What’s In A Name Anyway?

Representatives Dennis Kucinich and Ted Poe are urging the Obama administration to get Citigroup out of Citi Field. They are demanding that to 20-year/$400 million deal be dropped because of a $45 billion bailout and because 50,000 employees will be losing their jobs.

I never liked the name Citi Field. To me, it sounded kind of silly. Even sillier was the explanation that it was the city’s field. Or something like that. Like, what happens if the Mets are bad? Are we as fans going to dub it Chitty Field?

Of course, there have been talks of Taxpayer Field. I would hope that if this happened, the Taxpayers would get to name the field and name it something reasonable.

Before Citigroup swooped in and purchased the naming rights, the new ballpark was slated to be called Mets Ballpark. Not corporate? Check! Something we as fans can live with? Check! Still wishing this could happen? I know I am.

We called Shea Stadium home from 1964-2008. We’ve had good times and bad times. And sure, Shea Stadium was a giant blue cupcake with unsanitary bathrooms, but it was OUR giant blue cupcake with unsanitary bathrooms. Would I be opposed to New Shea Stadium? No, considering the Cardinals have been through 3 Busch Stadiums.

Of course, I also wouldn’t be objected to changing the name all together. If it were my choice, I would either name it after Joan Whitney Payson or our greatest Met, Tom Seaver. Personally, Payson Field or Seaver Field has a much better ring to it than Citi Field.

Whether the Obama administration orders Citigroup to forfeit the naming rights or not, we still have a new home to look forward to in 2009. I think I’ll be happy as long as we don’t end up in Wilpon’s Tomb.