, 2008 at 8:48 am |
I love my fans.
Anonymous // September 29, 2008 at 9:50 pm |
Don’t forget about the Bick’s Dill Dome
Anonymous // April 17, 2009 at 7:29 am |
Don’t forget the Kathleen Stadium! ha ha!!
Pretzl // April 27, 2009 at 2:38 pm |
“Save on Foods Arena” in Victoria, BC. Capacity ~10000. Victoria Salmon Kings (ahem, could fin in your part I) of the ECHL (again bizarre as you cannot get much farther from the east coast than Victoria) play there.
James17930 // April 27, 2009 at 11:03 pm |
This is one is definitely the worst of the ‘write-ins’ so far.
RichardS // November 4, 2009 at 11:28 pm |
Presumably the last word of the entry on Easy-Credit Stadion was meant to be German, but you didn’t actually know how to spell “Jahwohl”?
And there’s nothing wrong with “Gay Meadow”, by the way – a ground name with a long history and not the subject of a corporate renaming deal. Oh, perhaps it was the word “Gay” that you found oh so amusing? Pathetic.
josh // November 6, 2009 at 8:10 am |
UPC arena in Austria “the barcode”
Wankdorf in Bern
Bryanttie // November 8, 2009 at 8:26 pm |
sportsdirect.com @ StJamesParkStadium also the Wankdorf if pretty good 2.
James17930 // November 8, 2009 at 10:25 pm |
Yeah — the new ‘name’ for St. James’s Park is ridiculous.
Stadium Naming Rights, Without Spending a Penny | HRM Today // December 9, 2009 at 1:10 am |
[...] chain? Consider we would also be joining some ignominiously branded locations – which made the “Worst Stadium Names” list. These [...]