The Best North American Sports Venue Name Changes
Image Courtesy of Russian Machine Never Breaks.
By Sam Bergstrom
When it comes to professional sports arenas, ballparks, and stadiums, the names of these venues will either have a soothing sound or make fans cringe; there seems to be no in-between. Over the years, pro sports venues have changed their names for various reasons (usually financial), and it can often result in teams losing an integral part of their identity. However, there are also instances where a name change can enhance the personality of a team and give fans an increased sense of hope when they enter their secondary homes. Today, I am going to be positive and outline the best name changes from venues across major North American sports. Stay posted for the worst name changes in the weeks to come.
Image Courtesy of The New Orleans Saints.
NFL: Mercedes-Benz Superdome to Caesar’s Superdome
This unique home of the New Orleans Saints from 1975 to 2011 was originally called The Louisiana Superdome. The Superdome would woefully suffer damages in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina, and the Saints would be forced to play home games at different venues across the U.S during that season. In one of the most touching moments in NFL history, the Saints returned to the Superdome in 2006, pulling off an inspirational home-opening win against the Atlanta Falcons. After the Saints gained even more aura by winning Super Bowl XLIV, they decided to betray their Louisiana identity, morphing into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in 2011.
After ten years, the name was changed yet again, this time becoming the catchy Caesar’s Superdome in 2021. Despite how much sports gambling has engulfed American society, I think the Saints did a great job with this name change. Personally, I believe that Mercedes-Benz is far too luxurious a brand to be associated with this oddly-shaped building. If one thing is certain, I would be far more likely to think about gambling on American sports in the Superdome than to ponder about driving German automobiles. But, if it were up to me, this stadium would be called the Flying Saucer Superdome. Because, quite frankly, that is the only thing I see when I look at this structure (not meant to be a diss, by the way, flying saucers are awesome).
Image Courtesy of Front Office Sports.
NBA/NHL: Verizon Center to Capital One Arena
A core memory from my childhood was watching the Washington Wizards battle against the Boston Celtics in the 2017 Eastern Conference semi-final playoffs. In Game 6 of that series, John Wall hit an iconic game-winning three-pointer, sending Verizon Center into a frenzy. While Verizon Center had its fun moments from 2006 to 2017, I think Capital One Arena is a much more fitting name. After all, the arena is home to the Washington Capitals, so you might as well sport a company that has “Capital” in the title. Capital One Arena also gives off the vibe that “this is America’s arena” (even though this title officially belongs to Madison Square Garden in New York). When the Capitals took home the Stanley Cup in 2018, American sports pride was simply at an all-time high.
Image Courtesy of Expedia.
NHL: Pengrowth Saddledome to Scotiabank Saddledome
As far as I know, this is the only venue in professional sports that claims to be a “Saddledome.” This type of building sounds like it would be found in Texas, but the Scotiabank Saddledome is home to the Calgary Flames in Canada. Anywho, having your naming rights associated with an oil and gas company is never an elegant feeling. No offense to Pengrowth Energy, but Scotiabank gives off a more lavish vibe. Although banks usually have an unfair advantage concerning naming rights, at least Scotiabank Saddledome has some fun alliteration, and who doesn’t love alliteration?
Image Courtesy of Bakersfield Now.
MLB: Edison International Field to Angel Stadium
From 1966 to 1997, the California Angels’ original home was called Anaheim Stadium, a sweet and simple name. Despite changing their team name to the Anaheim Angels in 1998, Anaheim Stadium would turn into Edison International Field of Anaheim. Having your home city replaced by a public utility company had to sting for Halo fans, but at least their World Series title in 2002 made this ugly name easier to swallow. The ballpark was properly transfigured to Angel Stadium of Anaheim in 2004, and has thankfully remained the same since.
In my opinion, having a ballpark named after your team (ex: Yankee Stadium, Nationals Park) gives you no better sense of pride as a fan. You don’t have to associate yourself with a brand you’ve never heard of before, and don’t have to make up silly nicknames to make the venue sound cool—no offense to Eagles fans, but calling Lincoln Financial Center “the Linc” is just a bit outlandish. Overall, I think more teams should take a page out of the Angels’ playbook.
