COMMENTARY: What’s In A Name? Some Say Millions

The other day, I was driving along Archibald Yell Boulevard in Fayetteville and made the turn onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. I was on my way to the John Paul Hammerschmidt Highway, so I could head north to the J. William Fulbright Expressway.

I was thinking about the article I’d read a few days earlier describing a Washington State lawmaker’s idea to name publicly owned facilities after people. Why hasn’t someone thought of this before?

The lawmaker adds a twist, however. Witness to serious budget cuts some state and local governments have had to make in recent years, Republican Rep.

Jan Angel says one way to generate new revenue without raising taxes is to sell naming rights to publicly owned facilities.

This notion certainly isn’t unheard of. My little journey took me pretty close to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, a moniker added in 1999 to reflect a contribution of $20 million from the foundation that bears Reynolds’ name. The stadium encircles Frank Broyles Field, which the former coach and athletic director earned over the course of 50 years at the helm of Razorback athletics.

Most of these pay-for-naming scenarios involve corporations. The Razorbacks’ other “home” site, War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, became the site of AT&T Field in 2010 when the communication behemoth agreed to a 10-year, $1.8 million deal.

Embracing private corporations presents a few challenges. Perhaps the most dicey is the public entity’s inability to control the image of its “partner.” That’s why a lot of facilities are named in honor of dead people. Their records are pretty well established and unchanging.

In Houston, that ball field where the Astros play was known when it opened in 2000 as Enron Field, sponsored by the locally based energy and financial company. The ball club couldn’t get out from under that fast enough when the company failed as part of a huge corporate scandal.

But, not to be squeezed out of the naming rights business, the team in 2002 found $170 million from Houston-based Minute Maid of orange juice fame quite appealing. MinuteMaid Park was born.

My high school went through similar issues.

Opened in 1970, it’s known as Wilbur D. Mills High School. He represented Arkansas in Congress from 1939 to 1977, becoming one of the most powerful politicians in Washington, D.C. His downfall started when U.S. Park Police found him in a car, drunk, with a stripper known as Fanne Foxe who tried to escape by leaping into the city’s Tidal Basin. His name remains on the school, which to my knowledge has never installed any water features.

There are concerns.

In Washington State, some believe the sale of naming rights would give the appearance that government influence is for sale. I suppose there’s a danger of that. One would suspect it if the Arkansas’ center of government was renamed The Tyson Foods State Capitol or the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System Capitol Building. Maybe the state could just sell parts of it. Men could step into the Oaklawn Jockey Club Bathroom Stalls or we’d see the Hair Club for Men Capital Dome.

The real rub will come when a financially ailing government agency needs the cash but long ago named a facility in honor of someone of influence.

If Cabela’s or Bass Pro Shops wanted to buy the naming rights to the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center, would the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission be able to resist? Could Arkansas Parks and Tourism withstand the temptation if Hugh Hefner oftered millions for the grand facility south of Clarksville to become The Lodge at Mount Playboy Magazine?

The recent story noted lawmakers in Virginia allowed the state to sell naming rights to bridges and roads. GEICO, know for its ambling gecko, signed a $2 million annual contract for naming rights on the state’s 43 highway rest areas.

I prefer the old-fashioned method of naming public facilities in honor of people who have contributed hard work and energy to community issues rather than just entities with deep pockets.

Rogers, for example, just named the football stadium after Whitey Smith, a man who has devoted himself to helping Rogers schools and others for 50 years.

That being said, the name of this column is available for $20.2 million, but its subject matter would probably involve more palm trees and sand if someone makes an ofter for the naming rights.

GREG HARTON IS OPINION PAGE EDITOR FOR NWA MEDIA.

Opinion, Pages 5 on 02/04/2013

Upcoming Events