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Economic Downturn Leaves Stadium Nameless



Has the economy got you down? Is your 401(k) looking weaker than usual? Is that $600 stimulus check not doing a thing for your bottom line? Well, someone out there feels your pain -- or more accurately, some place, and that place is Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

It seems the Jacksonville Jaguars can't find anyone to buy its stadium's naming rights, and the team blames America's struggling economy for it. The stadium hasn't had a corporate sponsor since Alltel's $620,000-a-year deal expired in February of 2007. The Jaguars are seeking $5 million-a-year buyer -- which is actually a small figure, given that the Dallas Cowboys are expected to receive $20 million a year for the naming rights to their new stadium.

Of course, associating your name with the Cowboys still carries more weight that latching onto the Jags, despite the team's success in recent years. Jacksonville is one of the NFL's smallest markets, and selling the stadium naming rights may be necessary to help the franchise break even in 2008.

And no, I don't think AOL is going to make an offer here, as they're too busy carving up Yahoo with other tech giants. You have to admit, though, that "FanHouse Stadium" has a nice ring to it, no?

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