Mayor Wellington Webb "urged" a delay in a naming rights
deal for the new Broncos stadium, wanting first to explore
the value of retaining the Mile High name and to put the
naming issue to a public vote, according to Gutierrez &
Sprengelmeyer of the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS. Webb said, "If
it's going to be a public stadium anyway, why not let the
public vote on it." Ernst & Young has been asked to
determine the value of the Mile High Stadium trademark name.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Football Stadium District
said that they have "absolutely no intention of altering or
delaying [the naming rights deal] for any reason" (ROCKY
MOUNTAIN NEWS, 10/29). In Denver, Cindy Brovsky wrote that
the District will continue negotiations for a naming rights
deal, even as the appraisal of the potential marketing value
of the city-owned trademark of the Mile High Stadium name is
evaluated by Ernst & Young. District Exec Dir Tim Romani
admits that the Mile High name does have tourism value, but
the value is "not due to any association" with the stadium.
Romani: "The stadium in and of itself has little marketing
value. The value is the team that plays there and the events
that take place there" (D. POST, 10/29). Brovsky also noted
that the Broncos have hired a marketing firm to help sell the
naming rights to potential buyers. Although the District is
overseeing the negotiations and will make the "final
decision" on the deal, the Broncos have reviewed the
proposals. Romani is scheduled to make a recommendation to
the nine board members of the District, but until then, the
board has asked not to be involved (DENVER POST, 10/29).
UP FOR BID: Webb, on companies seeking naming rights:
"My position is that everything in life is too unsettled.
Utility companies want to deregulate. With phone companies,
you don't know who's handling your calls -- AT&T, MCI,
Sprint. ... Banks change names so fast, the names on your
checks don't correspond to who owns the bank. ... Why would
you sell an identifiable icon, even for millions of dollars?
We're a Western city, a new city that doesn't have many
icons. Once they're gone, they're gone" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/29).
