I went to a Bulls game, and all I got were these lousy naming rights

So who was the happiest guy at Friday night's Bulls game?

My guess is, this guy, on the right. (Click the image to watch him, er, shimmy.)

Yes, that's the owner of the Bulls, Raleigh TV magnate Jim Goodmon, doing the happy dance on the field of the DBAP Friday night. A field that, as it happens, now officially bears his name -- Goodmon Field. Which meant that the press release after the Bulls' sweep over the Toledo Mud Hens could state definitively that Jim Goodmon's team would be playing at his namesake field inside the DBAP come Tuesday night.

All of this was voted on some time back by the City Council, so (dramatic black tarp over the lettering notwithstanding) there was no suspense to the moment. All of which made it amusing, if slightly odd, to see Goodmon dancing like a man possessed.

On the other hand, put yourself in his shoes. You've got a minor league sports team in a sweet deal with Major League Baseball where the Steinbrenners of the world pick up 95% of your on-the-field costs, from player salaries down to baseballs and bats. You've got a baseball-loving City of Durham giving you a sweet ride on the use of the DBAP. Heck, you sign up your own TV station to carry home games (and can sell ads during them -- or at least knock out a few of those thorny PSAs.) And all this brings in attendance and revenue estimated in the top half-dozen teams in all of MiLB. Oh yeah, and you own all the real estate surrounding the ballpark.

A ballpark whose field is now named after you.

Yeah, I'd be dancing, too. What should we call it -- the Funky Millionaire?

Comments

[Toastie]

I was at Thursday's game and wondered what the tarp on the center field wall was covering up.

So this is what it looks like:
http://durhambulls.com/images/features/screen_46e15cfd9a966.jpg

[Phil]

That's a fun little dance he's got going on :-)

Back in the late 80s and early 90s, the company I worked for had box seats at the old DAP. Goodmon's box was right next to ours and one of my colleagues made a habit of chatting with him about ideas to boost attendance. One that I remember: have Christian Laettner (who was known to play the piano) be a guest organist.

Re: having things named after one's self. Does that seem strange to anyone here? My Roman Catholic upbringing probably has a lot to do with the "Oh, no -- no need to make a big deal out of ME" attitude. But even without that, I think it would feel strange to see my name on anything from a building to an endowed professorship.* I wouldn't mind having a short run Loco Pop named after me, though.

---

*reminds me of a joke: Doctor says to a patient, "I've got some good news and bad news. The good news is -- you're going to be famous. The bad news is -- we're naming a new disease after you."

[noname]

I guess you missed the 9 runs the Bulls scored (16 hits I think) and the 5 runs the Mudhens scored. I was at the game and it was very exciting with lots of action - some good field work some not so good - but it was an action packed game overall. I find it funny that you say that all you got out of the game was a lousy naming cermony when that actually took place after the game was over. You also failed to mention that there were fireworks that night. I guess you just wanted to complain about something so you picked Jim Goodmon to do it? He's done a lot of good things for Durham and you want to bash him. Nice

[Bull City Rising]

Hi Noname,

Actually, I wasn't meaning to tear down Goodmon or the Bulls at all. I've been very, very appreciative of the good work he and his company have done in Durham -- see, for instance, this post from a few weeks back: http://www.bullcityrising.com/2007/08/what-if-the-dba.html.

Today's post's title was a play off the old t-shirt slogan, "I went to Foo and all I got was this lousy T-shirt." Certainly not meant to be disrespectful.

Do I think Goodmon has a sweet deal with the DBAP? Heck yeah, and that doesn't bother me too much, given the alternative that could have happened.

I did watch the game on WRAZ 50.2 and had a blast watching it -- caught the end of the game in Toledo on radio. And you bet I'm going to try to be in the seats for at least one of this week's two home games against the R-Braves.

[Sean Wilson]

Oh noname, you're so gosh darn sour. Geez...a guy writes about Durham all the time (and obviously loves living here), and you point out the fact that he failed to mention the good baseball game? (Your fireworks line, by the way, was an excellent Smoove B imitation)

Oh, and Kevin "Austin Powers" Davis -- that'd be the Funky *Billion*aire. Or perhaps Gazillionaire. Guess you missed inflationary pressures too. Nice

[Todd]

Great pic...I'm the guy wearing the Bulls cap in the second row above the dugout. At the unveiling, I commented to my seatmates: "And the rich just get richer." Classic!