Monday, July 23, 2012

Behind the rush to rename the stadium

The big issues in the presidential campaign last week: President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy, former Gov. Mitt Romney’s refusal to release more tax returns, and . . . what to call Charlotte’s football stadium.

Politico.com noted that former Al Gore campaign manager Donna Brazile had referred to it as “Panthers Stadium,” not Bank of America Stadium, in a recent email for the Charlotte in 2012 host committee. Another email in June used the same language when referring to the place where Obama will give his acceptance speech Sept. 6.

So were Democrats trying to disassociate themselves with corporate America, and particularly Charlotte’s hometown bank? That was the implication of the POLITICO item, which insisted – inaccurately – that “it’s not like the stadium was ever called Panthers Stadium.”

True, that was never its official name. But that’s sometimes been its nickname.

Republicans seized on the Politico item, tweeting away. And some newspapers went even further than Politico. “Democrats Drop Bank of America name from North Carolina convention venue, calling it ‘Panthers Stadium,’” read the headline in The New York Daily News.

Trouble is, “Bank of America Stadium” – the official name – is all over the websites for the host committee and the Democratic National Campaign Committee. And that’s what Mayor Anthony Foxx called it during a Wednesday news conference about how campaign volunteers will get a guaranteed seat at Obama’s speech.

Even conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh weighed in, calling it “Black Panthers Stadium.” The Charlotte host committee, which initially didn’t return Politico’s phone calls, finally contacted the website to say that both names are used locally and both are used by the host committee. Politico published an “update.” Tim Funk

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I said from the beginning that the email calling it "Panthers Stadium" was nothing more than a sloppy, lazy email. And, from my view, the only people who call it Panthers Stadium are the people who know nothing about football and care nothing about football.

While it is crystal clear that Barack Obama despises capitalism with every atom of his being and wants it completely destroyed by yesterday, I think most Dems realize they need big companies for campaign money.

Anonymous said...

I am a charter PSL owner and I have never heard it referred to as 'Panthers stadium' except when it was being constructed and Ericcson had not yet bought the naming rights. But from that point foward, no. Not once. Come on Funk, at least TRY to hide you allegiance

Anonymous said...

Hmm... I hear it called both on a regular basis. No harm done, let's move along.