All signs are pointing towards the A’s building their new stadium in Fremont, about halfway between Oakland and San Jose. The A’s are apparently close to a deal with Cisco Systems to purchase the land in question.
One of the last remaining issues is naming rights to the stadium. I guess Cisco Systems wants the field named after them, since they’re providing the land, but apparently, Lew Wolff already has another company lined up for naming rights.
Just to put to rest any potential speculation, that mystery company is not mine. The new stadium won’t be called Toaster Field, even though I do think that “Toaster Field” would be a great name for a ballpark.
Here are the top three contenders for naming the new ballpark:
1. Gap Park.
The founders of Gap, Inc., the Fisher family, also own the A’s. It’s the easy choice.
2. Cisco Field.
Cisco provides the land, they get the naming rights. OK, not a bad name. Everytime the A’s win in exciting comeback fashion, we’d be hearing about the “Cisco Kids”. But Wolff has other ideas, like maybe…
3. EBay Field.
Now this would be brilliant. You call the A’s the “East Bay Athletics”. They’d play in “EBay Field”. You get Bud Selig to agree that everywhere that “East Bay” needs to be abbreviated in Major League Baseball — on scoreboards, in domain names, whatever — it’s abbreviated EBay. You’d not only be selling naming rights to the stadium, you’d be selling naming rights to the team itself. How much money would that be worth? And if people complain that it’s a horrible commercial sellout, you just say, well, it’s only a pleasant coincidence.
And here’s another pleasant coincidence: Meg Whitman, President and CEO of EBay, is on the Board of Directors for Gap, Inc.. Think the A’s know how to get in touch with her?
I have no idea if this is actually in the works; it’s all just speculation on my part. But it’s just too good an idea not to happen. EBay Field. Get used to it.
1. EBay Field? East Bay Athletics?
Blecch. I think I just puked in my mouth.
2. Is East Bay Athletics what they're likely to be called? It sounds a little like a chain of nutrition stores. I guess that's better than the Fremont Athletics -- which is even stupider than putting Anahiem in your team name.
I think they oughta just keep Oakland. Heck, the New York Giants play in New Jersey, and the Los Angeles Angels play in, you know, Anahiem.
3. I don't think that's what they're likely to be called, unless they get EBay as a sponsor, as I speculate above.
Otherwise, I think they will change their name to whatever their studies show them will help them sell the most advertising. Somehow, I doubt that name will be "Oakland", but I could be wrong.
4. Well, I don't care what they end up naming it officially. I'm going to call it Toaster Field.
5. I suspect rather than Oakland or East Bay, the name will more likely wind up being "the Las Vegas Athletics," but then, I'm a bit of pessimist at heart.
6. I suspect rather than Oakland or East Bay, the name will more likely wind up being "the Las Vegas Athletics," but then, I'm a bit of pessimist at heart.
7. Alright Ken, you'd better write Wolff, or get it to him through Blez or something. Let's face it, there's no way the suits are gonna think of something punny like EBay Athletics.
And why not do both Ebay Athletics and Cisco Field - the latter sounds better than Ebay Field.
8. How's this: the (San Fran) Cisco EBay (of Oakland) Athletics playing at (San Fran) Cisco EBay (of Oakland) Field?
9. Perhaps that should read: (San Fran) Cisco EBay (of Oakland) Athletics playing at (San Fran) Cisco EBay (of Fremont) Field?
10. Can you say Oracle A's? Word has it Ellison found out about the potential move to Fremont and will be doing a hostile takeover over the team, moving them to Redwood Shores and building a floating ballpark in the Bay. Good news though - season ticketholders get free Ferry service from Oakland on Larry's yacht.