Safeco Field is now T-Mobile Park

[Cloud]

It's official as of 12/19/18 for the next 25 years.

So here's a couple of topics for discussions.

1) Will the M's make the playoffs under the "T-Mobile Park" within the next 25 years?

2) Will the M's win a division title under the "T-Mobile Park" within the next 25 years?

3) Will the M's make it to the WS under the "T-Mobile Park" within the next 25 years?

4) Lastly, how about winning a WS?

Thinking meh for the last 2. They'll probably compete for a division or playoff spot here and there (hopefully?)

 

[rtfgbfan]

Very strange to not be calling it Safeco.

Even though that's a corporate name it just seems like it fits after 20 years.

 

[rtfgbfan]

Oh and I don't know about the answers to the questions, the Reds are as irrelevant currently as the M's. Griffey curse

 

[Mariners_44]

I'm originally from Seattle and an all Seattle sports fan since childhood, but moved to Phoenix in 1995. Shortly thereafter they built what was named "Bank One Ballpark" or "The BOB" for the Arizona Diamondbacks. I rarely go to games and really only follow the Mariners on a regular basis, but I can tell you it's no longer named either of those officially. I couldn't tell you what it's now called, but on the rare occasion I head to the stadium it's engrained in me as "Bank One Ballpark" regardless of the marketing/sponsorship. The same will also go for SafeCo Field whenever I'm back up north as is the case most years. They can change the name but can't change how most major Mariners fans will refer to the ballpark. It'll always be SafeCo Field to me regardless.

 

[Msfann]

I never liked Safeco, all of those brand names suck. It should be Niehaus Field.

 

[Cloud]

I never liked Safeco, all of those brand names suck. It should be Niehaus Field.

I totally agree but from a marketing standpoint the team will not do it. To name something like this it needs to be through investors or privately funded entities... the M’s are certainly not going to dish out some money for something like this. “Dodgers Stadium” or “Yankee Stadium” are in a market where they are extremely profitable so they can do it.

According to reports, the T-Mobile deal is 87mil with 3.5mil annual. Across the side, CenturyLink is 4.5mil annual. These brand names are paying the sports teams for naming rights.

Overall, as much as we like it, the M’s are not in position to privately fund something like this long term.

What they could do as long as another partner is in play is name it “Neihaus Field at T-Mobile Park” — but obviously T-Mobile isn’t going to want that.

Edit: with my comment in regard to Yankees Stadium... it is both funded by the Yankees Organization and taxpayers.

 

[blstoker]

I'm originally from Seattle and an all Seattle sports fan since childhood, but moved to Phoenix in 1995. Shortly thereafter they built what was named "Bank One Ballpark" or "The BOB" for the Arizona Diamondbacks. I rarely go to games and really only follow the Mariners on a regular basis, but I can tell you it's no longer named either of those officially. I couldn't tell you what it's now called, but on the rare occasion I head to the stadium it's engrained in me as "Bank One Ballpark" regardless of the marketing/sponsorship. The same will also go for SafeCo Field whenever I'm back up north as is the case most years. They can change the name but can't change how most major Mariners fans will refer to the ballpark. It'll always be SafeCo Field to me regardless.

Yeah, I still call it the Rose Garden in Portland - and I've only been a Blazer fan in earnest since the Sonics left.

 

[Cloud]

Yeah, I still call it the Rose Garden in Portland - and I've only been a Blazer fan in earnest since the Sonics left.

It’s funny, I noticed the name for the first time last year and I thought it was still Rose Garden all this time only to realize it had changed to Moda since 2013 after looking it up. I still call it Rose Garden.

 

[TheDayMan]

Gross...

 

[cezero]

They could call it "12 Time World Series Champions Park" for all it matters.

A cesspool by any other names would still smell as shitty.

Yeah, I'm drunk. Winter break for teachers yay

 

[wazzu31]

Yeah, I still call it the Rose Garden in Portland - and I've only been a Blazer fan in earnest since the Sonics left.

Fuck that name change, I went to an event a few years back and got lost as shit because I kept telling my wife to find the Rose Garden on google or look for Rose Garden signs. Didn’t even realize it had changed until I got there.

