Facility Notes
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ZD Studio Gives Packers Design Help
During Reconstruction Of Lambeau Field |
In Milwaukee, Don Walker profiles branding firm ZD Studios, whose "handiwork is perhaps best known at Lambeau Field." When the Packers began the $295M reconstruction of the stadium, team officials "brought in ZD Studios to give the building a look and feel that helped define the franchise's long and lustrous history." ZD also played a "large role at and inside" the Univ. of Wisconsin's (UW) athletic facilities. ZD "developed a visual identity plan that they believed created a bond between students, alumni and the city." UW AD Barry Alvarez: "I really felt they had a plan on marketing and labeling and bringing things to life here. They seemed to tie everything together" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/30).
PSLs: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick wrote, "The media in this town -- print, TV and radio -- have for years allowed the local teams and their Manhattan-based leagues to get away with systemic, broad-daylight rip-offs and holdups of their most devoted customers without even offering brief, token protest." And now, with the Giants and Jets "on the verge of the greatest shake-down in this region's sports history," with the idea of PSLs, "the media's virtual silence again can be relied upon" (N.Y. POST, 6/29). SPORTINGNEWS.com's Mike Florio wrote the "best evidence of the [NFL's] stature is the continuing viability" of the PSL. A "more accurate title might be 'personal sucker license.'" Florio: "Why not just increase the price of tickets?" From a "supply-and-demand standpoint, it makes perfect sense to charge more for tickets." However, "extra charges like PSLs at some point will strip the sport of what made it great: Accessibility to the average fan" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 6/27).
EAGLES: In Philadelphia, A.J. Thomson writes since opening Lincoln Financial Field in '03, the Eagles have "grossed a shade under $1[B]." The Eagles' "annual revenue is more than $200[M], with estimated operating income over $50[M]." With "all this money, the Eagles are a big player in a number of worthy charitable endeavors." They "know their place in our community." However, "despite this revenue, a clear commitment to the community and a taxpayer-subsidized stadium, the Eagles still have an outstanding debt to the city of about $8[M]." To date, the Eagles have "disputed this bill for a variety of reasons." But eight million dollars-plus "isn't chump change" and the money "could fund a host of worthwhile programs in various city departments" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 6/30).
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