The NFL "always is looking for ways to generate new revenue," so putting virtual ads on the field in the next round of TV contracts "has to be tempting," according to Ben Volin of the BOSTON GLOBE. But this is "not an area to be messed with." Toyota ads displayed virtually on the playing surface during a 49ers preseason game earlier this month "were so universally hated" in S.F. that the company "agreed to curtail them for the rest of the preseason." The NFL "should consider banning the ads in preseason games, as well." The Saints' red zone during last week's preseason game against the Titans "had the giant words 'Slap Ya Mama' superimposed on the field -- an ad for a Cajun hot sauce company." The slogan is "probably not a message any team should be promoting," particularly in the wake of Ravens RB Ray Rice’s "lenient two-game suspension for domestic violence." The red zone ads, "if nothing else, make the NFL look tacky" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/17). In N.Y., Bob Raissman wrote NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should "look into the message league sponsors are sending." Considering recent events involving Rice, and the NFL’s "new focus on domestic violence, someone at the league may want to encourage the Saints" to pull the hot sauce ad from future telecasts (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/17).
LIKE A BOSE: In Boston, Callum Borchers noted the headsets worn by NFL coaches this season "now bear the logo" of Bose. The insignia of Motorola "adorned the headsets for 13 years before last season, when the NFL went without a sponsor." While financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, the headset is "considered valuable real estate." Sources estimated that Motorola was paying about $40M per year before its contract expired, and the NFL "reportedly rejected the company’s offer to increase the annual rights fee" to $50M. A key factor in "driving up the value of the headset sponsorship is the rare opportunity to place a company logo on the field." While TV viewers "might be able to avoid commercials, they can’t help but see 'Bose' every time cameras show coaches calling plays or referees reviewing close calls at instant replay booths" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/16).
