American Football: Network Associates to change name

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS. THIS MAKES ME SO MAD. WHAT A WIMPY NAME FOR SUCH A TOUGH TEAM!


McAfee Coliseum? Get used to it
Bay City News




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Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente and Alameda County Board of Supervisors President Gail Steele both said today that they were taken by surprise by a sudden decision to change the name of the Oakland Coliseum, the home of the Oakland A's and Oakland Raiders.

The stadium has been known as the Network Associates Coliseum since 1998, but Network Associates announced on Thursday that it plans to change the name to the McAfee Coliseum because the company is renaming itself McAfee Inc. to focus on security products and services. The name change is expected to take effect sometime this summer.

Steele, who serves with De La Fuente and other elected officials on the Joint Powers Authority that oversees Coliseum affairs, said, "I didn't know anything about it until I read about it in the newspaper this morning."

De La Fuente said, "It was a surprise to me and many other people."

He said, "It would have been nice to know. We wanted to be notified - it goes both ways."

Officials at Network Associates, which is based in Santa Clara, couldn't be reached for comment.

Network Associates bought the Coliseum naming rights in 1998 for $13.2 million over 10 years. The naming rights revenue is split between the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority and the Oakland Raiders.

The Joint Powers Authority has the right to disapprove the name change, but Steele said that as a practical matter it doesn't have much control over the issue because Network Associates could withdraw its money if the JPA doesn't go along, and the county and city need all the revenue they can get.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

De La Fuente said, "The reality is that they're paying us for the naming rights."

As for the new name, De La Fuente said, "I have no opinion one way or the other. What can I say?"

Steele also said she doesn't have strong feelings about the name.

"I would imagine we'd go along with the new name, although it's unknown to all of us," she said. "It's like what happened to Pac Bell Park in San Francisco. We got used to it, then they changed it to SBC Park."

Steele said she's more concerned about making sure the new signs at the Coliseum are attractive and in good taste.

"I'm not a fan of advertising and I'm never complimentary of signs, but I'm very satisfied with the Network Associates signs they have there now," she said.

Steele said, "I want the new signs to be equally tasteful."

The Coliseum Arena, where the Golden State Warriors play their basketball games, also may undergo a name change, as Warriors officials are in talks to sell the naming rights to Newark-based Ross Stores Inc.

Steele said the JPA doesn't have any input on that subject and the Warriors control the naming rights at the arena.

i dont reayll know anything about american football, but i prefer the name raiders,

with colisuem, it makes them sound old and more of an antique

I guess in a way it does. Oh well. Can't change the name until after I take over the world.......

Originally posted by BgirlRAIDERETTE20
I guess in a way it does. Oh well. Can't change the name until after I take over the world.......

just one thing, when you do that, remember not to censor sportz tawk