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Home / Sport / League / NRL

Brookvale to Lottoland, eight worst stadium names in sport

news.com.au
2 Feb, 2017 10:53 PM4 mins to read

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NOrth Queensland Cowboys v Canterbury Bulldogs at 1300 Smiles Stadium, Townsville. Photo/Getty Images

NOrth Queensland Cowboys v Canterbury Bulldogs at 1300 Smiles Stadium, Townsville. Photo/Getty Images

Those on the northern beaches of Sydney need not lament if their blessed Brookvale Oval is renamed to "Lottoland".

While corporate sellout is always tough to swallow, it's not the first time a stadium has had to suffer an embarrassing name change.

Selling one's soul for some corporate dollars has a rich history in sport. Here are some of the worst over the years.

1300SMILES Stadium

Let's kick off with some local flavour.

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Eyebrows were certainly raised when dentist listing company 1300 SMILES became the name for the North Queensland's Cowboys home ground.

Locally known as Willows Sports Complex, 1300SMILES replaced Dairy Farmers as the major sponsor in 2013.

Keeping with local business, 1300SMILES have their headquarters based in Townsville. They originally signed a five-year deal, so a name change could be on the horizon soon.

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Sleep Train Arena

Home to the Sacramento Kings NBA team, Sleep Train took over sponsorship of the stadium in 2012.

A moniker that lacks a little less punch to its previous title of Power Balance Pavilion, Sleep Train - a mattress company - took a punt on the deal, signing for five years when the team's future in the town was uncertain.

The name is kinda appropriate, considering the team's "sleepy" performances of recent times, 10th being their highest finish in the western conference in the past 10 seasons.

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Talking Stick Resort Arena

A sport and entertainment centre in Phoenix, Arizona, Talking Stick Resort Arena is another NBA home, this one for the Phoenix Suns.

The venue itself has a long history in Phoenix, but has only been known as Talking Stick Resort Arena - a casino on an Indian reservation in Scottsdale, Arizona - since 2014.

Many refer to it as "The Purple Palace", which is much easier to say than its proper name.

Whataburger Field

This is a favourite. It rolls off the tongue and has a punch to it, but at the same time you want to laugh.

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Whataburger is the home to Texas minor league baseball team Corpus Christi Hooks, who are affiliated with Houston Astros. These guys actually feature later in the list - Texas is a giver. a stadium-naming joy.

The stadium was built in 2005, but it wasn't until four years later that it received its more funky name.

KFC Yum! Center

Anyone hungry? If you're at a basketball game at Louisville, Kentucky, you may feel a rumble in the tummy, considering the KFC signage that adorns the place.

And the subliminal messaging - KFC Yum! - may have you running for a zinger wrap, after your sport or major concert is finished.

Home to the Louisville Cardinals, while ridiculous, it could be worse we reckon.

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Remondis Stadium

Back in Australia, and when Cronulla Sharks' home ground became Remondis Stadium, many wondered how much is enough when it comes to signing over naming rights.

Remondis is a water, waste and environmental management company.

Their dealings in waste removals was somewhat symbolic of Cronulla's fortunes for a while there, as the club's name was trashed after a number of scandals seemed to hit one after the other.

Smoothie King Center

Maybe it's the post Christmas diet that has made food stadiums jump out, but Smoothie King Center still is a clunker of a name.

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In New Orleans, Louisiana, it the home venue of the NBA Pelicans, as well as hosting WWE, UFC and even some bull riding in its time.

Smoothie King was unveiled as the naming-rights sponsor in 2014 and is a local fit for the side, after the company opened its first store in New Orleans in 1973.

Minute Maid Park

Houston baseball park has had a few incarnations - The Ballpark at Union Station, Astros Field and the unfortunate Enron Stadium - before being named Minute Maid Park in 2002.

The popular US orange juice secured the naming rights for a cool $US100 million back in the day after the deal with Enron - worth $US100 million over 30 years - before scandal forced the company into bankruptcy.

The subsequent deal with Minute Maid, owned by Coca-Cola, was the first time the beverage company had taken naming rights of a stadium.

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It's enjoyed a bit of action recently, hosting a pre-Super Bowl 51 event.

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