Gator Bowl now known as Taxslayer Bowl

[KenFSU]

^ From a marketing and promotional standpoint, it's stupid to the point that somebody should lose their job over it. The Gator Bowl, regardless of its current standing, is a name with 70 years of history behind it that can exploited and sold. It's the sixth oldest bowl game in the nation and has, at various times, been in the top five to ten in importance. Blows my mind that those in charge genuinely thinks that what ever incremental boost the game might receive by changing the name from the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl to simply The Taxslayer Bowl is greater than the cost of flushing seven decades of tradition down the toilet. You can't put a price on legacy. Our grandfathers took our fathers to the Gator Bowl. By changing the name, you're starting over. For what? A slightly better chance at getting on ESPN in prime time? How? It's like sawing off your leg to fix a tooth ache. Leave the name alone until you identify the fundamental reasons that the Gator Bowl has fallen from prominence.

[edjax]

^The Gator Bowl declined for reasons unrelated to its history. However, its climb back up has been strongly related to its history as a good bowl to attend and sponsor. Even this past year attendance was well ahead of the Capital One and Outback, and not far behind the Chick-Fil-A, Alamo, and even the Fiesta Bowl. So what does selling out our history get us, exactly?

Guess I have not noticed this climb back up the tier you have noticed.  Yes they announced a very inflated attendance for this years game. Prior year not so much.  How about tv ratings for these bowls we may have nudged out in announced attendance?  Payouts to teams?  Those are more indicative of the tier status of a bowl in my opinion.  I just don't see the big deal on the change as to most itmis obvious what has been happening has not been working.  Until they get the payouts up and tv ratings up which will allow them better selections of teams there will not be a positive change to the tier status.  In my opinion this is a good first step in that direction regardless of what the game officially called as most will still call it the Gator Bowl anyway.

[mtraininjax]

Most don't call the Chik-Fil-a bowl by its name, we call it the peach bowl, which it was until the official corporate sellout. Pretty soon the rose, orange, cotton will all go by the wayside in preparation for the corporate sponsor with the most bucks.

[Tacachale]

^The Gator Bowl declined for reasons unrelated to its history. However, its climb back up has been strongly related to its history as a good bowl to attend and sponsor. Even this past year attendance was well ahead of the Capital One and Outback, and not far behind the Chick-Fil-A, Alamo, and even the Fiesta Bowl. So what does selling out our history get us, exactly?

Guess I have not noticed this climb back up the tier you have noticed.  Yes they announced a very inflated attendance for this years game. Prior year not so much.  How about tv ratings for these bowls we may have nudged out in announced attendance?  Payouts to teams?  Those are more indicative of the tier status of a bowl in my opinion.  I just don't see the big deal on the change as to most itmis obvious what has been happening has not been working.  Until they get the payouts up and tv ratings up which will allow them better selections of teams there will not be a positive change to the tier status.  In my opinion this is a good first step in that direction regardless of what the game officially called as most will still call it the Gator Bowl anyway.

The bowl declined for reasons unrelated to the name "Gator Bowl": the rise of the dysfunctional BCS and conference tie ins, the decline of the ACC and Big East (which collapsed), and the increasing importance of sponsorships. The old tie-in was a sinking ship, so the bowl had to start lower in the ladder with the new tie in and work their way back up.

They were already in the process of that. Last year they increased the payout to $3,500,000, the 3rd highest outside BCS. It leapfrogged the Outback ($2,500,000), Buffalo Wild Wings ($3,350,000) and Cotton ( $3,375,000), about matching the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (they gave $2,930,00 to Texas A&M, though an ACC winner would have gotten $3,970,000), and approaching the Capital One Bowl ($4,550,000). This was before the name change, and the full impact still hasn't taken effect yet.

TV ratings were indeed low, but still up considerably with a 2.6 rating, an 87% increase over the previous year. And as I said, the attendance beat Capital One and Outback, and came fairly close to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl and even the Fiesta Bowl (they *all* use "tickets distributed" measures for attendance).

I think everyone agrees that higher payouts, and therefore stronger opponents, will be the cure. But things have indeed been improving for the Gator Bowl even before this name change, and its reputation as a good bowl to see and sponsor despite several down years have made it possible.

[Ocklawaha]

I can only think of about 236,456,347,899 better names! This is the stupidest sounding name I've heard since 'All Aboard Florida,' and it easily trumps that one. This is one of those names so bad that you get embarrassed when you think someone noticed your watching 'The TaxSlayer Bowl,' and you quickly change the channels to reruns of 'The Waltons.' Any Jax residents around in the 1980's will recall the horrid 'Peanut Butter Proof and Chicken Proof' vinyl siding guy on TV, diving for the controller to LOOK for 'The Waltons.' Same effect here. What was it that Momma Gump always said?

[edjax]

My guess most people don't tune into watch a bowl game based upon the name.  My guess is they see who is playing in the game and decide to watch or not. But sure lets focus on the name because that gives us something else to whine about as is usual for here.

[Tacachale]

I think the issue is, how does this new name get better teams? Clearly there are at least some people interested in history.

[edjax]

I would say the new name will bring more attention to said company who may then increase payout which will result in better teams.  Perhaps now that other companies see they were willing to drop the gator and go with sponsor name solely it could result it even better offers down the road.  Who knows for sure? But I think the status quo was not really working.  I am all for history and all but really just a name and to the locals it will always be the Gator Bowl and still played none the less in the Gator Bowl.

[Ron Mexico]

We should move this to all sporting events that have a tradition title...such as the SuperBowl...change that to the Ford F150-Boner Pill-Doritos-Lite Beer Championship.

[carpnter]

I can only think of about 236,456,347,899 better names! This is the stupidest sounding name I've heard since 'All Aboard Florida,' and it easily trumps that one. This is one of those names so bad that you get embarrassed when you think someone noticed your watching 'The TaxSlayer Bowl,' and you quickly change the channels to reruns of 'The Waltons.' Any Jax residents around in the 1980's will recall the horrid 'Peanut Butter Proof and Chicken Proof' vinyl siding guy on TV, diving for the controller to LOOK for 'The Waltons.' Same effect here. What was it that Momma Gump always said?

It is no worse than the New Era Pinstripe, Royal Purple, Beef 'O' Brady's, SD County Credit Union, AdvoCare V100, and the now defunct Emerald Nuts Bowls. 

[I-10east]

I never liked the Gator Bowl name from the get-go for quite a few reasons (confusion with UF, calling EverBank Field that etc). I didn't like the Taxslayer name either, but it's all for the sake of progression. The payout will be twice as much as the Toyota Gator Bowl, we'll be right behind the Capital One Bowl, and we'll have the primetime Taxslayer Bowl game next year. Far as the Cotton, Orange, and  Rose Bowls, they were already on the top of the heap anyway, so that's an apples and oranges comparison. So either hold on to this confusing old timey name, or double (maybe even more in the future) the payout, no 'controversy' with me.   

[edjax]

We should move this to all sporting events that have a tradition title...such as the SuperBowl...change that to the Ford F150-Boner Pill-Doritos-Lite Beer Championship.

Works for me.  And everyone will still call it the Super Bowl just as the locals will still call it the Gator Bowl played downtown at the Gator Bowl. 

[Todd_Parker]

If the city can somehow parlay the name change into increased tourism revenue and a skyway/trolley expansion out to the sports complex, who cares what the name is?

[mtraininjax]

If the city can somehow parlay the name change into increased tourism revenue and a skyway/trolley expansion out to the sports complex, who cares what the name is?

The name of the stupid game has absolutely Zero to do with the fans who are the economic engine of the game. When Catlett throws around 30-50 million economic impact, its not because of the name TaxSlayer. Its the fans from the teams that come to support their team.

Catlett has to do a better job of getting winning programs that will support their teams and travel. The fans are the engine that drives the impact. There are already buses that travel to Everbank Field for game day and the parking lots and garages need to have their debt service paid, so adding more buses for the Arena and Baseball grounds chops off your hands to spite your face.

[FSBA]

If the city can somehow parlay the name change into increased tourism revenue and a skyway/trolley expansion out to the sports complex, who cares what the name is?

The name of the stupid game has absolutely Zero to do with the fans who are the economic engine of the game. When Catlett throws around 30-50 million economic impact, its not because of the name TaxSlayer. Its the fans from the teams that come to support their team.

Catlett has to do a better job of getting winning programs that will support their teams and travel. The fans are the engine that drives the impact. There are already buses that travel to Everbank Field for game day and the parking lots and garages need to have their debt service paid, so adding more buses for the Arena and Baseball grounds chops off your hands to spite your face.

Bingo. And the current pecking order the Gator Bowl finds itself in, we will be getting games like Mississippi State vs Pitt more often than not. The few times we do get a good team will be because they had a disappointing season and fans won't be so apt to throw down cash to have a fun couple of days in Florida.