12/21/24
September 12, 2008
Giants & Jets Nix Stadium Naming Deal with Nazi-linked Insurance Firm: The NY Giants and NY Jets have ended talks with Allianz, a German insurance company with historical ties to the Nazis.
The New Meadowlands Stadium, LLC is no longer in discussions with Allianz for a naming rights partnership,-- Lampings statement said. We are continuing discussions with other potential partners for the new stadium and look forward to the summer 2010 opening of this new icon for our region.--
And IG Farben Field
posted by kokaku at 05:39 PM on September 12, 2008
Fully realizing what a sensitive subject this is for many people, I note from the article that Allianz has made some effort to atone by way of restitution payments and the placement of one of its executives on a Holocaust Remembrance board. With the Giants and Jets bowing to political correctness, should we now call on the various broadcast and cable networks to refuse VW, Porsche and Audi commercials? Include BMW in this, as they were a leading supplier of aircraft engines for the Luftwaffe. How about Huntsville, Alabame, renaming their indoor sports arena, now called the Von Braun center. For that matter, should the US apologize for using Von Braun and his associates in order to build the space program, and concurrently develop missile technology?
What I'm trying to say is that we should be consistent in our condemnation of those entities and people that aided the Nazis during WW2. If one is guilty and should be punished, then all are and deserve equal treatment, but we have to ask how long it should continue.
Yes, the Holocaust was perhaps the greatest crime in the history of mankind. Yes, we must remember its lessons and never allow one group to attempt the elimination of another. But the real lesson to be learned is one of forgiveness if one who has aided in such a crime is willing admit his error and attempt to atone. Forgive, don't forget, and do try to get over it. I think that some guy a couple of thousand years ago was trying to say that.
posted by Howard_T at 05:42 PM on September 12, 2008
One of the bloggers on the site had an interesting take:
I FIRST THOUGHT THAT GIANTS AND JETS purposely LEAKED THE NAME OF THIS BIDDER before the bidding was completed to force a public outcry against allianz( in case they ended up the highest bidder) because if they had won the rights there was nothing giants and jets could do and then be personally attacked even worse they were in the one day it took them to eliminate allianz as a bidder. there was absolutely no reason for the giants to announce who the 3 or whatever amount of bidders were BEFORE the bidding was closed. let alone announce only that one bidder allianz as one of the 3. giants and jets rightfully didnt want allianz as the name - they rejected allianz by creating this issue by LEAKING THAT ONE NAME THEMSELVES.
And Howard, for what its worth, it was very common in NY for Jewish people to refuse to buy Mercedes, BMV, VW, etc. simply because of the ties you mentioned. Some of these people were also Jets season ticket holders. So for them it is and was equal treatment.
Add to that the hysteria the tabloids bring to any issue and this name was a non-starter
posted by cjets at 06:58 PM on September 12, 2008
It really wasn't an issue to me until July when the Giants and Jets players were reporting to concentration camp and not training camp. Glad it's all solved now.
Sorry for the terrible joke, but the current issues just seem laughable to me, mainly for the reasons Howard_T mentioned. If we(people) are going to start semi-boycotting companies based in countries with some manner of a terrible past era, we may need to take a much closer look at our day to day activities rather than the naming of a football stadium.
posted by boknows at 09:38 PM on September 12, 2008
All I know is, you guys are either with the terrorists, or against us.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:58 PM on September 12, 2008
I guess "Volkswagen Field" is out, too.
Presumably IBM, Ford, and GM, all of whom had Nazi links.
posted by rodgerd at 09:55 AM on September 13, 2008
Like it or not, these decisions are always hugely political. No sports organization wants to be affiliated with perceived sketchiness. As kokaku points out, Allianz is not the same company today and has acknowledged its shame for contributing to Nazi atrocities. I've heard that some Jewish organizations consider present day Allianz a friend to the Jewish community. But it doesn't matter because this has become a cause celebre for a lot of people in New York. It's bad for business and good business is all that matters. That's why Enron Field is now Minute Maid Part. With all subprime mess we're in now, I would bet that if Citibank were implicated (unlikely but possible), the Mets organization would consider buying back the naming rights so the new stadium did not bear the name Citi Field.
posted by bluesdog at 02:11 PM on September 13, 2008
Like it or not, these decisions are always hugely political. No sports organization wants to be affiliated with perceived sketchiness. As kokaku points out, Allianz is not the same company today and has acknowledged its shame for contributing to Nazi atrocities. I've heard that some Jewish organizations consider present day Allianz a friend to the Jewish community. But it doesn't matter because this has become a cause celebre for a lot of people in New York. It's bad for business and good business is all that matters. That's why Enron Field is now Minute Maid Part. With the subprime mess we're in now, I would bet that if Citibank were implicated (unlikely but possible), the Mets organization would consider buying back the naming rights so the new stadium did not bear the name Citi Field.
posted by bluesdog at 02:12 PM on September 13, 2008
The holocaust was terrible... Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about it now. Any company that was in existence in Germany during the Nazi party's rule was in some manner linked to the Nazi party. It wasn't exactly a free market. Did these companies have any choice? You either A) support the Nazi party and you live or B) you don't support the Nazi party and you and your entire family get killed. Not a tough decision for me or anyone else I would imagine.
posted by docshredder at 03:47 PM on September 13, 2008
Not to mention the space program has its roots in Nazi Germany since when the war ended, the US nicked all their engineers and scientists.
So NASA is associated with the Nazis too if you want to be really stupid.
posted by Drood at 05:03 PM on September 13, 2008
If you're going to tell me Werner Van Braun was German, I don't know what to believe anymore.
posted by yerfatma at 06:52 PM on September 13, 2008
Forgive, don't forget, and do try to get over it. I think that some guy a couple of thousand years ago was trying to say that.
Uh, telling Jews to buck up and forgive because Christ says so is more or less the definition of ignorance. You can hardly condemn the company NOW for what it was involved 70 years ago.
Sure you can, since corporations are in essence "people" under the law, I condemn them just as I would condemn any other Nazi war collaborator 70 years after the fact.
posted by rumple at 07:17 PM on September 13, 2008
Ever taken an Aspirin? That came directly from medical experiments performed by the Nazis.
I call B.S. Shut the fuck up already.
A strategy you should try yourself more often.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 11:49 AM on September 14, 2008
Well well. That's interesting. Thanks.
Drop dead BTW.
posted by Drood at 11:02 PM on September 14, 2008
Drop dead BTW.
I'm not feeling a lot of love on SportsFilter right now.
Oh, and don't don't be starting World War Three over this please.
posted by tommybiden at 09:07 AM on September 15, 2008
I don't really mind people holding grudges against companies like this. I have more than a few myself for things a 1,000 times more minor. It sounds like Allianz was a particularly egregious enabler, so the Giants and Jets can find someone with clean (or cleaner) hands.
posted by bperk at 09:45 AM on September 15, 2008
The holocaust was terrible... Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about it now.
If by that you mean that there's nothing we can do to bring back the dead, that's certainly true; however, in recent years there's been a resurgence of interest in holding companies accountable if they profited in some way from actions of the Third Reich that would be considered illegal in any civilized society. This included use of slave labor and seizure of property from the Nazis' victims. It's possible that the recent interest is due to the passing of the Nazi's victims' generation, and the wish for them to see some reparations in their lifetimes. If so, I can't say I blame them.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 10:38 AM on September 15, 2008
It really wasn't an issue to me until July when the Giants and Jets players were reporting to concentration camp and not training camp
I know that you admitted that this was a bad joke but I'm sure that you were well aware that it was in bad taste before you even decided to post it. Think before you speak or in this case, type.
posted by BornIcon at 02:28 PM on September 15, 2008
BI, I don't think BoKnows was saying what you think he was saying.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 04:35 PM on September 15, 2008
Oh I thought about it BI, and decided to post anyway only because the level of intelligence here on Spofi, I thought, could handle it. It was kind of pun-ny.
posted by BoKnows at 11:03 PM on September 15, 2008
Oh I thought about it BI, and decided to post anyway only because the level of intelligence here on Spofi, I thought, could handle it. It was kind of pun-ny.
No, it was kind of vulgar and tasteless.
posted by tommybiden at 12:25 AM on September 16, 2008
TT, BI, it was not meant to be either. I apologize to any offended.
posted by BoKnows at 01:26 AM on September 16, 2008
I thought BoKnows was making a cynical remark to the effect that the average sports fan wouldn't care about the holocaust (or anything else) unless it took out their team's promising running back. Guess I was wrong?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 11:22 AM on September 16, 2008
Actually, I was using the word concentration more from it's definition and not it's usage during WWII.
posted by BoKnows at 03:07 PM on September 16, 2008
Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich
posted by phreakydancin at 07:21 PM on September 16, 2008
Actually, I was using the word concentration more from it's definition and not it's usage during WWII.
If you say so. But, if that is true, why would you apologize in the original post? You already knew it was inappropriate and tasteless before you hit the send button.
posted by tommybiden at 09:11 PM on September 16, 2008
Two reasons, TT.
1. Because I knew it could be taken the wrong way. And it was. 2. I acknowledged it was a joke to separate the "joke" portion of my comment and the "not joke" portion. (Which I find interesting that we're focusing on a bad joke rather than serious commenting.)
Again, for the third time, if I have offended you, I apologize.
Thanks for the positive reasoning, lbb. I wish my intent was as you described, but I'm not that smart.
posted by BoKnows at 09:25 PM on September 16, 2008
I guess "Volkswagen Field" is out, too.