I too lament the commercialization of sports, breaking down the illusion of Local Teams in favor of businesses with regional outlets. The FedEx Orange bowl, the Staples Center, Qualcomm Stadium and Minute Maid Park are offensive to me and I do not look forward to the day when Lexmark Downs hosts the Yum Brands [Kentucky] Derby.
Nonetheless, if horse racing is to be a top tier sport again (and this is NOT too lofty a goal), such sponsorships are part of that process (hopefully selling the naming rights to Churchill Downs is not, though). The Breeder's Cup is already "Powered by Dodge" and The Visa Triple Crown was painfully missed upon that sponsor's pullout. Essentially, I would prefer horse racing and all sports not have such marketing arrangements, but given the lay of the competitive sports business landscape, I think it is good for horse racing to follow in the steps of major sports in this regard.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment