What’s in a name? An arena by any other name…

According to an article in Newsday: What once was the Brendan Byrne Arena, and then became the Continental Airlines Arena, is now looking for a name.

The airline pays $1.3 million annually for those naming rights. I think the former governor got away for free.

Amazingly, the Roman Coliseum has stood for more than a thousand years ---since 80 AD ---and still has the same name. That guy "Roman" must have got a hell of naming rights deal.

Anyway, the naming rights of “The Arena Formerly Known as Brendan” are up for grabs.

I guess the whole corpo naming rights idea is not a bad one. Some think it's stupid. But, money is to be made on the ‘naming rights’ for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority ---but it’s gonna be a tough sell. The Houston based airline, Continental backed out of a deal due to major changes in the tenants of the arena.

The New Jersey Nets are goin’ back to Brooklyn (they started out on Long Island years and years ago with Dr. J as the NY Nets), where they will live out their days in the Barclays Center, (Barclays Bank is paying $400 million for twenty years for the naming rights.)

Also, theNew Jersey Devils are moving to the brand spankin’ new Prudential Center in Newark very soon.

Some companies have been through the arena, to check it out for naming rights. George Zoffinger, CEO of the authority, said a tour of the arena by potential bidders earlier this month didn't go as well as expected.

"With the uncertainty of the building, it's a very difficult sell," he said.

So, it will be empty. Vacant. Uncertainty certainly abounds.

Subsequently, I thought I might help out by going on www.superpages.com, to find some possible monthly renters. George, here are companies whose actual names reflect the current status of the arena. Maybe you can give these a shot:

“Empty” Cloud Ta'l Chi
210 West 94th Street
New York, NY 10025

“Empty” Pockets
4095 US Highway 1,
Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852

“Empty” Building Security
378 Schuyler Avenue
Kearny, NJ 07032

“Vacant” No-Callback
429 Greenwich
New York, NY 10013

“Vacant” Property Security Inc
50 Center Street
Oradell, NJ 07649

Hope one of these works out.

If not, I will bid $1000 a year for the “Joey Novick Arena”, ---- as long as it comes with my picture on the front of the building. Let me know if that works for you guys, and I will draw up the agreement------------>

Or maybe, just maybe, you could name the arena after someone who has done really good things for the state of New Jersey.



----like Brendan Byrne.

Now, there's a novel idea.