New Arena Name

[jmarkross]

I still say it will be the Little Debbie Dome...

[dmoor82]

Would'nt it be cool if it were named The Devon Energy Arena and The lighting on The arena matched The Devon Tower?or is that over doing it?

[jmarkross]

Would'nt it be cool if it were named The Devon Energy Arena and The lighting on The arena matched The Devon Tower?or is that over doing it?

Good idea. Proximity is everything.

[HOT ROD]

I dont think Devon can nor should sponsor EVERYTHING in OKC. It really makes the city look small time.

I like Hertz, it is a world brand and has significant ops in OKC as it's #2 city. Very appropriate and almost as good as the Ford label. I like it, now the quesiton is - why did Bennett take away Ford without having the contract from Hertz (or whoever)? Particularly with the season in play AND OKC being on TV a LOT this year. That was a blunder move on his part, not to mention the money he was getting from the Ford deal - however little it was, it was more than what he's getting now and Ford/having 'world' brand naming rights lended very big credibility to OKC.

[oneforone]

Somebody may have mentioned this however, I am just not feeling up to reading the whole thread:

I think the Thunder and the City of Oklahoma City wanted way too much money when it came to the new terms of the contract. Oklahoma Ford Dealers probably laughed at and walked away. Every other organization that could afford it probably thought it was an outrageous number as well. I am sure they heard a term similar to "Call us when you the team has the fame and notoriety of the LA Lakers or the Chicago Bulls. I have feeling most major sponsors see the Oklahoma City Thunder the same way I do. In 5-10 years they will be sold off to some other owner who will once again pick up the team and move them to a city who already has a major league presence. A city who already has MLB, NFL and in need of an NBA team. The Thunder will be like every other sports novelty in this state. When the team first comes to town, everybody goes to the games. In 3,4,5 years the novelty wears off and people go back to business as usual. College Football is the only thing that has a serious following in this state. Most of the people that go to the games go because they went with their Dad, Dad went with grandpa, grandpa went with great grandpa and great grandpa went with great great grandpa and so on. In otherwords it is a family tradition that has been going since the stone age.

[Larry OKC]

We are already in year 5 with the NBA (2 years with the Hornets and this is the 3rd season for the Thunder. Last I heard, attendance has remained fairly constant over that period.

[dcsooner]

We are already in year 5 with the NBA (2 years with the Hornets and this is the 3rd season for the Thunder. Last I heard, attendance has remained fairly constant over that period.

Larry,
Is that you? saying something positive? You are right. I live in VA and am a season ticket holder for the Thunder. I will be in town Wednesday to attend games on Wed and Friday. In town again on 11/24 for the Dallas Game and again in March. I believe the Thunder will remain in OKC, but as was stated the allegience will have to be grown via new generations of fans. The Thunder are methodical in their growth process and I am thoroughly encouraged by the detail and professionalism of the organization. The citizens of OKC and Oklahoma for that matter will not allow failure, its not in our blood.

[kevinpate]

... In otherwords it is a family tradition that has been going since the stone age.

I'm never going to be confused for a b-baller fanatic, but I catch them, and fan shots occasionally on the telly. I also see fan families out and about the metro.
For what it's worth, locally this is b-balls stone age, and a significant passle of new traditions are already forged and more are arising.

[bombermwc]

I'm not sure what the sudden fascination with Hertz is on here these days. Why would they suddenly decide after alllllll these DECADES, to start naming things? They've been in a terrible financial state for years, so it's not like they have extra cash to throw around on something that doesn't really have a return. It's advertising, but when was the last time you went to Staples instead of Office Depot because an arena has their name on it....or used American Airlines over Southwest? The product sells itself, not an arena. So for Hertz, what do they get out of it except paying a lot of money? At least the local Ford dealers could say they were a grass roots effort to support the local facility. Hertz isn't really local...they're up in NJ/NY, we're just the cheap labor operations bottom-o-the-bucket employees. They've already started outsourcing some jobs to contractors here to cut more costs. They moved some jobs OUT of OKC as well. I just don't get why so many people have this bug in their rear thinking Hertz is some magical fix for things these days. They aren't gonna do jack.

[okcpulse]

The Thunder will be like every other sports novelty in this state. When the team first comes to town, everybody goes to the games. In 3,4,5 years the novelty wears off and people go back to business as usual.

I beg to differ. The Oklahoma City Blazers experienced consistent attendance figures for 17 years. The only reason the franchise folded was due to interest moving up to AHL. If they had ANY financial difficulty, it was because someone didn't keep the books. The RedHawks have been around since 1962. Minor league fly-by-might teams is something Oklahoma City never supported. This is where we fail to give Oklahoma City credit in that its populous wants the read deal, not imitation or in most cases minor league sports. Both hockey and baseball are the lasting minor-league staples in the city. Nothing else will make it unless it is a professional team.

Let's quickly go over the teams that failed, and why...

Oklahoma City Cavalry 1990-1995. CBA=minor league basketball. Eventually the entire league folded. Nothing says basketball worse than minor league basketball. It in itself is a failed concept.

Oklahoma Coyotes - 1995-1996. RHI=minor league... roller hockey? Fly-by-night. Period. What were they thinking? It would have been better off in Edmond.

Oklahoma Wranglers - 2000-2002... I think. AFL. Arena football is nice. It, but just isn't football. The real deal.

Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz - AF2. A step down. I hope someone realizes by now that arena football simply does not work in Oklahoma City.

