Evil eBid
By lefty
It must have been a traumatic memory for Harvard alum Kerry Konrad, a lifelong Yankee fan attending college deep within enemy territory. In an attempt at revenge, Konrad has now secured himself a spot in the "Evil Empire's Hall of Fame." You see, Konrad's $2,325 bid won an eBay auction giving him one-day naming rights to the arena-formerly-known-as FleetCenter. His choice for the new name: "The Derek Jeter Center."
Fleet Bank no longer exists and Bank of America, who bought Fleet, declined the naming rights to the arena, so Delaware North Cos., the company that owns the arena, has put daily naming rights to the arena on eBay and is donating the profits for charity.
Arena spokesman Jim Delaney said he cautioned Konrad that he didn't think they could approve that name. Sure enough, it struck out with FleetCenter President & CEO Richard Krezwick. Sports Illustrated reports that Krezwick joked "All names have to be rated 'G'. We determined that Derek Jeter Center is an obscene and vulgar use of the English language in Boston."
But a Boston fan — and classy friend of Konrad's chipped in enough to bring the bid up to a symbolic $8600. Now the center will be called "the Jimmy Fund Center" and that venerable charity will receive the funds.
Click here to read the Sports Illustrated story.
