Tom [Giants fan] Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 Bank One to be Bears' presenting sponsor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ESPN.com news services They are not just "da Bears" anymore. They are now "Bears football presented by Bank One." In an unprecedented NFL move, Bank One on Monday paid an undisclosed amount to be the Chicago Bears' "presenting partner" for the next 12 years, Knight-Ridder reported. Bank One is based in Chicago. Ted Phillips, the Bears' president and chief executive officer, told Knight-Ridder that the deal would bring "a new level of corporate partnership to the city of Chicago and the NFL.'' Actually, a commercial tie-in is nothing new for the Bears. Founded in 1920 as the Decatur Staleys, they were named after their sponsor, the A.E. Staley starch manufacturing company. They moved the next year and became the Chicago Staleys for a season. Then, playing in Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs, they became the Bears. As part of this newer deal, Bank One will get signs all over the stadium, advertisements on Bears' radio broadcasts and non-game television programs, the team's banking business, a presence at training camp, and a sponsorship role in the team's community outreach efforts, according to the news service. Also, the team will often make use of the phrase "Bears football presented by Bank One" on the air and in newspapers, according to Knight-Ridder. On rare occasions, sports teams have had presenting partners before. It has been commonplace for golf events, tennis tournaments and college bowl games to have them as well. However, this is a first for a NFL team, and it's one with an extremely high profile. "This strikes me as a dangerous precedent, maybe one step too far,'' Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon, told Knight-Ridder. "We've reached the point where to generate more revenue, everyone's diving into what seems to me to be a gray area.'' "It allows us to associate ourselves very closely with the team,'' Bank One spokesman Tom Kelly said. "It's really about visibility. We're reaffirming to the people of Chicago that we're Chicago's bank, that Chicago is important to us.'' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redman Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 Funny, I thought Ex Lax would be a better "presenter" of Bears football . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NASMTrainer Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 It was just a matter of time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gridironmike Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 This scares the hell out of me. being an opportunist, I could see Snyder jumping on something like this. I don't mind corporate sponsorship to a degree, but when teams start wearing little sponsor decals on their unis, thats enough. It works in racing and that is fine. I can live with that. Not on a football uniform. I hate that on the Arena unis and wish they would halt the practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poidog22 Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 Holy crap!!! Selling out the name of one of most storied franchises in league history....hope Snyder doesn't get wind of this!:laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gridironmike Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 And I do understand that this does not mean the Bears are getting ready to do this, but what is the next step??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Genius Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 Actually, I heard that each of the gates at the new Lincoln Field in Filthydelphia have a sponsor... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJWatson3 Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 poor bears fans.... first they screw with the stadium, now this... i'd bet that Bank One loses support in the city for this mmove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMac Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 Actually AJ, I was just in Chicago and had the opportunity to see the field and its pretty damn sweet. They still have the pillars and the old look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJWatson3 Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 i have been to the old stadium and loved it... but do you really think a majority of chicagoans will think the same? what about when the give wrigley a face-lift, or fenway in boston?? i don't think it is about how sweet the new stadium looks, but tradition! how would you feel if the redskins changed their name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redman Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 I think we should be the Poulon Weedeater Redskins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Trevor Posted June 24, 2003 Share Posted June 24, 2003 Originally posted by AJWatson3 i have been to the old stadium and loved it... but do you really think a majority of chicagoans will think the same? what about when the give wrigley a face-lift, or fenway in boston?? i don't think it is about how sweet the new stadium looks, but tradition! how would you feel if the redskins changed their name? As a guy who has been to Fenway lots of times, I'd have to say that I would be extremely happy if they built a new stadium. Sure I love the history of Fenway, but the seats face the wrong way(most face the outfield rather than home plate for those who don't know) and you have no room between people. Plus then they would have more money to compete with the Yankees and then there's that curse which would be nice to be rid of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just skins baby Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 How about "Planters peanuts proudly presents....The Redskins" or The Idaho Association of Potato growers brings you the Redskins!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70Chip Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I agree with Mike -- Dan "Hurry, they're going fast" Snyder will be all over this. We really ought to get one of the tribes with casinos to sponsor the Redskins. Failing that, maybe some sort of suitably kick-ass product or company, like "The Washington Redskins, brought to you by Boeing, makers of the B-2 Stealth Bomber." Heck, the Padres are sponsored by a tribe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeSkin Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 This stupid agreeement is going to hurt both parties. The Bears will forever be known as the first team to sell out their name, and Bank One, who shelled out millions of dollars will never reap the benefits because who in their right mind will refer to the Bears as "the Bears presented by Bank One"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJWatson3 Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 i hope they never replace fenway-- i love that joint!! same goes for wrigley...... is nothing sacred? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckydevil Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I am pretty sure teams in Europe do this. To be honest I do not have any problems with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golgo-13 Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 Over in Europe all the big soccer teams have sponsors on their jerseys. I could honestly see us headed in that direction VERY soon. I'm sure that the corporate sponsors salivate at the possibility of having "Esskay Beef Franks" right on Tracy McGrady's jersey, etc. I could see us being there very soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdsknbill Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 Originally posted by SkinsFan56 Actually AJ, I was just in Chicago and had the opportunity to see the field and its pretty damn sweet. They still have the pillars and the old look. 56, I was in Chicago last week. Yes, they kept the pillars and some of the older look. The problem is that they parked this butt ugly glass and steel blimp over the stands. It houses the luxury suites. One of my reps says that the designer did such a wonderful job, that half of the suites have an obstructed view. They took a beautiful old stadium and made it look like something out of a bad "B" space movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsBry Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 Hmmm, Dallas Cowboys football presented by the country of Columbia. Or, Dallas Cowboys football brought to you by the Texas Pennal System. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom [Giants fan] Posted June 26, 2003 Author Share Posted June 26, 2003 You know, I'm not going to use a product just because I see it on a team's uniform. I am going to use a product that I need, not that I see on Michael Strahan's shoulder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted June 26, 2003 Share Posted June 26, 2003 Now, otoh, how many people said exactly the same thing when they renamed Candlestick? (I think they were the first to sell "naming rights", weren't they?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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