Sports novelty, yes. But MINOR LEAGUE sports novelty. National sports writers undermine Oklahoma City's support and knowledge of basketball. They clearly didn't do their homework with OSU basketball and its glory days of a packed Gallager-Iba Arena, or OU basketball, or even the NCAA Basketball tournaments that always did so well in Oklahoma City.

You can't blindly assume that college football is the only sport that has a serious following in this state when we have a pro basketball team, the real deal, that has already struck a chord with the city and state. Heck, even now many of the serious OU and OSU football fans I know now pair OU and the Thunder in their sports priorities. Hence, the Thunder is now taken as seriously as college football. Like Larry said, we are in year 5 with the the NBA. Thunder fans are still packing the house. It is what it is.

[FritterGirl]

They've been in a terrible financial state for years, so it's not like they have extra cash to throw around on something that doesn't really have a return.

It's not Hertz. There are plenty of hints in the other thread on this very topic. Not only that, but my husband works at Hertz. As you said, bomber, they don't exactly have free cash to spend on these types of extravagances. They're too busy spending money on worthless consultants teaching their employees how to "huddle" and stand up in meetings. (No joke). I am just an outside observer for the most part, but I've never seen this company make any really wise business decision when it comes to basic operations.

[metro]

Would'nt it be cool if it were named The Devon Energy Arena and The lighting on The arena matched The Devon Tower?or is that over doing it?

No

[metro]

It's not Hertz. There are plenty of hints in the other thread on this very topic. Not only that, but my husband works at Hertz. As you said, bomber, they don't exactly have free cash to spend on these types of extravagances. They're too busy spending money on worthless consultants teaching their employees how to "huddle" and stand up in meetings. (No joke). I am just an outside observer for the most part, but I've never seen this company make any really wise business decision when it comes to basic operations.

I still say Midfirst Arena

[dmoor82]

No

No that its not over doing it,or no as in no in The whole idea?

[okclee]

No.

whole idea.

[dmoor82]

I agree with you guys, I was just throwing it out there!

[HOT ROD]

very good points Larry. oneforone - you're forgetting one thing in your thinking about the Thunder but you posted it in your thinking about college football - that is, generations of fans were created that follow the OU Sooner football (in particular, no offense OSU) - as kids went with their dad and their grand dad and so on.

This is how it is even in major leagues too, and this is why many Seattleites legitimately felt betraid by the NBA. The Sonics had a very strong core following in Seattle, but as the city got other franchises - Seattle really wasn't big enough to keep the audience on basketball, especially when the team was virtually disbanded (and this happened before Bennett got there). However, most people who lived in Seattle longer than 10 years have an attachment to the Sonics brand, even myself even though I am an OKC expat; but I was here during the 1990's glory days of Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton battling Michael Jordan and the league. That gets into your blood and doesn't leave, even though you may not care about the recent product - and Seattle IS a very much bandwagon city.

Nevertheless, I was very happy when Bennett bought the team - I know they were moving to OKC. And I was fine with it. I felt the Sonics were not the same and they needed a change. and OKC needed the team - so to me it was a good fit. Now back to my point.

As time goes by, kids will grow up with the Thunder as their team. Sure, you and I old enough, we know OKC without a major league team. But kids will ONLY know OKC as one of the major league cities - and their team is the Thunder. Kevin Durant is class class class, and he IS pro-OKC as can be. We should give him the KEY and let him do whatever he wants because he is making OKC become big league all by himself. Well, this will grow on people and especially kids - they will always associate the Thunder with OKC, and as OKC's team. Very similarly to what is done with the Sooners, dads will take their sons/daughters to the NBA game; and those times will mean something - just like it does in MOST other major league cities.

Im not saying it works everywhere, because Memphis seems to have problems - but I think OKC is different, the city seeks a major league team (or two) and the support will be there. Maybe not every seat will be filled, but they will be paid for. And as long as the team continues to grow and at least try to do well - I don't see OKC ever without a pro team again.

One final point, NBA is not football - so that also gives the city a cachet for supporting a pro team. If we instead had the NFL, it would be very difficult. See New Orleans for example (they have a top college bball but NO football, so NFL works great there and NBA is not so). OKC 'fortunately' doesn't really have a top college bball club - OU and OSU are more or less middle of the pack.

[Dustin]

Super Sonic Cheeseburger Dome!

[Steve]

Walmart Center

[Patrick]

Walmart Center

I hope this is a joke, but I wouldn't be surprised.

My guess is it will probably be the Gaylord Family Memorial Center, or NewsOK Center, or something like that. The Oklahoman has to have their name on everything around here.

[Steve]

It's a joke ... as far as I know.

[Rover]

I hope this is a joke, but I wouldn't be surprised.

My guess is it will probably be the Gaylord Family Memorial Center, or NewsOK Center, or something like that. The Oklahoman has to have their name on everything around here.

Shoot, there's an easy fix to this. Either quit asking them for money or they can quit giving money and we can quit naming things for them. Or is that you want them to just give money and then go away?

[okclee]

Tulsa Arena!

[jmarkross]

Walmart Center

Now THIS--is a great idea. God knows--it would be "giving back" to the community it serves...

[metro]

I don't think Walmart Arena is even realistic, BUT I'd be OK with that honestly. Naming rights are about 1 thing to the owners of a pro team - MONEY. To a City it is exposure. Walmart is the biggest retailer in the world, like it or hate it. With HOTROD's theory in mind, there doesn't get any more brand awareness than Walmart.