News Article: FNC Center to be KeyBank Center

[cardiffgiant]

Is Key paying for naming rights or is it just a free side affect of the merger? What is the percentage split of naming right money between the team & city anyway? I can't find any lease information about it.

It depends on the way that the contract is written. Contracts like these usually have clauses that allow for a change in control. Key would have to pay to change the signage, which could be a lot.

I think something needed to be done anyway, since the Pegulas put up a building in front of the current sign

 

[Reddawg]

I think it's pretty premature to be naming the building after Justin Kea.

 

[brian_griffin]

Extending on the Buildy McBuildingface...

When it is used for Sabres and related games, Hockey McHockeyRink.

 

[Der Jaeger]

I'll never forget seeing Barenaked Ladies at HSBC Arena and hearing them tell the take of a guy named "Aegis Beecee" who the arena was ostensibly named after.

OT: when did you go? I saw them last on Y2K.

 

[Reddawg]

OT: when did you go? I saw them last on Y2K.

I'm pretty sure it was December 2000. I know Guster opened, and that's the only show I could find at HSBC with Guster opening.

Sidenote - Y2K was 16 years ago. I feel very old.

 

[jBuds]

Would love it if the entire complex started being referred to as Harbor Center, with individual names for each individual ice rink.

I love this.

I guess I'd settle for the KeyBank Arena at Harbor Center being the name for the main building. Could think of names for the others pretty quickly, I'm sure.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

Would love it if the entire complex started being referred to as Harbor Center, with individual names for each individual ice rink.

That would be awesome. Wish it was a possibility.


I am gonna miss calling it the Effin' Center. Keybank whatever doesn't really roll off the tongue.

 

[Der Jaeger]

I'm pretty sure it was December 2000. I know Guster opened, and that's the only show I could find at HSBC with Guster opening.

Sidenote - Y2K was 16 years ago. I feel very old.

Thinking the same yesterday.

 

[Reddawg]

Thinking the same yesterday.

16 years before my birth, Kennedy was getting elected President. Now I feel REALLY old.

 

[Chainshot]

M&T is still the largest debt-holder. They needed more money to finish it -- because Buffalo -- and HSBC stepped in to finance the final piece, getting the naming rights as part of the deal. They weren't paying for it, they simply leveraged a situation and exploited someone else. When it came time to actually pay for it, they balked allowing First Niagara the opportunity to step in with an actual payment.

"The Crossroads Arena" was the name of the project. It would've been cool if they had kept that in and around the various names, like "HSBC's Crossroads Arena" or "First Niagara's Crossroads Arena".

 

[Correct]

When will people realize that the building where our hockey team plays is named after a BANK? Are we supposed to just pretend it's called something different every 5 years?

Stop giving these billionaires what they want. The fans should have their own name for the stadium that never changes and has nothing to do with anything corporate.

Aud
Sabres Arena
The Arena

Anything but giving these a**holes what they want.

 

[Dingo44]

When will people realize that the building where our hockey team plays is named after a BANK? Are we supposed to just pretend it's called something different every 5 years?

Stop giving these billionaires what they want. The fans should have their own name for the stadium that never changes and has nothing to do with anything corporate.

Aud
Sabres Arena
The Arena

Anything but giving these a**holes what they want.

They're not exactly "giving" it to them.

And the contract was signed back in the Knox days, I believe. Maybe Pegula does sell the naming rights to someone when the contract runs out, or maybe he doesn't. He didn't sell the naming rights to Ralph Wilson Stadium (if it's him and not EC who own them) when he bought the team, unlike the Fins (Joe Robbie -> Pro Player) or the Skins (Jack Kent Cook -> FedEx) when they were sold.

I hate corporate names on stadiums, too, but it's an insane amount of money to pass up.

 

[Clock]

Financial Institution Arena

 

[cybresabre]

They're not exactly "giving" it to them.
...
I hate corporate names on stadiums, too, but it's an insane amount of money to pass up.

Call it Fort Knox or something amongst ourselves and ignore the hot potato game of naming changes that have nothing to do with hockey. They're not going to pass up naming rights money, but even if ESPN has to call it the Barnes Firm Arena during the 2019 finals, he's saying we should make a better name a part of the fan culture.

 

[Crazy Tasty]

Jack's House of Sam.

 

[Cirris]

Didn't they just get done painting the roof with the First Niagara logo. Now they have to go up there and do it again?

 

[Sabre Dance]

Will always be "The Arena" to me. Everyone I know knows what I mean when I say that.

 

[Husko]

I love this.

I guess I'd settle for the KeyBank Arena at Harbor Center being the name for the main building. Could think of names for the others pretty quickly, I'm sure.

Right. Hell, they could even sell naming rights for the tiny "arenas" that the Griffs play and practice in. Harbor Center is obviously the beast name, why limit it to just half the complex? It's all connected, anyway.

 

[Reddawg]

Jack's House of Sam.

See Jack Score.

 

[TehDoak]

Financial Institution Arena

Financial Union Center

 

[Sabre the Win]

If we could vote on an arena name I would hope the vote is something along the lines of Mad Max in "Thunder Dome" or perhaps spice it up and make it "Terror Dome" if its the latter for the opening cinematic music could be Public Enemy - Welcome to the Terror Dome (the intro part of it)

 

[Crazy Tasty]

The House that Black built?

btw, what's Teddy up to these days?

 

[Correct]

Call it Fort Knox or something amongst ourselves and ignore the hot potato game of naming changes that have nothing to do with hockey. They're not going to pass up naming rights money, but even if ESPN has to call it the Barnes Firm Arena during the 2019 finals, he's saying we should make a better name a part of the fan culture.

Yup, that's what I meant.

I just don't like to see billion dollar firms using the team we love to promote their greedy, blood sucking brands.

And then have fans be forced to say their name. If Key Bank paid $50M to have your mother change her name to "Key Bank Woman", would you call her "Key", or would you still call her mom?

I don't know what I'm talking about anymore haha, maybe I'm just cranky today.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

The House that Black built?

btw, what's Teddy up to these days?

That's Former Mr. President Big Daddy Ted, good sir.

 

[Zman5778]

Well, I think we all know how the Internet poll to name the arena would go.

"Buildy McBuildingface"

I was thinking Arena McArenaFace