 

[wazzu31]

But eh, I don’t really care about the name change. I would really prefer they don’t emphasis the pink of T Mobile though. Mariners fans have suffered enough.

 

[Msfann]

I totally agree but from a marketing standpoint the team will not do it. To name something like this it needs to be through investors or privately funded entities... the M’s are certainly not going to dish out some money for something like this. “Dodgers Stadium” or “Yankee Stadium” are in a market where they are extremely profitable so they can do it.

According to reports, the T-Mobile deal is 87mil with 3.5mil annual. Across the side, CenturyLink is 4.5mil annual. These brand names are paying the sports teams for naming rights.

Overall, as much as we like it, the M’s are not in position to privately fund something like this long term.

What they could do as long as another partner is in play is name it “Neihaus Field at T-Mobile Park” — but obviously T-Mobile isn’t going to want that.

Edit: with my comment in regard to Yankees Stadium... it is both funded by the Yankees Organization and taxpayers.

Oh I get it, it's what pays the bills and it's an easy way to make money etc. I just meant I would prefer Dave's name is all. Maybe when I win the lottery that I never buy tickets for!

 

[blstoker]

Oh I get it, it's what pays the bills and it's an easy way to make money etc. I just meant I would prefer Dave's name is all. Maybe when I win the lottery that I never buy tickets for!

Some teams will actually name the actual playing surface....

Or, Dave Neihaus Field presented by T-Mobile

 

[Mariners_44]

I totally agree but from a marketing standpoint the team will not do it. To name something like this it needs to be through investors or privately funded entities... the M’s are certainly not going to dish out some money for something like this. “Dodgers Stadium” or “Yankee Stadium” are in a market where they are extremely profitable so they can do it.

According to reports, the T-Mobile deal is 87mil with 3.5mil annual. Across the side, CenturyLink is 4.5mil annual. These brand names are paying the sports teams for naming rights.

Overall, as much as we like it, the M’s are not in position to privately fund something like this long term.

What they could do as long as another partner is in play is name it “Neihaus Field at T-Mobile Park” — but obviously T-Mobile isn’t going to want that.

Edit: with my comment in regard to Yankees Stadium... it is both funded by the Yankees Organization and taxpayers.

Huh? How exactly are they not in a position to pay for this long term yet Kyle Seagar is getting paid close to $20 million a year? Dump his salary with Felix’s and there you go, “Remember 95 Field” it is.

 

[Duders]

Should have been VERIZON LOL

 

[Hillbillyzombie]

Fuck this name change, I'll take care of this

 

[Mariners_44]

Should have been VERIZON LOL

They went with a mediocre brand to follow suit with the product they put on the field.

 

[Cloud]

Huh? How exactly are they not in a position to pay for this long term yet Kyle Seagar is getting paid close to $20 million a year? Dump his salary with Felix’s and there you go, “Remember 95 Field” it is.

1) Because it's more likely going to require taxpayers money to chip in as well for a private name. I believe the taxpayers are still paying for the stadium. Taxpayers will not approve this.

2) Team performance. I referenced the Dodgers and Yankees because they are in a major market so there's no lacking in attendance. At one point last season, the team drew an all time low in attendance despite winning 89 games. This team has been irrelavent since 2003 and the attendance shows it. With their current mode, if this team continue to struggle and the M's don't change how they price their tickets and concessions, no one will go to games.

 

[Mariners_44]

1) Because it's more likely going to require taxpayers money to chip in as well for a private name. I believe the taxpayers are still paying for the stadium. Taxpayers will not approve this.

2) Team performance. I referenced the Dodgers and Yankees because they are in a major market so there's no lacking in attendance. At one point last season, the team drew an all time low in attendance despite winning 89 games. This team has been irrelavent since 2003 and the attendance shows it. With their current mode, if this team continue to struggle and the M's don't change how they price their tickets and concessions, no one will go to games.

I guess I just don't understand how this naming rights thing goes. To me it's a revenue source, but by no means is it completely necessary. The naming rights brings in revenue just like having bad contracts on the field becomes a wasted cost or overhead. I understand having naming rights because why turn down the opportunity to bring in money when your product is so bad, but having tax payers pay for a name doesn't make sense to me.