RECLAIMING THE NASHVILLE ARENA
BY DAN MILLER
April 27, 2006
Here's an idea for putting "Nashville" back into the name of our arena.
Every time I watch an event televised nationwide from the arena, be it the Predators.... the Kats.... NCAA basketball.... big music festivals.... rodeos.... concerts or whatever, I can't help but think how nice it would be to hear and see the word "Nashville" in the name of our wonderful arena.
It used to be "The Nashville Arena" before Gaylord purchased naming rights, and dubbed it the Gaylord Entertainment Center.
Here's the deal.
Early in 2005, Gaylord terminated its agreement with the Nashville Predators, and relinquished naming rights.
Gaylord decided to put its efforts and cash somewhere else.
But their agreement stipulated that until the Predators (Craig Leipold) found another corporate sponsor willing to purchase naming rights, the name "Gaylord Entertainment Center" would stay in place.
Theoretically, if no new sponsor comes forward, it remains the Gaylord Entertainment Center until 2018, with no cash or participation from Gaylord whatsoever.
So here's the perfect way to fix it.
And it would be a nice gesture from the Predators (Craig Leipold) to the city.... and wouldn't cost anybody anything to speak of.... (except for switching the signs).
The Predators (Craig Leipold) would sell the naming rights to the city of Nashville for, say, $1 a year.
That would satisfy the "out" in the Gaylord contract.
The name would be changed back to The Nashville Arena, with the stipulation that when, and if, the Predators secure another lucrative corporate naming partner, the city would simply relinquish the name to that paying sponsor.... or at least share it.
In the meantime (and it could be years) the city would reap the PR benefits of having its name again on the arena.
And don't forget.... it's the city now paying for upkeep of the arena.... not Gaylord.
Now doesn't that sound like a win/win for everybody?
Let’s see.... they call the Gaylord Entertainment Center the “GEC”....
So why couldn’t they call it the Downtown Arena of Nashville.... or the “Dan”??
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