^ For ten years? With hopes to re-up? I don't see it. I fully embrace the new alliance with Yum! Brands.....I like it, and think it bodes well for the arena's success in the future. I tend to feel we all want that to happen.

They got the naming rights for just $1.35 million a year? Good Lord, that's a freakin' drop in the bucket when you consider the total cost of the arena. What a joke. That makes me even more angry that they sold out for so cheap. :madman:

 

^ For ten years? With hopes to re-up? I don't see it. I fully embrace the new alliance with Yum! Brands.....I like it, and think it bodes well for the arena's success in the future. I tend to feel we all want that to happen.

 

Again, we're not talking about $20 million a year here. There are people in L'ville who can afford it.

They got the naming rights for just $1.35 million a year? Good Lord, that's a freakin' drop in the bucket when you consider the total cost of the arena. What a joke. That makes me even more angry that they sold out for so cheap. :madman:

 

 

 

Again, we're not talking about $20 million a year here. There are people in L'ville who can afford it.

 

The arena authority accepted bids for it. It seems obvious that no one else stepped up enough to get the naming rights swayed another way. I guess I am confused at the disdain towards Yum! being the apparent top bidder. As it stands, its a moot point. Let's move forward and enjoy the fact that the city of Louisville will now have the two premier athletic venues in the state. Albeit, not for long, IMO.

Let me also state, I would rather have had it called something along the lines of the Derby Center, etc....it just didn't happen. I do, however, like where it stands now.

The arena authority accepted bids for it. It seems obvious that no one else stepped up enough to get the naming rights swayed another way. I guess I am confused at the disdain towards Yum! being the apparent top bidder. As it stands, its a moot point. Let's move forward and enjoy the fact that the city of Louisville will now have the two premier athletic venues in the state. Albeit, not for long, IMO.

 

You don't "accept bids" from individuals. You solicit donations. Something tells me they didn't work too hard trying reach the philanthropic community.

 

And it's not disdain toward Yum, per se, I'm just generally anti-corporate. Especially so when it comes to this kind of thing. It's not as though the corporation is doing this out of the goodness of its own heart the way an individual donor would. Yum is using it as a dirt-cheap national ad buy, which is essentially what it is when you consider how many nationally-televised games will originate from there over the course of a season.

Kentucky already takes 5x the amount of fans to the tourney locations than the arena actually holds, so is it really that imperative for UK to have that "advantage?" How much more of an advantage does UK really need in the SEC tourney?

 

In addition, the city of Louisville wouldn't really get that big of a benefit from hosting the way other tourney sites do. The other SEC schools have shown repeatedly how little they care about basketball. Plus, most of the people (UK fans) who would attend won't be staying in local hotels, and probably wouldn't even be spending money at local restaurants, given how most of the rest of the state thinks of Louisville as a foreign country to be avoided at all cost.

Jim, I talked to several UK fans yesterday and everyone of the out-of-town fans would definitely stay in Louisville for this. I think you underestimate how many UK fans travel to the site of the SEC tourny just to be around the atmosphere. I'm not saying this would happen. But I do believe you dismiss the actual benefit Louisville would get from hosting this.

Let me also state, I would rather have had it called something along the lines of the Derby Center, etc....it just didn't happen. I do, however, like where it stands now.

That would have been an excellent name.

Jim, I talked to several UK fans yesterday and everyone of the out-of-town fans would definitely stay in Louisville for this. I think you underestimate how many UK fans travel to the site of the SEC tourny just to be around the atmosphere. I'm not saying this would happen. But I do believe you dismiss the actual benefit Louisville would get from hosting this.

Exactly. By that rationale, there would not have been near the number of people in Nashville this past season with Kentucky being in close proximity. And that certainly was not the case.

You don't "accept bids" from individuals. You solicit donations. Something tells me they didn't work too hard trying reach the philanthropic community.

 

And it's not disdain toward Yum, per se, I'm just generally anti-corporate. Especially so when it comes to this kind of thing. It's not as though the corporation is doing this out of the goodness of its own heart the way an individual donor would. Yum is using it as a dirt-cheap national ad buy, which is essentially what it is when you consider how many nationally-televised games will originate from there over the course of a season.

 

The problem comes in exactly how you want the philanthropy divided. For huge donors like Owsley Frazier, a lot of his expected donations get earmarked before he ever gets the money. A great deal of his money has gone to Cardinal Park and it's been a phenomenal use of his donations. Besides, if I had to choose where massive individual donations would go at the University of Louisville, I sure don't want them going to a basketball facility. Corporations don't donate to the music school or the Center for Environmental Science studies, individuals do, and I wouldn't want and money that could be going to them being solicited by the athletic department.

I don't necessarily like the name Yum, either, but is it any worse than Dunkin' Donuts Center (which I think is Providence's)?

Proceeds from naming rights were factored into the budget when financing the arena was being considered.

I always thought Freedom Hall was a beautiful, majestic name but we live in different times now. How many major arenas do not have a corporate name in their official name? Very few, I would guess. Anyway, the name is not that important to the success of the venue.

Honestly I don't care about the name. Most every new stadium/arena sells the naming rights these days.

 

All I know is it looks like an outstanding arena, even if it is called the KFC Taco Bell Pizza Hut Yum! Center.

And it's not disdain toward Yum, per se, I'm just generally anti-corporate. Especially so when it comes to this kind of thing. It's not as though the corporation is doing this out of the goodness of its own heart the way an individual donor would. Yum is using it as a dirt-cheap national ad buy, which is essentially what it is when you consider how many nationally-televised games will originate from there over the course of a season.

 

I know you are a very intelligent person, but let me set you straight on something I know quite a bit about. The uber-wealthy of our country donate the most money to charities, schools, etc....they don't do it out of the goodness of their heart. They do it, understanding that it either go to good, or for Uncle Sam's misuse.

Exactly. By that rationale, there would not have been near the number of people in Nashville this past season with Kentucky being in close proximity. And that certainly was not the case.

 

Apples and pianos.....to think there are close to as many UK fans within 60 miles of Nash-vegas as there is to Louisville is ludicrous. The SEC tourney here would do well for the town, but nearly what it did for Nashville.

Apples and pianos.....to think there are close to as many UK fans within 60 miles of Nash-vegas as there is to Louisville is ludicrous. The SEC tourney here would do well for the town, but nearly what it did for Nashville.

Well, duh it is within the state of Kentucky :lol: I was just making the point that Nashville is located where a multitude of fans could drive to Nashville for the day and drive home.

Parking will still be a nightmare and I wish UL had managed to get it on campus, but that's just me.

 

Parking will be a nightmare and there is no solution to fix it.