Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, officially became American Family Field at the start of 2021, but the change in signage around the city made it real. It also brought out the outrage from the public — and not just baseball fans.

Photo 15449301 © Wisconsinart | Dreamstime.com

The two main reasons for opposing the name change are tradition and a disdain for corporate names. Neither of those are good enough to overcome the many millions American Family Insurance paid for the naming rights.

Those who cite a dislike for corporate names must have forgotten Miller Park was named because Miller Brewing Company paid $40 million for its 20-year corporate sponsorship. Although terms of the new deal weren’t announced, it can be assumed it is worth much more than that.

My favorite related story involves the St. Louis Cardinals. After Anheuser-Busch acquired the team and Sportsman’s Park, the brewery intended to change the name to Budweiser Stadium, but Major League Baseball vetoed that, not wanting it named after a beer brand. Instead, it was renamed Busch Stadium after the brewery’s owners. The next year, Busch beer was introduced, giving the overall win to the brewery.

While tradition sounds nice in theory, it will usually lose to progress. A cross-country trip on America’s backroads is a fun nostalgic romp until you realize the interstate system will save countless hours. Before someone points out those highways are all named for people without sponsorship, that is only a matter of time.

Photo courtesy of Chuck Gekas

I agree a little is lost in the constant name changes. There was a time I could name every venue for the four major sports. Now, I barely know my hometown stadium names. None of that prevents me from going to any of them or the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), Macy’s (formerly Marshall Field’s) or LA Fitness (formerly Bally’s, formerly Chicago Health Club).

In the end, the name changes don’t really matter. I don’t know if it is really worth all the millions corporations are spending, but it’s not my money. Speaking of that, if any corporation would like to purchase naming rights to me, I am open to negotiations.

— John Wroblewski, online writer