Veterans Memorial Arena - Money left on the table

[camarocane]

The building is called Veterans Memorial arena. It is a Memorial to their service. Regardless of the semantics, the point is the same. This community choose to HONOR, if that word works better for you, Veterans by naming this facility for them.  Is it not disrespectful to purposely remove that name, for a buck?

In my view it is.       

Absolutely not. I think of is this way, Memorial Park's namesake is a memorial, Winged Victory. Winged Victory is the actual memorial to the WW1 soldiers, not the park. If they renamed the park to XYZ Park, the memorial would still exist.  Same goes for the arena/coliseum.

[Adam White]

The building is called Veterans Memorial arena. It is a Memorial to their service. Regardless of the semantics, the point is the same. This community choose to HONOR, if that word works better for you, Veterans by naming this facility for them.  Is it not disrespectful to purposely remove that name, for a buck?

In my view it is.       

Absolutely not. I think of is this way, Memorial Park's namesake is a memorial, Winged Victory. Winged Victory is the actual memorial to the WW1 soldiers, not the park. If they renamed the park to XYZ Park, the memorial would still exist.  Same goes for the arena/coliseum.

I think the statue's name is "Life". But that's a great point.

[vicupstate]

But I don't think the community did choose to honor veterans with the arena.  It just happened by default as a corporate sponsor did not surface back in 2001-03 and we stuck with the old name of the coliseum.

There WAS discussion and support in some circles to sell the naming rights to the new arena at that time. It was shot down by the significant opposition expressed at the time. Obviously if the veterans of the area didn't care and don't see the name as a tribute/honor/memorial to them, they would not have pressed the issue. Their reasons then are not any different now.  Obviously the community did purposely give the Old arena that name.   

It never got to the point of seeing what interest there would be and the revenue that could be realized. It is not reasonable to ASSUME no one would have bought the rights if the Veterans issue was not involved, given the experience in similar cities during that period. 

[Adam White]

"Some" doesn't equal "all," though. And "veterans" aren't the only ones whose opinions matter on this subject.

[camarocane]

Here's a novel idea... take the proceeds from one-year of naming rights and invest in an actual monument. I'm not a veteran, but it seems practical that a veteran would prefer a monument as opposed to a building.

[RattlerGator]

I'm a veteran and I'd have no issue at all with selling the naming rights. I doubt if most veterans would.

If I may use Gainesville as an example, however, the University just modified the name of the O'Dome to: Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. This appears to illustrate our "out" so-to-speak, although we would name-focus in the reverse. At UF, the primary signage now becomes Exactech Arena. With Jacksonville, it would be whatever the new "Center" namesake becomes.

Veterans Memorial Arena at CSX Center, for instance. Signage everywhere posted as CSX Center.

If the purchasing party objects, just make it -- for instance -- TIAA Center.

[KenFSU]

Here's a novel idea... take the proceeds from one-year of naming rights and invest in an actual monument. I'm not a veteran, but it seems practical that a veteran would prefer a monument as opposed to a building.

Great idea.

Particularly if the riverfront redevelopment proposed for the stadium district includes greenspace to replace Metro Park.

Our veterans get a true memorial worthy of the sacrifices they have made for our country.

The arena gets an important long-term source of revenue for upkeep and improvement.

Who says no?

[KenFSU]

Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena moved into the top 100 arenas in the world in terms of ticket sales last year.

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2017/01/25/jacksonville-veterans-memorial-arena-ranks-in-the.html

Over a half million people through the gates.

SELL THE DAMN NAMING RIGHTS.

[exnewsman]

We have an appropriate memorial to our veterans just a couple hundred yards or so from the arena. There's nothing "memorial-like" about a Justin Bieber concert because it takes place in a building with "memorial" on the side. Sell the naming rights.

[KenFSU]

oh how DARE you ken.  you know darn well that's 500k coming to the arena primarily to thoughtfully reflect on veterans and their service.  why do you want to get in the way of that?  if you hate America just say so

Personally, I don't even like the words "Jacksonville" or "Arena" being in the title.

If you ask me, it should be the Veterans Memorial Memorial Memorial.

[Keith-N-Jax]

x3 Memorials? that seems a bit much

[JaxJersey-licious]

Here's another compromise to the name-selling conundrum...GET MORE ARENA ACTS BOOKED! True they get their share of acts but there's nothing more frustrating than when an act comes to Florida, play a date or two in South Florida, and instead of coming to our fair city play in Tampa and Orlando. I am amazed at the number of performers that have never set foot in NE Fla. Jacksonville is no longer this podunk, late-ticket-buying town worth bypassing. Yeah the amphitheater in St. Augustine is great and the new one Shad is building has promise but the arena has just as much potential for even more success.

Then you can call the arena what you will.

[thelakelander]

Well to be fair, the Bay Area and Orlando are twice the size with a hell of a lot more people living nearby in places like Lakeland, Sarasota and Daytona. No matter what we build, it should not be a surprise if a few big acts still target much larger markets.

[remc86007]

I think the addition of the amphitheater, by providing a better venue for medium sized acts in Jacksonville, will get people into going to concerts that previously hadn't been because of the lack of variety of acts. This might, in turn, provide more of a concert-going demographic to be considered by the big acts when lining up their tours and considering the arena.

[JaxVision]

Hey Metro Jax, Ive frequented this site over the years and just now registered so I can join in some of these threads.

In regards to the JVMA naming rights I am all for getting a corporate sponsor. It will not only in turn bring in potential bigger acts and sporting events but it can help the cost of the upkeep in the arena. We have three fortune 500 companies here and several other fortune 1000 as well as large corporations with a big footprint in N Fl. If you want to stay local you can go with JEA Arena, CSX Center, or go the sports route with Fanatics Center since they are the official retailer for MLB, NHL, Nascar, NFL, and NBA. We have many more companies and banks that could fit the title as well but Fanatics could be a win win, they are locally based, internationally known, and recognized in all major sports markets.

A big name sponsor could in return bring another major sport to Jacksonville, its no longer a laughing stock city and its time the rest of the country realizes it has some serious things going on.

No disrespect to our Veterans, We need to honor them! But we can do that and still have a corporate sponsor.