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Paul Daugherty
Enquirer columnist files news and observations

Paul Daugherty
Paul Daugherty has been an Enquirer sports columnist since 1994 and has been chronicling Cincinnati sports since 1988. He has covered almost every major sporting event in America, as well as five Summer Olympics. Along the way, he has been named one of the country's top-5 sports columnists four times, and Ohio columnist of the year on seven different occasions. Last year, he was voted 2nd-best sports columnist in the country, by the Associated Press Sports Editors.

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Thursday, June 28, 2007

Naming rights at PBS

Now that an appeals court has refused to reinstate the county's lawsuit against the Bengals, it's time for the team to make nice and be a good corporate citizen. Sell the naming rights to PBS and turn the proceeds over to the county.

Todd Portune says if Hamilton County can't find new revenue sources, its stadium fund could be in the red anywhere between $102 million and $288 million over the life of the financing, which runs through 2032.

No blame should go to the team on this one. The county negotiated a terrible lease. The Bengals got what they could. But now, it's the team's turn to be generous. Some of us thought it was cool at the time that the Bengals didnt sell out to some corporate monolith and instead named their playpen after the franchise's founding father. That time has passed. The notion of continuing to pay for what will be a 30-year-old stadium, when so much else in the city demands fixing, makes it obvious what needs to be done.

The Bengals need to let bygones be bygones, sell the naming rights, allow PBS to be used for concerts and other big events etc. Given the foolish/generous lease the club operates under -- if so much as a lightbulb burns out, the county pays to replace it -- it would be the right thing to do.


17 Comments:

at 10:22 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'd agree with you about the lease if the Bengals hadn't hired former Hamilton County Commissioner and chief negotiator of the lease Bob Beddinghaus (sp?). That is a giant slap in the face to the people of Hamilton County (who pay for the stadium all the people from outside the county enjoy while they're saying how much downtown sucks and how they'll never go there except for Bengals and Reds games). Hard to believe they liked Bob so much after the sweetheart deal he gave them.

And perhaps you were in the camp saying how cool it was the Bengals didn't "sell out" and name the stadium after some corporation. I wasn't. Didn't Delta offer like $40 or $50 million for the rights? No, we want to name it after Mike's dad. Why not, he got everything else he wanted out of the deal. How tall can the buildings at the Banks (coming to you in 2037) be again, Mr. Brown? What a joke.

 
at 10:37 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

It would be the right thing to do.

History dictates that the Bengals will selfishly do the exact opposite.

 
at 12:37 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Paul:

Must be the jet lag. When has it ever been Mike Brown's first instinct to just "do the right thing?" To persuade him to take a particular course of action, you will need to give him a much better reason than that.

 
at 2:49 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Paul,

It's time to come back from vacation.

Next time don't drink that local brew it makes you write silly things.

Or...bring some back and slip it in the Gatorade at PBS.

 
at 2:58 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

That is a giant slap in the face to the people of Hamilton County (who pay for the stadium all the people from outside the county enjoy while they're saying how much downtown sucks and how they'll never go there except for Bengals and Reds games).

The stadium is financed by a sales tax, which is paid by anyone who spends money in Hamilton County, not just the people who live there.

 
at 5:53 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hell will be a pleasant place (with Jimmy Buffett playing and cold Keystones all around) before Mikey lets go of the "Paul Brown" stadium name. And he doesn't care what anyone thinks about it.

 
at 6:32 PM Blogger ewad said...

Paul,

The most attractive thing about the stadium IS the name itself. It is named after a man who revolutionized the game.
It is one small thing that isn't a commercial in the NFL cash monster.
So leave it alone.
On the other hand I would want to open it up for other events. God knows The Police in concert there would be a lot better than at Churchill Downs.
But lets not let the negative feelings towards Mike Brown take away from his father's legacy.

 
at 9:33 PM Blogger Paul Daugherty said...

Hey, 553: Couldnt agree more... but I can't be cynical 24/7... 23:59/7, maybe

 
at 7:19 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Paul Brown's legacy won't pay the bills.

 
at 8:44 AM Blogger ewad said...

The county shoudn't have made such a bad deal then. That isn't Mike's fault. As much as you guys hate him the Bengals aren't in the upper part of the NFL team revenue.
This deal you whine about allows the Bengals to be on somewhat of a competitive footing with the league's big money grossing teams.
Our ticket prices comapred to other NFL teams are low.
We wouldn't have pro football here if it wasn't for Paul Brown. We should celebrate his legacy. Frankly it isn't done enough.

 
at 12:10 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Living in the past won't pay the bills.

 
at 4:00 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Keep the name. How ridiculous does it sound saying "Delta Stadium" or "P&G Park"? There is too much commercialism in every part of our lives. At least leave the stadium out of it. I would much rather the Reds still played in a "Crosley Field" or a "Palace of the Fans" also.

 
at 9:20 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

ewad is really Bob Bedinghaus' cover, right?

 
at 1:14 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bedinghaus, or the equally slimy Jeff Berding...

 
at 1:49 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey Paul, What options do the county and city have to force the Bengals to leave town? Maybe it would have no legal weight, but a council resolution asking the Bengals not to use Cincinnati in their name will help push them out.

 
at 11:06 AM Blogger ewad said...

Nope, a life long fan. I realize he has earned a lot of ire... but I get sick of the endless harping about the "evil" Mike Brown.
The bills by the way ARE being paid. The city and county get a real benifit in actual dollars and national perception from the Bengals and the NFL. City and county government needs to spend its money wiser.
I think it is time for the area to move to a metro government like cities like Nashville/Davidson County has done. There is no need to duplicate services. That would save the area tax cash. More than a one time sale of naming rights.

 
at 6:20 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just read that UC is negotiating with the Bengals on a joint venture to fund a winter practice bubble facility.
It would be wise for Mike Thomas to count his fingers after he shakes Mike Brown's hand, and check for his wallet, ring, keys, etc. Maybe UC will fund the entire project and Thomas will be employed by the Bengals in a few years ie. Beddinghaus.

 
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