All we see is corporate blah-blah

(Note: the title of this post is a takeoff on Queen's song, "Radio Ga Ga." If you've never heard the song, you can see the official video for it here. If you have heard of the song, then you're a child of the 1980s like me.)

This is the new name of San Jose's arena.
Get used to it.

In another nod to the corporate blanding of America, it was announced Tuesday that HP Pavilion at San Jose will now be known as the SAP Center at San Jose. So, let it be known that those attending San Jose Sharks games are SAPs.

Okay, they're not really SAPs. They're Sharks fans going to an arena with a crummy corporate name.

Of course, selling naming rights to arenas and stadiums is nothing new in American sports culture. It's just really annoying because it leads to some truly heinous names. Here are some of the more noteworthy ones I could think of:

Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Ariz. The name suggests a job fair site, but it's actually the home of the NHL's Phoenix ... I mean, Arizona Coyotes.

Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis. After the financial crisis of 2008, I'm uninterested in what life bankers lead.



EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City. I hope the place uses alternative energy sources. Otherwise, it's an ironic name.

Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland. The Cleveland Cavaliers' home used to be called Gund Arena. Now, it sounds like a place where you go to get a mortgage.

Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento. Climb aboard and go to bed.

FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland. Kind of ironic, since there is nothing electric about the Cleveland Browns.

Mall of America Field, Minneapolis. Too bad it's not located at the actual mall. It would have a better atmosphere than the Metrodome.

University of Phoenix Stadium, Phoenix. An NFL stadium named after an online college with no sports teams. Contradictory, isn't it?

Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati. Apparently, the rest aren't American enough to compare with it.

These are only the major sports facilities I could think of. Do you know any stadiums or arenas with corporate names that turn you off?