With the possible exception of Enron Field, there may never have been a more unfortunate sports stadium name than Oakland's Overstock.com Coliseum, thus christened this week upon the sale of naming rights by the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority to that particular company, which, according to Wikipedia, was a "pioneering online seller of surplus merchandise." (Sounds a lot like the A's' Charlie Finley years.)
The potential for even greater disrespect may come to fruition when the company switches over to its rebranded name of "O.co." At which point they might as well go the whole route and just call it "Charlie Sheen Field."
Some other playing field names that struck us as short in the athletic gravitas department:
- PETCO Park - Let's hear it for those meowin' Padres.
- Rangers Ballpark in Arlington - Is that last part really a selling point?
- Progressive Field - alternates with "Right Wing Stadium" for equal time
- Mall of America Field - attention fans, 15% off at The Gap on every third down
- Heinz Field - Can the Steelers ketch-up?
- AT&T Park - Connotation of lousy reception rules it out for 49ers.