Former Illinois Governor Fights To Stop Naming Rights At Soldier Field

In case you were unaware, or more likely, don't follow things like naming rights for sports stadiums, getting a company to pay millions of dollars to have their name attached to big-time sports venues is really big business.

We can argue all day long about whether or not spending huge money to tie in your company's name with a stadium is actually a smart move or a total waste of a big pile of dough--but it's happening all the time with no end in sight.

However, if a former Illinois governor gets his way, it won't be happening in Chicago with Soldier Field. That former governor is this guy:

Huge Money Is Being Paid For Stadium Naming Rights, But Soldier Field Isn't Like Other Stadiums

According to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, Soldier Field was designed in 1919 and opened on October 9th, 1924, as Municipal Grant Park Stadium. The name was changed to Soldier Field on November 11, 1925, as a memorial to U.S. soldiers who had died in combat.

You see the problem?

There's really no tasteful way to bring in a corporate sponsorship via naming rights when you're talking about a war memorial.

In Order To Prevent Naming Rights For Soldier Field Being Sold, The Former Illinois Governor Has Introduced A "Citizen's Ordinance"

Pat Quinn wants to get an advisory referendum on the February 28th ballot that would ask voters if they want to support keeping the name Soldier Field as a war memorial by prohibiting the sale of naming rights.

Chicago Sun-Times:

“Overwhelmingly, the people of Chicago will say ‘no’ to selling the naming rights of Soldier Field or attaching the name of Soldier Field to ‘Commonwealth Edison Park at Soldier Field’ or ‘Amazon Stadium at Soldier Field.’ It’s a sacrilege to do that,” Quinn said.

“The people of Chicago don’t want their war memorial attached to a corporate name for money. It’s just not right, we’re Chicago, and we’re Soldier Field. We’re not Jacksonville, there’s no tasteful way of attaching a corporate name … to a war memorial. It’s a desecration.”