Venue News: Santa Clara Mayor Wants Big Dollars for Stadium Name

What’s in a name? Millions of dollars if it’s tattooed on a new football stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Mayor Jamie Matthews isn’t being shy about the price tag and opportunity he’s peddling to corporations, offering them what he sees as a chance of a lifetime to have their name emblazoned on a future $937 million 49ers stadium. Naming rights to arenas and stadiums are the rule these days. The record so far is a reported $700 million. “We’re Silicon Valley,” Matthews said. “I don’t see why we can’t get $700 million, too. This is going to be a huge funding source for us”…

…International sports federations say they don’t want to rain on the parade of the London organising committee but have complained to the International Olympic Committee about the lack of roof protection on many London 2012 Olympic Games venues. A lack of shade on the temporary stands at rowing, equestrian, canoe slalom and sprint, triathlon, hockey, and beach volleyball will expose the public — some of whom have paid up to £450 each for a seat — as well as officials and working media to potential extremes of weather of rain, glare, and heat. The IOC Co-ordination Commission Chairman Denis Oswald told IOC President Jacques Rogge that one of the few concerns about the London organisation was the lack of “covered grandstands at many of the venues”…

…Edmonton, AB, City Council took the first steps toward a new arena for the Oilers, passing a motion that will reportedly allow city planners to enter into negotiations with the franchise’s ownership group. “There’s a lot of work still to do, but, if we get this right, there could be huge payoff to the center of our city,” Councilman Ben Henderson told the Edmonton Sun after the motion was passed Wednesday evening. “We’d be looking a gift horse in the mouth not to take advantage of that.” There are 17 conditions (per CHED-AM’s Dan Tencer) that need to be met for the project to move forward.